Garden Liquors & Deli

Best deli around! Love this place. meatball sandwich YUM. meatloaf sandwich YUM! Turkey sandwich YUM! french dip sandwich YUM! It is a liquor store with a deli so chips drinks and sandwiches for 4 are affordable.

I can’t say enough good things about Garden Liquors & Deli. Their taco salads are amazing! We order from them often for meetings and they are always on time, courteous and accommodating. They have become like family. Their food is always fresh and delicious. I’ve even come on my days off to get lunch because I just can’t get enough.

Hands down my favorite place to get a sandwich in the Santa Cruz area. My only problem is whether to get the hot pastrami on rye or the Italian Special. One thing to keep in mind though is that they only make fresh sandwiches at lunch time (from 11 am to 2 pm, I think) and not at all on Sundays. Another is that when you go for a fresh sandwich, both the parking and the sandwich line can be tricky since the place is always packed. The food is worth the hassle, though!

An absolutely conventional deli, down to the macaroni salad with lots of mayo. That said, portions are good, prices are very fair and they execute well.
Thinking about it, an absolutely conventional deli that’s halfway decent and affordable is fairly rare in Santa Cruz, so if that’s what you want in Midcounty, you should definitely go there.

This place is literally the best sandwiches, breakfast burritos and salads in town!!! I go here about two to three times a week, and it is consistently great. I have also brought stuff home when we have guests and everybody loves it. I’m so glad I live so close to this awesome deli! Also the employees are always working hard, and are very professional. All the staff is great!

This place looks like a little tucked away liquor store, but it is so much more. They serve fresh deli sandwiches, sides, salads and sodas. The location is convenient for those heading towards Soquel or about to head onto the freeway. Their sandwiches are great and the deli people even gave my dog a little snack. They have really good deviled eggs in the cold case and a nice variety of sodas. I used to come here a lot when I was a kid and recently visited again and it really hasn’t changed.

Simply the best. I don’t know what it is they do to make their sandwiches so good but whatever it is I’m a very happy, longtime customer. It’s important to note that any review that’s rating only their pre-​made sandwiches should be taken with caution. The pre-​mades are mediocre (like any sandwich that’s been sitting in a fridge for several hours+) but their fresh made are fantastic and a thousand times better. If the deli’s closed and I have to settle for something pre-​made then the taco salad and Cesar are very good.
It’s been said many times already, but the pastrami on a sweet roll with pepper jack is amazing. I prefer this to any hot pastrami I’ve ever had in NYC (or anywhere), of course they’re totally different styles, but this is my preference. Other good choices include the BLT, the BBQ with smoked cheddar, the Italian Special (I get the turkey instead) or just a simple turkey and cheddar on sliced sourdough.
If you’re looking for something more on the gourmet side then this might not be your first choice but if you’re in the mood for a good old fashioned sandwich that’s consistently very, very good then this is definitely your place.

The best deli in Santa Cruz period. … Fresh. Made to order. Great prices. The guys and gals behind the counter are really friendly. Sandwich was made in less than 5 minutes and it was the BOMB! So damn good. Grab a bag of chips and a drink and you’re set. Less than ten bucks. My lunch was $ 8…They have a grab-​and-​go deli case where you can get a sandwich, potato, mac salad, artichokes, deviled eggs, half sandwiches, large and small salads and bagels. so much more… Plus, booze! It is a liquor store after all! lol. If you don’t have the time to stand in line (but I like it freshly made) grab it to go quick. I really love this deli, it’s sooo tasty…

Amazing deli tucked in to the liquor store! One of my favorite places to get a sandwich! My go-​to is the turkey, bacon, avocado sandwich on a sourdough roll. The ingredients always taste so fresh, and the roll has a soft crust so it is easy to eat. Very delicious! They also put lots of meat on the sandwiches and they are a great price.

Taco Salad.
I been coming here for years. It’s always solid. There can be long lines at lunch time but luckily for me my taco salad is always ready I’m the cooler.

This place is Garbage. We got here and they were not serving Sandwiches made fresh. Just pre made ones. Which come from the sandwich counter before hand so how much better can it be. The Register guy didnt talk at all, just looked at us. and pointed to the register for the total cost. Didnt say thanks, hello. your welcome. and the place doesnt even have a bathroom. They serve food!!! its a deli, supply customers with a restroom. Its not nice inside, nor outside.
5 Stars –1(crap food)-1(bad service)-1(no restroom).
doh

Good, affordable sandwiches. I had the Italian Special which had roast beef & a pesto mayo. Some seating is available both inside & outside. Service is very fast despite the line. A great stop for lunch during the week.

This place is THE BEST. I work in the Dominican Hospital complex and very quickly got to know the lunch places within walking distance. My first sandwich was grilled chicken with swiss on a sweet roll. That was 8 years ago and I’ve never looked back. A tiny liquor store/​deli in the same lot as the 7 – 11? Who knew this deli would change my world. Super busy from 11:30 — 1:30ish, but the line moves quickly. There’s a «soup nazi”-esque technique going on and it’ll make your life easier if u know what’s up. You walk in and go right – past the registers on your right side. Get in line and peruse the blackboard menu (new, BTW… looks great!) Getting a sammie? You pick the meat, cheese, fixins and bread type. Bring cash if you wanna pay at the deli counter, or you can buy other stuff and pay at the liquor register while they’re preparing your sandwich masterpiece.
My faves are the chicken breast and hot pastrami. Yummers!!! And as i mentioned, the sweet roll is a must. Sooooooo good. These are good sized sammies. I usually take half home and munch later. They do have other stuff for non-​sandwich-​eating folk. Their big premade salads are great. My fave is the taco salad: fresh chicken breast, kidney beans, avocado, cheese, tomato and a little side of crunchy tortilla strips — perfection. The dressing is so friggin’ good — like a southwest ranch — cant be beat! Chinese chicken is pretty great also. They have deviled eggs (awesome for a quick lunch or low-​carb diets), pasta salads, tuna and chicken salads, and premade sandwiches. I’m not a huge fan of the premade sammies but they’ll do in a pinch. Its basically cold cuts on a fresh roll. Soups are okay. The stars of the deli are the hot sandwiches and the big salads, IMO. They also have desserts which look fresh and tasty. I once had a neighbor who worked at Garden Deli and she said the owner was so meticulous about the ingredients for the place – always looking for the best chicken, best lettuce, avocados, turkey, cheese, mustard, bread etc. Well, I can tell you that’s the truth cuz this place is THE SHIT!
**Tip** deli closes after 3pm M-​Sat and closed on Sundays. The cooler with premade stuff is available when the liquor store is open.

Just gotta keep saying how amazing they are year after year! I moved to San jose and come everytime im in S. C

In. Love. With. This. Place.
Chinese Chicken Salad is a must!
Always fast and efficient service.

If you’re looking for a place to pick up a delicious sandwich, look no further. Love how fresh the sandwiches taste. My favorite is the chicken pesto on a French roll. As a local, it’s my favorite spot.

OMG!!!
Wow~~~~ i live 2 blocks from this place, i had no idea that they had deli section.
Today, i got to try it for the first time.
I love sandwiches, but this is the best i ever had.
Not only sandwich is good, employees are really nice too!
I feel like i am going to come here everyday!!!
MUST try breakfast croissant

At lunch I love sandwiches. In fact I’m a bit of a sandwich snob. I came here for lunch for the first time on Wednesday and my Reuben was so good that I had to come back on Thursday to sample another one. The turkey bacon avo was also great.
It gets crowded at lunch. People are bunched up to order, to pay, and to get their order. It seems like chaos but there are at least 4 people working behind the counter and the process is actually very fast and smooth. If you’re taking it to go, call in the order first and go directly to the cashier.

Super excited to give this spot a try given the vast number of sweet reviews. Alas, I did not find the magic in this spot.
I asked for recommendations and came away with 4 sandwiches for 3 adults:
1) pastrami (hot)
2) italian sub
3) egg salad
4) turkey and avocado
I think the best of the lot was the turkey and avocado, but even so, it was simply ok. In fact, none of the sandwiches was in any way memorable or unique. Nothing that says, man, this you have to try this here. Sadly, disappointed.
Nice and friendly service. Price point is pretty good to. Unfortunately, the sandwiches do not pass muster.

When I saw the reviews for Garden Deli, I knew it was a must stop. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sandwiches! We stopped in on our way to the beach one Sunday, saddened to find out they are closed on Sundays. Not a huge problem, they make sandwiches ahead and had them in a cooler. My husband and I each grabbed one on the go, and ate them at the beach. They were really good!
But I didn’t want to review until I had actually eaten something made for me. So on Monday (thank you President’s Day), we went to the beach again, and stopped in for another. This time, we were able to special order what we wanted. Here’s why I don’t believe it’s worth more than three stars (which, if you’ll notice, is still a «good» sandwich): Our sandwiches were better the first time coming out of a cooler. Honestly. Not to mention, we ordered two sandwiches, turkey and avocado on wheat bread, and ham and avocado on wheat roll. What did we get? Two turkey and avocados on wheat bread. We didn’t notice until we go to the beach, a little too late.
What I do like: The sandwiches are good. Not great, but good. And we will definitely come back on Sundays to grab one from the cooler. I wouldn’t bother coming back for one made for me any other day of the week, I think there are much better sandwich locations.