Grinders Keepers

I came here about a month ago with my boyfriend. I got the Italian combo and he got a tuna. Grinders were good but small. Not as big as I remembered them to be. Owners are very friendly and I always find it important to support small businesses. I just wish the sandwiches were larger. Cash only.

I have been going to Grinder’s Keepers since it was located down the road when I was a child. Their sandwiches have consistently been the best in Bristol. I am not a creature of habit, and have given every sandwich shop in town a chance. The owner’s are friendly, caring and make every customer feel like a family member. The prices are comparable to Subway but their product is far superior. I have never questioned the freshness or consistency of the ingredients here. Cash only is a bit of a pain, but that should never be a reason to miss out on great food. Highly recommended!

I was kind of disappointed in my steak and cheese sub. The food itself was tasty, but there was literally less than ¼″ of steak stuffed into a giant sub roll. Seemed like about 2oz of steak total. I only got the half sub, but presumably, if I had ordered the full sub, it would have been the same proportion of meat to bread. I was still hungry when I finished (first time I ever remember that happening after eating a steak & cheese).

A Mom & Pop Grinder shop. Stopped in for a pair of grinders, mine was a Italian combo, hers a Roast Beef. Brought them home, my fiancée was not really impressed when she saw them. I thought mine tasted OK, an average grinder.
CASH ONLY. Parking can also be an issue if the businesses in the area are busy.

While the owners are friendly, the quality of the cold cuts wasn’t any better than Subway.
They only take cash which is annoying in this day and age of debit cards.
If you want a cheap grinder, Subway has this place beat.
If you want a REAL grinder head to Nardelli’s.

Best chicken salad sandwich ever. I consider myself a chicken salad snob and am always in search of the perfect chicken salad. I have found this in two places– Windsor, CT and Lake George, NY. The Pickle Deli in Windsor, CT very sadly had a fire and was shut down and Lake George, NY is far to travel for a sandwich. The hardroll was perfect and the lettuce and tomato fresh. I would highly recommend this shop for a quick bite to eat for lunch.

Grinders Keepers is better than Subway or any chain sandwich shop around. The bread comes from a well known local bakery, the menu ranges from any kind of cold cut to hot sandwiches like steak & cheese, prices can’t be beat and the owners work so hard to make sure that everyone who comes in is satisfied. They’re always so friendly and it’s obvious the place is their pride and joy– for obvious reasons :-) I started going here over 10 years ago and now it’s so routine my weeks wouldn’t feel complete without getting grinders here once or twice a week.
And for the complaints about it being CASH only– it’s so that they can keep their prices lower. (Plus, bright idea, maybe carrying cash around a little more often will actually prevent you from being the next victim of credit card fraud) Who knows though! Their food & prices seem worth the «inconvenience» to me!

Friendly service and great bread. No matter what I order it’s always sliced fresh and tastes great. I especially like the roast beef and the hot cherry peppers always add a kick. Family owned you feel like your mom made your sandwich local very low key deli sandwiches.

I really love grinders, and this place hits the spot! I don’t go all too often– but when I do, the friendly owners strike up conversation with me as if I have been their loyal customer for life :). The bread is really soft and delicious. Even though they take their sweet time to make your sandwich, you know it was made with love. They will even cut it in half and wrap the halves separately, just so it will fit in your work lunch box (how sweet)! I also love their frequent shopper card, where they will punch a hole in it for every sandwich you buy, and after the card is filled, you get a free grinder. Their prices are competitive with other shops in town. Just remember to bring cash, because they do not take cards.

The Best Grinder Period. Friendly family owned atmosphere. Great meat, freshly sliced. Excellent bread.
Just remember to bring cash. But it is totally worth the trouble of going to an ATM first.
Great place! Be sure to check it out.

What can you say about a sandwich shop that has been a staple of the city of Bristol for over 30 years?
As a child, my family would semi-​regularly get dinner from Grinders Keepers back when they still had their tiny yellow building on North Street. Growing up, nobody had a better meatball sub in my opinion.
30 years later, and back in the same town after my travels, i stumble upon a shop by the same name on King Street. I order my beloved meatball sub, and converse with the owners. I find out it’s always been them, and they remember my family. We reminisce until closing time (it was rather close to it when I came in anyway) and I make may way home. I unwrap my grinder, take a bite, and a huge smile appears on my face. 30 years later and it’s exactly the same. These people truly live by the motto of «If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.»
Although they may close at 8 pm and be closed on Sundays, they are well worth the stop if you’re in the area. I’ve been back several times since, ordering a variety of items, and have not been disappointed. Their bread is baked fresh and their meat is sliced fresh daily. Bring cash as they don’t accept cards. For the price, it’s well worth it, as they’re roughly the same price range as Subway but much better quality.

I visited Grinders Keepers with some friends and I’m definitely not impressed. After having worked across the street from a great deli in Hamden for the past 5 years, I am a bit spoiled.
The bread was decent enough though but the concoction that I like to order at some delis in Hamden and North Haven consisting of a chicken cutlet, fresh mozzarella, onions, lettuce, mayonnaise, and capicola just wasn’t very good. The cutlets were dry and very pre-​prepared tasting and it cost an extra $ 3.00 for a few slices of capicola!
While waiting for our grinders to get made, I perused the menu and noticed that the Italian combo was made up of a rather disappointing showing of meat. Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with the price of the food or the execution. I’d rather go for grinders at some of my other favorite establishments.

Been looking for a good grinder shop in Bristol — there is a decent one near my house but thought I would try this place. The grinder and price was decent but when they advertise that they produce OVERSTUFFED grinders, it is NOT true. There was barely any meat on my sandwich at all. Also, it is cash only, which is a pain for those who don’t carry cash all the time. I will stick to the Italian shop near my house …

Bristol isn’t exactly deli central, but Grinders Keepers gets the job done! The bread is first rate, much better than what you’ll find at the chain shops like Subway or D’Angelos. The lunch meats are fresh, the cheese is tasty, and Mom and Pop are as friendly as can be. The prices are reasonable.
If you’re looking for a fresh deli sandwich in Bristol, be sure to give Grinders Keepers a try!