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This was probably my first experience actually walking around, and eating in Oakland. Not that Oakland isn't nice... It's just not a usual city I would frequent. Anyway, I was in the area for work, and decided to try Ratto's.
The deli selection was pretty good. There was cold cuts, meats, sausage, olives, cheeses, etc. They also had other italian specialities, varying from chocolates, imported sodas, candies, crackers, pastas, etc. They also had a wall of herbs to buy too! I could have spent hours just looking at everything!
The sandwiches were delicious. My co-workers had the reuben. I had the "Jenny". It was mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, pesto, onions on a baguette. It was very, very good. Simple, but good.
Overall, I liked this place and definitely would be back. The only drawback was the limited seating outside.
http://stuffwhitepeopl...
Yes, yuppie areas in Oakland do exist.
The sandwiches are GOOD. Very comparable to my favorite, Genova Deli, in Temescal; but I still have to give Genova the edge.
The nice part about Rattos is the little sandwich sheet that you drop off at the counter. You don't have to worry about the surly italian guy giving you a hard time because you want salami with your honey turkey.
The rest of the store is definitely a bit eclectic-- there's all sorts of dry goods from indian to Mediterranean to english. I ended up spending $19 on british oat crackers, a sandwich, chili-pepper-and-cherry chocolate, and some eggplant, pepper and garlic spread.
Overall, its a slightly strange place, but I'll most certainly be back to sample some more of their specialty sandwiches along with dry goods from around the world. The plums soaked in a jar of brandy will be my next purchase.
really helpful staff. I went in just to peruse and check out what this Ratto's place was awl about. i got a tasting of Italian wine, bread with a dab of olive oil, and the experience of walking into a quaint local grocer.
Pretty good sandwiches....
Not quite as awesome as the Aroma cafe.
You fill out the form & have them add what ever fixings you want .
Good selection of imported items.
Tables out on the sidwalk .
Nice area of Old Oakland.
What a cool place, definitely an Oakland treasure. Great wine deals too. I love the feel, and am nuts about the chicago beef sandwich. Especially the pepper topping that comes with it, TRY THIS SANDWICH!! It's also cool to add a little cheese and a fun bottled soda.
Ratto's is one of those establishments that I really really really wish I could give 5 stars to but logic kicks in and I can only muster up a measly 3 1/2 stars (I know there are no 1/2's, it's ranked in my head).
Things going for it. It's in Old Oakland, an area that's rejuvenating itself. I love the old fashioned feel to the place. It's such a nice area to hang out during a lazy Sat morning.
Things not going for it-- the sandwiches. I've tried a few and I still haven't found one that I am willing to consume in it's entirety. =o(
I did buy a kick butt bottle of limoncello there a while back. However, they don't have in stock anymore. =o( The owner doesn't even know the name of the label. =o( =o(
Final answer: I'm a regular customer when in the area.
I was really going to give 4 stars, but since Genova has 4.5 stars and Ratto's simply kicks the butt out of them, I bumped it up one star.
My plan was going to be hit Ratto's again and try their sour french roll, cause the only issue I had with my sandwich was the Dutch Crunch was good, but didn't overwhelm me.
But to keep it simple, I could sum up Ratto's in one line: for the first time I have eaten a sandwich where I could taste each ingredient, because each one was of high quality and was fresh.
oh, and some extra love for stocking DOP canned tomatoes for a reasonable price!
oh, and their ordering system, the best!
Jenn enjoyed the Jenny sandwich with fresh mozzarella (my fav!), pesto, tomato, and lettuce on a delicious baguette.
This deli reminds me Cheese Shop, the deli I really enjoy here in San Diego...they always get you by having really cool, tasty food items for you to browse through while you are waiting for your sandwich. I ended up with an armful of stuff.
Don't forget to write your name on the bottom of your order form or else they'll be shouting "Tuna sandwich NO NAME!!! Tuna Sandwich!" and then it will be embarrassing. Lol.
I didn't eat here -- though the sandwiches looked amazing. I just came to see if they had squid ink pasta -- and they did! I have been looking all over for squid ink pasta and not only did they have it, but it is imported from Italy and super-affordable.
I am definitely coming back to buy more pasta and try a sandwich!
It might be my New Yorker's nostalgia talking but to me Ratto's is hands down the best delicatessen in Oakland. (note- i didn't say 'the world,' i said OAKLAND.)
The best part is, they have a list and you check off exactly what you want in your sandwich, the type of bread, cheese, meat, veggies, condiments. It's completely hassle-free.
The staff is always professional even when they are slammed with customers. It has that old-school vibe (though one does get the sense that the old people are gone and the younger generation is running things now, if that makes any sense...) It looks like a bit of a dump, it's super crowded at rush hour (protip - grab a menu and fax or phone your order in ahead of time.) But I will still give it 5 stars because the sandwiches are really good!
Only complaint - not open on Sundays.
My favorite place to get a sandwich in Oakland! Beef salami is my favorite.
[ 4.9 stars ]
I love this place--from its old-world decor to the friendly counter peeps--I felt like I'd stepped back into a deli from my childhood or something. I came here for lunch with some friends last week at friend Urban M.'s suggestion and we decided to eat at Ratto's since inclement weather seemed likely. I'd read the glowing reviews of this place on Yelp, and this was my first chance to try it.
I have to say that the directions on how to place a sandwich order were a bit confusing for a n00b like me so it was a good thing I had seasoned pros with me. I think that the ordering process could be managed a bit better, which is my only reason for the non-perfect score. I pored over their menu of sandwich choices and was seriously paralyzed with what I call "option panic" and ultimately chose my namesake sandwich, "The Jenny," as I'm trying to move away from eating meat whenever possible.
While waiting for our order to go through, my friends showed me around the various wares in the store--Ratto's is stocked with spices and sea salt, odd imported tchotchkes, various dried pastas, a decent stock of wines and HELLA cheese. While perusing their beverage case, I was tickled to see they had about 5 choices for ginger beer, which is my favorite carbonated beverage. Poking through the store was actually a fun way to pass the time until our sandwiches were ready--the counter staff called our names and then we paid individually. Urban was quick enough to shark a table for us in the back.
J. had the Italian, which looked amazing and seemed heaped high with salami and other deli meats. Urban M. had the other veggie option on the menu and it looked like it was exploding with roasted veggie goodness. My sandwich, the Jenny, had fresh mozzerella, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and pesto on an amazingly good baguette. I loved it! Every single ingredient in my sandwich was fresh and I could taste their lively flavors mingling in every bite--I love living in California. :)
This SoCal kid ventured to the deep north and arrived in the wonderful city that is Old Oakland. My friend, an Oakland local suggested to hit up this establishment for sandwiches and boy was I satisfied. I loved how they have customers fill out a checkoff list to create your very own sandwich. it definitely makes it a lot more efficient because it weeds out the slower people who have trouble making simple decisions.
I elected on the tuna on sourdough bread with Dijon mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes. The reasons why I gave this place 3 stars is because 1. the sourdough was a bit hard and potentially dangerous for consumption because it sure cut the roof of my mouth causing a little bleeding. 2. With every bite I took, the contents spewed out from every corner of the sandwich. Making me put in extra duty to scoop them up from the wrapper.
Other than that, it was good. Maybe I should go with a different choice of bread next time. Salutations!
Ummm, goodie goodie...
I'm giving Ratto's four stars, as I've not been there in a while for some reason, and can't really tell you why... I don't know myself...
Perhpas its not as welcoming as it could be? Nah.... Its the bomb.
Here's my four stars!
YUMMY!
I took my hubby here for lunch today. We have never been before. Thanks to all the positive yelps we went and we loved it!
Fresh ingredients make the sandwiches delicious. We parked across the street in a parking lot, paid $2 for 40 minutes and found a table outside, the sun was shining bright and warm, it was just a wonderful lunch!
My hubby got the ham and swiss (hot). I got some sort of sliced beef with green peppers on a roll with au ju... haha is that how you spell it? It was delicious!
We will be going back for sure!
The two sandwiches, two Snapple's cost us $17.00. It was worth it!
I adore Ratto's. I worked here as a teenager. I loved it then and I love it now.
First of all, when I walk into Ratto's I feel like I've gone back in time. It immediately reminds me of the deli I frequented daily in a small town in Italy.
The sandwiches are hands-down the best sandwiches in my world. Nothing compares. I like the ordering system, which is basically a checklist. My sandwich (in the 30-40 times I've been here) has never been anything but EXACTLY what I ordered and I make it pretty complicated. Occasionally service is a bit slow at lunch, but it's because people love it so much!! I see the same people in there every time I go. I've faxed my lunch order while leaving work and had my sammich waiting at the register for a quick in-and-out pick up every time. I think $6 for a great sandwich is reasonable. Shit. I'll pay $10 if the sandwich is great.
Most (if not all) of the products they sell are imported. I love browsing the wine section to find something that I will probably never see again, whether it be from Italy, Spain or France. Besides having a variety of pastas, sauces, imported Italian tomatoes, chocolate, olive oils, vinegars and so much more, they also have bulk goods. You can buy your beans and spices by the ounce or pound. I find this especially helpful when I only need a pinch of Greek oregano (their's is the fabulous) for Greek salad, but don't want to spend $6 on a container.
I luff this place. I hella do.
tuna melts are yummy yummy yummy yummy here......yes, those were my 4 stars in personyummfication...
Ratto's is probably the best place for a casual lunch in downtown Oakland.
It's not the best deli in the bay area by any stretch of the imagination -- Molinari's in North Beach serves better sandwiches without question -- but it's still quite good. The ingredients are fresh, their ordering system is efficient, and they have tons of other products available on the shelves. It's a bummer that they don't have much seating, but I usually just bring my food back to the office anyway, so it's not a big deal. We have also purchased cheese platters, etc. for office parties and they were really popular.
I don't like the ordering system, and combined with too many people at the lunch hour rush, these two things make you not want to go through this all the time.
My coworker convinced me to go through all the petty details one day, and I emerged, frustrated and much later than I had expected, with a mediocre at best sandwich.
Since it is an Oakland institution and all, I thought I was just having a bad day overall and taking it out on Ratto's.
So, I thought of them when I was asked to order lunch for an all day staff meeting. BAD IDEA. I called them in advance, knowing that catering isn't really in their repertoire, but I liked the fact that they are fresher and more unique than other sandwich shops in the area, and I wanted to make lunch a little more interesting for everyone.
They said that wouldn't be a problem, they could deliver, etc., etc. I told them how many sandwiches and what types I needed. They said they'd deliver the next day to the location at the time I requested.
Only 1/2 hour before I needed them, they told me they wouldn't deliver, and do I still want them made? Well, it's a little f'ing late to change delis at this point. So I ran over there, thinking I wouldn't need any help, there would be sandwiches in bags or something. Wrong again, they gave me huge trays and bags of rolls and all ingredients and toppings, NOT ASSEMBLED. I didn't order a buffet, people, I ordered sandwiches.
Haven't bought a sandwich from them since, and I don't plan on going back, even though I work nearby.
Ratto's is delightful. Fresh, made-to-order sandwiches, gourmet grocery shopping and some outdoor seating. This is my favorite place for lunch in downtown Oakland for all these reasons.
The people who work here are nice -- and will take orders over the phone or in advance.
Great gourmet grocery selection including hard to find spices, pastas, various oils (spotted hazelnut today), nice olives & all sorts of sweet treats.
I will admit to always ordering the same sandwich (1/2 order, dutch crunch, cheese, yellow mustard, lettuce, tomato, sun dried tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers & vinaigrette) so I can't cop to how good their other offerings are.
Line can get long at lunch, so beware if you hit it right at lunch hour.
Okay, so I have been in the East Bay my whole life and can't figure out how I have missed this place for this many years. I have actually eaten at every surrounding restaurant, even the one next door!!!
Went today to meet a friend and had one of the best sammies ever! I am a die hard Genova fan since childhood, but Ratto's gives them a major run for thier money. I love the cheeses and bulk spices. We sat outside in the sun and it was great! Plus they make custom half sanwiches so I am not forced to over eat!
No need to drive all the way to Genova anymore. I can walk here from the office(not in these shoes)!
The perfect deli. Everything is freshly prepared, with flavorings not overpowering, and reasonably priced. I don't knwo what more to write, so I won't.
I Love Rattos! I work around the block and love grabbing lunch from rattos. the sandwiches great. they have any type of bread you want (from white to wheat sliced to wheat roll to dutch roll) with great deli meats and awesome condiments. My favorite is "the jenny"; pesto, with mozzarella, spinach, etc.
Along with the awesome sandwiches they have a great range of wine, speciality food and candies.
Rattos can take a while. If you are in a hurry make sure you call ahead with you order. If you place your order there it takes at least 15mins to get your sandwhich.
enjoy
Oh wow, I somehow forgot to review this place?!?!?
I eat here all the time, short walk from my office.
Very good sandwiches, quality.
Pretty easy to order, they have this fill in the bubble system even an idiot can't mess up.
The only downfall to this place is the wait! It tends to get busy as all shit around 12:20ish or so.
A sandwich runs about $5.95 which is far greater than any Subway crap.
I wish they hooked up more meat and cheese though.
Trust me, eat here people. And if you go on a Friday there is a Farmers Market going down outside with live music!
DO IT!
I would give it 3 and a half stars, for my experience, but drop it to 3 for the experience of those I tried this place with.
I was very happy with my sandwich, which was a hot turkey, cheese, tomato and pesto sandwich on grilled foccacia. It was hot, cheese was melty, and had a reasonable amount of meat. Only downside was the bread was a lot bigger than the fixin's in the middle, so the outer edges were just pesto and a little cheese.
I got the soup of the day, which they called "creamy clam chowder". It was decent, but nothing special and certainly not in the least bit creamy. If they had it next time, I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker ran into a bit of what other reviewers mentioned - he ordered his roast beef sandwich with the works, plus an additional $1.50 for extra meat. He ended up with 2 slices of roast beef in his sandwich. That's not much "extra".
I went there on a Friday for lunch, and the farmer's market was going on outside. Sitting outside in the sun people-watching the market goers and soaking in the atmosphere was nice. Always a relaxing way to spend those fleeting moments outside my cube.
I dig this place for lunch in particular. Great place to grab a custom sandwich and enjoy downtown Oakland. It's hard to find a sidewalk table, but if you can snag one you're lucky.
Not only are the sandwhichs good here, but there is a fine selection of other deli goodies. I always enjoy browsing the racks while waiting for my food.
I miss this place! When I use to work in Oakland I would walk a couple blocks to enjoy the sandwiches made with TLC at Ratto's!
Although downtown / chinatown Oakland has your abundance of good cheap eats, Ratto's is the place if you want a flavorful sandwich and a cup of soup!
For first timers this place is a bit confusing. You have to pick up a pen and order form RIGHT when you walk through the door. You go about checking off the type of bread, Cheese, Meats, Condiments you want on your sandwich. Or you could choose from their already pre-fixed sandwiches. Once you made your selection, you drop off the form to the friendly sandwich artisans.
If you're in a rush then I suggest you get there early. Lines get super long and you'll be waiting. But if you don't mind waiting you could walk around the store and check out the vast selection of wines, oils, and snacks.
Wow-ee. I love Ratto's. It is MY regular place to eat. I love their Jenny sandwich - with mozzarella, pesto - yum! After ordering it the first time with the default bread, a sourdough roll, I decided that was the only thing I wanted to change. The bread was good but a bit too hard for my taste. This sandwich is always good, fresh, and a good deal at $6.50!
Great deli sandwiches. I had the vegetarian and it really hit the spot.
They give samples of different cheeses and they don't have a problem if you take more than one. :)
I only wish they were open later on the weekends.
I sometimes have meetings in downtown Oakland and it was one of these meetings that led me to try Ratto's for the first time. We were given the sandwich order forms at the meeting, and when we headed down to pick 'em up, there were all dozen of them ready and waiting. Quite tasty. The deli itself has a comfortable old-timey feel (I've since heard it's been around for generations) and offers some interesting groceries and gift items. I think the only thing that I missed was interaction with the employees. The order form is an efficient system, but I like being able to explain my requests or ask questions.
I wouldn't hesitate to return if I was in the area and hungry for a sandwich, but with Genova deli only a few blocks from my home, it will not take the prize for my favorite deli in Oakland.
Fresh-ness is the first thing that comes to mind when writing a review for this place. Its oh so fresh, oh so clean. a nice find in the gem known as Old Oakland. You can customize ur own sandwiches with a crapload of different options (God Bless Russia for Russian Dressing and other stuff) or you can order one of their sig sandiwches. The best Turkey Avocado ive ever had.
Only draw back is its a tad pricey... Sandiwch and chips and drink could run you $15. I think its 4th generation owned. Theyre doin somethin right... my new favorite deli.
This used to be the best delicatessen in the bay area.
It had a "redo" by the owners daughter, and it lost so much of it's charm. It's now difficult for me to even step into the place without being overcome with GRIEF. I miss the ambiance, and the great variety it used to have.
Eh, not a fan anymore.
I confess - I have never eaten a custom sammich from here for the following reasons:
a) I prefer to binge on bread secretly... the way that hollow-cheeked supermodels gorge on Nilla Wafers dipped in crack and gallons of Haagen-Dazs between cover shots of Japanese and Italian Vogue. In my memoirs, I'll coyly hint that I can down 2 banh mi sammies in a single sitting... but I don't like to be seen doing it in public.
b) I usually swing by here as an afterthought on Fridays, laden with bags of crisp Fuji apples, gorgeous bunches of dino kale, fresh cut flowers, a few pounds of clementines and 2 dozen eggs. After hitting the Farmer's Market, I simply can't maneuver through the throngs of early lunch patrons spilling out onto the sidewalk.
After taking a couple of kidney shots from the hordes of micro-Asian grannies who determined that I was standing between them and hand-picking the choicest boiled peanuts, I tend to get slightly agoraphobic; they're so frail looking, but ornery... and not at all afraid to run over your feet with their wheeled shopping baskets...
I walk by Ratto's - lingering for just a moment, before I retreat to my safe place and can sort through my produce in peace.
c) I am a condiment whore. Can you imagine Amy Winehouse turning a blind eye to a big, fat, rail of coke? In like fashion, I am helpless in the presence of fleur de sel, (I just don't snort it) truffle oil, balsalmic vinegar, ventresca in olive oil and... handcrafted Moroccan slippers. Whaaa? They're really adorable... even though I can't eat them.
By the time I reach the counter, I've already emptied my pockets of cash, grabbed some fleur de sel caramels, a handful of licorice pastilles, a Violet Crumble bar and levereged my next credit card bill against The Cadet's 529 Plan. Poor thing will end up at a junior college, even though I've been funding the thing since he was a zygote!
There you go; 3 reasons why I can't tell you a damn thing about the sandwiches... But handfuls of delightful reasons that I haven't gotten to 'em yet.
Make Sandwiches, Not War!
I'd probably give this place 3.5 stars, but I'll round up because I they give out free samples of cheese. Yum.
I only take place in their sandwich menu simply because I really like the the fact that we can build our own sandwiches. The ingredients are fresh and the service is prompt, unless you are unfortunate enough to arrive at the same time a conference lets out from the neighboring convention center. Even then, they do a pretty good job about pumping out those sandwiches in a timely manner.
I only have a few complaints: a) the limited street parking, b) the limited indoor/outdoor seating and c) sometimes they'll run out of random, if not simple items such as wheat bread or bbq chips. Let me be clear: none of these elements are any reason to avoid Ratto's, just be aware so you're not heartbroken when you're forced to chose sourdough vs. wheat bread and sour cream and onion chips vs. bbq. Oh, the horror.
I was told by my boss this place makes good sandwiches. So I head down with a cohort and we get to this place around 2:00 to grab some take out. We completely missed the sign explaining how to order, so we walked all the way around and make it back to the front of the store. AH - DIRECTIONS!
So you fill out a form yes on mayo, mustard, lettuce, etc, now the meats; I got roast beef, add some provolone cheese, I'm in heaven. I head back with my sandwich and next thing you know, a bunch of my co-workers go the next day.
It was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, but I was also straving. So what can I say? YES I would go back if not for the sandwiches then for their large selection of cheese. They had other interesting items I will have to inspect next time.
Trip II: Sandwich: Mayo, Dijon mustard, lettuce, onions, provolone cheese, pepercino, and salami. It was excellent!
Roast beef, cheedar, pickles, onions, mayo on ciabatta.
Rattos has single-handedly kept me from calling into work comatose for the past 3 months. Whenever i'm feeling a bit down and hypoglycemic, the promise of their kick ass sandwiches cheers me and gets my blood sugar going to get me through the day.
perfect perfect perfect.
So I headed out to Oakland from SF today to get lunch at Ratto's. A friend of mine works nearby and per some other reviews that claim Ratto's is better than Genova (my all-time favorite Bay Area deli) I simply had to give it a try. I definitely wasn't disappointed. I got my standard fare of black forest ham and swiss on a seeded roll. While it was completely drenched in oil and vinegar (a little less next time, OK guys?) it was still a seriously good sandwich and I'll be back before long. It was also pretty cheap too -- at least compared to the prices I'm used to paying in SOMA.
A funny thing happened to me when I was chatting up the lady behind the counter. I told her I was there because people had said it was better than Genova. She thought that was pretty amusing. She proceeded to tell me that she was the owner of Ratto's and the best sandwich she'd ever had was from Genova. She told me that Genova has a few specialty items that you can't find elsewhere like Mendocino Mustard. Quite an endorsement of Genova I'd say.
Ratto's is a great all-around deli and while it wasn't able to knock off Genova as my top pick it definitely deserves to be on a short list of elite Bay Area delis. Give it a try if you love good sandwiches.
Excellent sandwiches [$5 for the basic, a bit more for the specialties, halfs available]; deli meats [Virginia ham and hot salami are favorites]; good cheese selection; fresh Semifreddi's breads; and a grocery filled with all kinds of exotic goods, including weird sauces, bulk spices/dry goods and international CANDIES mmm!
Favorite easy dinner: Pick up a half-pint of their house pesto, some rotelle, a baguette, and a wedge of fromage d'affinois. Stop by Taylor's across the street at Swan's for their loose ground sausage.
(02:18:03 PM) Kristina: mmm... my sandwich is sofa king good
(02:18:20 PM) Kristina: absolute perfection
(02:18:23 PM) Jessica: heheh
(02:18:33 PM) Kristina: roast beef is tender and pink
(02:19:10 PM) Kristina: provolone isn't dry, bread is soft, lettuce and tomato aren't watery and perfect amounts of mayo and mustard
(02:19:45 PM) Jessica: mmm, that does sound good
(02:20:07 PM) Kristina: i like that they have slips for you to select your meat/cheese/condiments so they know exactly what you want
(02:20:16 PM) Jessica: ooh, that's a nice touch
(02:20:28 PM) Jessica: no having to tell someone over and over "I don't want tomatoes!" ;)
(02:21:07 PM) Kristina: word
(02:22:04 PM) Kristina: http://www.yelp.com/us...
(02:22:05 PM) Kristina: haha
(02:22:09 PM) Kristina: me = lazy
(02:22:35 PM) Jessica: LOL
New Customer Discount- 10%…
Neighborhood: Lower Hills
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Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
Category: Italian
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Category: Caterers
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Category: Mexican
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