The Mochi’s ex-wife sandwich on a hero. Blueberry cheesecake not pictured.
Eva Flowe
I swung by a new New York-style deli to see what I could get, not expecting to see the ex-wife.
The ex-wife sandwich that is.
Mochi’s Deli sits in Dilworth Crossing Shopping Center on Park Road. As a part of CharlotteFive’s on a budget series, I stopped by to see what sort of lunch I could get for $25, including tip.
Mochi’s sells a variety of chopped cheese, cold cut, chicken cutlet and Asian-inspired sandwiches, along with cheese fries, soup and breakfast rolls.
Sandwiches are available on a roll starting at $8.99 and a hero starting at $11.99, depending on toppings. It isn’t hard to spend under $25 here, and you get a good bit of food.
I got a sandwich on a hero for $14.99 and a cheesecake bite for $4, along with a $1 water. I tipped the remaining balance to reach exactly $25.
It took about 15 minutes for me to get my meal, but it took longer for some of the other patrons. I went around noon on Sept. 3, and on Sept. 4 the deli posted on Instagram that waits can exceed an hour during busy periods.
If you have a short lunch break, beware, but I was not bothered.
Mochi’s ex-wife sandwich on a hero. Blueberry cheesecake not pictured. Eva Flowe CharlotteFive The food at Mochi’s Deli
I ordered an ex-wife sandwich on a hero and a house-made mini blueberry cheesecake. The ex-wife contains a chicken cutlet, mozzarella, bacon, pesto, avocado, red onion, jalapeño and sun-dried tomato. I do not know why the sandwich is called an ex-wife — it could be someone’s ex-wife’s order, or a reference I am not catching.
The ex-wife was delicious — what’s not to like? However, it was a little dry. I think subbing fresh tomatoes for the sun-dried ones, or keeping the sun-dried and adding fresh would help. A sauce of some sort could also help.
The cheesecake bite was a very pleasant shade of purple, and it tasted good. I think the blueberry flavor could have been stronger, but blueberry can be pretty mild.
The sandwich is large. It could feed two people lunch with a side, and I did not finish it at lunch. (I ate half for dinner.)
The prices were very sensible, so this is definitely a good pick for a meal on a budget. I would be interested to return and try the Asian sandwich offerings.
The vibes at Mochi’s
I enjoyed the bustling energy of Mochi’s, and I was a fan of the arcade games pushed against the wall. Who doesn’t love Pac-Man?
I was less blown away by the AI-generated marketing used by the restaurant. Framed photos of a dog, I presume Mochi, showed an adorable, bright-eyed community role model. In one picture, Mochi even wears a hooded sweater. The namesake dog’s sparkle felt dulled by the yellow-toned and inconsistent AI marketing on the walls of the deli.
While I prefer an AI-generated dog to the Lovecraftian horror of AI-generated food illustrations (Why do I feel like that gyro wrap is looking at me? Is it?), the down-to-earth charm would be improved by human art, or at least posters made by human hands on Canva.
The space isn’t designed for people to linger, but there are a few chairs and a table. Overall, I had a good meal at a solid price. This is definitely best for a to-go order, but the wait might be a little long for someone in a hurry.
Location: 2216 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28203
Cuisine: Deli, sandwiches
Instagram: @mochisdeli.clt
Ask the North Carolina Service Journalism Team
Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you’d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.
You can submit your question by filling out this form.
Related Stories from Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer
Eva Flowe is a North Carolina native and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She joined the Charlotte Observer as part of the NC service journalism team in April 2026.