The scene: The Bayview is a modern, clean and vibrant neighborhood sandwich shop with a surprising hidden asset: a great deck with a terrific view of the water. It might be on your lunch list now for its reliably meaty sandwiches and comfort classics like mac and cheese, but it should wander up your list of happy-hour joints when deck season returns.

The expansive deck overlooking the waterway will be a great place to drink a beer (a dozen bottles on the menu) or a glass of wine when it’s dry enough to safely return outside.

The deck out back may come as a surprise when peering inside The Bayview’s front windows. It looks like a small place on first glance, but the dining room in the back seats 40, and the deck adds room for 40 more.

Type of food: The menu is soups and sandwiches with an emphasis on comfort eats and daily specials. Think seafood-laden gumbo, spaghetti with handmade meatballs, meaty sandwiches with sturdy bread and juicy burgers that aren’t of the preformed freezer variety.

When navigating the menu, remember that sturdy sandwiches are what The Bayview does best, and they’re modestly priced in the $7 to $9 range. Sandwiches come with soup or salad, and a few have the option of fries. A half-dozen sandwiches range from a classic Reuben ($8.95) to a pulled pork ($6.95) and meatball ($8.25).

People in the kitchen: That would be Joel Cummings. Spar regulars might recognize him as the longtime kitchen manager of the popular Old Town hangout. Joel and his brother Glenn Cummings and sister-in-law Lori Cummings opened The Bayview a few months ago. When he opened, Joel promised good food for a good price, and he makes good on that. In addition to being the guy in the kitchen, Joel’s also the guy upstairs. He might possibly have the shortest commute in the neighborhood – about 20 steps.

Dining notes: The cappa Cuban ($8.95) takes a spicy twist with spicy cappacola ham paired with pork loin and Swiss cheese, mayo and a pickle on a French roll. If you recognize the spicy ham, it’s because Joel brought it with him from the menu of The Spar. The pulled pork sandwich ($6.95) comes with barbecue sauce or a spicy sauce. Go with the spicy sauce.

The meatball sandwich ($8.25) is the must order on the menu if you are fond of messy and hearty. Hand-formed meatballs, big and beefy, a slow-simmered red sauce and melted provolone on a French roll make this one messy delight.

The Bayview Burger ($6.95) also makes for a three-napkin lunch. It’s a juicy, thick creation with a chewy Kaiser roll, shredded iceberg lettuce and a mayo/ketchup special sauce.

The fries that come with the burger (and also are on the appetizer menu for $3.50) are of the frozen variety, crispy on the outside and a creamy interior with a decent house-made seasoning; but nevertheless, they hail from the deep freeze.

The Reuben ($8.95) is loaded with thickly sliced corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a mayo/ketchup-based special sauce. The dark rye bread was weighty and toasted just enough to be a sturdy outer layer for the big sandwich.

Soups that come as sandwich sides (or order by the cup or bowl at $3 and $4.50 respectively) are handcrafted (the rough chopped celery is a giveaway), but the chili was watery on one visit, and so was the clam chowder on another. If you’re a fan of thin soup over thick and sturdy, this won’t bother you much, but my palette requires more substance.

Salads that come as sandwich sides (or as a side salad at $3.50 for the small and $5.50 for the large) are mixed greens with cucumbers and tomatoes and served with housemade dressing on the side (a nice touch, both for the restraint by serving dressing on the side and for making it homemade –the vinaigrette and blue cheese were equally delish).

The chicken seafood gumbo ($12.75), one of four entrees on the standard menu, is heavy on the prawns and mahogany clams, in addition to chicken and sausage (meaty overload, but in a good way). It’s assembled to order with rice and a tomato-based broth. The rice was a bit too chewy and should have been cooked a bit more.

I dined at The Bayview for lunch, so my dining partners and I didn’t explore the appetizer menu much beyond the sun-dried tomato hummus ($6.95). It was a nice starter, but just be sure to enjoy a mint before heading back to the office. It screams, “garlic!”

Service: Nice, friendly, welcoming and fast, fast, fast. We were solo diners on one visit, but among several parties at another visit. Regardless of how many bodies were in the dining room, the service remained consistent in quality. Water glasses remained full, and plates were cleared quickly. Conversations were not interrupted. What more can you ask for in a server?

Watch the daily special sheet: Joel says the mac and cheese is one of the most popular menu items. As a daily special, he kicks up the cheddar-based mac and cheese with blue cheese and Frank’s red sauce. He calls it Buffalo-style mac and cheese.

Wild card: Watch for a menu change in a few months, but Joel plans to keep the menu consistent through the winter. Don’t forget The Bayview for deck season.

Sue Kidd: 253-597-8270

The Bayview

Where: 229 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m. -10 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sundays

Details: The restaurant accepts credit cards.

Phone: 253-272-2792

Price Range: $