Restaurant Report: The People’s Drug

By now, we’re sure you’ve been to Sweetgreen (if you haven’t, what have you been doing?!). Maybe you’ve noticed some changes happening next door. Enter The People’s Drug, Old Town’s newest sandwich shop centered on the 1930s lunch counter, a concept that the owners believed was long overdue for a local resurgence.People’s Drug Store was one of the pioneering and most well-known general stores in the country. One of the chain’s original locations, founded in 1905 in the next building over (where Five Guys is currently located), popularized the lunch counter with soda fountains and root beer floats.The People’s Drug, located at 103 N. Alfred Street, is re-imagining that lunch counter vibe in the space formerly occupied by Bittersweet Catering. It beckons with awnings and a neon sign reading, simply, “DRUGS.” Inside is an intimate sandwich shop and cocktail bar with a long counter, barstools, and small tables lining the opposite wall.On the food menu, you’ll find snacks, bowls, craft sandwiches, and sides. The sandwiches range from a Cuban to two burgers to a vegetarian Charred Zucchini option. The bowls include a pork belly Cobb, classic spaghetti and meatballs, and a wholesome and filling Red Quinoa with asparagus and split peas. Ingredients are sourced locally as seasons permit and — get ready for more buzzwords — brunch is coming soon.Happy hour is offered every day from 3-7pm, with classic cocktails like Palomas and Moscow Mules containing thoughtfully cultivated liquor from small-batch distilleries, along with some lesser-known, liquor-forward gems, and wide-ranging beer and wine lists. The People’s Drug makes their own juices and syrups and takes great pride in making this lunch counter more grown-up than the soda-counter days of yore.The People’s Drug is open every day from 11am to midnight and might just become your new go-to.