The Best Delis in Raleigh

Village Deli and Grill - Cameron Village

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (159) • $$

"As a new resident of Raleigh, I wanted to try this spot for lunch. It isn't far from where I'll be working and I was quite surprised how crowded it was on a weekday. So I figured it was worth a try.The cashier was very friendly and helped me figure out my order. I went with the turkey sandwich with the Vidalia onion dressing and pasta salad for my side. The food took maybe 10 minutes to prepare, which wasn't bad considering there was hardly a table to be found. Pretty good sandwich, nice quality ingredients, but certainly not the biggest I've ever had. The pasta salad was vegetarian, it had a tangy vinaigrette, it was solid. It was fine, but not what I would call special."

Neal's Deli

★★★★☆ 4.3 (210)

"Excellent authentic deli. From the meats to the sides, this place packs a punch.A few things to know:1. It is near UNC campus so the roadway is busy with limited parking.2. You order outside and no indoor seating.The staff is super nice and the food is incredibly satisfying!!! A+++ on the pastrami"

New York Bagel & Deli

★★★★☆ 4.3 (164) • $

""Best bagels in North Carolina," says the sign. I won't disagree - my everything bagel with cream cheese was crunchy, chewy and delicious.It's a narrow shop with walls covered in photos of customers and plenty of seating on four-top tables. I placed my order with a lovely young lady who brought it my seat a few minutes later. A good portion and hot.Definitely a worthy breakfast and a great bagel. And proper bagels are rarely this good in the South, or really anywhere that isn't New York (or New Jersey)."

Jimmy John's

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (7)

"Great fast fresh reliable sandwiches.. The favorites with double meat are my favs.Love the place."

Foster's Market

★★★★☆ 4 (668)

"Nice cozy place that serves breakfast and lunch. We were in Durham area and looking for a nice local place to support. Foster's Market definitely matched what we were looking to find. We both ordered sandwiches that were fantastic. Nice size and well made. I ordered the Jammin Turkey Breast Sandwich (very yummy) with just the right amount of spice from the pepper jelly. My wife ordered the Roasted Turkey Breast sandwich, which she really enjoyed. Very nice place to visit with friendly people and plenty of seating both indoor and outdoor. If in the area you need to visit."

Village Deli and Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (54) • $$

"This is a great place if you're buying lunch for a meeting. Make sure to call ahead of time to place your order. My favorite from here is the "chicken salad sandwich". It's one of the best I've had in the area! I would highly recommend it!"

American Hero Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (27)

"Best subs in town! Not only is the bread and meat is always fresh, the staff great! Each time I've come here, owners were pleasant, areas were clean and food is consistent. The desserts are delicious as well."

Manhattan Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (9)

"Manhattan Cafe is serving up a variety of menu options that can, hopefully, satisfy everyone you are with. Create your own pasta at the pasta bar, your own salad from the salad bar or choose one of their sandwiches. I tried the smoked turkey & brie and enjoyed it. I'm glad that they have a second location in Morrisville now."

Piper's in The Park

★★★★☆ 4.3 (106)

"I decided to try this place out since our church has used them multiple times to do box lunches for some of our meetings. I got the fish sandwich and slaw. It was pretty good. I'd like to try some other things on their menu."

Plumpeez Deli

★★★★★ 4.9 (81) • $

"What can I say that hasn't already been said, over and over? Ok, I'll give it a shot. We decided to head east for a drive from the triad to try this spot. This family run restaurant is a delight and a true gem. They are only doing curb service right now, but they will greet you when you arrive, offer you a menu (we used our phones) and let you know to just give them a call when you're ready to order. They do have a couple of picnic tables that we took advantage of. The sandwiches were delicious and generous, and the owner came out and introduced herself. She and her husband operate the restaurant with the help of their incredibly personable and attentive kids. We would make the drive again just to eat here. 100/10!"

Courtney's NY Bagels & Deli

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (95)

"As close as you're gonna get to an actual NY bagel in NC. Freshly made in-joise every day, these are water bagels. A dozen varieties are available. They're exactly as you want a bagel... Crispy on the outside, airy and moist inside. Pro tip - slice them and freeze them same day of purchase, toast to serve. Pro tip 2 - if you don't freeze them store on counter in paper bag. They'll be a little hard but when you toast, they spring back to life. Don't store in plastic on the counter, they get soggy."

Manhattan Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (169) • $

"Great lunch spot in Raleigh! My coworker, Ezra, picked it out and we both enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Great variety on the menu between paninis, salads, soup, etc. Quite often you can learn a lot about business when things don't go as planned. A customer spilled their drink my coworker and I both jumped up to help clean up and notify the team working behind the counter. When I told him he smiled and said "no problem". I'll take care of it" and grabbed the mop immediately. I'm a big fan of Manhattan cafe."

Village Deli & Grill - Lake Boone Trail

★★★★☆ 3.6 (96) • $$

"Excellent place for lunch, especially if you are craving a high quality sandwich. It does get busy, particularly around lunch time. Nonetheless, the employees are efficient so the wait time is reasonable. Order at the counter and then your meal is brought to you. I ordered the tempeh panini and it was perfect! It was cooked and flavored well, very filling, and reasonably priced. Pros:- great customer service- quick accurate orders- reasonable prices- large portion sizes-indoor and outdoor seating available-ample menu options that satisfy various preferences and dietary restrictionsCons:- parking and seating areas are tightOverall we enjoyed our meal and would dine here again!"

SaYum Jamaican Food

★★★★☆ 3.9 (43) • $

"Leaving out the "Why the hell am I here?" portion of the story, lets fast forward to food, shall we? *the train & rail systems have more issues than Harper's Weekly**Little did this town with a population slightly north of Bozeman, Montana foresee the rush of delayed travelers before it's early screeching halt. In we poured and the register sang Zippidy Doo Da out of its cash drawer.I sat sipping and supping the delicious brown drippings sauce of Ox Tail marrow, onion and carrot that seductively absorbed into my brown rice, you sexy thing. An unusual suspect of shredded cabbage joined the mix in its own individual to go box compartment. Chunks of tender Ox Tail tipped the scales to a triple digging meal session. Two of the three sessions occurring in the train leaving the fragrant yet pungent sent of Jamacian spices."

Ish Delicatessen

★★★★★ 4.5 (55)

"I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to try out Ish! I recently ordered take out for lunch and it was so freaking delicious. I was sharing with my husband and wanted to try all the things. I went for the pastrami Ruben, potato salad with burnt ends, pasta salad, and cucumber salad. The sandwich was really delicious and the sides were great too. My favorite side was the potato salad with burnt ends, super flavorful. I used their online ordering system and my order was ready at 12pm on the dot. They seemed to be a well oiled machine in the kitchen. They were busy back there so no one greeted me when I walked in, which was fine since I had already ordered online. Street parking was easy enough at this time of day. I only wish the sandwich came with a deli pickle, I didn't see the option to buy one either. They did have chips and a few other side items for sale in their market. Overall I look forward to heading back in and trying out some of their other items."

Ladyfingers

★★★★☆ 3.8 (27)

"Nice high end deli and market that is that is gorgeous as soon as you walk in. Great spot to meet for lunch or work from. Love their sandwiches named after local popular streets. Usually always get the Atlantic, their savory duck confit sandwich and pasta salad on the side. They also have great gourmet meals to take and freeze and heat for later. Def a great spot! Check out @raleating on Instagram & TikTok for recommendations on Triangle food spots!"

Pan

★★★★★ 4.9 (29) • $$

"Absolutely love the variety of the menu! There's a lot of charm to the place... it's a small little spot downtown with outdoor seating. I do wish they had longer hours but I'll be a regular at this spot because the sandwiches are delicious!!!"

Mel's Commissary & Catering

★★★★★ 4.7 (22)

"Really fine, homemade food. All from scratch. Extremely well prepared and priced. Fresh. Palatable, with a country vibe.We love it."

3 Olives Pizza & Deli

★★★★☆ 3.7 (65) • $$

"I found the pizza delicious and the service was fine. I thins location (attached to a gas station) usually gets takeout service so it was not the ambiance that we had expected for a date night."

New York Bagel and Deli

★★★★☆ 4 (352) • $

"Really great spot to visit on a Saturday morning for coffee and a bagel. I saw a lot of people going in and out of this shop and thought since I have been over here in the past that I had to try it. I walked in and told the lady working behind the counter to get me whatever their best seller was. And let me tell you it was delicious. Not sure how healthy it was but it sure was good. She recommended the bread instead of the bagel. If I stop by in the morning next time I will definitely check out getting a bagel. It was funny when you walked in it looked like NYPD but instead it was NYBD. It was funny the workers shirts made it look like they were cops. The owner was also very nice as well. While I was sitting down eating there were so many people coming in and out most got their order to go. There is seating in the restaurant. This is definitely a popular local spot for this area."

DeMo's Pizzeria & Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (328) • $

"We ordered the white pizza, caprese sliders, and garlic knots. The sliders were delicious, with a big slice of mozz on each one :) the knots were also good! The pizza. Oh, the pizza. My husband and I are white pizza fanatics. This was amazing. The dollops of ricotta couldn't be any sexier! It isn't my favorite in Raleigh, but it DEFINITELY beats other pizza places. I thought the spinach on it was a nice, unique touch. I will say these slices were huge though (worth every penny!!!). Service was fairly quick and staff were nice."

Carolina Cheese

★★★★☆ 4.2 (41) • $

"My friend went into the cafe and ordered our meal "to go" around 830 pm on Wednesday evening .. Three of us ordered the gobbler sandwich , friend ordered the Cobb, and other other ordered the Wendy. The " baked potato " potato salad was recommended as a side and they were right... very good! Despite it being late in the evening , the food was well prepared, fresh, and full of flavor. He mentioned it was a little slow to prepare , although it's a small cafe and one staff member getting ready to closing up , so be patient. We are so appreciative having something healthier than fast food or a chain restaurant available in the area ... Thanks for filling us up with some yummy food !"

Sweet Magnolias

★★★★☆ 3.9 (63) • $

"Small little restaurant with big flavor. Traveling as I usually do and wanted to try this out. Not a lot of people for a Thursday night at 5:30 so I was happy. The waitress was very nice and made sure the food was good. I did a custom burger which is always a favorite of mine. Should have ordered a double but glad I didn't (we'll come back to that). Fresh off the grill and the crinkle fries were PERFECT! Really crispy and the waitress asked if I wanted ranch instead of ketchup. Who does that? This place and that's why they got 4 of these stars. The 5th star is because of the dessert. I had the chocolate eclair. Bless the person who makes this! (Robin much love!!) The eclair is NOT a pastry. It's more like a pudding and hot damn it's amazing. I didn't mind the styrofoam cups or bowls because it gives this place character. Complaining about the flatware food is served on is like complaining ice isn't cold enough. Can't wait to return here again and try something new!"

Tru

★★★★☆ 4 (182) • $

"Lovely sandwiches and atmosphere! The first time I came, the ordering system made me sweat a little. Nonetheless, I prevailed and was rewarded by a lovely sandwich. I always get heavy toast and the roof of my mouth becomes a victim for the next week. I've been on a sour-savory foods kick recently and have found an intense love for banana peppers as well. I tried recreating an italian sub but there was too much meat. I would recommend the general principle of it, for sure."

Steve's Place

★★★★☆ 4.2 (70) • $

"Stumbled upon Steve's place as I was waiting for Hobby Lobby to open and I am so glad I did! I was craving a breakfast sandwich but still being new to the area I wasn't sure what was around that may fit the bill. It looks like they are primarily known for their hotdogs but their breakfast sandwich was quite delicious. When you walk in you go to the left and fill out the slip for what you want to order, being the slip up to the register and then they will cook it right up for you! I haven't seen too often the option to add a hashbrown to a BEC but it was a solid choice! Now that I know they have good food I can't wait to try the hotdogs that they are known for!"

Village Deli and Grill

★★★★☆ 3.5 (112) • $$

"At first when we passed Village Deli and Grill it looked like a place that would have sit down table service however when we got there we then learned it's a bit more casual, you order at the counter, they give you a buzzer and then you come pick up your food when it's ready. They have indoor & outdoor seating which is nice and a large menu which is also amazing. My husband isn't a "sandwich/deli" guy so I'm glad they have other things that he can eat as well! All of the food was good but let's get to the desserts.... To die for... honestly I am going to have to go get another slice of that lemon blueberry cake this week. They said that all of the desserts are made in house which is always great! For sure will be back to try more of the menu!"

Jersey Mike's Subs

★★☆☆☆ 2.4 (7)

"We love Jersey Mike's! Being a Jersey girl, that's my only hoagie choice! The Italian Mike's way is the only way!"

3 Olives Pizza & Deli

★★★★☆ 3.6 (44) • $

"I can only speak for the location in Clayton- everything I've ordered has been hot, made to order, fresh and delicious!!! I've had pizza, wings and Philly cheesesteak sub from here and it's soo good!! I've always gotten it to go but the staff is always nice. My orders haven't been incorrect and the quality of the food is consistent."

Firehouse Subs

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (44) • $

"Best sandwiches in Johnston County! Their menu offers choices to please anyone, with just about every kind of meat to tickle your tastebuds. I really like their beef and cheddar sandwich with barbecue sauce! Get 'em hot or cold, and in small or large sizes, and be sure to add a bag of delicious kettle chips. Service is fast and friendly. The store and its bathrooms are very clean and roomy. As the name suggests, you're also supporting your firefighters and first responders.Great for lunch or dinner, or takeout for a party."

Jersey Mike's Subs

★★★★☆ 3.5 (4)

"Good stuff at this brand new Jersey Mike's on Forestville Road.It's what you expect... Freshly sliced meat, dressed to order... With a dash of "juice". There's a full team working and they're well trained and eager to please. I was in and out in 10 minutes, even with a few others in line. It'll be interesting to see who wins the sub wars around here since Publix is at the other end of the Plaza... And we all know the reputation of the Pub Sub. Tough choice... And I like 'em both!"

Martinho's Bakery and Deli

★★★★☆ 4 (80)

"Visiting my mother for the weekend, she couldn't decide where she wanted to eat. When I mentioned that a friend said there was a good deli in town, she immediately said "oh, Martinhos! I forgot about that one! We haven't been in a long time but they have good food". She was right. She had a cheeseburger her way, with lettuce, tomato, Mayo and onion. Looked pretty good and she said it was. I had a veggie sub that had cheese, Mayo, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, and I can't remember what else, and added added the veggie patty mentioned on their other veggie sub. Not sure what brand it was but the patty had good flavor. Since no sides were included we shared the house chips that came with ranch. They were okay, needed more crisp for my taste. Next time, I want to try either their pizza or a pasta dish. Lots to choose from."

Lunch Box Deli

★★★★★ 4.5 (77) • $

"Came in here today for lunch on the recommendation.Of some co-workers, the quality of the food is really good.The staff are super friendly and the service was very quick.I felt like it was a very good value for a lunch item.And the experience was such that I will probably return again"

Blue Ridge Deli & Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (52)

"I tried the breakfast special for my first visit and it was delicious. It included a decent sized bacon egg and cheese croissant with a generous portion of perfectly seasoned homefries and a coffee or tea for less than $8. They have a variety of breakfast and lunch items for decent prices. It's small restaurant that you could miss if you're not paying attention but those are the best ones. I would visit the restaurant to place my order because you can't always get through on the phone. Plenty of gravel lot parking."

Gotham's Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (103) • $$

"Gotham's Deli is a New York deli located in North Carolina. The deli seemed to have many regulars as they were recognized and the usual orders remembered. The walls are decorated in New York memorabilia; New York sports memorabilia; as well as down Smithfield memorabilia. I enjoyed looking at the Mets items.The deli has New York inspired themed menu items and there are a lot of options to choose from. I went with a half of Mr. Met which was roast beef, turkey, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato and mayo. You can dine inside, outside or order to go."

3 Olives Pizza & Deli

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (42) • $$

"Stopped here for a quick lunch yesterday and initially had some trouble finding it because it shares a building with a gas station but the place is clean and surprisingly spacious. Only two employees but both were very nice and worked hard to make sure food went out fast. We orderedHalf of a Club Sub- fresh, tasty, really big!10" cheese pizza- yummy, BF said it tastes like Domino's but without the flavored crustSide salad- pretty basic, nothing specialPrice is ~$7.50 for a 10" pizza and a drink OR a half-sub and a drink which is a really great price considering the amount and the taste of the food. They also have stromboli, calzones, hot subs, and pasta. This is not a place I would go out of my way to revisit but I would definitely stop here for a quick lunch if I'm ever back in the neighborhood. It's nothing extraordinary but it's still head-and-shoulders above a greasy fast food restaurant!"