This place is fantastic. I have gotten sandwiches here a few times and they never disappoint. They are packed full of meat and toppings and many of the sandwiches put a unique spin on classics. The staff are always super welcoming. The only downside is the price, as spending ~$20 on a sandwich is never fun, but it seems like that's just about everywhere these days. However, if you're not that hungry, these sandwiches can be stretched to 2 meals to keep the cost down. A few of my favorites are the Turkey Bacon Ranch and the SSS Chopped Cheese. THEY ALSO HAVE CANNED GATORADE. IYKYK Being able to pop over to Slowdown Dry Goods next door while you wait for your food is a big plus. They always have some cool stuff to check out while you wait. read more

Hard Times deli is one of those Memphis staples that I can't help but coming back too. I think about their eggplant parm sandwich at least once a week and eat it as often as I can! Their menu isn't huge, but what they offer is all phenomenal. I want everyone to experience the joy of hard times in their life! read more

Hard Times Deli - Eggplant Parm - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The outsideof the building looks like a car shop and the windows are large making it feel larger than it really it. One side is the sit down sandwich shop and the other side sells local merch. You order at the counter and find a seat. The sandwiches come wrapped in paper and taped closed. Which is good because its easier to take home. I had a buffalo chicken sandwich n pasta salad. My food was very flavorful. Customer service was prompt and friendly. I need to revisit cause my sammach was delicious. I went on a Saturday afternoon and it was busy but still no complaints. read more

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Sometimes you just need a thick, juicy sandwich, ya know? I liked their twist on a classic Italian sub with the spicy garlic sauce. I also tried the chopped cheese and it was kind of life-changing. I can tell that there is a lot of technique and attention to detail put into the food by how well-seasoned and balanced everything is. The inside of the shop is retro and cozy, and it connects to a store next door with lots of cute Memphis merch. I'll be back to try more sandwiches! read more

Hard Times Deli - Spicy Italian - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I finally made it to Hard Times Deli and tried the Buffalo Chicken Caesar sandwich--so good! I'd been eyeing it for a while, and it didn't disappoint. The sour pickles on it were a game-changer. I never would've thought to add those to a Caesar-style sandwich, but it worked perfectly. My lunch date had the SSS Chopped Cheese and thought it could've used a bit more meat. It disappeared before I could even get a photo, so that says something! We also tried the "Pickle and Shells" seasonal side. I love pickles, so I was curious, but it didn't quite win me over. The flavors didn't blend the way I expected--I think chopped pickles instead of diced might've made a difference. The staff was really friendly, the space was clean, and we even browsed the little shop next door afterward. I'm already planning to come back to try the Italian sub next! read more

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Seems a little ridiculous to have to keep updating reviews, but this one is important. The crew has settled in at HTD. A bit more efficient, the sandwiches consistently the best in Memphis and certainly within 10 minutes of the downtown core, the crowds still large but thing move along a bit more quickly. And I've tried 4 of the sandwiches. So, a ranking: 4. Ourby's 3. Italian 2b. Chopped Cheese, double beef 2a. Chopped Cheese 1. Chicken Caesar A few considerations: 1) beef is better than chicken. And somehow the chicken Caesar is superior. How? The Caesar sub is a friggin' revelation. It's ALL THE FLAVORS, somehow melded to compliment each other. It's alchemy, I tell you. Pure alchemy. 2) somehow there is, in fact, too much of a good thing. See the chopped cheese, double beef. My vote is that the way they made it, tested it, and worked on it has the perfect portions despite my propensity for a wallop to the gut o' meat. The regular is better than my melding carnivorous amendment because the gents behind the operation know exactly what in the hell they're doing. Don't be a dilettante like me, you'll wind up short-changing yourself. 3) once all the hype died down, it's started to feel a little more like a mom and pop joint. A quick convo with the (same, and I love this) ladies that work the register and end-of-the-line positions, the pop up joint next door, the kitsch/merch/books filling up the shelving. It's getting the feel to match the culinary flash. read more

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My teammate decided to try this on a random day and shared half of their buffalo chicken Caesar sandwich with me. This sandwich is the truth! The sauce is very flavorful, the chicken is juicy and you receive a very large portion size. read more

Hard Times Deli - Buffalo Chicken Caesar - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We tried this new deli shops because they recently opened. The food here is just okay (My Opinion) not delicious though! We ordered the chop cheese, it lacks flavor and the sandwich was very dry. The sandwiches are also kind of pricey too. We paid $3 for potato chips and another $3 for a Coke. Sandwich average around $17. The ambiance is very welcoming and charming. I like the Decor but it's very hard to move around. The cashier was very nice and friendly, loved her personality. The wait time was around 20min, it gets busy around lunch times so that's understandable and great for business. Maybe next time I'll try something different. If I do decide to return. read more

Hard Times Deli - Chop Cheese. It's okay - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Excellent sandwich... very busy and crowded little shop packed full of delicious sandwiches.. the service was fast for as busy as they were and it's the cutest little place read more

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My wife and a friend of mine recommended this spot. They both know that I don't like sandwiches. But I got the chopped cheese and my goodness for $16 it was fire and WORTH. Highly recommend. Will be going back again. read more

Hard Times Deli - Chopped cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The vibe is throwback, back to the future 80's. I had The Fin and omg, I'm funny about tuna salad but the $16.50 price tag is worth it! It's fresh, you get a lot for your bucks and can we talk about the vintage Gatorade can, love it! It make me feel like a kid again. Total price sandwich, soda and chips around $24. Definitely a 10 out of 10! read more

Hard Times Deli - Throwback can of Gatorade from Hard Times. - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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The sandwiches are huge. Look at all that fresh meat! I like spicy Italian sandwiches, and the old-fashioned Cokes are pretty cool. This place is very quaint, but the service was fast. They also have a fabulous gift shop next door that you can browse as you wait for your delicious, huge sandwich. read more

Hard Times Deli - The Italian sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I have been dying to try this new sandwich place in Downtown Memphis! And it did NOT disappoint! The restaurant itself has retro vibe with a modern twist. We went for a late lunch and I was surprised with how fast our sandwiches came out after seeing a crowd waiting. I had the Eggplant Parmesan and the flavors were amazing. They are more expensive for a sandwich but I think every dollar was worth it for what you get. I cannot wait to go back to try more sammies! read more

Hard Times Deli - Turkey Bacon Ranch - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Very cute place on the inside. Busy lunch crowd. Took about ten minutes to get my order. I got the turkey bacon ranch. I love a good turkey sandwich but I did not like this one, lots of quantity but quality was lacking to me. The spread on it wasn't good to me. The avocado seemed out of place, I had to add mustard on it when I got home & lastly, this sandwich gave me a stomach ache that lasted for hours. Something about this sandwich did not agree with me. I tried. Cost with tax was close to nineteen dollars read more

Hard Times Deli - Turkey bacon ranch - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Amazing sandwich in a great location for Memphis history. I got the Buffalo Chicken Caesar. Absolutely delicious. Wife got the chopped cheese which was great as well. Awesome gift shop attached too. Highly recommend. read more

Hard Times Deli - Buffalo Chicken Ceasar - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Pretty tasty and worth the price. The portions are nice and we loved our sandwiches. We ordered through DoorDash so no opinion on service or ambiance but I'd love to try eating in one day since the food delivered was great! read more

We stopped here passing through on our roadtrip because we had heard great things about Hard Times Deli. The food did not disappoint. The sandwiches are fairly large, so splitting the sandwich was the right move. After we ordered, we had to wait for a while for our sandwiches to be ready, but it was lunch time, and it was very busy. Overall, the food was worth it, and we would all go back again. read more

Hard Times Deli - SSS Chopped Cheese Sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Very generous portions and worth every penny! Around $15 per sub (we had the turkey bacon ranch and Buffalo chicken) and you get plenty of food, and the cookies are good too. The only "bad" thing is the seating a bit limited, but great location near Sun Studio and High Cotton (Flyway) Brewery read more

Hard Times Deli - Left is Turkey Bacon Ranch, right is Buffalo chicken, both delicious - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This place is fantastic! Everyone was so friendly. My wife had the chop sandwich, and it was absolutely delicious. I had the turkey bacon ranch sandwich, and it was okay, but not great. I'll definitely be coming back here again! read more

I wish I would have taken a picture! We were traveling from Houston and stopped at Sun Studio for a tour. We were so lucky to stumble upon this deli. Actually, extremely lucky because when we arrived they were 3 sandwiches short of being sold out- and I get it; the sandwiches were divine! If you're looking for a good, clean, flavorful sandwich, this is the place to go. Super friendly staff, very clean facility, and good general vibe. Think upscale Jimmy Johns but with really good sandwiches and reasonably priced. The staff make you feel at home and paired with the great food is a winning combo. read more

The sandwiches were good. I had the roast beef and cheddar. My friend got the turkey bacon ranch. We shared half and half so we could get the most out of the experience. The sandwiches were good but not OMG. Probably the best sandwich in the area and definitely better than subway or other chain restaurants..I did like the way the lettuce was shredded. The veggies were really fresh. Give them a go, you definitely will not be disappointed. read more

Drove all the way from Germantown to find out about Hard Times deli and was disappointed to see that it's a glorified Blimpies/ Subway. They don't make their own bread , mozzarella, pickles, meats. Zero passion. More effort went into their T shirt and Hat merchandise. I literally could have went to Sprouts supermarket and got a better sand Wich from there. Concentrate on your merchandise when you've been established for 100 years like a Katz's Delicatessen read more

what is a sandwich? is it meat inside bread? is it something else? hard times deli answers this question by going "shh. shhh. i know what a sandwich is. eat my sandwich" and it succeeds in that venture. myself and my W girlfriend came here today for lunch and we had a lovely time. i got the "Spicy Italian" (i love italian sandwiches and it succeeded in being a very good italian sandwich) and she got the Eggplant Parmesan. (super yummy) our sandwiches were received pretty quickly! and the deli is super cute! there's also a gift shop next door which is also very cute and has some good stuff. will be returning! love! read more

Hard Times Deli - Spicy Italian - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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The sandwiches we got were great and the staff were quick and friendly. The space was well designed too and had a great sandwich shop feel. We will definitely go back and encourage a try. *We had the beef and cheddar and the chop cheese sandwiches* read more

I don't play around with this deli. Sandwiches are so special to me and this place really hits the spot. So far I've had the Buffalo Caesar and Italian but I will be trying them all eventually. Love they have local canned coffee too. Gosh I'm so excited to go back. A little expensive, yes, but WORTH. IT. read more

I got a chance for an early "try" at Hard Times Deli and I don't think I'll ever frequent any other deli ever! It was that good! We couldn't decide what to order so we got 3 different sandwiches (buff chx caeser, Italian and meat & potatoes) and all were amazing. Loved the simplicity of the deli and the staff and owners were friendly and welcoming. A must try place! read more

Hard Times Deli - I took a pic of our sandwiches, potato salad and kimchi to send to my son in Dallas to brag that Memphis finally has a real Deli! - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Visited on Friday while out and about. I had heard good things and wanted to try. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. Very small dining area with an extremely limited menu. It was a struggle getting a table. The sides, we got the potato salad and pasta salad, were good, but the potatoes could've been cooked longer, they were pretty hard. The pasta salad was my favorite thing we got. I opted for the Ourby's Beef and Cheddar sammy. It was ok taste wise, but I wanted more flavor. Plus, it was a disgusting mess to eat, as it looked like it was with all the sandwiches. I would eat there again if someone wanted to go, but I definitely won't go out of my way to go there. read more

Loved it. I've heard people comment that $17 for a sandwich is expensive, but I felt that it was worth every penny. You can tell they are using higher-end ingredients and you aren't going to leave hungry. They also nailed the sauce on both sandwiches I tried. They taste as good as they look. Awesome service and an overall great restaurant. read more

Hard Times Deli - Chopped Cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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We had heard this place was pretty good so we had to try it ourselves. Needless to say, the food was phenomenal, might be one of the best sandwiches I've had in recent memory. Cashier and staff were very nice. The dining room is rather small so if it's busy like it was for us, you'll have to wait for a seat. Expect to pay a hefty price but overall great food. Recommend the chopped cheese. read more

Ehhhh. Was just ok. I was really looking forward to it but was a bit let down. Had the chopped cheese and just was not impressed. With a bottle of coke it was over 20$. So yeah pricey as well. Parking during the lunch time sucks. The fact that they don't take cash was another negative for me. Don't really get that!!! read more

Hard times have delicious sandwich's and they good procedures for crowd control!we tried the spicey Italian and the chicken ranch. We will be back soon to try other sandwiches. read more

We really wanted to love it after all the hype but left underwhelmed. It wasn't bad, but $40+ for two sandwiches(Italian and buffalo) left us disappointed. The sandwiches take forever to make and were pretty bland which makes a return trip for us low. Jersey Mike's and Jimmy John's have better sandwiches for cheaper. read more

Food was very delicious. Service was great. The vibes were good inside. I went during lunch time during the week and I still had quick service. I will go back. read more

If you are in a hurry-this is not the right place to go. 20 minutes for 2 sandwiches and 5 people who came after us were served before us. That being said, the eggplant Parmesan sandwich was excellent and could easily be split with someone. The Ourby's roast beef sandwich was just a roast beef sandwich and certainly not worth $17-and that cost didn't even include chips. 2 sandwiches and 2 diet cokes was $45. read more

Cool concept, high prices for mid level food. I ordered the spicy Italian and couldn't get past the gallon of mayo that was on the sandwich. read more

This was SO GOOD. We tried the Fin sub and the Buffalo Chicken sub both were so incredibly tasty and huge! Service was great for a packed place and Im so glad the Edge district has this! 10/10 read more

Hard Times Deli - The Fin (tuna salad) and the Buffalo chicken - Sandwiches Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Best sandwiches in the city. Buffalo, turkey ranch, spicy Italian are all incredible.

very good sandwiches in a great atmosphere. The buffalo chicken and the chopped cheese were fantastic

Amazing sandwiches and excellent staff. Very neat restaurant and a huge plus for Memphis.

Amazing service, sandwich, ambiance, and vibes! I've tried the SSS Chopped Cheese, Spicy Italian, Buffalo Caesar, Chicken Bacon Ranch, and The Fin. Every single one is super delicious. Highly recommend!! read more