Voltaco’s

The Famished Foodie serves guests quality eats from this well-loved Italian take out spot

WE WERE having friends over for a last minute, Friday evening, No-Shower-Happy-Hour and we needed some grinds for our guests.

So I called Voltaco’s at the corner of 10th and West, ordered up a bunch of Italian specialties from the very nice person on the phone and boom! Friday happy hour was a giant success.

Voltaco’s Italian Foods has been in business since 1954 and they seem to have a simple recipe; yummy dishes, large portions and reasonable prices.

“You got Voltaco’s?” exclaimed one of our guests. “Awesome!”

I called around 4:30 on a sunny spring Friday. My phone conversation was so pleasant I thought it worth noting. Don’t underestimate the simple act of ordering takeout from someone nice. I threw on my flip flops and headed uptown.

Voltaco’s was established over 60 years ago by two families and the name is a combination of the two family names – so there is no Mr. or Mrs. Voltaco. This iconic eatery is still family owned with Joe and Vicki Taccarino leading the way.

Cruising into Voltaco’s is such an Ocean City experience. There’s a low-voltage hum that permeates the place – they’re pumping out quality food at a fast pace for a lot of people. And while the OC is a vacation spot with a lot of people coming and going, the staff at Voltaco’s greets many of their customers by name.

“Hey Mr. P, nice to see you,” said the pleasant girl at the counter who was cool and efficient but cheerful at the same time.

“You guys are great,” said Mr. P. “I can see why you’ve been in business for such a long time.”

Which is exactly what I said when I got home and dug into my dinner. Voltaco’s consistently comes through with tasty dishes and reliable service. Sounds like a good recipe for longevity.

I came home and dropped the spread on our table; one buffalo chicken cheesesteak, an eggplant parm dinner, a large cheese pizza, some chicken tenders for the youngsters and an order of mozzarella garlic bread.

I took one bite from my buffalo chicken cheesesteak and thought “this is why they’ve stayed in business so long.” It was simply a good bite and that’s what everybody wants in their takeout – a good bite. The buffalo sauce had a great kick but wasn’t overly hot. The way they prepare the chicken leaves it tender and flavorful. The roll had a prefect crust, the chicken was well seasoned, and my tastebuds jumped for joy as I dug in. I ordered the nine-inch sub which was enough for me and then some. The 18-inch sub probably feeds a small army.

“I really like this eggplant parm,” said the always fabulous Pepper Potts. “It’s so good. It’s tender and I like the sauce. And I like that it’s thinly sliced.”

The restaurant is totally unassuming and the front of the house is quite small. But don’t let that fool you. They save the big space for the kitchen where the magic happens.

“The menu mentions they fry the eggplant fresh daily and I could taste the freshness right away,” added Pepper. “It’s tastes like when my grandmother would fry up eggplant and let us taste a slice or two in between batches.”

Voltaco’s has a large menu filled with Italian specialties including pizza. In addition to standard cheese pizzas, Voltaco’s offers up some cool specialty pies including a chicken sorrento pizza with Italian sausage, chicken, broccoli rabe, sundried tomatoes, pesto sauce and sharp provolone.

Subs and sandwiches have always been some of my favorite things on the menu. I’m a standard cheesesteak kinda guy but you may want to try the Gringo Bandito with zesty Mexican seasoning, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños and Sriracha sauce.

Italian dinners headline the menu and all your faves are here; spaghetti with meatballs, chicken cacciatore, baked stuffed peppers, seafood fra diavolo and more. And when you have a big crew arriving call ahead for one of their family trays.

Voltaco’s is take-out only and cash only with an ATM inside. There are a couple picnic tables outside if you’re into al fresco dining and there are also gluten free options on the menu.

You can’t go wrong at this long-standing OC establishment. Drop in, grab something and you’ll wind up saying “now I see why these guys are in business for so long.”

Find this story and more in our June magazine.