Klein’s Deli

I had the chicken salad sandwich — it was really very good but at $ 9.75, I felt ripped off. I get that this is an airport and I’m paying an extra $ 3 for the convenience. Next time I’ll go to Little Luca’s in SSF for a sandwich twice as big and cheaper.

I like Klein’s deli at SFO… their sandwiches are good.
They use good ingredients. Diestel Turkey etc.
Portions are Good not great.
Are made super fast.
Have some interesting combos…
Like the The Potrero Hill:
Chicken salad with mango chutney, almonds, raisins, curry, lettuce, tomato, mayo on whole wheat
Prices are not cheap but they hold you hostage at the airport.
What else is new?

I do wish I wouldn’t eat here as often as I do because it would mean less time spent at SFO. But, during times when I need to fly a lot, this is my #1 go-​to spot. Every single sandwich I purchased there has been well-​made with fresh ingredients. No sad brown lettuce leaves here. My favorites are the Marina and the Nob Hill, and the salads are terrific as well. Service is fast. And the folks at the deli are consistently friendly, which is no small feat considering they are dealing with scores of stressed and grumpy travelers day in, day out.

You know how you can probably make your morning commute without really thinking about it, you’re just on auto-​pilot because you’ve done it so much? That’s how I feel when I land at SFO, my legs just start moving towards Boudin out of sheer habit. Sometimes you need a change of pace, though, so on my last trip I thought I’d branch out and try Klein’s to grab something for the plane.
They’ve got a good menu of preset sandwich options but you can also build your own, a nice touch for picky eaters like me. They’ve got the usual array of deli meats and cheeses and breads to choose from, and they make everything right in front of you. I went with the pesto chicken on a ciabatta, which turned out to be delicious, especially since the pesto had some real flavor to it, not always the case in my experience.
The service is quick and friendly, although the line was moving pretty slowly due to some people in front of my making all kinds of special requests on their sandwiches. It was nice to see that the staff took it in stride instead of getting surly, as some airport dining employees do in other venues. This place would be a great sandwich shop even if it weren’t in an airport terminal, and if you can resist the temptation of Boudin (or the even stronger temptation to just make a box of See’s your lunch) this is a worthy alternative.

This deli is my go-​to spot whenever I’m at the 80s gates, as the sandwiches are reasonably dependable, tasty, and filling, all at reasonable prices too. My fave is the Castro sandwich. If you’re in a rush, there’s a cooler full of pre-​made salads and sandwiches. Service is fast, efficient, and sometimes even friendly. A solid bet overall.

Awesome breakfast sandwiches!
This is another Klein’s Deli location I’ve visited while at SFO, and I was not disappointed. They have a wide selection of breakfast and regular sandwich options, and everything is made to order. The servers always have a smile on their face even if it’s super early in the morning… they show that they’re happy to have your business.
I got the breakfast bagel sandwich with an egg and bacon on an everything bagel. The sandwich itself was HUGE. The egg was a little tough but the bacon was thick and substantial. Prices for the sandwiches aren’t that bad either considering it’s inside the airport.
They are pretty quick too so if you’re looking for a quick bite before taking your flight this is a great option.

Sandwich was reasonably priced considering it’s from the airport. I paid about $ 10 for my pastrami sandwich. Nicely toasted on wheat bread with some special sauce. I told them to hold the sauerkraut and substitute some lettuce. Pretty good considering some of the slot I’ve had from other concessioners.

When you’re delayed and waiting, it’s nice to find some comfort in the terminal. I’ve had the prepackaged salads here and which was relatively fresh, made the on the same morning, and not overly processed. This wasn’t a sad and wilting packaged salad with a long list of ingredients like you’ll get at Safeway but solid for airport food. I also had a pistachio macaron which was a nice small treat. It’s decent quality and far better than what you could get on the plane. Price is about in line with regular SF prices and isn’t grossly jacked up for airport food. The pastries and salads are on par with what you’d get at a middling store in an above average chain like La Boulange (RIP) or Boudin.

I cannot believe this deli exists in an airport. It is that good. In a sea of soul sucking fast food spots and fluorescent lighting– this is a refuge. The North Beach is a great take on a classic Italian sandwich. This place is pretty much guaranteed to make your flying experience suck less.

Not Potbelly but a pretty solid sandwich for an airport deli. Embarcadero is the go-​to sandwich.

A solid sandwich. I had the Mission (toasted the ciabatta and added pepperccinis) it has roasted turkey, tomatoes, avocado, special mayo, red onions and pepper-​jack cheese.
Highly recommend.
But seriously, toast that ciabatta.

I’ve been here twice so far — each time catching a United flight since it’s located in the United terminal of SFO. I’m actually surprised the ratings for Klein’s aren’t higher. I think it deserves a four star, rather than the three star on Unilocal.
The first time I came, I was in a hurry so I just got the prepackaged sandwich. Which was still quite delicious and fresh tasting! A friend and I shared the sandwich expecting it to be a huge gourmet sandwich but that wasn’t the case, which is fine since it was still filling.
The second time I came, I had plenty of time to kill, lol since my flight had just gotten delayed by 1.5 hour (QQ…) Anywho, I took my time ordering this time and actually had time to peruse the menu. The menu is mainly sandwiches, though there are options for salads and soups. The sandwiches are all named after places in SF — which I thought was cute.
I got the Mission and it was HUGE. They packed it for me on the spot — asked if I wanted tomatoes, onions, lettuce — the usual, and I said of course. This came with the Klein’s special sauce and it really is quite good! Not as heavy as mayonnaise but really still quite tasty. Probably a bit like thousand island, but not quite. My server placed a HUGE amount of meat in my sandwich so this time I only finished half and was super full. I also got a coffee here and they serve gourmet coffee which is great! I hate watered down coffee, doesn’t get me to where I wanna be usually haha.
Overall — I think this is a great place to choose if you need a meal while waiting for a flight at SFO. Much better than the other restaurants there and probably much faster service since its not located in that food court when you first walk in.

Last visit, I got the Embarkadero. Fantastic, with chicken and pesto all toasty hot. I’ve had other sandwiches and they’re always fresh and tasty. They work well if you want to switch meats around. The service if fast and friendly. They have grab and go sandwiches, chips, fruit, candy and drinks as well. I can always count on a good meal when I dine here. They are located in the 80s gates as well as the 60s gates.

I’m not sure if this is the same deli as
. As I see the world, there are two Klein’s outposts in Terminal 3 at the moment — one here at Gate 83 and another at the new gates whose numbers are in the 60s. For some reason, the Gate 83 Klein’s has manageable lines whereas the new place tends to have really long lines.
The two have the same menu. It’s clear also that you can ignore the menu and specify exactly how you want your sandwiches to be made. I stick with the menu and order the North Beach as it’s described. The sandwiches are made in front of you in real time. They hold together well enough that you can pull out your sandwich only after you’ve reached «cruising altitude,» which might be fairly long after the moment of sale. (United has not been pulling out of the gate on schedule in recent times.) The sandwiches are generously made and they taste really good. Although airport sandwiches tend to be the epitome of «meh,» these guys are outliers.
The sandwich makers work really fast, and they wear latex gloves to reassure you about cooties. My impression, however, is that sometimes the maker’s apron billows out and touches the top of your open sandwich as he or she leans over the counter to snag the last ingredients. Call this out if you see it.

This place is much better than a pre-​wrapped meal from another place in the airport, but the meats are not really deli quality or quantity. I do go to this place when my travel on United takes me to the 60’s gates, but i much prefer the Boudin turkey sandwich, but not so much that I am willing to walk an extra 5 – 7 minutes in each direction.
if you are own you own dime, pack yourself a sandwich, if you forgot this is way better than anything United will sell you.

This is a food choice that is definitely better than most others I have experienced in other airports. We had a 3+ hour layover at SFO and needed to get some sustenance for the rest of the trip.
The staff were friendly and seemed to have the knack of getting freshly made food items out to a lot of people in a satisfactory amount of time. There are also plenty of remade items available if you are really in a hurry.
The sandwiches are fresh and relatively healthy. The portions are also very generous. I feel our food was well worth the cost — my husband and I both had the Embarcadero — Chicken breast, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, pesto on ciabatta — for $ 8.95. Pretty much what I would expect to pay at a sit-​down deli for the same item.
Seating is very limited but there are lots of other seating areas in the vicinity. Would eat here again next time I am at SFO for extended time.

Delicious sandwich with fresh ingredients.
Prices were fantastic especially coming off of a Vegas trip!
I got the Haight, which is a bacon, avocado tomatoes sandwich on delicious sourdough bread. I added red onion to give it some bite.
Delicious!

While on layover at SFO, I decided to grab an early morning breakfast at Klein’s Deli. There are three locations at SFO and two of them are in Terminal 3. I visited the one near Gate 83. They open very early at 4:30 am which was great since my red eye had just arrived into San Francisco around that time.
It is a smaller space. There are a few tables to eat here, but I would say that most customers would just take their food to go. This restaurant is known for their sandwiches. I noticed that they had a good breakfast pastry case here. And they serve a special blend coffee from Flying Goat Coffee out of Sonoma County.
I decided to order the hearty breakfast sandwich ($ 6.95) and a cup of drip coffee ($ 2.25). When the coffee is better than the sandwich, that is a bad thing. The sandwich was an overpriced disappointment. The scrambled eggs in the sandwich tasted like they came from a hotel breakfast buffet. And the bacon was not crisp at all. It looked like bacon, but tasted nothing like it at all. If there was a McDonald’s at SFO, I would have bought a breakfast sandwich there instead.
I am sure the lunch sandwiches here are much better. But if I visit Klein’s again during breakfast hours, I am getting something from the breakfast pastry case instead.

I have to say that when I have sit time in SFO I definitely have to stop by Klein’s Deli. Well if you’re looking for a healthy option this is some what better than what the airport has to offer.
I love The Mission sandwich, but I do substitute the ciabatta bread to sourdough. I surely do love sourdough :-) make sure to pick up a peanut butter cookie it will make you extremely happy. I do like getting my sandwich wrapped separately because I can’t finish it so I can save the other half for later.
Oh by the way, if you crave a bagel & lox make sure you stop here. You can order it all day :-)

I think the location of this might be wrong — I’ve run into a Klein’s in the new part of Terminal 3 (where the gates are numbered in the 60s), but either way — like other spots in this new wing, the food here is pretty decent, including the prices. Upon flying back to NY a couple weekends ago, my fiancée and I grabbed a couple of the sandwich suggestions (I did the Haight, she did the Embarcadero), and both were quite good. I really liked how the pesto meshed with the chicken in her sandwich, and the Haight was quite straightforward — a very good BLT with a Californian twist (i.e. with avocado thrown in). Neither sandwich came off as heavy, but they were both filling enough. I also had a chocolate chip cookie, which was pretty solid — more on the fluffy side, and not as sweet as some others that I’ve had, but it is solidly sized so that you won’t be hankering for more once you’re done.
All in all, the food here is good, and they do a pretty good job of making sure you get your sandwich quickly and you’re not left hanging if you’re running to get on a flight. It’s a shame that these gates are so far removed from the rest of the United terminal…