October 25, 2022 (Updated March 1, 2023)
My house is equidistant from two great sandwich/pizza shops. On the Concord side is New London Style Pizza and on the Bedford side is Ken’s NY Deli and Brick Oven Pizza. I consider myself a lucky man, though I probably shouldn’t eat at either of them as much as I do. But try as I might, I find myself eating from one or the other a couple of times a week.
Ken’s is located on The Great Road in Bedford and there is parking on the street in front, but also a parking lot around back. This makes it easy to grab take out, which I do often. The best thing at Ken’s is the sandwiches, but I also like the sides. The fries are good and so are the mozzarella sticks, but my favorite is buffalo chicken fingers.
The triple-decker cheeseburger club is alway great. They cook the burger to order, I get mine medium rare, then add bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on white toast. It comes with either fries or onion rings. I love the fries. They are on the thinner side, so they are always crispy and salty. If cheeseburger isn’t your thing, they have a variety of other club sandwiches, including a very good turkey club.
Another sandwich that I really love is the chicken kabob wrap. I have eaten a lot of these, probably somewhere between thirty and fifty. As much as I eat, there is a very short list of things that I have had fifty times, but this is a sandwich I keep going back for. It’s grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, feta cheese, and Greek dressing. Simple, basic, and delicious.
If you are up for something a little more unique, try the Plymouth Rock. It’s Thanksgiving in a sandwich, roast turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce with a little mayo. New Englanders know this sandwich, my wife makes one for me every Black Friday, but with gravy. But for those who don’t live in the land of the Pilgrims, it is a treat.
I’ll be honest. As much as I love Ken’s, if I’m in the mood for pizza, I usually go to New London. But if you prefer a NY style pie, skip New London and visit Ken’s. Our family special is grilled chicken, ham, and jalapeños. Ken’s version is very good, with big chunks of grilled chicken, crispy sliced ham, and plenty of cheese. They also have a Loco Mexican pizza with ground taco beef, roasted peppers, onions, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. I haven’t tried it yet, but I need to. Some day I will when I’m not reordering my favorites.
Let’s get back to those sides. I like the mozzarella sticks a lot. They are battered rather than breaded and have really good flavor. The cheese is ooey gooey and the marinara sauce is solid. I also like to order a side of hand-breaded buffalo fingers. You can get a buffalo finger sub, but you get more chicken with the side. They are very saucy with a medium amount of heat. More importantly, they are hand-breaded, plump, and juicy.
I can’t imagine you aren’t ready to order, but if you need more options, the ruben, the tuna melt, and the Minute Man (roast beef, turkey, coleslaw, swiss, and chipotle mayo) are all great choices. And when you are done, grab a chocolate chip cookie, loaded with big chunks of chocolate.
I don’t expect anyone will take a long drive to eat at Ken’s. It isn’t that type of place. But for those of us who live nearby or if you just so happen to be nearby, you can’t go wrong. In addition to great food, they are always friendly. If you do stop by, tell them I said hi. After all, I once made an appearance on their Instagram.
Update March 1, 2023
I did it. I tried the Mexican Loco Pizza. It was good. I would get it again. We got the 12 inch and I can’t even imagine how much food the large would be. This thing is dense with a whole lot of toppings.
Concord Culinary Lyceum 