Kawika’s Ocean Beach Deli

Yummy! Amazing and gluten free extraordinary !!! I had the Ruben and the Hard Fresco — a new gluten free adult beverage.
They understand gluten and will share all they have to support gluten free. A definite must for any gluten free person looking for a great sandwich! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!

Was on the way home stop by to get food to go because we couldn’t have a sit down dinner our baby boy was sleeping in a car. So we found a first deli shop on the way. Ok so I am not sure but end up paying 32 dollars for 2 below average sandwiches and 2 nasty salads one from Costco potato salad that over charges big time … and egg salad that tasted not fresh and super nasty… I will never ever go back here… What a joke… One thing was ok nice guy at the register friendly… Meat on the sandwiches was low quality meats or just not fresh either… I will not charge my card back but I will never give them any more business…

Last October, I came upon this place while trying to find a good breakfast sandwich… and I succeeded! It’s ham or bacon (or BOTH!!!) with egg, cheese, and anything else you want. It’s simple, fresh, and good. I’ve been coming here ever since, whenever I can, which is mainly in the mornings. My goal is to try their daily specials, but I’ve only gotten to try the spicy bbq pulled pork. It has a small kick of spice for me, and even though I forgot to add cheese, it was still great.
The service is great and the owner, David, and his employees are nice and welcoming. They cater to your needs, especially if you’re gluten free, and seem to stress that part a lot. I didn’t know it at first, but they even have special events. I’ve checked out some of the musical acts, like the ‘ukulele group, a duo called Gravy Train (I think that’s the name), and a group called The Get Mads. They were right up my alley and I enjoyed them greatly. They also have poetry nights, comedy nights, and will even play Giants games on tv, so there is definitely something for everyone. Kawika’s can get packed, but they do their best to make you feel comfortable.
I think I’ve become a regular for breakfast and it’s always been a great experience. Now to try that Monday meatball sandwich…

Great sandwiches near Ocean beach.
Ordered their in house roasted turkey sandwich… it was excellent.
Good bread, Good Turkey, Good condiments.
Great service.
Dont forget to check in with Unilocal and get a dollar off your sandwich.

Didn’t know I would randomly find my favorite sandwich shop of all time near Ocean Beach while searching Unilocal — but I did! They do gluten free guys! The lettuce wrap is insane good and actually stays together! Make sure you get your sandwich made by sandwich Jesus — Angel. He’s made them 100% the best and I don’t know what super powers he has but the way he makes these sandwiches are ridiculously good. If you’re in the city or not — make the drive! Their habanero honey mustard is awesome and make sure to get it on anything you order!

Love this place. Bay to Breakers 2016!
Sandwiches are the best. The workers are awesome. A must+++

Here’s proof that he’s a racist. Do not support this racist old man. This is his response.
David N (Owner):
«And maybe there is frustration cause you do not have command of the English language. Good please don’t come back. If you cannot communicate to an English speaker why would you even try when your mom or you can’t.»
He’s rude and aggressive to his customers. He was a totally jerk to my 78 year old Asian mom who doesn’t speak English well. When he ask her what kind of bread did you want, she my didn’t understand the question, he then barked out his question even louder to my mom. She got scared and said anything. I should have walked out.
After I paid for 2 sandwiches and a hotdog with my credit card, I then brought 3 sodas to the counter, he told me that it’s a 5 dollar minimum for credit cards right after I paid for the 2 sandwiches and a hotdog!
I then heard him telling a customer that how a certain customer would come to his deli every week and saw him on the streets. He proudly said he didn’t recognize her because he has so MANY customers. DUDE… You’re not a rockstar!
The owner is a jerk. He thinks he’s so special because he owns a deli. I would NEVER go to this deli again!

Our friend is gluten free with many allergies and the owner David was incredibly nice. He was so friendly and took her in the kitchen to show their gluten free area. He even printed out his social recipe for his gluten free bread. The icing on the cake was he came out with 2 glasses of champagne since she just was proposed. His wife has gluten sensitivity so that’s why he’s so careful. I’ve never met anyone so friendly who truly cares and takes great pride in his business. I highly recommend eating here. They have trading and music events and it’s authentic Greek. Lol he’s from Hawaii so there’s a Hawaiian flare too with surfboards on the wall.
My boyfriend and I are going to start coming here when we drive up to SF. We’ll have a nice drive by the ocean, pick up a sandwich, then have a picnic somewhere. The prices are also very reasonable and oh yeah the food was delicious. Two of us got the lamb, one the turkey and one the pastrami corned beef. The sour dough bread was light and really good, and I usually don’t like this type of bread. My friend was amazed that the gluten bread tested so good. In case you didn’t figure it out, I highly recommend this restaurant.

Nice people, able to eat outside with my dog, they have gluten-​free bread. Perfect funky sandwich shop.

Came here on a sunny warm SF later afternoon and wanted to sit on the beach and eat a good sandwich and watch the waves. Got the turkey/​pastrami sandwich on dutch crunch, add jalapenos. It was pretty darn good — the dijon had such a bite to it, but it was a glorious bite — reminded me of horseradish. The pastrami had crispy edges which was glorious!!! Well seasoned. Enjoyed it very much. The deli also has many desserts and snacks, and all very reasonably priced. I thought the sandwich was great, and the bread was soft. I wished it wasn’t $ 10 with tax though.

This is a great friendly neighborhood beach deli. They specialize in sandwiches done right, that means the way you like your sandwich from the awesome bread to the meat to the works. Whether it’s with the works, some of the works, or none at all they’ll do custom made sandys and for $ 7 – 8 bucks it’s a steal.

Travelers and locals:
When considering a great deli sandwich, look no further than Kawika’s Island Deli here at Ocean Beach! Safeway and other places cannot compare to the generous portions of meat on their sandwiches.
Just finished a Turkey and Swiss on rye and it hit the spot – and then some. That, coupled with a small macaroni salad made for quite a filling meal!
Kawika himself just sat down to join me for lunch. His staff are true «Sandwich Artists” – I should know, as I used to be a Subway Sandwich franchise owner in Columbia, South Carolina!
Go there, check out the daily specials, and enjoy Da Kine Beach Time!!!
:-)

The driest turkey sandwich I’ve ever had. However, they do give you a lot of lunch meat, just wished the meat was good. I will not be eating here again.
Response:
I ordered via door dash. I feel it is unprofessional to insinuate that your customer is lying. Not professional at all. What possible benefits would I gain for lying about ordering a turkey sandwich? Think about it.
And WOW.
I’ve never been called a liar before and I certainly do not appreciate being called one here.

I went to this «hidden gem of the neighborhood with a dear friend and business advisor who recommended this deli. He knows the neighborhood very well and was stunned by the new owners aloof and blasé service and demeanor. This may be a case of a few weeks of less than ten visits but I haven’t returned of late because it is out in the Avenues — the other end of downtown — as well as just ho hum sandwiches. Neighbors may not have as many choices around the corner so to speak, but this may be a case of a place that can rise and only get better… which I hope will be the case. Everyone likes to see small businesses succeed.

I’ve been meaning to write a more detailed review but my Unilocal game has been lagging for a while. :/​Well, better late than never lol!
Their coffee is delicious. A bit on the pricy side until you realize that it’s real Kona coffee. Worth it. :)
My go-​to sandwiches are the fresh roast beef and fresh roast turkey sandwiches. They roast these meats in-​house so there’s no need to worry about wonky preservatives disrupting your chi or flow or what-​have-​you. SO much better than your average store bought lunch meat! You can add pickled jalapenos on them too if that’s up your alley. ;D I also sometimes just buy their meat and add it to salads or make my own sandwiches at home.
Their beef gyros are super yummy too. The beef is so tender and flavorful. I usually ask for no onions and have lettuce added instead.
Piroshkis: fried, doughy goodness with various fillings. My favorites are the chicken and rice and spinach and cheese.
I don’t get a chance to eat their desserts often because I’m usually way too full from their sandwiches, but their tiramisu is really good too.
They have events there sometimes, such as live music or wine tasting. I’d recommend checking those out too.
Edit: Don’t forget to check in for $ 1 off your sandwich order. xD

Discovered this place because they featured an Ukelele Troop for entertainment. The owners are warm, welcoming & friendly. They definitely have the aloha spirit. Great stop while at Ocean Beach.
We shared the yummy lamb sandwich & slice of cheesecake during the performance. Kawika’s also sells beer & wine to enjoy with your food.

Great place with delicious sandwiches. The owner David really takes pride in his place and his food. He even imparted some inside knowledge about how gross sprouts can get after only a day at a deli. I will be forever grateful and mindful not to order them on my sandwich!
Accepts Apple Pay and Bitcoin!

Yum, every sandwich I have ordered from here has yet to disappoint. Be aware of the hours and that you can order ahead. You can order ahead either online or via phone. If your order is more complicated, I’d opt for online than over the phone, but to each their own.
Everyone who works here is super friendly. It underwent a name change from the last time I was here.
Be aware, this is a DELI. So you’re not getting your typical gourmet bougie sandwich you expect in SF. But instead, you are getting a high quality deli sandwich done correctly. If you are looking for the bougie stuff, you’re at the wrong place. If you want your dad’s sandwich done right, then head on over here.

Omg, I am such a fan of this deli! I feel like I stumbled on a gold mine! House made salads, bread, fresh roasted meats daily, wine, beer, decent pricing, and all walking distance to ocean beach. And probably the crème de la crème of it all, free street parking nearby.
I was looking for an easy lunch option after a beautiful hike and this place popped up with gluten free options. My partner in crime for the day was willing and the idea of nibbling beach side sounded great with the sun shining as it was in mid-​February.
We ordered our sammies and waited with the throngs of others for their sandwiches. We were quoted about 20 minutes, but I think it was ready faster than that.
The deli makes house-​made gluten free bread that is thick, rich, and delicious. It has sunflower seeds in it and is so hearty it is almost like a pumpernickel bread.
I opted for a dry Italian salami sandwich with swiss, avocado, and veggies. You can get quite clever with mustard, there are like many options to choose from such as Mendocino sweet, Sriracha infused, dijon, etc. I opted to live wildly and choose the sriracha, the flavor was good but WAY too hot for me and the irony is I couldn’t eat my GF bread because my mouth was on fire after ¼ of the sandwich with that mustard spread lovingly on both sides of the bread.
The owner Joanne also has celiac and informed us over a free glass of sparkling wine that the kitchen is as dedicated as it can possibly be for a GF kitchen. The GF bread is made in its own machine, has its own tools, and the staff are trained to avoid cross contamination as much as possible.
She informed us that the baker who delivers treats also provides GF options at her request. I tried the cherry pie and it was delicious! Light, flaky crust, not too sweet. Even 2 days later it was still fresh.
This place was such a win for me on what was already a pretty awesome day. This is a go to if heading to Ocean Beach!

One of the best sandwich I ever tasted. Ocean Beach Deli used to be called Freddie’s (owned by a different owner). Everything is still the same except for the name.
Ocean Beach Deli bakes their own sour dough bread. Sooo good! They offer other bread options but I would recommend getting the sour dough. You pretty much get to choose what you want on your sandwich (Turkey or roast beef, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, cheese, lettuce, mayo, and mustard).
You can order beer and wine (also full bottle). It’s a great place to get a great sandwich and enjoy it on the beach!

Nicest people, nicest gyros, nicest deli in SF. Plus donuts!

The roommate and I were out running errands. Since it was lunchtime, we decided to check a bookmark off my list. It was Monday, December 28^th, a little after 1pm. Since parking sucks in this area, the roommate dropped me off so I could place our take out order. With the Unilocal check in offer of $ 1 off any lunch standard sandwich, our total order below with tax was $ 23.29
*Pastrami reuben, traditional style
*Deli chicken breast and pesto on a fresh baked sourdough roll with pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles
*Kosher pickles ($ 1.95 ea) x2
We both ordered sandwiches off menu. I ordered a Chicken pesto on sourdough with pepper jack cheese, everything on it. From looking at their menu, it seems to be the sandwich I listed above. Not sure if it had mayo and mustard as I believe that comes standard on sandwiches. If so, it only had a little. I actually added more mustard. I did wish there were jalapenos and pepperoncinis on it as I like my sandwiches with a little spice. It was listed as a topping, so I thought they’d be on there as I said everything on it. But maybe you have to ask for it.
My sandwich was huge! I could only eat half of it. I wished it was hot and melty as there’s something super comforting about a hot sammie, but since I didn’t request it hot, it’s not their fault. I heated up the other half and had it for dinner, so that fulfilled my hot sandwich craving.
The pickles were good. Crunchy, sour and salty. And the roommate seemed to enjoy his reuben.
From the looks of it, Kawika’s deserves its 4.5 stars. The place was busy for a random Monday afternoon. If you’re going to Ocean Beach, I can see a hot sandwich and a tall cold one being an excellent meal with a great view.