Huge shout out to Downtown Deli (Marshall's Plaza) That right there was the best cup of house-made minestrone I've ever had. read more

Downtown Deli - Minestrone - Delis Near Me - Auburn, New York

Excellent food and service! My son and I stopped for dinner and was very pleased with the quality of food and the friendly service. I highly recommend supporting this local family owned restaurant! read more

Downtown Deli - Chicken tenders & fries - Delis Near Me - Auburn, New York

See all

Great deli for lunch in Auburn. They offer half and whole for a fair price. I got the Amy's gone on their roll. Everything was fresh and delicious! They definitely don't skimp on toppings. It said the turkey was smoked however mine didn't seem to be and I would've preferred that. read more

Excellent sandwiches-worth waiting for! Bread was fantastic and sandwiches made you feel like you "got your money's worth".

not worth the money or time! Obviously got the dudes first day today... didn't know how to cut sub roll, bet he never made a sub in his life! Very frugal toppings and whole sub was 8" that cost over $15!! Good thing I paid before he was done it took him about 20 minutes. NEVER again for us!! read more

I need my money back IMMEDIATELY or this will be escalated further. on 3/13 I put in an order for lunch and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes. I came in 40 minutes after my order was placed because I never got a text that it was ready. As soon as I got there the girl said "I'm going to be honest, I havent even started on yours". I had to get to work and couldn't wait the additional 15-20 mins that she quoted. I would give grace to this situation if the person working hadn't handled our interaction so poorly. I understand that she was overwhelmed but offering no resolution when I asked for a refund was unreasonable. I need my money back immediately for poor management that is taking place at this establishment . I left without getting my money back or my food. Unacceptable! Please rectify immediately. read more

The food is always great! The staff are quite but never rude. It's never typically busy in the store the most I've seen is 4 other people.

not what it used to be. bread is different, turkey is different, etc. have made special trips to Auburn to stop here, not anymore

terrible! food wasn't cooked and 1 item was spoiled. called location and no manager available and they wouldn't give owners name. a bunch of kids running the place and it shows. will never order from them again. read more

This place is absolutely amazing and has done a 100% turn around from years ago. You have to try the soups and sandwiches that are delicious and worth every penny. The owner is amazing and very down to earth. I highly recommend this place. A+++ restaurant! Thank You for great customer service and excellent homemade food. read more

It was my first time here. The food is delicious I ordered the GARCIA. Service could be better . I ordered and they took other peoples orders to go prior to mine as I was staying in to eat . I said something and got a "look". I think they need to take orders they come and learn to prioritize. The two making the sandwiches are young and maybe inexperienced. read more

Food is excellent but the prices have skyrocketed and the portions have been significantly reduced. Half a sandwich is now $9.

NEVER had a bad experience until now. My wife and I ordered two whole sandwiches and mac salad. Neither of our sandwiches were cut when we received them. Nothing was hot not cheese melted, looked like everything had just been assembled cold. Everything was covered in some weird oil that was definitely not an ingredient's on either of our sandwiches so where it came from, who knows. Mac Salad smelled fine but since we both spent the rest of our night/morning throwing everything up, I'm going to assume that wasn't up to par either. Usually never have an issue here so this came as a shock. Hope Quality standards are increased quickly for the sake of every other customer. Will not be back. read more

We waited over an hour for two sandwiches. Both were made incorrectly and super messy. We were told they never got our ticket and they were making our food about 3 different times. We don't live around here but I would not recommend this place to anyone read more

"Where a half is like a whole." It's the motto at the Downtown Deli, and it means exactly what it says: There is a pretty good chance that you'll get your money's worth, no matter the order. 25 years ago, in August 1989, Mike Orofino chose to invest in a small spot on Genesee Street to open Downtown Deli, the first of several locations bearing that name to come. Rick and Tom Prairie, two brothers, locals to Auburn, bought the Downtown Deli, Grant Ave from the Orofino Family in March of 2014. We are often in Auburn to visit a buddies coffee shop, so this weekend, needing some lunch beforehand, we decided to stop in with a couple of our friends for lunch. Walking in, the place is set up like an old school city deli. Menus up top on a board with specials written on chalkboards. They had many interesting combos, called their "star sandwiches" to choose from. My wife chose Paul's It Sure Enough (Reuben) - hot corned beef, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian Dressing on toasted rye. My buddies went with The Michael Myers - smoked turkey, cheddar and bacon on a Kaiser roll with garlic butter, and Wills Home At Last - hot corned beef, pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, coleslaw, on toasted rye, while I went for The Cuse, described as "hot and saucy" chicken cutlet, melted provolone and parmesan on a toasted sub roll. Sandwiches were made relatively quickly. All their star sandwiches come with a bag of chips and pickles. Apparently, they use Boars Head meats for their sandwiches. Everyone but myself got a half sandwich, which were indeed big enough to be a whole. I was also surprised to find my sandwich covered in marinara sauce, as for some reason, hot and saucy said to me it would be buffalo style. But, hey, I love chicken parm as much as the next guy, so worked for me. Prices were a tad higher it seemed than most delis, but nothing crazy. Everyone though, including myself, seemed to feel the same way...not bad, but not great. I also grabbed a Oreo Rice Krispy Treat from them, which I split with everyone, which was very tasty. Smothered in liquid marshmellow. So, here's the thing...they weren't bad. So I'd consider giving them another try. BUT the place was just filthy. Crumbs on the tables, flies around the lights. They had a huge pickle jar up by the counter full of full sized pickles, but the jar itself looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages. Their plastic silverware dispenser up front was covered with a thick layer of dust. There were plenty of employees there. I counted at least 6 between the counter and the back of the establishment, and other than us, there were only 2 more customers in the hour we spent there. No reason someone couldn't be cleaning or tidying up the space. If they'd clean up a bit, I'd consider going back and trying more from them. read more

See all

Not the same place it was a few years back. Stopped in on my lunch and waited 15 minutes to order ( I get it, we have to wait sometimes) then about another 30 minutes for a sandwich. I asked politely how much longer on the sandwich and was given no real answer. Then when the one 1/2 sandwich was done it was thrown into a bag and tossed in my direction. I understand places are short staffed, maybe this was the case this day. But tossing food someone paid for at them isn't acceptable. Also, the sandwich was fair at best. Sad to see this happening at a place that used to be better. read more

Definitely a great place to go if you want a bunch of options and want an unconventional meal. Lots of creative sandwiches and sides that are all rather tasty, with the Balboa sandwich being my favorite! Check out the soups, they're usually pretty delish with multiple options! They can be easy to miss, so make sure you're looking at the white board behind where the employees are working behind the counter, there's always something new to try! You can tell Rick, the owner pours his heart into this business and truly cares about the community, which means a lot to me. It's probably the one business I've seen that welcomes other local business to leave their business cards which is truly awesome to share high eye-traffic territory with other local businesses. Bring your appetite, and a friend too in case you need help finishing your sandwich and chow down on some awesomely creative local fare! read more

I've had good meals here in the past but it just felt like a bit of a let down all around when I was here the other day. I don't want to leave an overly negative review, so here a few things that would be great to see improved on: -sandwich orders that accurately reflect the displayed menu -signage of unavailable menu items -signage of which end of the counter to go to place your order -signage of cash only or Venmo -communication amongst the staff read more

Food is decent, staff seem pretty inexperienced and unfriendly, could also get a meal without seeing the blonde dressed like a dollar store hooker every time I go in, professionalism starts with clothes. read more

Good Quality food in a good atmosphere. I would rate the prices a bit steep. Expect to pay a decent amount for a sub or sandwich. But from the quality of the bread and meats, I am sure they are not making a killing. Like others have noted: take a look around or ask before ordering for different sizes. You might end up hungry or taking a bunch home. Depends on your appetite! This is a staple place in the area. Seems to get a lot of business and that means it is a place I will visit more in the future. read more

Ahhh wish I lived in Auburn just for this place! Amazing sandwich! I had the Garcia and everything about it was perfect... definitely worth coming here! read more

Downtown Deli - Delis Near Me - Auburn, New York

Just a mess. They don't serve coffee. When I asked why, they said it was because the coffee maker flooded some years ago. Food sub-par. Whole place is just off. Nothing in common with a real Deli. read more

Every time I've come in, Downtown Deli has been amazing. Friendly staff and great food.

Pretty good Italian sub. I ordered the whole 12 inch Italian and it was generous on the amount of meat. Vegetables are fresh. I could only eat half. Whole Italian is $12.40 which is a premium in this area for a sub. But the product was quality. Menu board prices and printed menu prices don't match up. Place could use a good tidying up. Staff was friendly. read more

See all

Sometimes when I see recent bad reviews out of many good reviews it makes me want to try the place out even more! My daughter and I like to try different foods to eat. While in the area we were looking for something different. We prefer to support the small local business over the big food chains during these COVID times. Upon walking in there was a few people in front of us which gave us time to see the menu. The gentleman behind the register was very attentive and the 2 girls making the food were very focused and efficient. We ordered the Cali and mike Meyers-both whole- to go. We didn't have to wait that long at all! Once our food was done and we were leaving the entire staff wished us a great day even the gentleman that took our order joked with us a little adding to the hometown local atmosphere we love (we weren't the only customers in the store but every customer was treated with same value as we were treated during our time there). Food was great, brought it home to share with hubby and we all loved the Cali even though the mike Meyers was good too! Customer service was great, real people down to earth! Glad I took a chance ignoring the recent two bad reviews cause even though it was our first time, it won't be our last! If your in the area try them out! And as always be kind, be patient in all you do! read more

Boyfriend's dad lives in Auburn, and we go to visit him as often as we can. This place is always a MUST STOP for me when we're here. This is a simple deli, located in an unassuming strip mall. But man, it's amazing. The cool thing about Downtown Deli? They use Boar's Head meats. Even some of the bigger delis don't do that. You can order a half sandwich or a whole sandwich.. Head's up- the whole sandwich is basically TWO sandwiches. The bread they use is truly colossal. I'd never ever seen bread that big before. My order here is ridiculously simple: whole ham sandwich with provolone cheese. That's it. No mayo, no veggies, nothin. The quality of meats they use is so high, I don't need to dress it up with other crap. Add in a bag of Maui Onion potato chips (YUM YUM) and I'm set. Boyfriend has had a handful of different sandwiches: some hot, some cold, some piled high with toppings, some plain. He's liked them all. Like I said, it's a simple deli but it's so tasty. Also, everyone who works here was always so nice with my Texan way of hemming and hawwing. read more

Seriously impressed. Had the Cali on homemade focaccia and it was delicious. Will return.

When I walked into the door of Downtown Deli, I thought this place had been overhyped. It smelled unclean and I'm not sure if it was outdated or just unclean. The workers looked uncomfortable and hott and the soda machine was sticky. turkey club was mediocre but okay. Probably would get something different next time I go if I ended up going back someday. read more

Second time stopping here when in Auburn, well worth it. Sub was big and good, friendly service.

Yes, I admit it. We eat at Downtown Deli at least once a week! The place is cozy and warm. Sometimes hard to get a table to sit at, but that is expected when the soup and sandwiches are good. I love the change in soup every day- taco soup being my favorite. When shopping in the plaza I always have to stop for a oversized brownie or cookie. There typically is not a day where the owner Rick is not there. It is nice to see owner operated businesses. read more

This place is a complete dumpster fire. I called in an order of 8 sandwiches for my son's first birthday. I was told by the girl on the phone I could pick them up at 11:30 the following day. When I came to get the sandwiches Jack and one other girl were working. Neither of them were aware of the order. We gave it to them again and it became immediately clear Jack was stoned out of his mind. He was slurring his words and could barely keep his eyes open. By this point a line was forming and the girl, who was clearly pissed off about the situation, made other people's food, leaving Jack to fill our order. He was capable of making one sandwich every 15 minutes. Then when only half our order was done the girl stormed out, leaving Jack to finish our order with about 15 people waiting in line. 45 minutes later, Jack had only finished 7 of the 8 sandwiches we paid for. At this point we were half an hour late to my son's party, so we bagged our own food and left one sandwich short. Effing ridiculous. I would rather lie down in traffic than come back to this place. read more

We made a large reservation for a group of people and they did great at having everything prepared and labeled for us. The service was good and the food was good. My only comment is that the half sandwich is not very large so if you are hungry, order the full size. read more

Sandwiches were just about the worst I've had. I got the Old Blue Eyes which tasted like the vegetables were soaked in water and was soggy. The Italian was drenched with mayo (do italian subs even have mayo?). I only felt the need to write this review because it was the good ones on yelp that led me to order, and I don't want others making the same mistake! Service was slow - they were clearly understaffed and poorly managed. The two subs took over an hour. Staff seemed to be high school students (no manager present), but were pleasant at pickup. read more

Omg. I love it here. The owners are always there and always making sure you are comfortable and if the food was okay. There soups!!!!! Sooooo good. Taste homemade. I can't vouch for all their sandwiches because my first sandwich ever was the Cali Panini and I've been hooked on since. My husband and I are fans! We live out of town now but whenever we are near, you best believe we visit! read more

Overall atmosphere was pleasant. Place was clean, although it was a little cramped. The food was reasonably priced and tasted great. Overall good experience - HJ out read more

One of my favorite places to grab lunch. I can never finish a half sandwich so I can only imagine what a whole looks like. The staff is friendly and helpful. They are always smiling, and make sure to greet every person that walks in the door. read more

My favorite place to eat in town. The Garcia is the absolute best! They've got a punch card to earn a free sandwich and you get two punches on Tuesdays. read more

One of the best sandwich shops in auburn. Offer "star" sandwiches that have witty names after old movie stars and the like. Food is good... recommend the Donna's-A-OK. Big portions but a little pricey. Very friendly staff. Limited indoor seating. read more

One and only time I come here and I go to order a sandwich (I was only waiting 5 mins) I'm told for the sandwich I wanted they didn't have the bread ready, it was baking and it would be 30 mins. So I go about shopping to a couple stores and am back less then 30 mins later. Only to be told it was gonna now be a HOUR for the bread and when I said something they said it was first come first serve. Fine but don't tell me a half hour then not have it. The 3 kids working really didn't look like they even had a clue what was going on. I'll never come back, not worth the time, money or aggravation. read more

Okay, maybe I'm dumb, but when you have an order of 1) "Wills home at Last", you expect what is described. To be told, after I call back, sorry no coleslaw, then it's not "Will's home at Last." 2) A Pastrami Heaven, then, after already delivered, sorry none ready, and no potato salad so here's macaroni - NOT the special; 3) to order a chicken salad sandwich and receive chicken tenders with mayo - where is the salad? To say the least, WE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH OUR ORDER. Barbara read more