Bistro 1605

 

Located at 1605 North Main Street in High Point, Bistro 1605 serves sandwiches, soups, and salads for lunch on weekdays. Sandwich specials and soups change regularly. Limited outdoor seating is available.

 

Bistro 1605 is a result of Alexandria’s Hamilton Street Bistro moving into the former Cork and Grind location. While I never got to try the old restaurant, I was curious about the new. I stopped by a little before noon on a Friday to find the establishment very busy, a testament to Alexandria’s loyal following. As much as I wanted to like this place, however, it just didn’t strike me as anything special.

 

Positives first: Alesha is a friendly and welcoming presence, and the staff here seem hard-working and personable. Though the menu is fairly limited, several items – a crostini and a spinach/hummus/red pepper/quinoa wrap – held appeal.

 

I ultimately went with the day’s special, an Italian sandwich. It took a while to arrive, but given how busy – and new – the bistro was, I’m inclined to cut them some slack. While the sandwich featured a good amount of meat, it was oddly sweet due to the choice of pepper. Banana peppers and a dash of oregano would have been a welcome remedy. Like a few of the other sandwich offerings, the Italian clocked in at $12 with a bag of chips included. Some of the salads reached ambitiously into the teens.

 

I may need to give Bistro 1605 another shot after they are fully up to speed at their new location, but initial impressions suggest a place that will serve you neither a bad lunch (and there is something to be said for that consistency alone) nor a particularly memorable one.