Molinari Delicatessen

10/10 !!Been meaning to check this place out for a while now and finally got around to it! Love the classic italian deli vibe that they have. Really authentic. All of the staff were in top of it and made sure to get things done quickly and make sure everyone who was waiting was taken care of. I got the turkey pesto special on square rosemary focaccia. It was unbelievably delicious, I really recommend coming here if you're debating it, just do it! So worth it. A bit on the pricey side depending on what you get and if you add extras, but again, SO worth it! I can't wait to go back and try other sandwiches!

The food is pretty good but is pricy. My concerns are about service and ambiance, which were unfriendly. When I asked staff "How are you?", one responded, "I'm doing great -- again." I felt unsafe with the attitude of their response and felt unwelcomed as a born and raised local San Franciscan. I've visited this restaurant for lunch for many years with work colleagues and left disappointed. I will not return.

Grab a number when you walk in. There is a wait. We should have ordered ahead of time, but we didn't know it was an option!The Luciano special is a must! It was unique and delicious !

I don't really get the hype around this place. I think the sandwich is good, don't get me wrong. I'm not sure that it was worth waiting nearly two hours or paying 20 bucks for a sandwich that's even on the smaller end. When you enter, if you need anything sliced or you want a deli item, you grab a ticket with a number on it. Most people will bail before their ticket number is called, but even still expect to wait. Their processes aren't great though as I saw several people cut in line, claiming unclaimed numbers after a couple seconds, which sucked so maybe they could actually double check the ticket numbers in the future? If you are ordering ready-made items like their ravioli and sauce, you can cut the line and check out immediately.Luciano Special (3.5/5): I just don't think the bread was that impressive, which is unfortunate because of how the bready the sandwich was. The cold cuts were pretty delicious, but I wanted a sauce or something to round out the flavor. High quality ingredients overall, but still left me a bit sad.

Gee, I don't know why it took me so long to try this legendary North Beach deli. After all, it's been around since 1896 and survived the 1906 Earthquake. Well, that mishap prompted them to move from Broadway to Columbus where they've been for 118 years. They make and brand their own salami which they sell nationwide, and of course there are the sandwiches. And who doesn't hanker for a traditional Italian-American sandwich when they're starvin'?Well, that be me on a weekday morning when I was taking a stroll to Washington Square. There were only a couple of regulars in the store, so I decided to give it a try. I went for the $15.25 Lucca Special on Dutch Crunch. It had mortadella, provolone, sweet bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and lettuce (photo: https://yelp.to/m6mvVleYRj). There was an open table on the sidewalk, so I grabbed it even if it was next to the world's loudest married couple. I'm sure you could hear them in Colma.So what did I think of my sandwich? A bit underwhelmed I have to admit. I thought there was either too much bread or not enough mortadella, but the ingredients certainly tasted fresh. I'm probably more the Japanese sando type because I couldn't finish it due to the carb overload. I also ordered a small container of Marinated Mushrooms, and they were just a bit sour for my taste (photo: https://yelp.to/WlO2mSAQRn). Oh well, we can't all be paisans. They survived the Great Earthquake. They'll certainly survive this review.FOOD - 3 stars... a clean sandwich but kinda bready and a bit pricey AMBIANCE - 5 stars...definitely step inside as it feels authentic SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a bit on automatic TOTAL - 3 stars...more mortadella, pleaseRELATED - Exploring North Beach? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2X34Mji

tl;dr - if the line is long, go somewhere else please. Otherwise, pretty good.If you live in SF and outside of North Beach, you can frequently see this place has lines on the weekends. It makes you think - with a lot of other delis in the city, is this the best place to be?I would argue emphatically: no.Molinari is an authentic deli with fresh ingredients. But put it together with their popularity, and they seem to have made things expensive and out of reach for what you'd think you get. I surprisingly learned that after finally taking my shot at one of SF's top sandwich places.When I got there on a late afternoon in SF, I had seen there was a short line inside the store and decided it was a good time to try. Boy was I wrong. They do the old take-a-number system, and we were 20 theoretical numbers behind. Usually, some people will take it and never come back after finding something else. They probably made the right choice, but I had stick it out and see what this place was really about.It ended up being an almost hour-long wait just for a 20-dollar sandwich. A very *light* sandwich I have to add. Nothing wrong with that, but if you're going to do that, you have to make it cheaper. The taste was refreshing, which is always something that is delightful.Being to other places around the city, like AK meats, Deli Board, Limoncello, and even around Molinari, you can take your time to assess here if you like it. You'll have plenty of it when you come here.

I came here last week to try for the first time and I am so amazed! I don't go to delis often so I only have a few experiences to compare it to, but so far this is the best!There are so many ingredients in the store. To order, you take a number ticket and you will be called. The wait was pretty long on a saturday afternoon. Maybe about an hour? We got the turkey basil special, and luciano special with no cheese.Again I'm not a deli sandwich expert but the sandwiches were so good. Everything tasted so fresh and yummy!Another plus point is the staff, they are very friendly and attentive! They were open to answering some questions we had and customizations we may need for allergies.I will definitely come back again and try to come at a time where there's less traffic haha

I was suggested to come here by a friend ,and I'm so glad I did ! All I had to say was I love Italian food and sandwiches and he said go to Molinari.I ordered the prosciutto sandwich with mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes .This sandwich was a slice of ecstasy I'm telling you from the bread to every bite , I got the rosemary focaccia bread .Im sure everything else here is simply to die for also!

I stopped by Molinari Deli after having it recommended to me by a local. Upon entering the deli, I saw fully-stocked shelves of imported goods such as pasta, olive oil, sauces, and all the Italian works. I loved seeing the dried salamis hanging above the deli counter, along with the variety of breads in front of the display case. I didn't check the refrigerated/frozen areas, but I did see other customers with stacks of ravioli. In true-deli fashion, I grabbed a numbered ticket, perused the menu, and awaited my turn. After playing ping-pong between two of the menu items, I went with the Luciano special on green onion focaccia. I appreciated watching the meats get sliced/shaved on the meat slicer. Sliced-to-order meats imported from Italy; that's how you know this place is the real deal!! If you have it on hand, I recommend paying with cash, as there is a small percentage surcharge for using a credit card. After paying, I took my beautifully wrapped sandwich outside and dug in! The meats were delicious and the sun dried tomatoes, lettuce, and tangy onions added a perfect amount of texture and flavor to this wonderfully crafted deli sandwich. The only thing I found my palatte craving was a tid bit more salt and some more spice. Overall, I had a pleasant experience at Molinari Deli! The staff was kind and attentive, the ingredients were fresh, and the old-school ambiance was the cherry on top! Although steep in price, I do recommend giving this spot a visit for the flavors and experience!

This is everything you want with an authentic Italian deli. Upon waking in it's a little overwhelming but be sure to grab a number if you're picking up a sandwich/hot food. If you're just shopping for the endless amount of goods they have throughout the shop head to the express line. It was quite crowded when we arrived on a Saturday afternoon (took about an hour for 4 sandwiches). It was worth it I will say. The rosemary focaccia bread is Italian heaven brought to SF. The meats and cheese are beyond delicious flavor and freshness. There's some tables out front if you can't wait to dig into your sandwich. I tried the Luciano special and it was delicious.