Masterpiece Delicatessen

The best sandwich shop in Denver, one of the best in the country. Sandwiches are passion of mine and I try to search out highly rated ones wherever I travel. Masterpiece Deli is in the highest echelon. It’s beyond a sandwich shop, it is an inventive, craft oriented restaurant. They have a wonderful line-​up of day to day items with rotating specials that impress me every time. Visiting this restaurant is a treat that should not be missed. Beware of the noon lunch rush, it gets pretty packed.

This is one of my go-​to sandwich places. However this last time, I ordered a cubano from the uptown location and the swiss cheese and pickles were missing. I paid $ 15 (the extra $$ for gluten free bread) and I get a sub-​par cubano that looked like it was thrown together, and was missing the most important ingredient: pickles. Note to business: please pay more attention to detail. That sandwich was not worth $ 15. I want to keep coming back but I won’t be for a while.

So here’s the prospectus of this review: Food = good. Business practices? Maybe not so much, emphasis on maybe. Here’s why.
The food part is pretty easy: Masterpiece offers a variety of sandwiches, sides, etc., diversified further by its changed-​daily special sandwich and soup. To date, I’ve tried the Roasted Vegetable, the Seared Ahi Tuna, and the Smoked Turkey. Somewhat to my surprise (at a place where the logo includes a cleaver), my favorite of the three was the Veggie. The ingredients complement each other nicely, the bread (a baguette for this sandwich) is a great choice and soundly does its job as vegetable medium, and everything just works. With the Ahi, your bread is an English muffin. That makes no sense to me. The sandwich innards struggle to stay between the muffin halves; the muffin can’t hold the liquid from the slaw and aioli and ever-​so-​seared tuna, so the sandwich gets messy unless you spontaneously inhale it; and because the muffin is toasted, you end up scraping your mouth from the toasted bread if you choose to attempt a quick meal. But it did taste pretty good. Pretty good. The turkey falls somewhere in between: The toasted wheat bread works, but it’s no baguette. There could have been more turkey. And the cranberry honey renders the sandwich more on the sweet end of the spectrum, where I don’t personally enjoy my turkey sandwiches. (I prefer the savory end. Maybe that’s just me.) No sandwich was bad, one just stood out more than the others.
The sides aren’t all too memorable, but they’re also not bad. The pasta salad is cold, in case you’re averse to such things (I’m not; it’s probably my favorite of the sides). The coleslaw did little for me. The soups I’ve tried – one was New England Clam Chowder, the other was (I think) some kind of roasted tomato – were pretty darn good. So I can recommend those, too.
So, as I said, the food is good, probably 4-​stars good – especially the sandwiches, which, let’s face it, are the main show.
Then there’s the other half. Now, this is from only one experience of the three I’ve had at Masterpiece. I hope (and believe) it was an aberration, but I share it here as a cautionary tale, at most. From my last visit, my bill was $ 13.23. I added a $ 2 tip to the order, which I put on a credit card. About a week or so later, my CC company emails me questioning the «extra generous $ 4.41 tip» I left during my recent visit to Masterpiece Deli. I remembered leaving no such tip. I expressly remember leaving the $ 2 tip and then wondering whether it was too little or too much and whether anyone working at the restaurant would care about such things as much as I (apparently) do. The only time I ever would leave such a bizarre tip is if it added up to a round number, though I do that sparingly now because I’m (apparently) mildly less anal about such things, and what’s the point? I am, however, anal enough not to add such an odd amount as a tip to render the total bill $ 17.64. What the hell is that? The only conclusion I can reach is that I did not leave the bizarre tip amount.
Now, I’m not saying Masterpiece employs nefarious cashiers. Quite the contrary, I’ve had pleasant service each visit with nary a complaint to be made. Maybe something was mistyped; maybe some other foe tampered with the orders of the night; maybe an employee that night did care about my $ 2 tip and took it upon him-​/​herself to make a statement; maybe the tip fairies came down and more than doubled my intended tip amount to spite me and my meek $ 2 contribution. I have only questions, theories. No answers.
What I do know is I probably still will eat at Masterpiece Deli because, again, the food is damn tasty. But when I pay, I will do so in cash.

Come on Denver is the Highlands the new Manhattan?!
They recently raised their prices… $ 15 FOR A SANDWICH. I order fairly large orders frequently and always receive a nasty attitude from a majority of the staff. Terrible service – I’ve literally had a to go order thrown at me. It’s a bummer because they have great food but with the New York prices and attitude they will no longer be receiving our business. :(

I have been here several times and each time I walk out the door I wonder why I keep coming back. The food is average, nothing spectacular. The prices are ridiculous for what you get. The Reuben is not worthy of the $ 15 price. You’re not Katz Deli… If your going to charge $ 13-​$ 15 for a sandwich with a bag of chips or a pasta salad that is nothing more than macaroni with mayo and vinegar, you better make the portions massive. And they don’t. There are plenty of other sandwich shops that are worth visiting instead.

Great sandwiches., some of the best in town but it seems like they’ve recently raised their prices. Stopped in with my family of 4 and cost us $ 55.00 for 4 sandwiches. Awesome food but won’t be frequenting too often and I work in the neighborhood.

The sandwiches are out of control good. I love the brisket with caramelized onions and taleggio and the side of pasta salad is phenomenal. It’s a small space and gets super crowded but the new outdoor seating is helpful. Everything is made to order, so expect to wait. Next on my list is the whitefish salad!

I have never had a disappointing sandwich here — everything I get is top notch. The price often seems a little high but then you eat the sandwich and understand. I’ve had build your own sandwiches, the roasted vegetable, their specials — all amazing. Sometimes they can get a little heavy so be aware of what you’re ordering. I once had an amazing duck sandwich but it definitely was a LOT of calories and fat which made me feel pretty stuffed for the rest of the day.
But cannot recommend enough — especially for a nice lunch to treat yourself.

Our nephew and I came here in search of a good ham and cheese sandwich for him and something delicious for me. Needing to find the best sandwich I found this deli in the top ten of Denver sandwich places.
We walked in after 1 pm and it was totally full. Thankfully a seat opened up quickly. I ended up going with the ahi tuna sandwich with Asian slaw and wasabi mayo. When it came out it was jam packed with tuna which was great. It was so full though that I had to pull pieces of tuna out and eat them individually. A totally awesome problem to have. The only thing I didn’t love was that the tuna was not cold, not hot and had some stringy pieces that just didn’t taste so awesome. The slaw was great though.
The nephew was thrilled with his sandwich and took half home for dinner in case his mom served something he didn’t like. I’d come back but try something else.

Almost always love Masterpiece, but there are some rare times when take-​out sandwiches aren’t that great. I had to knock off a star (and I looked for a contact form on their site to suggest directly instead) for the pricing – it’s pricey, but ingredients are great. However, they just started selling Rosenberg’s bagels, and Rosenberg’s are the best, but Masterpiece charges $ 4.50 for a bagel with cream cheese or butter (coming from New York, just, eek). Reasonable enough up-​charge on the cream cheese, which is $ 3.75 at Rosenberg’s, but that’s more than double the price of a bagel with butter at Rosenberg’s. Kind of outrageous!

I love this place.
I have been going here for a few years now and I can count on the food being amazing every time. I’ve had everything from their specials, salads, menu sandwiches, to their coffee and it’s all amazing.
Expect big, meaty goodness in your sandwich and friendly people to order from.
Also, I highly recommend their breakfast sandwiches. My favorite is corned beef on an english muffin.

Originally planned to go to the sandwich place next door but they were empty and there was a line at Masterpiece so of course, I had to check this place out. Great selection of sandwiches and very very affordable prices. I had the roasted vegetable sandwich which came with mushrooms, onions, zucchini, peppers, cheese and hummus on a very crunchy Italian loaf. The sandwich was delicious though the bread was a bit too hard for me and cut the roof of my mouth. All sandwiches come with your choice of side and the fruit salad was great. Grapes, cantaloupe and strawberries were all fresh, sweet and chilled. Very good portion. The outdoor seating by the bridge is also really nice.
Only negative is how long it took to get our food. After ordering, we waited nearly a half-​hour! For 2 sandwiches. I appreciate the made to order mentality but it could be done quicker.

Really love the sandwiches here. I’ve been twice to grab a quick dinner before heading over to Little Man Ice Cream for their Saturday swing dance nights this summer.
First time the fiancé and I shared the cubano and veggies sandwiches. The cubano put the veggies to shame. Best one I’ve had!
This last time I got the special which included slow roasted pork, lime crema, pickled onions, lettuce and pepperjack cheese on a toasted baguette. I opted to nix the ghost chile salsa. These ingredients were a perfect match. Even the lettuce added to the sandwhich and was not an afterthought. The baguette was nicely grilled with olive oil, making it a beautiful yellow color.
For sides I really enjoy the mac salad and cole slaw.
Come here for all the noms.

Went here yesterday for the first time. Solid deli but nothing to rave about. My friend got a breakfast sandwich with turkey and egg on a bagel. I got the Cubano. Thinly sliced pickles, ham, pork, and mustard — traditional Cubano! It needed crusty bread and more pickles — the bread it was on was too delicate for thick pork on it. The pork was tender and flavorful but overall the sandwich wasn’t as well proportioned as it could’ve been. Masterpiece has Dr. Brown’s soda though! So hard to find and such a treat.

I wasn’t expecting much from this place for some reason, probably bc it’s a café… But damn! Their sandwiches are so good! I tried the Cubano sandwich and the pork just melted in my mouth. The flavor was explosive… It exploded in my mouth. I also tried the seared ahi tuna on a potato roll and that was super amazing as well! I will come here again. Also, on a hot day a can of rosé was refreshing (infinite monkey).

When we visit our friends in Denver this is a «must have» stop. First off, the prices are kind of ridiculous but as a visitor who only eats here once every six months ago they are tolerable. I have gone here for both breakfast and lunch and have had great meals everytime. My personal favorite is the cubano with a side of pasta salad. The salad is macaroni noodles with a vinegrete instead of mayo based which I prefer. All in all great meal!

A lovely little deli in the LoHi area of Denver!
We came here straight from the airport for a bite of lunch. We found street parking just a few blocks away. It’s a small deli with just a few tables inside and a patio, one of those «eat and get the heck out» type places. We were going to be sampling the entire city, so we decided to share a pastrami sandwich. Wow!
Nice hot pastrami on perfectly toasted rye bread. We asked for the thousand island and the slaw to be placed on the side, which they did. The side of pasta salad was nice and light with a vinegar base instead of mayonnaise.
My favorite part of this deli was how thoughtful they were when we told them we were sharing. They brought us two plates, each with half the sandwich, and still gave us full servings of the pasta salad. How nice!
The next time I’m in Denver, I’ll be sure to head there right from the airport again.

Nothing is better than the hot ham and Swiss on a 70 degree day. Also, the view is spectacular! Not to mention, they sell beer and wine which goes perfect with their sandwiches.

Great spot in the Highlands for lunch. I was there during a really beautiful afternoon and parking was a bit of a chore. But once we got parked, it was a great day to sit outside.
I had the brisket and pasta salad. Def. going to hit it the next time I am back in town.

I was really planning on going to the sandwich shop next door but the crowd outside Masterpiece Delicatessen was telling me that there was something worthwhile inside. I ditched my plans for the neighboring shop & took my appetite here instead for a breakfast english muffin sandwich & the pastrami special with a side of cole slaw. I was not disappointed. The shop was modest & the décor was lacking but service was superb & the food was tasty.
The breakfast sandwich was $ 6– a very affordable price for a delicious English muffin (that does not look nor taste like the smaller ones you typically get @ the grocery stores) with a side of grapes. My sandwich came with a perfectly cooked egg (that wasn’t so solid that it was dry & wasn’t so wet that it became messy), swiss cheese & mesquite smoked turkey. My only complaint is that I wish it came with more vegetables.
The pastrami special: Hot pastrami, aged swiss cheese, coleslaw, 1000 Island on toasted rye ($ 10.50) was beautifully buttered/​toasted & had great flavor without being overly savory/​salty. The coleslaw that accompanied it was a bit runny but was still a nice side dish.
The space indoors is smaller than the outdoor seating space. Outdoors you get a nice view of the bridge & city scape.
In terms of how casual this place is: you order @ the counter & are given a #. The waiters come to you with your food. The water’s self serve outdoors with plastic cups & you clean up your own plates.