Broad Street Giant Grinder

Really nice small deli shop with great sandwiches.
The workers were all really sweet, got the East coast sandwich which was highly recommended was very tasty!

First time going here. The sandwiches are amazing and the friendly staff makes it an awesome experience. Will be making this place a new favorite!

We stopped here to grab lunch before heading to a weekend at the Madonna Inn. This fast, friendly place makes great sandwiches — and it was a good thing our room had a fridge, because we had lots of leftovers!
They’re located in a cute little brick building on a side street, but it’s pretty easy to find. The inside is pretty small and there are just a couple of tables and some counter seating, so it seemed like the majority of customers were getting orders to go. Business was steady even at the mid-​afternoon off hour when we were there, but service was friendly and our food was served quickly.
The menu has all the basic cold sub sandwiches with the standard toppings, plus a selection of hot grinders that come with Italian peppers, marinara sauce, provolone cheese, and your choice of roll. I had a cold roasted turkey sandwich, and my dining companion had the East Coast Grinder Combo (mortadella, Italian salami, and capicolla, includes lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, provolone cheese, oregano, salt and pepper, and olive oil). They also have salads, macaroni and potato salads, and chips, PLUS huge dill pickles in a jar.
According to the menu, a «half» sandwich is 9 inches, but the sandwiches we got were more like footlongs AND they were jammed full of meat, cheese and toppings! It was way more food than we were planning on – we probably could have shared one half-​sandwich and been good. They kindly offered to wrap up our leftovers and we enjoyed them later that night to soak up the booze after a party.
If you’re staying at the Madonna Inn or in San Luis Obispo, stop by Broad Street for some great sandwiches. Perfect for picnics or smuggling back to your hotel…

I had a hot, spicy pastrami and the sandwich was good. It was an normal size sandwich, definitely not giant, puffed up with lots of ice burg lettuce. The pastrami was tasty and the spicy was definitely there! The crew is very nice and very helpful, and every sandwich is definitely custom made. Good ingredients, Very clean and a good stop for a sandwich. Thank you Giant Grinder.

Was told to get the meatball sub because it was amazing, and sure enough they delivered!
The place is a little off of downtown SLO which I enjoyed because parking was easier. The shop is quite small and has some seating outdoors which allowed us to sit out in the sun with our pups.
When we got in we knew exactly what to order but we were perplexed when they asked us what size of sandwich we wanted. 9″ or 18″…18″!!! That’s insane! Anyways we ordered the 9″ TO SHARE (we’re usually pigs but we weren’t super duper hungry). 9″ to share was perfect for the two of us with drinks and a bag of chips.
Food came out fast and hot and we gobbled it up super fast!
Random recommendation: If they have the bottled lemonade (grandma’s lemonade or something) with ginger in it? Get it! So damn good…

Excellent sandwiches. Loved the pastrami! I would definitely go there again. They gave me change for a $ 10 gift card which I thought was interesting, but I put it in the tip jar and enjoyed a nice sandwich.

Had the ½ meatball, ½ sausage sandwich. Really good. Quiet and calm place. Good customer service.

Had a really good sandwich for lunch there today. Was there just after 12 and it wasn’t to busy. It was my first time there so the gentleman behind the counter was more than happy to introduce us to their menu. My wife and I shared a whole pastrami @ $ 16. This was their special today. Very high quality meat and bread. I also had the creole potato salad. It was also good (nice and spicy). I’m going to be trying some of the other sandwiches soon!

I’ve eaten here twice, and one time it was good and the other it was great.
That’s not bad at all and a solid track record in my opinion.
Both times I had the Italian, that’s THE sandwich to get if you want to test out a spot for me.
The bread was fresh, the portions large and the toppings tasty and well balanced.
Both times I got to-​go here, and the inside is a bit small.
I ordered once online which is cool and the other time I called in, so they have a good selection of ordering choices which I respect.
I would recommend this spot for a good lunch. I’ve also ordered from them for catering work lunches and they do a good job with that too. On-​time, friendly and offer MenuClub ordering support.

I’ve visited here multiple times over the years (since it opened I guess). I’m still not sure what to think! Probably it’s just my taste in sandwiches — my advice would be to try their sandwiches as they are on the menu. If that doesn’t suit you, try some customizing.
The staff is friendly and the little house is cute. I’m always surprised that there aren’t more people taking advantage of the outdoor seating.

Just moved to SLO — and am starting to eat my way through the town. Picked up a load of sandwiches for the team at work today and overall these were met with great reviews. The pastrami was my sandwich of choice and it definitely did the trick, even after sitting for 30 minutes the thing still ruled.
As if you needed one MORE reason to not visit chain sandwich shops, here’s one more. Super kind and cool staff. Great little outside seating area. Reasonably priced.

My favorite sandwich spot in San Luis Obispo! The Italian meats are always on point and owner really has an awesome background story. Everything tastes amazing every single time and their staff is always super helpful in recommendations and so courteous. 5 millions stars, Giant Grinder!

The sandwiches were dry and the staff was unfriendly. We had our kids and they were not welcome here.

As someone who grew up in SLO and has been to most if not all the sandwich shops in the area, I’d have to crown the Giant Grinder as king. High St Deli is good, and their 420 deal is hard to beat, but if it’s quality you want you gotta go with the double G. Their turkey pesto is phenomenal. It’s one of the few sandwiches where I savor every bite and just slow down and enjoy the eating experience.
Really nice quiet atmosphere, quaint tables out front, nice people. The owner is a really friendly guy. Cool looking vintage décor and tasty drinks in the fridge.

For the non-​SLO local, this place is not hard to find. It’s also not at all obvious that the little brick house is the Giant Grinder Shop if it weren’t for the sign. Thank you, Google Maps Street View.
Being a huge pastrami lover, I had to go with the Hot Pastrami grinder. The soft and crusty Italian roll… perfect. This is how I like my sandwich rolls; they’re not a chore to eat but they’re hearty enough to hold everything together without falling apart. The pickles and yellow mustard are both very mild — I’d prefer more bite to my condiments, but it works. However… I’m not as sold on their pastrami. Actually, I’m not convinced what I got was pastrami.
The pastrami looked and tasted more like corned beef. I understand that often, pastrami is also made with the same cut that is used for corned beef and that it’s not necessarily coated in spices, but the key difference is that the meat is smoked instead of being boiled. This pastrami had no smokiness to it or the unique mouthfeel that comes with being smoked. It wasn’t bad, but if that was actually pastrami, it wasn’t good pastrami.
Don’t miss their chocolate chip cookies. Fresh, soft, delicious, sweet, and only $ 1.25 for a pair.

Walked in today and… wait, WHAT is that goodness I smell? Holy cow that smells amazing… if they’re making a meatball/​sausage combo sub, you too will know what I’m talking about. (10min later…) wow, tastes even better than it smells, this place is just ridiculous–

I’ve been a fan of this place since the day they opened and love how consistent they’ve remained. The owners and staff greet me with genuine appreciation for my business every time and even though I don’t make it in all the time, they certainly make me feel like a welcome regular. The meatball sub on Dutch Crunch is by far my favorite and this place is now officially my go-​to deli in SLO on rainy days like today.
Oh. Hot tip for local business owners treating your staff to lunch: they deliver!

We’ve had company sponsored lunch catered by The Giant Grinder Shop a couple times now and it’s been yummy!
I’ve had their Chicken Breast and Turkey Pesto — both were hefty heroes packed with fresh ingredients.
Every bite brings back fond memories of my days in New York.
Thanks Giant Grinder!

It’s all about the East Coast. My favorite sandwich by far in the county.
This is a once a week lunch visit for me.

The wine pourer at Tolosa Winery recommended we try this restaurant for sandwiches and we are so grateful that we took his advice. My daughter and I shared their 9″ hot pastrami sandwich and my husband ordered their 9″ eggplant parmesan sandwich. They were both to die for! The sandwiches come out piping hot and very savory with lots of meat and cheese melted on a very fresh lightly toasted french bread.
We will definitely be back the next time we’re visiting San Louis Obispo! My mouth is watering just looking back at the photos!
#44 /​100
Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2014