I found a new bistro over the holiday break, and I can’t get enough of it. I received a gift certificate for $25 to Juli’s Coffee and Bistro for Christmas, so of course I had to check it out.

I have to say, I was impressed and kept returning long after my gift certificate was spent.

Juli’s is locally owned and operated, and it shows. The front counter is usually ran by two workers who are friendly and ready to help. The owner, Juli Cuthbertson,  has been there taking orders, running food as well as making it, which adds to the local feel of the bistro.

The mismatched tables, chairs and couches compliment the relaxed ambiance and the decorations contribute to that homey feel. To the side of the dining area, there is a sun room seating area that could accommodate larger parties, as well as different sized tables for any size group.

The menu features sandwiches, wraps and salads, as well as a variety of drip, espresso and coffee drinks. The coffee is Roasterie coffee from Kansas City. There are also pastries, such as muffins, cookies and biscotti for sale.

The first time I ate there, I had the “Turkey Lurkey sandwich,” which came with a bag of chips and a pickle, as all their sandwiches do. It is a warm, toasted turkey sandwich on wheat with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

The turkey wasn’t just deli turkey either; it was real, sliced turkey, not that processed stuff with carbohydrate fillers. You can tell because the turkey falls apart, instead of staying one, congealed slice.

The chips are a choice of Sun Chips or Miss Vicki’s, each in a variety of flavors. Personally, I like the choice of potato chips as opposed to french fries or some other fried or cooked potato. The chips go well with the lunch only and bistro theme Cuthbertson has going on.

I went there another time and ordered the special, which that day, was a barbecue brisket sandwich. Every day I have been there, they have some sort of lunch special available. The brisket was tender and saucy, not too sweet, but not really spicy either. My only complaint is that I was left wanting more meat, which means the meat was delicious, but left the sandwich lacking, since the amount of it was small.

I’ve tried some of the pastries, which have all been wonderful, and the coffee is pretty tasty, too. The prices for the food are moderate and the coffee is pricers are comparable to other coffee shops around town – anywhere from $3 to $4.50 depending on what you order. The lunch ranges from $6.50 up to $8.

Check out their Facebook page to see their full lunch menu.