Antonelli’s Deli

If anyone knows me they know deli sandwiches are hands down my favorite food and Antonellis is definitely one of my favorite go to sandwich shop. Don’t judge the place by its appearance because they make some amazing sandwiches! The wait can sometimes be very long around lunch time so be prepared, I would call it in if I were you! They have lots of variety of meats and types of sandwiches (cold, warm, subs, even salads, ect). The portions are huge, I recommend everyone to give this place a try for lunch!

Best sandwiches in San Diego! Hole in the wall deli. Fresh bread, fresh meat, and fresh veggies. Oh, and the sandwiches are huge!
But I have one important piece of advice.
Call. In. Your. Order.

amazing sandwiches! my family has been coming here for years. great salads too. u can feel the family owned vibes as ur pulling into the driveway:) love the chicken parmesana sandwich!!!

I came here after my coworker recomended it. I had a piece of his chicken parmesan sandwich, and it was really good and big! So i decided to go here for lunch another day. I order the pastrami with sauerkraut. The sandwich was very good and filling. The order did take a while to get to me, but the wait was worth it. Don’t come during lunch hours unless you are patient!

Foods great.
If I were rating this subject shop on food quality I would give it 5 Stars.
But as an overall experience it deserves a 2.5
The Sandwiches are Huge
The Customer Service Sucks
Takes forever to get your order.
If you are on a lunch break, don’t go here.
It will take at least 30 minutes to get a sandwich whether it’s busy or slow.

This deli is not quite as good as the Grinder or Grab-​n-​Go but it is close the difference is the bread. The Grinder and Grab-​n-​Go have better bread. The sub sandwich is huge and good for two meals or sharing. They say location is the important but this deli’s location is nothing to brag about. However, it is always crowded and has a lot of working people who want a healthy size lunch.

Had the #25 on Italian roll… recommended by the lady at the counter… can’t go wrong with an Italian style roast beef sandwich… num num num…
Next time I’ll definitely be phoning in my order so I can avoid any kind of wait… which at times can be lengthy… but TOTALLY worth it…

Amazing !!! Best sandwich I’ve had in a very long time!!! I will 100% go back next time I am in El Cajon for work. I can see this being my go to lunch spot. I do wish the food came out a little faster, but the sandwiches are so worth the wait. First off, the portions are HUGE! I only got the 4′ and could only eat half! Lucky for me, I will finish the other half for dinner. I got a hot ham and cheese without tomato and everything they put on it is pure perfection. The bread itself is fluffy and delicious! Absolutely love this place and can’t wait to return.

The best sandwich i have had in a long time. I can almost compare it to a NewYork deli back home. Love the rueben, Bread is crisp and meat is the best. Thanks

This place is amazing! I’ve been coming here since I was 9 years old and I can’t believe I’m barely writing a review now.
All the sandwiches are fantastic you won’t be disappointed. Despite the founder passing away the new family owners have kept it in the same standards. Which is rare.
I would highly recommend placing an order over the phone ahead of time to save time.

If I find myself hungry in the El Cajon /​Santee area Antonelli’s Deli is the place for me.
Antonelli’s is a small establishment right off interstate 8 /​HWY 67 /​Magnolia Ave. the staff are all friendly, hard working, and now what they are doing behind the counter!
These sandwiches — either hot or cold — are TOP NOTCH! Loaded up with delicious cold cuts, fresh cheese, and amazing sauces.
Enormous portions — right now I’m unwrapping my Chicken Parm Sub — my absolute favorite item on the menu — I’ll have ½ for lunch and save the other half for dinner!
As far as good quality. This is one of the best lunch spots in the area.
Wait times long. Very. Long. Call ahead for your take out orders (40 — 60 minutes ahead for lunch time during the week.)
I prefer to pick up, the dining area is on the small side and always crowded.
Overall — a fantastic lunch spot if you are in the area and have the time to wait or call ahead. Top quality sandwiches, soups, and salads. I will continue to be a repeat customer!

Nice comfortable deli to hang out and eat inside with great customer service. Off my usual travel path but well worth it since I also had a good day with other finds nearby at the thrift stores.
They completely stuff their sandwiches at Antonelli’s Deli yet it it still remains balanced.
Really tasty sandwiches and I would prefer eating here over Subway or Jersey Mike’s if only they were located more centrally in San Diego area.
Parking lot is small and they close too early at 4 P.M.

What’s not to love about Antonelli’s? Been in several times. This is a sandwich institution of East County. Gotta love the vintage Disney memorabilia in here.
Call your order in ahead of time, sometimes it’s crazy busy in here.
Had a delicious pastrami sandwich today. They have some macaroni and slaw salad options in the cooler.
They’re open til 4.

These samiches are crazy delicious!
I ordered a 12″ number 1.
The young lady looked at me like I was crazy and said, «these aren’t subway sandwiches you know». I nodded my head, and told her I would give it my best shot! After all, I am a pretty large fellow (see profile pic) known throughout these parts for ability to ingest large sums of quality grocery store stock.
I must say she was right! This ain’t no po-​dunk, chain restaurant, flat bread silly slice o-​meat biscuit. This sucker is huge, I nearly died!!!
But I finished it. All of it. My momma didn’t raise no quitter! Now, mind you I ain’t gonna eat dinner tonight, nor breakfast tomorrow! But it’s in there, it hurts to type this, but it’s in there.
Here is a tip: order the 12″ and share it with 4 friends. Uff… I can’t breath.
Kill me!

This is as good as it gets for sandwiches — mom and pop style. This place is all about family and the traditions are strong here.
They are always quick and helpful, when moving the line and when you place a to go order.
We usually call ahead and make sure to try and avoid prime time (12:30−1:00) the wait can be extreme and underestimated, too. Been here numerous times. I love that they serve breakfast all day, and it’s so delicious. I definitely recommend trying it at least once. Most often times if you’re in a hurry they have pre made subs in the cooler and its usually stocked unless you hit it at the wrong time. They also have home made /​fresh cannoli. And it is also so good.

Someone I met at a party brought a 3 foot! sub to the potluck I attended. It was the #1 and had a good amount of ham, salami, Mortadella, and provolone cheese. All of their sandwiches come with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper, and oregano. This sub was already pre-​cut, so it was easy to grab a slice. I was told to put their «special sauce,» which I found out was just oil and vinegar LOL. It’s a very simple sandwich, but very tasty! It’s probably because they use fresh produce and top-​quality products. I like how thinly sliced the lettuce was cut too. Besides sandwiches, they make some pretty good cannolis too! I learned that this deli is family owned and they also make and bake their breads fresh daily! I didn’t try the fudge, but I will definitely try their other subs, particularly the club, if I’m in the area!

Customer since 2002… If you want experience a close relative to a traditional New York Ciry Deli come to Antonelli’s Deli… Huge Sandwiches… hot/​cold. Good value 4ur$. Great customer service. Fast. Love the Pastreuben!!!
Found this online if you’re hesitating ;)

Yum yum yum.
I met a friend here for an early lunch at about 10:30 on Saturday. They were already getting busy. with people eating in, ordering to take out, or picking up take-​out orders.
Looks like this is the place to go for big orders… they know how to do it well. Definitely worth a return visit to try other items.

My boyfriend works at the hangar nearby and whenever he gets a sub from here he won’t shut up about it! We were finally in the area together and Antonelli’s was actually open so I knew this was my chance to try it.
There were so many different sandwiches to choose from but I changed my mind at the last minute from the Tuna Melt to the Vegetarian sub. I had noooo idea what the sizes were so I ordered an 8″ and my boyfriend got the 12″ Turkey and Swiss. Both were way more than we could handle! I don’t even know if I could finish a 4″! The veggies were fresh and there was a ton of avocado. It wasn’t anything out of the world but that’s because I got a regular deli sandwich. I definitely want to come back and try some hot sandwiches (cough tuna melt).
I knocked off a star because we called in our order expecting it to be quick but they told us to wait 30 minutes! For two subs! I understand their busy but wow that’s a pretty large wait time. And even though they were busy the staff was very friendly. We enjoyed our subs on their outdoor benches with our pup :). Hopefully I can convince my boyfriend to bring me back a Tuna Melt soon!

You know what? I was stuck between 4 & 5 stars on this place because the sandwich was really good at $ 7.55 which seems a bit steep but then I thought about the Cannoli… oh that Cannoli… and that pretty much pushed me over the edge and got me to relinquish that fifth star.
Again, we’re talking about El Cajon here, not necessarily known as one of San Diego’s bastions of profound, culinary experiences. However, this deli seems to be a refreshing reminder of why you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover.
Located somewhere in what seems to be the outskirts of the main shopping district and within the heart of El Cajon’s industrial business area, this hidden little gem is probably pretty lucky that it doesn’t go unnoticed. Anyway, enough of the BS, let’s talk about the food…
Would I say they a plethora of sandwiches options. A plethora? Oh yes, they have a plethora. However, regardless of all the tempting options, I needed a Pastrami fix so I went with the Pastrami & Swiss on a French Roll. I also was beckoned by that Cannoli sitting in the fridge like a sailor succumbing to the irresistible call of a Siren.
Great satisfaction was found in both of my choices.
The sandwich itself was borderline colossal and packed with flavor between the two perfectly soft pieces of bread. Since I’m a glutton, I probably would have been okay with more Pastrami but don’t interpret that as the meat being skimped on. It wasn’t.
The Cannoli was equally impressive and ridiculously good. The shell was crispy and had a great, sweet flavor and the actual filling was even richer. I could have eaten like 10 of these… it was a real sleeper. I wasn’t expecting it to be so good. I hate to admit that it was worth the $ 2.95.
Antonelli’s is another diamond in the rough streets of El Cajon and is easily going to be my sandwich place of choice if I ever happen to find myself deep within the «Cajon Zone».