As I entered Joint Venture, a combination restaurant and head shop on Everhart Road near Ropers, I couldn’t help but notice the laid-back atmosphere. I also couldn’t help but laugh at some of the sandwich names on the menu behind the counter.
Names such as Agent Orange and AK 47 made me smile, but I ended up ordering the O.G. Kush, a toasted sandwich with roasted turkey, Havarti cheese, tomatoes and lettuce with an apricot aioli. I also ordered water, which was served by the bottle in the cooler next to the register. After I grabbed my drink, I took a seat beneath a soft-blowing fan and listened to the low rumble of voices around the small dining room.
The upbeat music resounded over the cannabis facts and information being discussed on the TV screen behind me, but neither sound bothered me or rose over the other voices and laughter in the room. The clean table didn’t offend my hands as I lay them across its surface, and I felt comfortable, even under the bright orange walls and cannabis-painted surfboard propped against the wall.
I glanced at the counter strewn with baskets of chips, snacks and unique items such as hemp medicine and cannabis information pamphlets. I didn’t see the paraphernalia side of the shop, but another room waited across from me, so I assumed it would be found there.
Cayce Berryman/Foghorn
The O.G. Kush is a turkey sandwich with Havarti cheese, tomatoes and lettuce with an apricot aioli costing $9.60 with a bottle water. Joint Venture offers a great atmosphere and entertaining sandwich names.
If I was bored, I may have indulged myself with a snack from the counter but instead, I absorbed the cool atmosphere of the room; its simple, yet vibrant features asking for my eyes as they danced around the sun-lit floors and highlighter walls.
It took almost 20 minutes for my name to be called, which seemed a long time to wait for a sandwich but lucky for me, I wasn’t in a huge hurry. It’s not a wait I’d prefer to have, of course.
The thick, toasted hemp-infused bread covered the entire basket, and a deli pickle spear sat at the end with a few stray breadcrumbs sprinkled on it. I rarely enjoy tomatoes on a sandwich, but any bite that didn’t have a soft tomato left me disappointed. The Havarti cheese threatened to become a new favorite for sandwiches, and the apricot aioli dazzled in the complements it gave to the collaboration.
I chose one of the sandwiches on the cheaper end of the menu, but I was far from disappointed in the flavor. The apricot aioli probably tied everything together, but it was a surprisingly well-made sandwich, worth the wait if you have time.
Joint Venture isn’t an obnoxious place, but it’s definitely a place you would consider walking into when thinking about a local feel in atmosphere. The sandwiches are wonderful, but they are sandwiches nonetheless. If I could snag the aioli recipes or simply buy my own, I would probably be content making my own sandwich but for those who enjoy the atmosphere or wish to take advantage of more than the sandwich aspect of the shop, it will truly be worth it.
Cost: $9.60
Rating: 4/5
