Zoccoli’s Delicatessen

Just stopped by here on a day trip to Santa Cruz, and was definitely worth it! Great sandwich spot. Fast, friendly service. Got the veggie eggplant sandwich, tasted great, and the bread really is so soft and amazing. Definitely would come back!

Contrary to a lot of deli’s that I go to, Zoccoli’s uses soft crust breads (as oppose to a crunch crust fyi), its a nice refreshing change to everything. We found Zoccoli’s looking on reddit– it came highly recommended by UCSC students. The price isn’t all that bad either.
When you enter its like a mini super market with a deli counter (take a number to order!). We ordered the Tri-​tip and Chicken Pesto sancwich. For those who are allergic to pine nuts, the pesto they use doesn’t have any. so go ham. The warm sandwiches were perfect after a long hike in Henry Cowell State park. Not the best sandwiches I have ever tasted but if you’re in the area and need a quick lunch/​dinner Zoccoli’s is your place to go!

Food was very good, service was quick, they had quite a few people working. With 5 people ahead of us, took about 10 minutes to place or order and another 15 mins to get or food. Wine selection is good,

Dude. The chicken pesto sandwich changed my life. Good prices. I want to try all of them. Such a great atmosphere and energy in here. The food is amazing. My friend got the meatball sub and made excited noises the entire time she ate. Highly recommend this place.

So, back in my PhD days when I was at Berkeley about 5 years ago, my wife and I used to have a trip to Santa Cruz. We happened to lunch at this place and we loved it. The only problem? We did not have a smart phone and the credit card payment history was totally lost, so it was kind of hard to find out what exactly where we ate.
Last month we were planning to do a weekend trip with our 9-​month old and my in-​laws. My wife suddenly remembered the experience and she was really craving to visit it again. The only recollection we had was «we parked at an indoor parking spot, walked one block and there were very nice flower beds in front of the store».
The quest was on. As a computer scientist my solution was to go to Google Maps, look at all the indoor parking lots around downtown, check out their Google street views, and try to re-​walk the paths on streetview, based on my recollection of what the surrounding looked like. I was able to find the place within 5 minutes — the flowerbed was a definite sign.
We ended up enjoying the food again. I won’t comment on the details of food, but you know it’s good if after 5 years you still remember the place.

We followed the crowds… for good reason. Love this Italian deli! Great sandwiches and salads, good vibe, entertaining stuff outside, great prices.

The best sandwich I’ve ever had. Ever. Luckily my husband is from Santa Cruz so whenever we are in town we eat here at least twice, if not 3 times! I don’t know what their specific bread/​topping combo is, but it is simply magical. My favorite sandwich is the Castroville and I usually get the deviled eggs for later.
There is usually a long line so we call our orders in ahead of time. Also they have one of the most complete selections of Haribo gummy candy which I always take advantage of.
I can’t wait to return!

Great sandwich deli. The best fluffy bread.
Love the hot sandwiches: pesto chicken, artichoke chicken. Large enough to share.
Lot’s of soda, chip and candy options. Some unique British sweets and treats.
Pull a number from the counter to order then line up to pay and wait for your number to be called.

We got the tri tip and the chicken pesto with deep fried chicken. It was really good! 5 Stars all around!
The tri tip has a lot of flavor with very fresh grilled ingredients. The chicken pesto had a nice, chunky piece of chicken and it was as flavorful as pesto gets!
The best part? The bread for the sandwiches were over the top! Very nice! It had a nice texture to it. You can tell the sandwich was made with love. It’s a must-​go before heading to the beach for a mini picnic!

This is more take out since it’s a deli and there isn’t much sitting except for a few tables and bar stools. I love the softness and freshness of the bread, meat, and toppings so that’s what makes this place worth your visit.

Great little place in downtown Santa Cruz to get a sandwich to go! Or if you have the time, sit outside on the walk out front and people watch, while you enjoy your lunch like we did! We could tell this was a VERY busy place that was visited by all types of people.
You go inside and grab a number and decide what you want and place your order at the counter then pay, and then they call your number when yours is ready. Our sandwiches were great! I had the bacon, lettuce, and egg salad on toasted wheat bread. It was delicious.
My husband got the bay shrimp Louie sandwich. It came on a sourdough roll with hard boiled egg slices, tomato, onion, lettuce, and their own Louie dressing. He really enjoyed it. The shrimp was fresh and the sauce was great.
I noticed they also had other things that you could pop in and get to take home and cook for later such as pasta dishes, lasagna, ravioli, and a variety of soups that looked amazing as well.

For the amount of choices of everything they offer, I give a solid four, including offering a variety of chocolate from Europe not typically found in the US. However, as for their sandwiches, we got the chicken parm but there was one thinly slice of cheese and was completely overwhelmed by huge amounts of marinara and chicken. Need more cheese next time!

Suuuuuuuper cute deli with an abundance of meats, antipasti, sandwiches, wines and other things to choose from.
Concept: if you want to order a sandwich (hot/​cold/​specialty), take a number, place your order, stand in line to pay, then wait for your food.
The line did get long but went by fast. They also have a fridge with premade salads and cold drinks. Seem very popular and loved by many. It’s located downtown Santa Cruz, so after, you can do some damage with shopping, catch a movie or just people watch!

This is a great Delicatessen in downtown Santa Cruz. We used to come here for lunch ages ago when I worked close by. I am happy to say that it is as good as I remember!
The Deli is always busy, at least it has been every time we’ve walked by. When you go in be sure to take a number. They call your number and take your order. Then you get in line to pay and patiently wait for your food. We only had to wait about ten minutes despite the long line. They had an army of sandwich makers working like crazy!
I had a great turkey sandwich and my wife had the pastrami. Both were great and quite large. We ended up bringing half of them home.
They have a great selection of sandwiches on the menu board. You can also design your own sandwich with the great selections of meats and cheeses. They also have hot sandwiches.
It’s a full deli so the choices seem endless. They have chips sodas water beer and wine for sale as well.
There are two small tables and a bunch outside under the cover of some umbrellas on the sidewalk.

Very delicious sandwiches! I had the Hawaiian and my boyfriend had the Chicken melt and both were very yummy! The only downside is they are priced on the higher end… We bought 2 sandwiches, 2 drinks, and a bag of chips for $ 30 :(
Worth trying and having once in a while! Easy to order, yummy, quick meal for a picnic on the beach.

Délicieux!!! Magnifique petite boutique à l’intérieur avec plein de produits!
Le méditerranéen est très bon mais un peu gras ceci dit…
Je recommande grandement!

It always seems very busy here whenever I’m walking past to go to Verve. As I found out today, it is very busy. Numbers being called for the next person to order, less frequently numbers called for pick up orders. We weren’t in a huge rush but be prepared for a wait. We waited 15 minutes for 2 sandwiches.
I ordered a grilled chicken pesto sandwich and my boyfriend ordered a breakfast sandwich. My sandwich was a bit on the dry side, but I asked for no mayo so maybe that would’ve helped with the dryness.
Great selection of other food and drink available. There are a variety of chip choices (various flavors of Kettle Brand, Deep River Snacks, and Zapp’s Voodoo), candy, cold pastas, salads, beer, juice, cider, wine, and more. Chips seemed a little pricey but sandwiches were a great deal.

I was referred by a friend to this deli. Located in downtown Santa Cruz. Outdoor seating in the front. Sandwiches are good and there’s a good selection of salads and sides too.
Not from the area but I would come back next time! Also. The bathroom is upstairs.

This is an excellent sandwich. We thought it funny at first that we needed a number. You’ll need a number. By the time we had our lunch there was no free space to stand and there must have been 20+ people ordering, waiting and paying. We totally lucked out.
Next time were in Santa Cruz we’ll be back for a togo sando. To date this is the best sandwich option we’ve found in the area.
My sandwich was great and worthy of five stars; hers not so much but still a solid four. Try the Muffaletta with Salami, coppa and provolone cheese with a thin layer of tapenade which went perfectly with the roasted red peppers. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Located in downtown Santa Cruz. This deli market is right next to the Verve coffee shop. Double entrances. I came in through the back door.
There was somewhat a line during lunch that was fairly quick to take orders. As I glanced over menu I settled to try the Bandwich. Grilled chicken breast, pesto, artichokes, and pepper jack cheese on a ciabatta roll.
Payment and completion of the requested warm sandwich took a little longer. The sandwich was definitely strong with pesto and the artichokes. Flavors were on. Healthy amount of chicken cooked tender. Roll was soft, held together and easy to consume.
Good: full of flavor. Delicious sandwich.
Bad: a short line may seem forever because it is a small shop and local favorite.
I’ll be back.

This small deli is my favorite spot to grab an quick, delicious sandwich. There are also salads, cold cuts, sides, sweet, and misc. available for purchase but sandies are definitely the speciality here.
There is always a line but it moves quickly. Just grab a number, order once it’s called, prepay, and wait for your order to be announced.
I highly recommend the Tri-​tip and French Dip from the hot sandwich menu.