× Expand Carolyn Fath The stars of the show: a Cuban sandwich and curly fries.

“I’m so hungry, I could eat at Arby’s.”

With that phrase (and the subsequent “oh my gosh” gasped by their peers), the twin characters Terri and Sherri from The Simpsons doomed that fast food chain from ever regaining what was already shaky credibility. It’s hard to imagine members of the avocado toast generation, who pride themselves on eating healthy, as well as interesting, food, will ever find a dripping roast beef sandwich to be enticing fast food. But what if you took the concept of a fast food deli (essentially Arby’s gimmick) and tried to personalize it? Can a restaurant with a similar menu win hearts and minds, while featuring quality above the norm?

Sliced Deli on Madison’s west side is a former Arby’s, owned by a former Arby’s franchisee, with a menu that might also look somewhat familiar. But this is an independently owned spot, serving a wider range of sandwiches than its corporate sibling.

Sliced keeps a setup that works, with counter ordering and a drive-through. The space, painted and partially redecorated, is tidy and clean, if a little worn. My three-year-old daughter enjoyed exploring the sunroom, furnished with patio furniture. I never thought much of this ubiquitous fast food feature, but indeed it is a bright and inviting place to sit.

The star of the show is Sliced’s Cuban sandwich. A combination of roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles is squash-toasted like a panini. It’s a compact, tangy sandwich that stays together in one hand. The salt of the ham, tempered by the mild Swiss and earthy roast pork, sets off the beautiful acidity of the mustard and pickles. The Cuban is a wonderful member of the American sandwich lexicon, and Sliced’s version is apt.

A runner-up might be the smoked brisket sandwich. Thin sliced brisket is topped with cheese and onion strings, along with barbecue sauce on the top and mayo on the bottom of the bun. The meats at Sliced are the brightest feature and the brisket was smoky, with good texture. Hard to detect any onion in the fried onion string, but to some that might be a good thing.

Customers can also build their own sandwiches, with a wider range of breads and buns to choose from than is the norm.

There were some less successful items. A key feature of a hot dog, embedded in the word itself, is its temperature. Here, the ball park frank was ample in size, but could have used another zap. The bread on my Philly cheese steak was toasted crisp and the beef was hot and had good flavor, but the sandwich seemed to have made the bus ride only from Chicago, rather than Philadelphia. Instead of the grilled steak with peppers and onions combo I was expecting (with a dab of cream cheese of course), I ended up with a less soggy hot Italian beef, commonly found in the Windy City, layered with cheddar sauce.

I was too vanilla to try out the blood orange shake, but I did try the wild strawberry. The syrup, added to a vanilla shake, needed a stir, but it hit the spot.

Sliced also has about six different soups on the menu daily. I tried the broccoli cheese. The soup, reminiscent of the sauce on the Philly, might have been made with the same processed cheese, but points were scored for it being piping hot.

I suppose what everyone really wants to know is: “How are the curly fries?” They are good — crisp and made-to-order. If they are your Arby’s “go-to,” you won’t miss out at Sliced.

I gazed out the window at the busy Beltline ramp and listened to the classic rock satellite station transition from Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded” into Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” and, as funny as it sounds, I was struck by a sense of serenity. There’s something about Sliced that isn’t fast food anymore, but simply food made fast. Sliced Deli makes good sandwiches and takes care of its customers. In spite of our overthought food culture, sometimes that is enough.

Sliced Deli

601 S. Gammon Road; 608-274-6205; slicedexpress.com;

10:30 am-9 pm Mon.-Fri., 11 am-9 pm Sat., 11 am-8 pm Sun.; $4-$6