Came to Nardelli while I was in the area and I got my go to which was the chicken cutlet with bacon, banana peppers, and a few other fixings I'm not too impressed with this location. The food was OK, but the banana peppers were very dull in color and flavor as if they were sitting for quite sometime. The grinders are always filling read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

First time eating a Nardelli's grinder. Chose the Italian grinder. Not impressed. Way more bread than meat, though the meat was tasty. This place is in need of a refresh. VERY wobbly table. The bathroom while mostly clean has tile walls that are visibly splatter marked... CLEAN THEM, it looks gross. read more

This is our new favorite place to eat in Waterbury! Well, not exactly new. I grew up eating Nardelli's grinders. But then I was diagnosed with celiac and so was my son, so our beloved grinders were no more. That is, until this summer, when we stopped in to buy a grinder for my dad. It turns out they have gluten-free grinder rolls! And the staff is very knowledgeable about gluten-free and cross-contamination. They even know to wrap the grinder in foil before grilling/toasting it. Not every type of grinder can be made gluten free, but some can. And the portions are truly generous. A half grinder will satisfy most adults, even if you're active. A whole is so big that even a teenage boy can't quite finish it in one sitting. Can't say enough good about their desserts too. The staff was kind enough to research the ingredients for me! The chocolate mouse is creamy, not too sweet, gluten free. Ditto the rice pudding. I hadn't been in in almost 15 years, but I feel like time stood still at Nardelli's -- in the best of ways. Friendly local staff. Chill place to sit and eat in person. And great photos on the wall of the generations who have run the place. read more

I don't buy lunch out much anymore finding it hard to justify $15 on a taco meal or a burger & fries & guilt. When I get a fresh sub or salad from Nardelli's, I'm happy and full off of healthier great tasting food. It's just as fast! I usually don't have time to eat there but it's well maintained, stocked with options from snacks to dessert and a friendly staff. My go to is a seafood salad wrap but there's nothing like the Italian grinder. On a controlled day, lol, that's my lunch & dinner! Hope to see you there, in passing read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Antipasto salad - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

See all

I have eaten at different locations their veggie grinder sandwiches in CT. I understand that this year is theirs 100 th anniversary.. one thing is sure that CT likes them. On my part veggie sandwich had blended chopped lettuce, cucumbers, olives, green peppers, celery, slivers of red papers, sliced pickled mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, on mayonnaise and hot sauce base.. slice of cheese on their special loaf bread . Too much to crunch on -needed fork to pick up dropped pieces !! I guess if you are really hungry this is it .. carb and fiber read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - a sandwich and chips - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

ordered an Italian Full grinder and asked for everything but olives, with heavy on the mayo and EXTRA classic mix and hot sauce... got home and found very little classic mix (very sparse) and no hot sauce...this is the 3rd time this has happened. I'm very willing to pay extra for the extra classic mix as this is what makes Nardelli's different from any other grinder shoppe... I grew up on Nardelli's back with the original owners on South Main St Wtby but since they franchised out they have been going down hill...I will find another grinder shoppe from now on. read more

I asked for a chicken cutlet sub and the girl asked "with everything" and I said yeah, assuming cheese LTO mayo? I got a chicken cutlet sub with lettuce tomato cucumber olives and some kind of spicy hot sauce. Very strange "everything" or I think I might've gotten the wrong order. read more

This is my favorite grinder shop in the state of CT. Each time we pass through or visit family we have to pick up something. Grinders (subs) are packed with everything and are delicious . The variety is endless and they taste great! If you can handle the full size it should last you two days. What ever you order it always taste better if you ask for everything on it, and you will be asked do you want hot sauce, the answer should be yes. The staff is pleasant, atmosphere is old Italian neighborhood deli. Most locations have good parking available. read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Menu board - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Just not very good. Fast service and the deli meats were good but too much bread. The chicken parm was not liked by a chicken parm loving young man. The chicken salad was absolutely bland. Not sure what the hype is about at all. read more

Note - This review is for their catering NOT their grinders (which I still have yet to try). My office had the pleasure this past week to have a catered lunch provided by Nardelli's. Being known for their grinders I was expecting to walk into lunch greeted by a platter of deli sandwich's and salads but I was pleasantly shocked and surprised at what they had provided in it's place. Trays of Chicken Parmesan, stuffed shells and a huge salad adorned the table AND even though the food had come from their Waterbury location to Hartford - it was still piping hot. The Chicken Parmesan was lightly breaded and nestled in a hearty tomato sauce. Each piece was covered ample portion of melted, shredded mozzarella cheese. The chicken was not greasy and was moist and flavorful. The shells a good size and stuffed with a ricotta mixture which were again nestled in the same tomato sauce. And let's not forget about the salad - this was no iceberg with some shredded carrots thrown on top salad but hearty salad containing olives, romaine lettuce, marinated mushrooms, hearty cherry tomatoes ,chucks of cucumbers, AND anti-pasta rolls of cheese and salami. Honestly if they just brought the salad all my co workers would have been happy. My only complaint (and it is minor) is that I wish they provided some bread to sop up some of the lovely sauce. I was even lucky enough to score some left overs for the weekend and they were just as good upon re-heating. All in all a lovely luncheon and I would be happy to recommend Nardelli's for catering. read more

See all

Nardelli's is awesome. The Roast Beef is always awesome - I get it with everything plus mayo and mustard. Buffalo Chicken also is very good, although heat varies between visits. Sometimes just right, sometimes quite spicy - and that's without the extra hot sauce that ordering "everything" normally nets you. The grinders are piled with meat and delish. That said: this is Connecticut, we don't call them hoagies, heroes, or subs...it's a grinder...and deal with it, and if you think Subway or Quiznos is better because of price, then seek mental help. PS their cannoli are really good - and they have dill pickle flavor and ketchup flavor chips too, which are usually a PITA to find here. read more

I have never had an order so wrong. No Meat on my Italian Combo. This is a joke ruined my night read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - the receipt - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

See all

Very rude, they got the order wrong and were completely unapologetic about it. I asked for a receipt and they gave me a receipt with no clear explanation of the charges, gave me an attitude when I asked for another receipt and the guy in the register just threw the receipt at me and said "here". Very unprofessional. I return the sandwiches. If you do OMAD, do not bet your one meal on this place, they are very careless about customer service, and attention to detail. In one of the sandwiches they put hot sauce instead of mustard, and the other sandwiches was a completely different sandwich that what it was supposed to be. In a different occasion they charged us for a sandwich for my young son, and they forgot to give it to us. We are not coming back to this horrible place. Stay way unless you want to be disappointed, and waste your time. read more

Authentic Italian grinder shop!!! OMG! Make this a stop. Love the meatball sub. Love the tomato and mozz salad. You can buy other sides, sandwiches, Italian cookies, cannoli, etc. Amazing catering too. We moved away 8 years ago. Stopped back thru to have lunch. read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

This review comes after yet another bad experience with hot food from this location. Just got a Grilled Chipotle Chicken that was so of such a flavor and strange texture I can only hope it was freezer burnt. If you don't use frozen ingredients, then I fear for what awaits me as the small portion of one half of a grinder I tried to consume makes its way through my digestive track. In fairness, I've never had a bad cold cut grinder from this location. However straying from that path proves to be a gamble one often loses. My suggestion is that if you cant maintain the quality of your hot products, lose it from the menu. I'll chalk this up to learning the hard way... read more

I made an order with Uber eats at Nardellis and I cancelled the order within 1 min because I saw the bad reviews on Yelp. I got charged $19.00 for the food and they said "We started your order already so you were charged for the food" I mean common that doesn't make sense. You started an order in seconds? we all know how long it takes to start an order. The dont deserve even a star. I'm sure who reads this will say she is a Karen( IM NOT) read more

I tried a plant-based option and throughly enjoyed it. And the service was very friendly and kind. Thank you!! :) read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - two sub sandwiches on paper - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Delicious grinders but I made the mistake of ordering my grinder on Militie's bread. Wow that bread is so tough. I bought it in a supermarket and never had it as hard as this you needed super chompers to try & enjoy it but guess I'll just stick to the regular grinders I've always ordered! I tried to step it up and pay a extra dollar 50 for not such a good sandwich bread. Bread can be the best part of a grinder, today just wasn't that day. But I know for sure others love Militie's bread! Regardless of my bread choice today, this can definitely be the place to come for lunch read more

See all

Everyone is entitled to a bad day. I try to avoid people having a bad day and disassociate myself from people who are having a bad day everyday. So where am I going with this...how does anyone give this place 1 or 2 stars. You give 3, I understand. I disagree, but I understand. This is my second visit to this location. All too often I'm passing by on a Sunday and they're closed. I had an Italian combo with the works (or is with everything here, I don't remember). The girl making my sandwich was friendly and attentive. The girl at the register was cheerful and friendly. Where are the rude people? So I see all the stuff in the glass case for lunch. You want them bread and fry a chicken cutlet every time someone orders one. Have you ever worked in a deli or restaurant? I've seen people give Subway 3, 4 and maybe even 5 stars. This is a 4 in my book. No arguments for one star either way, but 1 or 2, I'm not putting any faith in any of your reviews. This may not be the BEST sandwich in the State of Connecticut, but they get my vote every time I'm passing by. read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - a sign for a fast food restaurant - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Located right off of highway 84, this was our place of choice to stop while driving down to NY for a quick and affordable lunch. I had first heard of this place while watching TV and had quizzed a few of my CT friends about it. Most had never really been so I decided to check out the place myself. Nardelli's has been around since 1922, that's more than 90 years folks and if you've been around that long you sure as hell must be doing something right. And after having a meal there with my fiancée, I sure as hell agree. Their sandwiches, known as grinders come in two sizes, half-size and large. The half size can also be converted into a wrap but I just went for a half-size one since they looked massive (they were). After checking out the menu I went for a Baked Ham & Chicken ($5.59 for half-size) and it was absolutely delicious. It came with some lettuce, tomatoes, a bit of mayo (marinara is available), some olives and a bit of hot sauce. The chicken and the ham were still warm and the star of the show was the bread which was must wider than what you'd get if you were to have a sub or hero somewhere and served as a fantastic vehicle for the stuff inside. One great thing about this spot is that they slice and make everything to order so that it's all fresh and they have a lot of things available, not just sandwiches. They have all kinds of salads available including classics like the potato salad, the caprese salad but also others like the cavatelli and broccoli salad and many others. Eleven in total. And did I mention all kinds of desserts as well? I also counted nearly forty sandwich options for both their hot and cold grinders which is also a lot and that's excluding their green salads, their hot dishes like lasagna and stuffed eggplant parm and their desserts. That's a lot of options. The place was clean and the service was quick and very efficient. Also don't forget to tip them so you can hear the bell ring as the staff thanks you in Italian but shouting 'Grazzie'. Neat. I'm surprised to see so many average reviews. I found this place to be way, way, way better than a subway or local pizza shop. I'm definitely thinking of making this stop a tradition for whenever I drive down to NY from now on. Oh and one more thing, they are closed Sundays. Just keep that in mind. read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

100% the very best ever since 1922 in Waterbury Ct many free toppings plus added ones for a charge I like my bread toasted super friendly staff very helpful always a to do on my list north from NYC and on the return ty all Come bring this place to NYC we need you read more

Why anyone would knock this place other than jealousy is beyond me. This is an excellent sandwich. It is worth the price (which isn't bad at all). On the same day I had a sandwich and bottled drink here and at Lena's (which is fine, just not great). It cost me exactly the same amount but the sandwich here was at least twice the size of Lena's and it was much tastier. To be completely fair I should have had the same sandwich but Lena's is a different type of place. Nardelli's delivers a great sandwich with fast, courteous service and plenty of other options (We Like Cannoli!). I'm going to try some of the other locations but right now I'm calling Nardelli's one of the top sandwich shops in the state! I'm also vouching for the stuffed pastrami sandwich. That one is not going to disappoint! Try it with Mayo if you have the courage and you're not with your cardiologist! read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Cannoli! - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Mediocre at best. I got half a chicken salad sandwich. Salad was bland & too much mayo. I suggest maybe putting something crunchy in like celery and more spices! Also cranberries are a great touch of sweetness. I got everything but olives & cheese on it. Wasn't the best , but wasn't the worst. The pickles & peppers were tasty. Took a while to eat because it's huge! (Pro). My boyfriend got a buff chk wrap with everything. He liked his, but it had a lot of liquid in the wrap. Service was quick & girls were very nice. read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Chicken salad - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

See all

Great sandwiches, friendly staff. We order there at least once a week. I always phone in our order so we can zip in and out.

This place is excellent. They make fresh HUGE sandwiches all homemade. There Potato And macaroni salad is made homemade daily. Voted best by the Food network channel. read more

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe - Chicken Cutlet Sandwich' - Delis Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Nardelli's is the best! Their food is amazing and customer service has always been great but I have to shout out the Waterbury location! I showed up for my food at 7:55pm when they close at 8, they were pleasant and quick with making my food. I used an online service to order and the general manager, Dave, went out of his way to tell me I could save money by ordering directly at the store. He was so kind and accommodating even with me coming in at the last minute. It was instantly clear that his team had the right attitude because he does and it starts from the top! Everyone should give Nardelli's their business, especially the Waterbury location! read more

Great sandwiches with plenty on them. The half sandwiches are plenty. To me, the best is the pastrami with the works.

I'm pretty new to Waterbury and have always heard about this place and how good the food is. I finally tried it twice this week for myself and can truly say that this is one of the best grinder spots I've been to in CT. The food is great, fresh and they have great service! You can't ask for much more than that! I will definitely come back and would recommend them to anyone. read more

We haven't been here in a while because it's a bit out of the way. BUT, we ordered delivery through Grub Hub today, and man these grinders are delicious! Not only that, but I ordered for is at 10:30 am on a Saturday, and the order was delivered PERFECTLY at 11:10 am! How did they prepare this order so quickly? And how did the Grub Hub delivery guy get here so fast? All of it makes this experience a fantastic one, so many many thanks to Grub Hub and Nardelli's for a job extremely well done! And thanks, Nardelli's: it's nice to know that your quality delicious subs and salads are STILL number one in this area!! GRAZIE!!!!!! MERRY Merry Christmas!!!! read more

revamped store, not what it was. use to be able to get all sorts of deli salads and speciality foods to go. now more like a subway don't get me wrong the sandwich is still excellent, but the value meal special or combo meal special, not worth the mark up!! signage is confusing if you order a Italian combo, your not getting the pictured combo drink and chips. Thats the combo meal for $4 more they call it a large soda its a small by any other sandwich shop standard. They say small chip, they really mean child size or sample size. The small bag of chips are next to the sample size... so poorly displayed be careful what you order thought i was getting a Italian combo sandwich with drink and chips for $12.99 bill came $20 prices have gone so much higher, read more

This place is the best! I love the staff, they are so friendly and remember their customers! My sandwiches are always perfect and the food from the deli case is amazing! It's my GO TO lunch spot!! read more

Bonjourno Nardelli's! For those traveling Rt. 84, Nardelli's grinder shops are conveniently located off exits 25 and 8. As sub--pardon me--grinder shops go, they are upscale Italian in branding and as several of the reviews indicate they are not inexpensive, ala Subway, but are also substantial in terms of quality, convenience and comfort. First, a word about the "EZ On EZ Off" promised by their highway signs. The Plank Road store, which this review addresses, is indeed easy to navigate to and from when headed West on Rt. 84. Headed East, however, it's a little tricky and may require the assistance of a GPS (I used MapQuest and had no problem after exiting the highway). It has easy access back to the eastbound highway. I spent nearly a year commuting from Boston to New Jersey every week and Nardelli's off Rt. 84 Exit 25 is conveniently located at about the hallway mark. I found it in short to be delicious, convenient and clean, favoring it over other quick dining options. Which brings me to the soul of the restaurant--the grinders themselves. I have enjoyed many of them including their vaunted Italian Combo, their tuna sub, eggplant parmigiana, meatball parmigiana, pulled pork, steak "Nardelli's Style," and prosciutto, which I customize by adding fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce and have them heat (delicious, especially in winter!). I find a half sub more than filling, usually matching it with a small bag of chips. I occasionally take a quarter of the sub home. Worth noting: Nardelli's doesn't carry every meat and cheese. For example, except around St. Patrick's Day, don't expect to find any corn beef. Another Yelper pointed out, correctly, that they don't carry pepper turkey. They are a unique dining experience, not a deli. Their standard subs come with mayo and hot sauce, which I have them leave off. So what's not working right so far? Believe it or not, the desserts. They seem more of an afterthought. I encourage the ownership to make a better effort in this arena--and lose the "No Calorie" sign, which is beneath them. So what's really not working right (i.e., a note to the owners): Early in this review I referenced that the cleanliness of Nardelli's is a big draw for me as a road warrior. On Aug. 20, 2016, at 12:30 PM, I found the Men's Room to be in terrible condition. The toilet handle was broken, making flushing difficult and the overall state of the bathroom was unsanitary. I'm deducting a star, Nardelli's. Please address with the staff. One final comment: I find the staff to always be nice and professional. I end by cribbing the close of Owner Anthony N. GRAZIE! read more

See all

Subway diners, you have a choice. It's a bit out of the way and even hard to find; it's not the kind of place you'll likely stumble upon and even if you did you'd probably think twice about stopping because this Nardelli's joint doesn't look like much. Big mistake. This utilitarian structure could easily be described as little more than a hole in the wall but what it's really saying is this is 'best sub you've ever had!' Nardelli's is one of those rare gems of deli/bakery/sub shop that people drive miles to find - and for good reason. This place puts Subway, Quiznos and every generic sandwich shop and fast food chain to shame. Connecticut Magazine voted Nardelli's best subs in the state eight years in a row and for good reason. The food here is terrific, bountiful and reasonably priced. Delicious salads, subs and desserts round out the menu of this mom and pop joint done well. If you're looking for 'fancy' look elsewhere. If you're looking for hearty, well made and filling food, you found it. It's out of the way for me, but I'll be going back - time after time. read more

Never watch a Travel Channel show called Sandwich Paradise in HD. You might end up at a Nardelli's in Waterbury, CT. Nardelli's is not food pilgrimage worthy, although they do dish out some serious "grinders." There are seven Nardelli's in CT and counting. I'm sure each one has ten Best of Connecticut magazines framed throughout the joint. If you find yourself cruising on I-84 from CT to NY, Nardelli's is right off the exit. Grip a Italian Combo and hit the road again. If you tip a buck, check your credit card statement. Apparently the 1 has been getting stuck, so you may be short an extra $11 bucks. After calling the shop, they fixed it right away, without any trouble. read more

I think we're all susceptible to falling into what I call "comfort traps." That is, you get comfortable with a place and you go there enough, that you talk yourself into thinking it is better than it actually is. That's the thing with Nardelli's. Is it because I've discovered other places in the area that are better (like Lena's)? Is it because I overrated the place the first time? I'm not sure. Either way, while Nardelli's is decent, it's nothing extraordinarily, nor is it a place you should go out of your way to visit. The truth is that there are dozens of places that are less well-known but make better sandwiches. That's not a knock on Nardelli's, as much as it is a recognition that "best of" awards aren't always completely accurate. read more

Where is the "taste of tradition " ? Like they claim ...Voted number 1 in CT yes Maybe a couple years ago but please let us Vote again! I have been going there over 20 years and now you failed at everything ! you think would be good at making Italian eggplant parm sandwich .. nope it was a pile of mushy eggplant with sauce and a slab of cheese I would not even feed it to the dog . Where is the delious Italian bread? It was the toughest piece of bread ... well the part that wasn't swimming in too much sauce. It's definitely not the same bread it used to be, I think they buying 2 day old rollls now. Never going back ... sorry to say that this shoppe est. 1922 now 100 years old ...needs to retire if they can't bring the food thst Waterbury knew them for returns to the same quality . Worst experience I had there in 20 plus years of going there. Happy 100th Nardellis unless you seriously want to make it you should stop trying cutting corners and throwing that nasty crap on bread and charging 10 bucks. The plus side is they remodeled it looks nice and the counter person was nice. Update 4 hrs later I am so sick from that food , my stomach is going to explode. Since it's the only place I had food from , it's from the eggplant ... was it sitting out too long ot is it just old? Thanks I am now sick and since it's 1230am I guess sleep is out too.. I went from disappointed to discusted Wish I could give it a negative 5 stars. read more

4 and 1/2 stars-- really it's not far from a 5. Years of living in Philly spoiled me on hoagies. Other subs in the northeast seem horribly inferior by comparison-- especially the grinder of central Connecticut. It is very difficult to find a quality sub round these parts. Anyhow, my job often takes me out to Danbury and several times I would pass a billboard outside of Waterbury that proclaims the fact that Nardelli's was "Voted Best Grinder in Connecticut". So I finally decided I needed to try this place, and I was not disappointed. Nardelli's ia a "full service" Italian deli-- in addition to sandwiches, there's a long shelf/display case full of pasta salad, pasta, meat cutlets, etc. The Italian grinder is made with Genoa Salami, Prosciuttini, and Cappicola. "With everything" includes romaine lettuce, fresh sliced tomatoes and what they call a "classic mix"-- diced bell pepper, cucumbers, onions and black olives in a light oil-vinegar marinade. It also comes with hot sauce and mayo-- yes, in Connecticut, they have the unfortunate habit of putting mayo on an Italian sub-- I fuckin hate mayo so I always substitute oil or oil/vinegar. Now the meat and condiments are good quality, no doubt, but as any sub sandwich connisseur will tell you, the key to a good sub is really the bread...and Nardelli's knows this. Perfect hard roll-- crispy on outside, inside is the perfect consistency, not too dense, not too airy, not too spongy. In conclusion, Nardelli's indeed is the best grinder I've sampled in Connecticut, and although not quite as good as the best delis in Philly, Nardelli's grinders definitely stack up against some of the better hoagies available in the Philly area. read more

This is my first time coming here and OMG my grinder was beyond amazing the bread so soft even when toasted and the amount of meat used can feed two people. The staff extremely friendly! Will for sure be coming back to here ! read more

Ate here for the 567th time tonight. Gets better everytime. Go for the grinders, but dont miss out on the gems in the case. Antipasto, stuffed peppers...I've tried it all and it's all good all the time. They do it right, end of story. If there was a 6 star option, they'd get it. And throw them a tip to ring the bell. read more

Huge portion and tons of options. Great price with fresh and delicious meats. BBQ pulled pork and ribs are really well balanced of flavors and a must tries. The grinders are fluffy inside and crispy from outside which I love. Staffs are super friendly always greet us with a beautiful smile. Highly recommended read more