Joseph’s Restaurant is at 8418 20th St. in Vero Beach. Photo by Hayley Foote.

VERO BEACH — About a decade ago, we were driving from Rome to Ravello. On the Autostrada, the Italian version of I-95, my husband stopped for gas. I went into the station to get a snack. The aroma of slow-cooked meats and tomato sauce almost knocked me out.

Chefs with white toques in a gas station! We wolfed down “arista al latte” — pork simmered in milk then roasted on a spit and crackling.

Amazing!

Unbelievably, right here in Vero Beach, we were equally blown away the other night at Joseph’s, a humble little room behind the pumps of a Sunoco station. It shares space with a convenience store.

There is no décor to speak of, except for open umbrellas that inexplicably hang from the ceiling. Perhaps to catch rain from a leaky roof? Who knows? Who cares? Once you taste the food, you’ll look only at your plate.

It’s terrific. From Southern Italian offerings to simple sandwiches, most everything we tried was top-notch. Hand-ground beef for the cheeseburger ($5.95) and meatballs ($10.95, with al dente spaghettini) made for bursts of meaty juiciness.

The chopped barbecue chicken salad ($8.50) featured a fresh spring mix of lettuces with perfectly marinated chicken chunks. Lemon chicken ($13.95) was tangy and feather light.

Pièce de resistance? The stromboli ($8.95). Enormous, longer than the pizza pan on which it was served, this hot peasant sandwich was filled with quality Italian meats and sautéed fresh veggies. Fresh mozzarella snaked through this rustic gem.

The immigrant owners are as authentic as the food. Chef Edmund Prendi and his wife, Alsina (the waitress), are Albanian.

Tellingly, Edmund was raised in Italy.

The place is named for their young son, Joseph. I hope he inherits their obvious reverence for simple food.

Four of us left, smiling, for $70.

JOSEPH’S

Cuisine: Italian and American

Price range: $2.50-$14.95

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday

Address: 8418 20th St., Vero Beach

Phone: (772) 569-1711

Alcohol: No

Handicapped access: Yes

Reservations: No