Opened in 1995, Milton's is a popular traditional deli, favorite of many Rancho Santa Fe/Del Mar locals and San Diegans. My former job near UTC often ordered sandwich and salad lunch catering from Milton's. It was only until recently that I had the pleasure of visiting in person during lunch with my friend. Right upon entering, guests are first introduced to the bakery with rows and rows of bread, pastries and meat. Near the cashiers are also homemade jams and snacks. I could instantly feel the traditional deli atmosphere. Even the rainy Thanksgiving week did not keep guests away, as the restaurant was busy during lunch hours. I only waited a few minutes before the owner, Mr. Barry, sat me down in one of the booths and we were greeted by Debbie. My friend and I each ordered a half sandwich combo with matzo ball soup. For my sandwich, I ordered the over stuffed hot pastrami on rye with a side of potato salad. Debbie brought out a plate with two crunchy kosher pickles for starters. The pastrami was phenomenal, especially with some spicy mustard - the meat was tender, thinly sliced and stacked multiple layers in between the rye bread. The matzo ball was also very good, with big chunks of carrot slices, one matzo ball and noodles. The potato salad was slightly on the salty side. We paired our meal with with a Dr. Brown's Cherry Creme Soda and it really hit the spot. Before leaving, I ordered a Super Reuben (Corned beef and pastrami on grilled rye bread, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing) and a 1/2 gallon of the Mish-Mosh soup (chicken, noodles, carrots, matzo ball and kreplach) to-go for dinner. The food is delicious and East coast traditional deli decor really gives the restaurant an authentic deli vibe. Located in Del Mar, the price is a little more on the high end (sandwiches range from $13 to $22), so I recommend taking advantage of the Yelp check-in for a 20% off dine-in orders (I forgot to use my offer, but look forward to using it next time I visit) and other various lunch/dinner specials. I also heard Milton's started off selling Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, so I look forward to trying that and the knockwurst as well. read more

I was recommended this Jewish Deli by a family member we were visiting in Del Mar and I was certainly satisfied with the recommendation. Milton's has delicious, authentic jewish deli delights served up from a friendly staff, at a somewhat reasonable price -- depending on what you order. We got 2 sandwiches, the super reuben (picture attached) and the brisket sandwhich. The super reuben was incredible, piled high with deli meat and melted cheese with delicious sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. I was not expecting it to be so huge, but it definitely was worth the $22 price tag. The brisket sandwich, on the other hand, was quite disappointing. It was dry and kind of tasteless. The gravy/sauce was served on the side and wasn't even that great. It was $21 with the $2 upgrade for fries and turned out to be a pretty regretful purchase compared to the super reuben. I recommend going with the classics and popular items on the menu because it is no doubt the deli has mastered them. When it comes to branching out and trying new things...save it for a cheaper deli. read more

Milton's - Super Reuben Sandwich - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

Out of this world service and food here. Every time is a new experience here with their menu items. Reuben is 5 stars! Hands down best sandwiches in San Diego. I love the mashed potatoes here.. Real (homemade). Kids always have enjoyed breakfast items and the chicken strips. Today, we had Shannon she really went beyond great service. Being pregnant and craving Milton's AMAZING banana pudding.. Shannon and the crew served us Milton's BEST dessert! I love how the crew is always helpful, smiling, great conversations. 10 years now coming here and Milton's never has disappointed. Thank you Shannon and Milton's crew today for our amazing meal today! read more

I come here so much! Love it when I have my dogs, i sit on the patio, when I don't I like to be inside. Large booths, large tv and it's comfortable. Great food, large portions, always taking to go box. I love their Pea Soup. It is what I always get along with either breakfast or dinner, which ever meal time I am there. I had the best pulled pork sandwich with those fried onions on top. Slightly sweet, the bun was to die for soft, with slaw and sweet potato fries on the side. It is huge, I shared it and with my soup had half of it. Their bowls of soup are a meal in itself! $10-12 . They will bring you plates of pickles, bread and crackers if you ask. Pro tip, add tons of lemon juice to their chicken soups and it's a game changer! They are usually pretty bland. I add salt and pepper and chili sauce to my pea soup. But you can tell, it's healthy and freshly made so I am ok with that. Staff can be low so it can take a minute to get waited on or served. But nice staff, great owner and quality food. read more

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Ok, the search for a legit "NY-style" deli in Cali continues. We dined at Milton's twice: First: the pastrami sandwich portion was sadly small (nowhere near the picture on the wall) but it was good; the split pea soup - it was tasty - had to be wolfed down, as it came out barely lukewarm; the knish (all $12 of it was excellent); the staff lacked the genuine friendliness of NY purveyors. Second: the corned beef sandwich had a larger portion but needed the lettuce, tomato and mayo for added flavor; the turkey sandwich and accompanying bread were so dry we didn't finish it. Next! read more

Revisited recently with out of town guests. We had a table of 8 and every order was delivered perfectly! The food was awesome and service top notch! And if course purchased some baked good on the way out! Love this place and will be back again soon! read more

Best Pastrami sandwich, hands down. I highly recommend! I love Milton's because of the history, staff, and food. We also had the 2 eggs breakfast, which was delicious. Their bagels and cream cheese are made in house, it's the best I've ever had. I'm regretting not getting some to go. We will be back! read more

Clearly this place is hoping to attract customers thanks to its past glories, but today they are not making any effort to be at least decent. The food is overpriced and barely acceptable. The worst potato knish (tasteless) and the worst "hot" pastrami sandwich (barely warm, no condiments, cold bread, not even toasted) we ever had. How are they still open? The service and the ambiance are fine, but the food is definitely not worth it. read more

Be aware if you purchase chicken noodle soup to go. I purchased a quart of the soup which cost almost $20. When I arrived home it was almost 3/4 full of only broth . The remaining amount was broth with a few pieces of noodles, carrots and chicken. I thought it must be a mistake so I called the restaurant. I was told that they measure it with a spoon and most people only want broth. I explained that I've purchased it several times in the past and it's never been like this. She was polite and said sorry but that was the end of our conversation. Very disappointed. I won't be visiting Milton's ever again. read more

Milton's - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

Recently relocated to CA and I could not wait to eat a hot corned beef sandwich from Miltons. I have lived in many states and never found another deli like them. I ordered the brown bag lunch to go for $20.00 and was very disappointed. The sandwich wasn't hot, it was cold. Just a few slices of corned beef. In the past their sandwiches were stacked high. The lunch also included a tiny bag of chips, a cookie and a bottle of water. Not worth $20.00. Sad that their food is not what it was once. I know the prices have risen everywhere, but this lunch was not a $20.00 meal. read more

Best diner in Delmar by far... Great service, diverse menu with lots and lots of choices.. Period. The end. Full stop (You should go here) read more

One word: "Don't" I gave this place one star because I had to for the review but please do yourself a solid and - don't! I'd go to Subway before I ever order a sandwich here, and yes it's that bad. If that doesn't tell you everything you need to know well then I don't know. read more

Amazing cuisine to make me feel right at home! The dining journey begins with a nice usher lady welcoming me to be seated, and the thoughtful waitress introducing the menu patiently. They are so efficient when I need to change order and the dishes bringing to my table seamlessly blend flavors with heartwarming feelings. The size of Matzo ball satisfies my vision, achieving the perfect balance of fluffiness and density. The beef is warm, tender and juicy. Both sandwich and the soup serve healthy selections of coleslaw, pasta salad or fruit to customize additions on fiber, vitamin C or carbs. This sentimental dining experience fulfills both my body and soul:) read more

Milton's - Over stuffed sandwich - hot extra lean corned beef - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

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We visited Milton's on a Saturday afternoon after attending a home show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The only good deli in our area recently closed it's doors so we were delighted to find a real New York style deli and had an appetite for a great sandwich. We ordered one turkey club on sourdough, a beer, and a lemonade. The sandwich looked delicious when it came to the table, served with a side of potato salad (very small), and fries. The sandwich was stacked high with turkey, served on 3 slices of bread, with a hint of bacon, lettuce, and a tiny sliver of tomato visible on one edge. I took a picture because on first appearance it looked so promising! I've never been so disappointed. The bread was extremely dry and the entire sandwich was just tasteless. There was nothing else on the sandwich to enhance the flavor at all. Any condiments and seasonings you had to add yourself. I should have just made a sandwich at home. We left nearly half of the sandwich on the plate. Total bill was over $36, which isn't surprising given that it's Del Mar - $42 including the gratuity. The location is cute, the deli/market area has a wide selection of fresh meats and to-go dishes and the bowls of matzo ball soup that went to other tables looked quite good. Definitely won't be returning. read more

Milton's - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

Could not have been more disappointed! The "overstuffed" brisket sandwich was DRY and there was more rye bread than brisket. And it was served with an au jus side, which was totally inappropriate. Instead there should have been some dressing like russian or mustard. And the chicken pot pie was more of a chicken a la king mush with a small slice of pastry floating on it. Where's the crust?? The menu looiks so enticing, but if the other dishes are as poor as ours, I don't know how they stay in business! read more

Wow! Never been here before and will be back whenever in town visiting family! So delicious! Smoked fish so fresh! Corn beef and pastrami lean without paying extra! Kevin our waiter the best! Thank you! Keep up the great work! read more

Had the chicken pot pie. Not what I expected. A bowl of grits with veggies and minimal chicken with a large piece of flaky pastry on top. Disgusting and I would say embarrassing to serve it. read more

What happened to Milton's??? We were excited to enjoy Milton's for dinner. The food was horrible. I had the open sandwich brisket and my wife had the meat loaf. Both were awful, no flavor. The potato cakes were great. Service and staff were great. Shannon, who seated us was fun and has a great personality. Love her. The brisket had no flavor, very disappointing. The meat loaf was worse or equally bad. The meat loaf had a strange flavor and my wife only ate a few bites because she was hungry. I'm sorry to report this bc Milton's has always been amazing. Apparently not anymore, at least not today. I hate leaving this review. Maybe breakfast is still amazing but I'm afraid to try. read more

First time...great bakery & deli. All day breakfast & dinner menus. Great veggie options Easy parking Really friendly people. They've been here for decades! read more

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Hardly "overstuffed". I love a good Jewish deli so I was excited to try Milton's. I ordered the full order overstuffed pastrami. I was disappointed to find that they merely pile a bit of meat in the center of the sandwich and cut it in half giving the appearance of a fully stuffed sandwich. Normally I would happily pay 20 bucks for an actual overstuffed sandwich but this just felt like I got ripped off. Having said that, my girlfriend got the half sandwich and soup and she actually got more food for 17 dollars. The guy at the next table got the same thing and got more food than me as well so while the food itself tasted fine, I can't say that I would order a full sandwich again or even come back for that matter. When all was said and done I was out over 50 dollars and felt like stopping somewhere else for more food. read more

Milton's - What it looks like when the meat is spread out evenly. - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Came in for dinner tonight for the first time. I'll start by saying it'll be my last time. I ordered an Italian sandwich with fries and my wife ordered a tomato soup with sweet potato fries. Nothing we got here was good. My fries tasted like typical diner fries, which aren't good. My Italian sandwich had a really unpleasant taste, almost sour. It's hard to put my finger on it but it didn't taste like an Italian sandwich should taste like. I can't get the taste out of my mouth. My wife really disliked her soup, and some of her sweet potato fries were undercooked. I'd add an extra star if it wasn't so pricey. $20 for a sandwich is crazy. With everything and tip it came out to $50. Wayyyy overpriced. Only good thing was the staff, they were all nice and friendly so good on that. read more

Went back here a few days ago and it was very good. Would have been 5 stars but for the weak service. Much better than DZ Akins in SD

Very friendly staff and good food with a large variety of items. Good place to go if you are really hungry.

Been a customer for years and the soup and entrees are great... but just spent $22 on a "big" sandwich at the deli only to get a very average sized sandwich with no sauce, cheap American cheese instead of cheddar, raisin bread instead of whole wheat... and after paying an extra $2.00 for avocado all they put was 2 tiny pieces on ONLY ONE SIDE of the sandwich. Super disappointing and not at all worth the price- would not recommend. read more

Milton's - all the avocado they gave for an extra $2.00... major a rip off - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

Had a wonderful breakfast here after Thanksgiving. Really felt that the breakfast special was worth the money!! Miltons served generous portions. The California omelette was fantastic!!! It was wonderful to look around see so many people who are known by the management as they return toward here again and again. I know that I will be back read more

Milton's - Great location where many people can come and enjoy themselves - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

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The best sandwiches and service!! YUM!! The desserts here are phenomenal!! The wait staff is so kind! We love celebrating occasions here!

We picked up some food to go, Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye and a Bowl of Matzo Ball Soup. The Corned Beef was fat less, extremely dry and over salted. The Matzo Ball Soup was so salty that it was UN eatable and permeated the center of the Matzo Ball. It was either deliberate sabotage/joke or Milton's has a serious problem in the kitchen. Either way it s a no go no return for us. read more

$16 for two blintzes? Elijah's on Clairmont Mesa is overall a better (and MUCH cheaper) place, and their "Create Your Own Trio" offering where you choose any three from blintzes, knishes, potato pancakes, challah french toast or a short stack of pancakes for only $14.95 is a belly-stuffer that can't be beat! read more

We've been coming to Milton's for years, even supported them constantly during Covid but there were some issues with our recent visit. The server was terrible he was hounding us to hurry up and order the minute we sat down and had a horrible attitude. The food was good but the pasta salad was taken off the menu, pickles need to be asked for and no more rolls. No substitutes it's potato salad or coleslaw that's it. Then the bill came and we had a Groupon and were told we cant use it because one meal was the daily special. Then I had an expired Groupon and was allowed to use the purchase price of that but then since we used a Groupon (even an expired one) the server added the 18% tip automatically. He said it was his choice to do it and that's the way it goes. So the server lost out on the normal 25% tip for his terrible customer service. Then the trip ended at the bakery where they were out of chocolate chip cookies and eclair's. This was at 4pm. Sad to see Milton's has gone downhill and are hiring sloppy servers who should be pumping gas in Arizona. read more

Cinnamon rolls, bread pudding, breakfast burritos oh my! And at 6pm on a Saturday night? Milton's, you're thee best!

4 of us came for lunch- We order French toast/bacon/eggs, super Ruben with potato pancakes, Mish mosh Soup, half of a tongue sandwich, and a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I have not had anything to eat today before coming to Miltons. I had a bad stomachache after finishing the sandwich and had to use the bathroom. I had to stay there awhile. Before I left and had to go 2 more times it has to be the tongue sandwich since my husband and I shared the soup. I have food poison from the sandwich. read more

Milton's - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

What to say about Milton's... It's okay, I guess...if you're over 65 years old and have no concept of culinary excellence. Despite my protestations, my family bullied me into dining at Milton's. Truly, it was our last choice. Everywhere else was either too busy or too loud. I kept it safe and ordered the chicken tortilla soup and my family ordered a corned beef sandwich, chicken pot pie, and meatloaf. My soup was fine, but it's pretty hard to make bad soup. My sister's corned beef wasn't great, but she liked it. My mom's chicken pot pie was a filthy lie. They served her creamed chicken with a puff pastry on top (pictured). I sent that bullcr*p back and had them take it off our bill. The meatloaf was okay, I guess. Nobody complained about that. And, surprisingly, everybody enjoyed the french fries. If you "check-in" using the Yelp app, Milton's will reward you with 20%. Restaurants usually do this if they are struggling to attract business. After our mediocre meal, my family decided to roll the dice and buy some dessert to take home. I tried the banana pudding they bought and it tasted like it had been sitting there for a while. So, while not terrible, Milton's falls well below the acceptable range that most average restaurants fall into. There are better places to spend your money. read more

Milton's - This is the Milton's version of [not] chicken pot pie. - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

Stopped at Milton's a few years ago. Glad to see it was still here. Split pea soup was delicious. Large serving.

Had the chicken salad sandwich brown bag. It came with a cookie. Also got the homemade potato chips and a bunch of desserts (banana pudding, macaroons, and chocolate chip cheesecake. Everything was so yummy. read more

A real nice deli with a family ambiance service was good the portions are large and priced ok. Had the pastrami sandwich on sourdough it was nice. read more

Milton's - Pastrami sandwich on sourdough - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

I have been trying to love Milton's since we moved to San Diego 4 years ago. As of today I'm going to stop trying. We gauge potential home cities on food and culture. I was delighted to learn that San Diego has a "serious" Jewish deli - and I wouldn't have drive to LA for a good whitefish salad. Bonus: the owners are Chicagoans - they know a good deli AND they make "authentic" Chicago-style pizza. Score! We live in downtown San Diego and drive to the Del Mar location - about 20 miles north on the 5, so its a time commitment. Over the last four years, one by one we've eliminated an item from our orders that just doesn't make the cut. All classics. Black and White cookies - no taste and dry. Frozen pizza flown-in from Chi-town. Bland. Chicken salad. Ok. Not special. Today, after 3 tries, I'm giving-up on the whitefish salad. Once again today it was way too dry with very little flavor. To make matters worse, whitefish salad on sesame bagel with lettuce + tomato - today they put swiss cheese on top. Swiss cheese on classic whitefish salad? Very disappointed. Del Mar is quintessential SoCal beach town and Milton's is a mile away from the race track and 1.5 miles to the beach. Great place to pick-up a classic deli takeaway and enjoy the race or the sunset. Not again. read more

I did talk to the waitress! I am supposed to find the manager myself? I appreciate your response to my post. But really what am I supposed to do. I told the waitress. A little awkward now. I read more

Milton's - Lots of cheese and peppers but no pastrami! - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

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We drove two hours to try this handmade breakfast food, for there to be a HAIR in my food (I have black curly hair, it definitely was not my hair) then had to wait 20minutes for them to replace my corned beef hash.. then they actually charged us for that meal, good customer service after having a hair in my food would be to comp the meal. The couple next to me told me a few months back she had a hair in her pizza and g e whole bill was taken care of. This is clearly racism, her family is white and obviously was taken care of much better than us because we are black. Do not go to this racist restaurant that makes you pay for food that has hair in it. Very rude and hve waitress Gina S. Was so rude smh. Not okay Smh read more

Milton's - The receipt - Delis Near Me - Del Mar, California

We went here with our son's basketball team. They were nice enough to seat us in a big room towards the back. The food was tasty and perfectly served. Everyone was happy with what they had ordered. The entire staff were very kind, polite and super helpful. I would highly recommend this place and definitely would go back. read more

Service sucked can't handle customers well. Food was okay price a bit hight. I recommend another place