The Independent Sandwich Company reminds me of a food truck. Open for about two years at its present location, it has really good soup and sandwiches, which you quickly order at the counter from a menu written on a blackboard near the soft-drink machine and receive wrapped in white butcher paper.  There are no amenities. They don’t even sell coffee or tea. You have to go outside, through the door that opens into the office building housing the Indy Sandwich Company, as it is known, to go to the bathroom.  At least you are protected from the weather as you sit at the industrial-style tables and look out the big windows onto Bridgeport Way, which teems with traffic. Except for plastic soup spoons, there is no flatware, so we had to ask Nikki, the chef/waitress/cashier, to cut our sandwiches with the big kitchen prep knife when we wanted to share.

We ordered an eight-inch Mozzarella Basil Vegetarian special at $8.25, an eight-inch Havarti and Turkey Ham Special Sandwich at $8.55, and an eight-inch Grilled Turkey Ham and Cranberry Special at $9.15.  We also ordered delicious Tomato Basil bisque, which came with a soft drink, at $2.55.

The sandwiches were really good, except they were out of Havarti for the Havarti special, so we ordered cheddar cheese instead and when we went for a refill on the soda.

There was a really good pesto-style sauce used as a dressing on all the sandwiches, and there was plenty of tomato, cheese, lettuce, onions and pickles on each one. They were tender and moist, and the fillings were fresh and easy to eat, making the Indy Sandwich Company a good place to grab a bite.

IF YOU GO

The Independent Sandwich Company

10240 Bridgeport Way SW., Lakewood (located in an office building)

253-589-3354

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Carolyn Lambert, a freelance restaurant writer, writes the Senior Eats column for Senior Scene.