The Deli Lama

Time: 12:07pm/63°F partly cloudy
Purpose: Dropping off a colleague to auto shop near by car is ready for pick-​up just needed a ride. Told me see you back in office and took off, I stick around wandering in joint being curious.
Ambiance: Not much of a fancy burger joint here. Couple of high table with matching chairs. Other area just furnishings that wants to be out for use regardless of look. There’s a indoor ATM, beverage fridge, tube television, coffee pots (self pump), utensil/​condiment station, snack shelf, soda fountain (self help). Massive blackboard menu plaster front to back of open kitchen area. Front counter has one side for ordering and one for pick-​up. Television is off and theres no music or Wi-​Fi. So, if you plan to stay a little longer BYO entertainment. I like the roll up gate walk in entrance with no door or window. Great for rainy days too. You can sit close to edge of shack and hear rain hitting pavement while enjoying your food.
Staff: A older guy manning front counter could be owner with two younger guys mid 30s. Look like family run father/​son business. Had no interactions with kitchen crew only when my order was announced for pick up. The father was cool easy going pointing out fixings with burger. I just told him everything, but the onion. Rung me up handed my change while I waited. He was like that to every customer after me so, its on going for him and good to see he cares.
Cleanliness: Grade C, not all dandy looking as some area could use a good scrub down. Not to say dirty, but passable for what it is. Utility cart holding coffee pots needs a wipe twice a day should do wonders. Table had some debris left from patrons. Very minor problems.
Eats/​Drinks: Turkey burger $ 6.95 was just mediocre. Patty is that of Restaurant Depot (up the street) frozen box patty toss on grill per order. Flavor was bland as patty comes frozen can’t do much there may be just some salt/​pepper. However, patty was juicy, but it wasn’t natural turkey meat juice, it was frozen patty with mostly frost. Buns somewhat toasted, but soggy. Could be from foil it was wrapped in condensation sets in. It wasn’t even that long as I was park across street less than a minute walk. The fixings were average, but fresh and crisp like lettuce and tomato. Not much excitement about this turkey burger, its just a burger made with run of mill store bought package goods. Oh well at least I know what the place is about now.
Main Features: Cheese steak sandwiches-​chicken or steak set price.
Products/​SeBurger, specialty burger, cheese steak, salad, soup, grilled chicken breast sandwich, hot wrap, deli style sandwich, breakfast sandwich/​burrito, bagel, omelette, fries-​curly/​tot/​shoestring/​chili cheese fries, wings, onion rings, chicken strip, assorted bottle/​can drinks, soda fountain, chips, snacks, extra/sides-$.25−2.50 depending on whats added. Cash only/​indoor ATM. Coffee by America’s Best/​tea by Bigelow/​Stash.
Punch Lines: Drool-​worthy, nickle & dime, budget-​watchers, laid back, shack like, kitschy décor, run-​down, lackluster ambiance, can’t go wrong, casual, nothing out of the ordinary, industrial setting, kept its standards, family run, indoor ATM, street parking (2hrs minimum), close early, nearby worker, produce market, taxi HQ, minutes from Caesar Chavez/​Bayshore.
Tradeoffs: Since TDL shop up the street for all their business essential needs. Prices are much lower than competitors, low overhead.
Final Thoughts: Not a bad place to grab a bite if you’re tie up in immediate area. Place doesn’t need remodeling or anything done because of what area is, and its clients mostly blue collar worker. Occasionally you’ll see couple of office staff ladies dress nicely coming in. Overall place is more convience for people that needs a quick bite, then get back to their day than, say a meet me and lets have lunch type of place.

Great, quick hole in the wall. Friendly service. Had a great chicken schwerma. Definately not a typical schwerma, ore like a non mexican burrito, but very tasty. I’d go back.

Had the super combo sandwich, which had roast beef, turkey, ham and swiss on dutch crunch for 8.50. Overall the sandwich was good but the roll wasn’t too fresh. Good selection of sandwiches and wraps. Will try this place again next time im in the area.

I love this place. The older gentleman, looks like he could be the owner, he is a sweetheart! The foods bomb. And so fast. Unless they get busy because everyone comes here for lunch. So worth it. My favorite is the Mediterranean Wrap!

Trust me when I say: «I know a good business when I see one.»
Deli Lama has amazing food and is made fresh when you order. Its located in the industrial part of Bay View and probably doesn’t get notice the way it should… but that means more food for me, right?
Deli Lama was the only GOOD place I seen on Unilocal when spending my lovely morning in the Ceaser Chavez area. Walking distance from the main street and TONS of all day parking in the area.
HISTORY OF THE COMPANY: Opened about 5 years ago and its a son and pop Deli! The son owns the business and the dad helps out. The son cooks and you are able to see your food being made.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Is amazing! I ordered my food and he read back my order. Once it was ready it was then hand delivered to my table and asked if there was anything else I needed!
FOOD: IS SO DANG GOOD! I ordered a Sausage breakfast burrito and I have to admit the food is so filling. I wasn’t able to finish all of it but trust me, I was trying! They have a HUGE menu full of good ol’ food. Sandwiches, Salads, Breakfast burritos, Burgers and Hot Wraps. YUM, YUM, YUM!
BEVERAGES: They sale all type of drinks (except Alcohol) and they also sell Coffee! BIG points for all the coffee drinkers!
ATMOSPHERE: Very welcoming, you walk in and instantly get greeted by the owner! Average little deli spot with about 5 – 6 tables and chairs. Menu is large enough for you to be able to see everything they have to offer.
This place gives me SO many reasons to come back when I am in the neighborhood. In the morning its tons of people who work nearby and the owner greets people by name. It’s just so nice!
I will be back!

Had the Falafel Veggie Wrap and it was the shit. The Eggplant and Cucumbers go together surprisingly well and the hot sauce was great. A lot of good flavors rolled up in a convenient to go meal. Will definitely be back.

Great burgers, philly cheese steak and small breakfast sandwiches. Looks like a hole in the wall but a lot of good places are.

Great sandwich, nice staff, decent prices. If your in the area eat one.

Very much enjoyed the TSA — turkey avocado and sprouts sandwich on wheat bread. Inside there were cucumbers, lettuce, pickles, onions and tomatoes with a light slathering of mustard and mayo. Thinly sliced deli Turkey piled high made for a very difficult to open my mouth wide enough to bite, but trust me when I say, I did it! And enjoyed it immensely.
However, hind sight is ²⁰⁄₂₀ and looking back on the whole experience, I do believe I will go with a roll next time around as the sliced bread didnt hold up to all the fresh goodness that was packed between them.
And unless you work near by this spot probably isnt for you. Which means more room for the locals as there is very limited seating available.
Definitely worth stopping by if in the bay area.

Good cheesesteaks are hard to find and there’s usually one good spot every 50 miles. This place makes a tasty, cheesy, melts in your mouth sandwich. It has a little twist from the standard cheesesteaks but it hits the spot. Great lunch spot for burgers, salads, sandwiches and cheesesteaks all under $ 8. Yep.

The best breakfast or lunch in the Bayview, Dog Patch, or Warehouse districts. It’s not the super fast and friendly service, or convenient location that keep me coming back. The quality and quantity of the food, for the price, can’t be beaten. Order ahead for lunch because this place is no longer a secret. Get the ‘breakfast plate’ or ‘breakfast burrito’ for the best deal in town.

Great service, great food, great price for the quality! The burgers and cheese steak are my favorites!

Thankfully these guys are right around the corner from us at Ace Plumbing & Rooter… super tasty food, friendly staff, reasonable prices.
You guys are great! Thanks for the awesome salads especially!

Good time at an art studio painting and got covered in it. We looked like Blue Man Group (maybe we are, how do you know?) Drove around looking for a quick lunch and couldn’t believe how good our luck is to find a place where you can get a lunch for under $ 10 with a good chuckle over the name.

Solid working man’s breakfast/​lunch grub for under $ 10.
One of the few good choices around here with this area of the Bayview offering few other choices.
Limited range of hours 6:30a-2:30pm Mon-​Fri.

Coming from out of town on business, a coworker and I stumbled on this AMAZING deli. They have anything and everything you could possibly want for a sandwich from different breads, meat, cheeses, condiments, spreads, veggies. It was melt in your mouth FANTASTIC. We were met by the owners dad, who was so accommodating and friendly. On our way out we met some more of their family, the grandmother and aunt, all so sweet. It was like eating with family. I would drive the 2 hours and pay the bridge toll just to come eat here!!! A city gem!!!

I was in the mood for a sandwich and was heading to subway when I drove past this place. I decided (after checking Unilocal) to give this place a try. I was very please with the atmosphere which basically was just a suitable hole in the wall. The seating was actually nice. The stools had intact leather cushions. The place was not dirty. The menu was huge! Salads wraps breakfast burritos cheesestake sandwiches. 1 wall is dedicated to just the menu. The pricing was fair and the portions matched the pricing. The food was pretty good. Nothing that is spectacular but it is good for what it is. The garlic fries were too garlicky. They just made regular fries and put crushed garlic cloves on them. I could not taste the salt… Only garlic. Can u smell my breathe through this review?

This is a working man’s «restaurant» and I use that term very loosely. Deli Lama is located in a light industrial neighborhood in BVHP. It’s plenty safe to park here and walk around, despite what you may have heard.
I stopped by to grab a bite to eat and found the food to be passable. There was nothing gourmet about my turkey club, but the portions were amazing. Half the sandwich was more than enough, the second half was food coma inducing.
The crowd here is 99% grease monkeys wearing their dirty coveralls from the local shops. There must be a local SFFD station around here too.
I’d come back, but wouldn’t go out of my way to do it.

This is probably the best place to eat within the general area of where I work. I used to be an El Balazo fan but when they closed down, the El Tonayense that replaced it hasn’t lived up to the standard set by the great 24^th st location.
I visit the Deli Lama almost weekly. It’s almost always busy so I grabbed a menu on my 2^nd or 3^rd time there and always call ahead. Speaking of their menu, it’s huge! They have everything from a full breakfast to sandwiches, burritos, and burgers.
My favorite thing on their menu is the falafel wrap. I was surprised to see it wrapped in a tomato tortilla. When I first saw this bastardization, I wasn’t expecting much. Then I took my first bite… I was blown away by the taste and texture of the falafel. Delicious! The hot sauce is perfectly interlaced within the wrap. This may be one of the spiciest, tastiest falafel wraps in town!
The gardenburger leaves something to be desired. It’s actually really good but only because it’s deep fried and smothered in cheese/​mayo. I wish they could go the Jay’s Cheesesteak route and expand their vegan options but I understand I’m probably the only vegan in the Bayview. The garlic fries are decent but not the best I’ve ever had.
If you find yourself hungry in the Bayview, stop by to see the super friendly & hot owner/​manager to sample some of their extensive menu…

They have coffee, a variety of breakfast and lunch food offerings, and are open weekdays starting at 5 AM. It’s not the best coffee but it’s hot, fresh, cheap, full of caffeine and… did I mention they’re the only place open at 5 AM anywhere within a mile? The chick who works there is sassy, the other two guys are pleasant and they remember faces and names pretty well. It’s definitely a spot with a ton of regulars — general contractors, construction workers, taxi drivers, FedEx employees, beat cops and tour bus operators. They usually have the TV tuned to CNN and the radio blasting 80s hits while they sling their hash on the grill and chat up the customers waiting for their grub (no one should have to listen to Prince before they’re fully awake, but I won’t hold it against them).
As for the food, they have a shit ton of choices but I can only speak to one item, which is the only thing I ever get other than coffee — they make a DAMN good breakfast burrito! Steak or chicken, eggs, salsa, potatoes and cheese melted together in a flour tortilla with a 20 oz coffee will set you back $ 8 and change — a deal for the size and quality. I’m usually not hungry ’til noon after eating one…
The Deli Lama is a convenient early morning breakfast spot in a part of The City where there are few options. Check them out if you find yourself out in «Apparel City.»
Tip: If you want to save some time and know what you want, call ahead — your food will be waiting for you in a to-​go bag when you get there.