Montagu's and Frostbite Frozen Treats

Montagu’s is a little sandwich shop on North Pine Street, right off of Chisholm Road in North Florence. They offer Philly steak sandwiches, Reubens, chicken sandwiches and burgers…each for under $5.00. You can opt for a grilled or fried chicken salad, or you can get a Philly steak salad. They also offer fried pickles and hot dogs (Polish or chili cheese). Their Alabama Department of Public Health rating is currently 100.

Inside, they have stools at a small bar and a couple of tables, but there is a larger dining area outside on the deck. If you choose to eat outside, you can watch one of the two TVs while you wait for your food, which they bring out to you when it’s ready. The deck is located between Montagu’s and Frostbite Frozen Treats.

I’ve heard some very positive comments about Montagu’s, so my co-worker and I decided to have lunch there this week. My coworker ordered a hamburger, which she said was a very good (she rated it an 8 out of 10). Another co-worker (who wasn’t with us on this visit) swears Montagu’s Philly steak sandwich is the best in the Shoals. I ordered the chicken, bacon, and ranch specialty sandwich and fries. The fries, I thought, were very good; unfortunately, my sandwich was mediocre. The “bacon” was the color of sauerkraut and not full of bacon flavor, the lettuce was a little dry. When I ordered, the cook tossed a frozen chuck of white meat on the fry-grill along with a hoagie roll, which eventually became my sandwich. In my humble opinion, you’ll find a better chicken bacon ranch sandwich at Domino’s or Subway.

After our meal, we went next door to Frostbite Frozen Treats, where you can find yogurt in such flavors as Mountain Blackberry, Snicker Doodle Cookie Dough, Rocky Road Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Pink Lemonade Sorbet, Blueberry Acai Tart, NSA Strawberry Banana, Triple Chocolate, and Mango Sorbet. They offer different flavors on different days, and there are little cups available for you to try out the various flavors. There are lots of toppings to choose from including nuts, fruits, candy, and crushed chocolate bars.

My visit to Frostbite was a little bit of a disappointment. It’s expensive (you pay by weight), melts fast, and is watery (instead of creamy) when it melts. I got a small helping of yogurt, crowned it with caramel topping, and sprinkled it with crushed Snicker’s, which cost me $2.38. For my money, I’ll stick with McDonald’s low-fat ice cream caramel sundaes, where I get more for only $1.00. If you're all about toppings and different flavors, you may want to give Frostbite a try at least once.

Montagu’s1611 North Pine StreetFlorence, AL 35630(256) 275-3851http://www.facebook.com/montagushttp://www.facebook.com/frostbitetreats