21 Classic St. Louis Delis and Sandwich Shops

Blues City Deli
(2438 McNair Avenue, 314-773-8225)

Blues City Deli is home to some of the most beloved sandwiches from along the Blues Highway—including New Orleans’ mouth-watering muffuletta, and the Memphis Stax, packed with pulled pork and spicy slaw. Since the deli’s debut in 2004, the menu has expanded from a dozen to more than 50 sandwiches, salads, sides and brews. - Nick Fierro

Photo credit: Madeline Azar

Union Loafers
(1629 Tower Grove Avenue, 314-833-6111)

Crusty flour-dusted ciabatta is the base for the restaurant's signature sandwich, the roasted pork. Thin slices of rosemary-kissed pork tenderloin; creamy, prosciutto-like country ham; and crisp pickles are accented with rustic grain mustard. Perhaps the best part of the sandwich is when the liberally slathered housemade garlic mayonnaise squishes out through the bread's little cracks. - Cheryl Baehr

Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Mom’s Deli
(4412 Jamieson Avenue, 314-644-1198)

Everyone loves the "Mom's Special" at Mom's Deli, with its layers of turkey, roast beef and ham shaved so thin it's like prosciutto. Mom's piles on crisp lettuce, thick slices of tomatoes, onions, pickles and Mun-chee cheese. (Don't ask, just enjoy.) - Cheryl Baehr

Photo credit: Caroline Yoo

Gioia’s Deli
(1934 Macklind Avenue, 314-776-9410)

Gioia's Deli began its life as a grocery store back in 1918 before transitioning to a deli, and thank goodness it did. Gioia's is now famous for its hot salami, or salam de testa: a thick, soft salami made from beef and -- yes -- pork snouts. The more familiar Italian meats are terrific, too, like the "Italian Trio," a dreamlike blend of mortadella and Genoa salami, peperoncini, onions and cheese on toasted garlic bread

Photo credit: Johnny Fugitt

Le Grands Market and Catering
(4414 Donovan Avenue; 314-353-6128)

LeGrand's -- one of St. Louis' very last Tomboy grocery shops is a bona fide family-owned supermarket that's been making sandwiches seriously since the late '90s, and now has 46 to choose from. The chip selection is huge (50+ options), with such oddball favorites as Uncle Ray's Dill Pickle and Oke-Doke Onion Rings. - Nicholas Phillips

Photo credit: Nicholas Phillips

Vitale’s
(425 N. Sappington Road; 314-996-9912)

If the name Vitale sounds familiar, it should. Owner Mike Vitale is the son of Pete and Grace Vitale, founders of Vitale's Bakery on the Hill. Vitale's offers nine different sandwiches including "The Pete," an Italian sandwich is Vitale's version of what he grew up eating on the Hill: ham, salami, roast beef, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and house-made Italian dressing.

Photo credit: Cheryl Baehr

9th Street Deli at Howard's
(2732 S. 13th Street; 314-664-3354)

Located on the corner of Soulard's picturesque and peaceful Pontiac Park, 9th Street Deli offers several must-try sandwiches -- the meatball sub, with Provel and marinara sauce, and the "St. Louisan," comprised of mortadella, capocolla, salami, ham and Provel, are good places to start.

Photo credit: Madelaine Azar

Salume Beddu at Parker’s Table
(7118 Oakland Avenue; 314-942-6300)

If you want to make a great sandwich, it helps to use the "best salumi in the country." That's not our call, by the way (though we're inclined to agree). In 2011, the notoriously difficult-to-please Forbes food writer Larry Olmsted declared that Salume Beddu is "making products to rival the best of Europe."

Photo credit: Lauren Milford

Kirkwood Deli and Convenience
(500 W Essex Avenue, Kirkwood; 314-996-6699)

Kirkwood Deli & Grocery looks like any other suburban corner market — the sort of place you go to pick up a six-pack of Corona and a lotto ticket. However, if you look more closely, you'll see a sandwich board advertising the "Best Gyro in Town." With little more than the sort of electric griddle you use in a home kitchen, Kirkwood Deli serves not only gyros, but a comprehensive sandwich selection, using all Boar's Head meats.

Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Ruma’s Deli
(1395 Covington Manor Lane, 314-892-9990)

The deli, opened in 1974 by Dee and Tom Ruma, is now headed up by their grandson Brock Ruma, who as a toddler starred in Ruma's television commercials. The Italian deli is known for its signature sandwiches, including the "Gerber Special," a hot, open-face ham sandwich with melted garlic butter and Provel cheese. Another perennial favorite is "Dee's Special," named for Brock Ruma's grandmother: cold roast beef and ham.

Photo credit: Katie Moulton

The Gramophone
(4243 Manchester Avenue, 314-531-5700)

The Gramophone opened as a music venue in 2008, and as the Grove neighborhood began to change, so did the Gramophone. To capitalize on the neighborhood's changing demographics, they closed the curtain on their music program and rebranded as a deli and neighborhood tavern. The sandwiches have a classic feel, but that doesn't mean they're boring. The "BBLT," for instance, is like a traditional BLT pumped full of growth hormones — it's served on Texas toast with a triple portion of bacon.

Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Nora’s
(1136 Tamm Avenue, 314-645-2706)

Nora's is a welcoming neighborhood joint with touches here and there that make it more than just another deli. Notably, Nora's smokes many of its meats in-house. It makes a difference. The sandwich "For Pete's Sake" features slices of pork loin smoked over apple wood. This is topped with even more pork (bacon), melted Brie, caramelized onion and applesauce.

Photo credit: Jennifer Silverberg

Adriana’s on the Hill
(5101 Shaw Avenue, 314-773-3833)

Adriana's On The Hill has been a sandwich institution for the past 25 years, family-owned and run by Adriana Fazio and her daughters, Suzanne, Dianna and Tia. For a long time the deli largely catered to the neighborhood's meat-eaters -- the menu features plenty of salami, roast beef and pepperoni -- but in recent years they've become known as the best spot in the Hill neighborhood to grab a vegetarian sandwich that will have even the carnivores drooling.

Photo credit: Tara Mahadevan

Protzel’s Delicatessen
(7608 Wydown Boulevard, 314-721-4445)

If it's your first time at Protzel's, you pretty much have to order the corned beef, made in-house and piled high on rye bread and covered with mustard -- served, of course, with a pickle. Since 1954 this family-owned establishment has been churning out a wide array of fresh deli meats and cheeses. Other than the corned beef, you can also try the knishes, potato salad, deviled eggs or fresh Jewish rye bread chips.

Photo credit: Madelaine Azar

Eovaldi’s Deli
(2201 Edwards Street, 314-771-5707)

Eovaldi's nook-like location on the Hill can pile on the salty cured meats with the best of them — favorites likes Genoa salami, mortadella and coppa are available, as well as the more pedestrian deli meats. Eovaldi's long list of hot and cold sandwiches can be problematic; there are simply too many to choose from.

Photo credit: Justin Bruegenhemke

Pumpernickel’s Delicatessen
(11036 Olive Boulevard, 314-567-4496)

Pumpernickles Delicatessen is the kind of place where the pastrami is brined and then seasoned with just the right amount of garlic and pepper -- enough to give it a kick, but not enough to burn you. Then it's steamed and sliced thin enough to melt in your mouth. The menu lists the Reuben as the "Absolute best in St. Louis."

Photo credit: Madelaine Azar

Carl’s
(6401 Clayton Road, 314-721-2393)

The New York deli experience is waiting for you at the corner of DeMun Avenue and Clayton Road. Giant, meaty, overstuffed sandwiches (the pastrami!) are the foundation of any deli worth its salt, and Carl's does not disappoint. There are no frills once you're inside, and you're likely to encounter a diverse clientele from all walks of life sitting around sharing a table.

Photo credit: Madelaine Azar

Volpi Foods
(5266 Daggett Avenue, 314-772-8550)

Mortadella. Coppa. Genoa and several other salamis. (Even if you don't know the names, just point, as you would in a little village in the Tuscan countryside.) Owing largely to its prosciutto, Volpi's is one of the most renowned Italian-style meat suppliers in the country.

Photo credit: Jaime Lees

Joe Fassi Sandwich Factory
(2323 Sublette Avenue; 314-647-5158)

The sausage itself — the recipe has been passed down through eight decades — is ideal: the meat tender, the flavor beautifully balanced between pork and fennel. Combined with tomato sauce on crusty bread (the No. 10), it is downright heavenly.

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DiGregorio's Italian Market
(5200 Daggett Avenue, 314-776-1062)

The deli counter in the back of this corner grocery on the Hill offers up a huge selection of Italian meats and cheeses. They have plenty of wedges of familiar choices like Parmesan and Romano, as well as lesser-known options such as the soft taleggio and robiola bosina, and the harder and more grater-friendly grana padano.

Photo credit: Jaime Lees