The Black Sheep Deli

Great spot for tasty sandwiches for the generally hungry, gluten-​free, or vegetarian eaters. Their salads are huge and fresh, coffee selection is fair-​trade and fantastic, and they have so many sandwich choices. I am currently in love with the florentine breakfast sandwich: baked omelet, goat cheese, spinach and red pepper pesto on toasted bread.

This place is not as good as it looks. I have been more then twice so I gave it fair chances, but the service is what ultimately got to me. The sandwiches are OK, but the egg is not desirable. The coffee seems gourmet, but often is way too hot or burnt. The service. The lone of 4 people took 20 mins at least to get through, and I could hear there orders, which were not crazy. So aside from the service being slow, the guy at the counter was upset and moody. Didn’t give me my cup for coffee, then when I asked later they questioned me buying one. Either way, this place is NOT as good as brueggers, right down the road.

Delicious sandwiches! Limited seating and several of the tables they have are wobbly/​non-​functioning. Not a great atmosphere and they’re a little slow so don’t expect to get in an out with a sandwich if you’re in a hurry, but the food is good!

They have many vegetarian options. I love their sandwiches, particularly the great garlic, though they seem to be often out of ingredients. The pastry case is extremely visually appealing, but the desserts are nothing to write home about.

I want to love The Black Sheep. It’s cozy and feels like home in the way a tired, worn out diner might in another community. Too bad the food and drink is to a similar, weary and dated standard. The coffee is often burnt or otherwise not great, and they burn their espresso. The bread loafs they make are eatable but closer to supermarket bread than what places like Tart, Hungry Ghost and Henion serve up. I’ve had a few sandwiches there, and would better describe them as acceptable than great. Once, I got served one on stale bread. And, and… I overheard two folks in the deli saying they were going to mix coffee airpots because both were mostly empty!
So yeah. I like sitting here. I like their workers, the music they play, the old jazz posters on the walls and the general feel of Amherst history here. I don’t really like the food or drink, though… and I wonder if it was better in the 80s, or if we just know better now and are spoiled by a Whole Foods culture.

Busy place with options for every diet! I was first faced by a rude employee who seemed distracted and upset because I had to ask for a specific bread? :/​and then I met a nicer women who was very kind.
I ordered the Southwest chicken sandwich and it wasss okay, less hot sauce than I would want but you know. Fresh ingredients, and with that, there was a bone in my roasted chicken. I couldn’t finish the meal, it just freaked me out!

The perfect place to get a sandwich, coffee, and a dessert. I’ve visited many times and am never disappointed. I highly recommend the bagel sandwich for breakfast because it is loaded with whatever toping you like and with such ingredients is the biggest bargain in town. The chocolate mousse is a tremendous treat if you have a sweet tooth. Sandwiches are loaded with fillings and tend to be messy. That’s my only critique and for most it’s a strength– the place is trying to fit in too much onto their delicious homemade bread. Honestly, a dessert from the Black Sheep is not to be missed. They serve Dean’s Beans coffees which are truly exceptional and environmentally friendly. Overall, the value and taste simple cannot be beaten. If you like Amherst, you will love the Black Sheep. If excellence were not enough, the owner is famous for his support of local folks in need.

Watched as the counter person made my hot sandwich by putting meat in microwave.
Sorry but microwaving meat is something I can do at home except I’ve got more respect for sandwich

I got a goats cheese, eggplant, portabello sandwich today, along with Mexican hot chocolate. Hot chocolate was good enough, sandwich tasted nice, but later I felt a bit sick. i think that the ingredients used are not of great quality. Mehh. Will not be eating here anymore.

This place is usually pretty crowded, and with good reason. I love the Green Monster sandwich, so garlic-​y and delicious. The bread is fresh and hearty. Their baked goods always look delectable and from what I have tried (chocolate covered macaroons and magic bars) has been delicious. This is a favorite spot for me!

Love the Black Sheep.
My favorite pastries are the crème brûlée and fruit tarts. They also have a wide assortment of sandwiches listed via chalkboard.
The staff are super friendly and approachable.
However, the prices are a bit expensive when living on a college budget. Finding seating is also difficult during peak lunch hours.

Their sandwiches are really amazing, so I start with that.
However it takes them literally forever to make a sandwich, EVEN if you’re the only one in line and they constantly mess up your order and you have to continue to wait while they fix their mistakes.
I think they should focus more on hiring good employees instead of the most alternative looking people they can find…

A little pricey but consistently quality ingredients, consistently well prepared. Out of 20 or so breakfast sandwich orders, the only mistake was not switching out for the bread I had asked for and they fixed it right away.

The pastries are very good.
The sandwiches are sometimes very good; sometimes dry.
The sandwiches are usually dry and less impressive when they are for a catered event than if you go to the café. But it is even hit or miss at the café.
The place is very popular.
Even though they brew Dean’s Beans (a very good local roaster), the coffee always tastes burnt, no matter which roast I have gotten.
Requisite anecdote about bad service:
Some people here were ordering sandwiches for a meeting; 7 sandwiches, 1 salad and 2 wraps (10 items) total. She called at 9am to place the order to be delivered at noon. The person at the deli threw a fit, scolded my coworker saying that «this is just unacceptable!»
Apparently 3 hours is not enough notice for 10 items. They need 48 hours advance notice for 6 or more items. We were not asking to cater a 100 person luncheon or even 20 sandwiches. This was her first (and last) time ordering from them and didn’t realize that they couldn’t handle a normal lunch order 3 hours in advance like other places in town have routinely done without a hiccup. Also, they could have nicely asked her to order in advance in the future. Either way, they were incredibly rude to her.

After asking if they used fresh eggs for the breakfast sandwiches I was assured they did, by the cashier. Not quite believing her, I asked if they physically cracked an egg to make the sandwich — again, a yes. I was ordering for someone with allergies, so when I was handed my sandwich I again asked (since the cartons of egg mixture you can buy at the store sometimes have preservatives in them that are allergens to some.) This staff member was much more straight forward, and produced a carton of store bought egg mixture for me to check the ingredients. I get that the cashier probably didn’t want to divulge how they make the sandwiches, but thats unacceptable when it comes to allergies.
Lo’ and behold, it was indeed a carton of egg mixture, and not a fresh cracked egg.

I had an egg croissant sandwich here, recommended by the staff. It was sooo good. It’s filling and a perfect brunch menu.
The coffee here is pretty good too. A lovely place to enjoy coffee and read the magazine.

I’m giving Black Sheep a 3 since there are no half-​stars. Our sandwich was pretty good but the wait was horrendous. It wasn’t really crowded either and there was no explanation for waiting as long as we did. Look, I’m not a jerk but if the queue’s been empty for 10 minutes, and no one else is waiting, there’s no reason to wait 15 for a sandwich. It’s a sandwich. And if you have a good reason for it taking 15, just apologize. Ya know?
However, the sandwich was pretty good once it finally arrived. We got one of the daily specials — I think it’s called «The Hot Dirt» which sounds actually kind of repulsive but it was a whimsical take on a tuna salad sandwich with capers and provolone. I liked it and the amount of tuna salad was hearty — I wished I had done two halves of different sandwiches (a full sandwich is $ 7.95 before tax whereas a half is $ 3.95 I think so you’re really not eating too much in the wallet to do 2 halves) though since they seemed to have a lot of interesting vegetarian and vegan options. The coffee bar was set up in a confusing way (iced beverages are directly in front of where customers pick up and puts you also in the way of people trying to grab hot coffee on the end closest to the pick up counter — the milk/​sugar is all the way at the other end — also, there’s not an ice machine but a tiny little container where you scoop it yourself — I overlooked it at first glance) but the coffee itself was delicious and fresh. I had never heard of the roaster they use but it had a very smooth flavor and they even have a hot coffee that boasts extra caffeine — yes!
If I’m ever in Amherst again, I’ll probably give it another whirl. The menu can be intimidating, since there are so many sandwiches, and that is a very good thing. I also liked that they sell discounted day old baked goods rather than tossing them at the end of the night. They had a cute name for their day old rack too — I remember remarking on it.

The staff is extremely friends, and the sandwiches are overstuffed which is great of you’re hungry.
I’m pretty sure they had a mishap and charged me for half a sandwich but I got a whole, considering my total was 5.85 with a water. Also, you can sub anything you want and they’re okay with it.
The taste is okay, nothing special. Probably won’t come back unless I’m low on cash.

When I was up in Amherst last weekend, my family and I were on the hunt for an affordable and delicious breakfast and of course, we turned to Unilocal for guidance. After spending two mornings at the Lone Wolf next door, the Black Sheep Deli was looking mighty fine and we were over the moon excited for some East Coast bagels.
I got an everything bagel stacked to the brim with cream cheese, lox, cucumber, sprouts and onions — and it was everything I’d hoped for, and more. If you’re visiting — make sure you stop by here and get your bagel done proper!

NY deli stylings, replete with bubbly chalkboard fonts, Wavy Gravy art and brick thick Rick Krispie treats. Big ups for stacking housemade breads with fillings that’ll sate veggies, carnivores and all walks in between (I’m talking to you, fish fans).
All the elements for success are there: in-​house baked goods, a balance of inventive and comfortable sandwich classics, an entire cooler of sweet tea. Yet, the execution is off with understuffed ‘wiches heavy on dry grains, yet lacking a hefty punch of flavor. My That’s Italian! (a-​bippitybop) shaved a single too-​thick slice of capicola, hardly any ham but plenty of provolone. The balsamic drizzle is a bit much, giving the whole thing a lotta tannins. Her Black Sheep Baguette yielded the same response — a hearty «It’s not bad.»
On the plus side, sandwiches can be ordered by the half. And for a paltry $ 4! Just enough to quell the rumbles, not enough to have you satisfied.