Pete's Deli & Cafe
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights1661 Divisadero St
(between Post St & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 931-4800
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
109 reviews
Neighborhood: Potrero Hill
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22 Reviews for Pete's Deli & Cafe
This place was right down the street from my boyfriend's office, so we'd grab a sandwich in here during th week. It's good, but expensive. Be careful, they only take cash. Favorite sandwich: cheesesteak!
This place was hopping with local workers when I stopped in for lunch today. My roomie tried it once and said it was really good, but as they're really only open during the day, I haven't had the pleasure before.
I'll try it again, but my muffaletta was kinda icky. The staff was friendly, but the competing lines resulted in a bit of a cluster with people waiting in the wrong spot and then getting angry that they had been waiting and weren't next. . . you know how it is. Head all the way toward the drink fridges to order your food, then along the counter to the cash register to pay. Cash only! Luckily there is an ATM right outside (on Sutter between the deli and the parking garage) if you're caught unprepared.
My sandwich ($6.99), plus two small bags of chips and soda = almost $12 for lunch. Kinda pricey. But isn't everything now?
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I'm so surprised that I haven't written a review for this awesome deli cafe right across from where I work and I come here every week!
They have everything from sandwiches, breakfast (omelette's, pancakes, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and baked items), cheese-steak, burritos, quesadilla, salads, burgers, veggie items, etc. EVERYTHING!
I love coming here for lunch and sometimes grab food for dinner or the next day if it's a Sunday.
I like their:
Chicken Cesar Salad (around $7)- BIG salad, plenty of grilled chicken, Parmesan cheese, and 3 huge slices of yummy buttery garlic bread, the reason why I get this salad is for the garlic bread! If you want croutons in your salad, make sure to let them know because they never put it on unless you tell them to.
Turkey avocado and Swiss sandwich ($6.45)- Very good deal for a sandwich, they give you plenty of meat on any type of bread you like (if you want choices, gotta go early, they run out fast!) and fresh avocado but sometimes they put guacamole instead?
"The Sub" ($6.99)- Comes with Turkey, pastrami, ham, and cheese. My second favorite when I'm craving all meat!
Breakfast sandwich's like the Turkey, egg, cheese, on onion bagel is so good around $4, you get a lot!
They are always busy, especially during lunch time, there could be a line out the door. Service is always friendly and fast. Remember to get that frequent card, they tend to not give you one if you don't have one already...... Friday's are double stamp day!
CASH ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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the food here is great but a little expensive. $4.50 for a grilled cheese sandwich? It is very convenient for me because they are right across the street from where i work but not so great when you are on a budget.
The staff there is really friendly and the service is quick. Just a little expensive for a daily lunch.
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I went here for an omelette this morning (bacon, jalapenos, & jack cheese), pretty good stuff. The toast was just right in my opinion, though I think they go a little overboard with the onions in the potato hash, but that's merely a matter of taste. I was served very quickly.
This is pretty much my place to go to if I have time to kill before or after a medical appointment, though street parking is real hard to come by. The nearby lot charges $2 for each 20 minutes.
They're sandwiches, if I recall correctly, are really excellent.
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I haven't been a regular patron of this deli, but I do visit on occasion. I work at one of the hospitals nearby so the location is convenient. I tried the mushroom cheese steak before and it is absolutely the best damn cheesesteak i have tasted. Way Way better then the Cheese steak shop across the street. I got the 10in and it was enought food for 2 hungry people. they pile on the meat and cheese and it is oh so tasty. The price may seem a little high, but it is well worth it. Matter of fact, I'm gonna get me one in about 15 minutes on my lunch break. I haven't tried anything else, they do have an extensive menu and the hot food looks really good. Only draw back is the huge line that can go out the door at times, Some advice, CALL AHEAD!!
Every sandwich I've had here is fantastic. Lately I've been on a chicken caesar salad kick and I never get tired of Pete's. That might have something to do with the cute guy who works here who remembers me and my order every time I go in. He gives me a big smile and proudly says, "Chicken caesar salad right? I remember!". Even if I'm sort of in the mood for a turkey sandwich, how can I argue with a cute deli guy who always remembers me? FYI - the garlic bread that comes with the salad has some serious garlic action that will stay with you for the rest of the day. Really good while you're eating lunch. Not so good if you have to go back to work and talk to people after lunch.
Some other things I love about Pete's: The old Tab Cola/Champagne sign out front... it cracks me up every time I see it. I hope Pete keeps it up there forever. And their frequent eater stamp card makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile with my life.
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Pete don't fuck around with his sandwiches.
Maybe it's just me, but it's kinda hard to find a good, basic, meat-and-cheese sandwich in this city. I used to work at Cala on 27th and very few sandwiches I've had live up to the ones I made there. Pete's is one. No small portions, no cheap condiments, no shitty bread. They're known for their fresh roasted turkey sandwich.
It gets busy at noon, but if you make it a bit earlier or you call ahead, you'll be in good shape. I called ahead and picked up two sandwiches at 11:30 today and I was in and out in two minutes.
If you're not into sandwiches, there's a whole bunch of other stuff available. Full grill, and a full breakfast menu until 11. (And beer!)
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A little early for an 8AM meeting, running across the street from the Southeast corner of Sutter/ Divisadero... Must... get.... coffee....
My choices:
1. This cute little spot on the corner
or
2. A block away, the Ominous Green Awning of *bucks.
I figured, ok, so, I should support the local businessowner, I'll have my coffee with two Splendas and nonfat milk at this little spot, instead.
I ordered my coffee, $1.50 later they hand me a cup, which i promptly fill with the medium roast blend....
Looking at the condiments, I don't see any yellow or blue packets.
Upon further inquiry, to my horror... "We don't got any of that".
What the......?
Defeated, and since I don't have it in me to 'return' my coffee since they have neither splenda nor equal nor nonfat milk:
I drank my coffee with Sweet n Low and half and half.
Worse things have happened on a Monday morning... but *no* Splenda? *no* Equal? Common guys....
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The sign in the window and the employees t-shirts remind you at every opportunity that Pete's Deli has been in business since 1969. As far as I can tell, this is the secret to staying in business for 28 years in this neighborhood:
1. Make good sandwiches. People like sandwiches that taste good. If nothing else make a tasty turkey & cranberry sauce on a hard roll, but if you can manage that your other sandwiches will probably be good too.
2. Open across the street from hospitals and doctors offices. People in healthcare are busy and like to be able to walk across the street and get a tasty sandwich.
3. Have your sandwich people work fast. Busy people like doctors and nurses like it when they don't have to wait 30 minutes to get some meat and produce put between slices of bread.
5. You don't have to be open late or on weekends; The doctors offices aren't open so you probably won't do enough business to cover the payroll and utilities. There may be some people in the neighborhood who want sandwiches on saturdays every now and then but screw them.
Now tell me this isn't a useful review; It's like a damn Wharton MBA in 2 paragraphs.
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After spending hours at the hospital with my husband, I wandered out into the neighborhood to buy us both some lunch (eat at the hospital? don't go there.) This place had a big menu taped to the front window, they had stuff my husband would like, so I went in.
I felt like I had been transported to Schenectady 1975, when the old GE plant was in full swing. This felt like one of those places that caters to working people - people who work hard for not too much money and only get 30 minutes for lunch. I was right.
The decor is utilitarian. The service is fast, friendly and accomplished. The food was great - fresh and made-to-order. I got back to the hospital and gave my husband his (non-styrofoam) box . . . he took one bite of his sandwich and said, with a smile, "where did you find this?"
Highly recommended if you're stuck at Kaiser or Mt. Zion for any reason.
Double stamp Fridays?!?! How did I not know this was around? 12 stamps and Pete's will buy your next meal!!! Nice...
Cheeseburger is great, fries excellent. They have a wide variety of foodies and my co-workers swear by their sandwiches. Word on the street, the turkey is the bomb and if you're not there by a certain time it is scraped clean to the bone. To the bone...
Lots of UCSF'ers at Mt. Zion come here 'cuz it's across the street, this place is always busy but worth the wait!!!
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I heart Pete's. When I used to work at Mt. Zion and I was a regular at this spot. The owner is so friendly and sweet and has been there before I was born. I haven't had anything here that I didn't like. My faves are the turkey burgers and the grilled chicken/pesto sandwich. Oh soooo good! Reasonable, quick and super friendly service. A for sure spot for lunch in you are ever in the area!
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Pete's! Delicious, delicious sandwiches! Seriously, this is one gas-station-like-deli that knows how to do the sandwich right! Ok, so it's not a gas station, but it definitely has a weird industrial/ hospital feel to it (probably becuase of its proximity to Kaiser). The only draw back of perfect Pete's are the business hours. It is one of those places that is only open until 3pm and closed on Sundays. Sadly, I wake up many a Sunday morning craving that perfect combo of crunch and substance that one can only find in a hand crafted sandwich. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this delicious deli. Don't be put off by its appearance, you'll definitely fall in love with the food.
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Damned hungry. "Can I get the burger?" "Sure!"
10 minutes later, I get smacked in the face with taste. Surprised, I looked around. I saw a picture of Pete by the door. His smile assured me that his spirit lived. I ate that burger with a tear in my eye. I had fallen in love with Pete's Deli & Cafe.
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Divey? The Lusty Lady is divey. Jonell's is divey. Pete's is not divey. Is it divey because the guys wear t-shirts? Is it because they make really divey, low-class statements such as, "Good afternoon, Buddy" and "Great to see you!" ??? I don't get it. Maybe it's divey by Pacific Heights standards. All I know is it kicks the ass off that cheese steak place down the block AND it completely dominates that horrid, pukey, waspy-as-fuck, "Mexican" restaurant nearby. I always get the Putanesca sandwich. It's amazing! The only meatless sandwich upon which I'd bestow a top rating. You might also want to check out the falafel place a block up. Another plebian treasure!
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It's like somebody uprooted a shoddy Long Island deli & placed it across from a hospital in the heart of San Francisco. I stopped in to pick up a cup of weak & not very tasty coffee this morning, but I was taken by the fact that the nurse on line in front of me was talking to the register man about some medicine another co-worker had been prescribed.
"Is that hair stuff working for [I forget the dude's name]?"
"Yeah, it's working good."
"Good!"
I'm pretty sure everyone there is a regular from the UCSF medical center across the street, & that's probably a convenience thing more than anything, but still, they were friendly & the place was down home. I liked something about the blue collar ambiance.
**UPDATE** had another cup of coffee there the other morning & it was WORSE. Minus one star. Sorry Pete's, you may have my namesake, but your coffee is pretty terrible.
One of the best hidden sandwich shops in the city. Turkey/avocado is utter heaven, and I don't like avocado! Anything made on the grill there is great. Breakfast sandwiches sure to clog the arteries but you'll die with a smile.
Sure, it's divey. Sure, the food is OK. But go a few times, and you'll be in love with Pete and his son Omar and the rest of the staff, just the way I am. The other day, a temp I hired to work across the street from the deli for 6 weeks went in there after a 4-year hiatus (he moved away from the city). Pete and Omar remembered his name, everything.
Seriously, this is one of those places that when you know about it, gives San Francisco it's charm.
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This place rocks!! My Favorite place to grab lunch in the city!!! Everything they make is super fresh, good quality, huge portions and made to order. Very nice staff. They make a roasted turkey (thanksgiving style) everyday, and make a killer sandwich from it!! Worth the drive from across town.
Pete's is kind of a divey-deli but they have really good, tasty cheese steaks. Their breakfasts are large but nothing to write home about . Go there for the cheese steak (!) during lunchtime and say hi to Pete- he's been there since 69 or something. He's one percent guido-ish but 99% cool old guy.
i'm still not sure how i feel about pete's. been here twice now. the first time, i had the pete's burger which was *nasty* (the bread was stale, the meat of poor quality, etc etc) and would've given the place only 2 stars. the second time, however, i had an egg salad sandwich with avocado which, though nothing inspired, was cheap and quite decent. i also got a peanut butter cookie both times i went and was happy with those :P. i think i'll have to sample a few more menu items before actually settling in on my rating though.
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