Decently made sandwiches without any frills, they aren't the best nor are they the worst but when craving some carbs with meat can't go wrong. No complaints except they don't allow inside dining. Can't believe they have been around for 40+ years. Might be back. read more

The Grinder - Menu March 2022 - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

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First time I went in. I had the ham and turkey. It was okay but I was burping it up the whole day from it. The second time I went in to try something else but while I was waiting in line I saw the cashier young boy handle cash with the customer in front of me and went straight to making sandwiches with his bare hands without washing them after touching dirty money. I don't mind bare hands but not properly washing hands and having me watch him touch the ham with bare hands just kinda upset my stomach. Not only they left the customers in line to order to just wait there and there was already 3 other people making sandwiches. Unfortunately I won't be back again because that is just nasty. read more

10/10. Great sandwiches. I've been going here since I was a kid. Friendly people with a classic feel

When I was a little 8- year old boy I would ride my bike to hang out at this place. That was 58 years ago, and I still remember the ol' guy who would have us poor kids sweep the parking spaces in exchange for a God Father grinder. He always had a smile and a good heart, and every time I come back it's still the same. The meatball sauce and oil and vinegar makes this grinder the only one you should ever order due to it's unique taste and soft yummy bread. Don't try to change it by ordering it differently! read more

The Grinder - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

I was a regular but this is now the second time I come and they're super skimpy on the dressings, this time I asked for extra mayo and mustard this is what I got. I see a pattern and don't think I'll come back anymore. read more

The Grinder - Hardly any mayo and mustard - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

Only the freshest ingredients and the most genuine smiles! Handmade and delicious. They always get my order correct and never skimp on the portions. read more

It was such a disappointed ! The meatball sandwich was a soggy mess, the bread was too soft, and the meatballs were smashed like chopped ground beef. The Turkey and ham sandwich did not have enough meat, it was just one thin slice of each. The Godfather sandwich was horrible; the meatball and sausage was chopped up together like ground beef placed on top of the cold veggies. The roast beef and pastrami were one skinny strip like a very thin slice of bacon, with no taste at all. read more

One of the best in town great sandwiches, staffs always friendly. I've been going here for years

Always the best subs .... My husbands favorite spot ! He gets the pastrami and my fav is the Turkey ! High recommend

Meatball sandwich 4/10- not toasted & Meatballs were so mushy.. I ended up throwing it away. I thought the quality would be the same as lemon grove, not quite... I mean I did get my sandwich in the same time it took me to order, soooo efficient or poor quality? 4:41pm Thursday 9/25/22 read more

The Grinder - Meatball sandwich - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

So basic not even good quality meat not worth the price, good customer service. The kids working are nice but the quality of food is not.

Amazing sandwiches and friendly staff. I've been eating here for over 20 years! Always get the Combo!

Speed demon of hoagies,even at lunch time when you "Think,"it will be too busy,it won't be you'll be in and out even if you don't have a legitimate lunch "Hour." This is my third iteration of owners and it has neither devolved nor improved all that much over the years.There is something to be said for consistency.Small dining area.Very limited parking,but when you gotta have one you gotta have one the taste is perplexingly specific,You will come back.Antonelli'could take a page out of this sub shops book for speed and precision.And if grinder were smart they'd be a lot more generous with the meat and cheese.Still ,if doing the minimum doesn't hurt your bottom line why change? Anything to keep you all out of Subway,give it a try! read more

We loved the sandwiches we got!! They were huge and really well made. We definitely recommend this spot!! Subway got nothing on them!!!

Great example of how not to manage a restaurant. There were 6 employees today and only one was making sandwiches even though there were multiple people in line. All college students interested in restaurant management should eat lunch here at least once to experience the way "not" to manage a restaurant. read more

First time trying this place from a post in the Next Door app. Hubby and I were trying to decide what to eat for lunch while I was scrolling through ND and Boom! The Grinder was mentioned. I always wonder3d how the food was at this establishment as I have driven by it for years. Since I was onikited timez I called the order in. Hubby got the Ham & Turkey and unfortunately, he scarfed it down before I could take a pic but he said it was delicious! And he said that I won't have to cook dinner tonight because hes eating the other half later. Win for me lol I ordered the Roast Beef, and it was delicious! The standard condiments are provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, S&P and oil. I added pepperocinis and black olives. I think we just found our new sub shop! read more

Like many of the reviewers I've been coming here since I was a kid. I avg at least one sandwich a month prior to their roof fire shutdown, so when they reopened a few months ago I was ecstatic! I've gone back twice since and have been under satisfied each time. The first time I ordered my usual Turkey sandwich with all the fixins' to-go, brought it home and took a bite of bread. I was confused as to where the stuff in the middle had gone. After further investigation it was clear that they had merely sprinkled a few veggies on my sandwich. This week I had the craving again, but this time I was going to outsmart them. My sandwich was ordered with Extra lettuce. Once again, I get home and Grrrrrr(pic attached). Was there a veggie shortage in the time span of your closure that nobody else heard about? Common Grinders, please do better! read more

The Grinder - Turkey sandwich w/ "extra lettuce" - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

Overall amazing food and the service was very nice. 10/10 would recommend! Went with my family and we all loved it.

Refreshing ingredients very great service would recommended to anyone who hasn't tried it. The BLT and hot Pastrami is amazing!

Is it just me or what? I'm used to my sandwiches having the ingredients INSIDE the bread, not hanging all outside the bread by an inch all around. Fold the freakin' meat for crying out loud. Are you truly that fucking lazy? Stop by Jersey Mike's or Subway if you need further lessons. read more

The sandwich are pretty good and good size. I always get either the ham or turkey footlong and the you end up with a sandwich that's straight forward read more

The Grinder - Ham Sandwich - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

The mini has only one very thin slice of meat. The footlong has just two thin slices of meat. Got a drink. Bill came to over $30. Overpriced. read more

The Godfather is the absolute best sandwich I have ever had. Been eating it for 30 years

I got the godfather sandwich, the combo sandwich, and a bag of chips my whole order was 44$ which was okay, but I did get extra meat on the combo . I expected the godfather sandwich to be a lot bigger meat wise cause it said it had 5 meats including Italian sausage. They ground up the Italian sausage so it was like half a sausages for a whole footling ground up which I thought was pretty lame . I was just overall disappointed with the quality of the meat, and the sloppiness of the way it was put together. The ham in the sandwhich is wider than the bread which is also pretty large. But it's those cheap quilt ham slices you get from like Walmart. Definitely not a real grinder sandwich. The service was goood though and the inside of the restaurant looked very nice. I think if they upped their meat brands and quality just even a little it would be 100 times better. Mostly upset with the godfather sandwich. Barley had the amount of meat listed which I was really looking forward too. read more

I've loved this place for years. Their sandwiches are delicious. Just a simple no bs, simply yummy! I used to live down the street 8 years ago and now I'm downtown, I still go all the way there to get me one! Their place is sooo cute to eat at with their old school collectibles, like a mini museum. read more

Great sandwiches, have been around since I've lived here and that is over 43+years.... way better than any SubwY...

This had to be THE WORST meatball sandwich I've ever tried! Have you ever been feeding your dog or cat and wondered what it actually tastes like? These meatballs had my imagined texture, smell and taste. It was so gross I threw it away. It pains me to waste both money and food. I won't go back and give them another try. read more

The Grinder - Meatball sandwich - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

Great sandwiches! I like to order on their app. Very easy to get your favorite torpedos or eggplant parm quick! If you are interested in the app just look up Grindr and make an account. read more

Never ate here before. Now I know why. I will never do it again. What a bummer. I would have gotten a much better sandwich from Subway and I don't even eat there anymore! Despicable amount of beef for a $10 half sandwich super disappointing! I will tell everyone it's disgusting I took two bites and can't even finish it it's basically a bread and lettuce sandwich. read more

The Godfather... large... everything on it and add bacon! I will be back for more! Nomm! read more

My son threw his sandwich away before I got a chance to take a picture, but his The Combo (no cheese no onions) had a ton of pepper literally dumped on one of the tomatoes and sprinkled nowhere else, and a huge glop of mayo on one end of the bread not spread out. We normally love this place, but whomever is making the sandwiches this afternoon just doesn't care. We won't be back again, just so disappointing. read more

This is far from home, but is always worth the drive. The Grinder is about the James Special to me. Ham, salami, metball, cold pastrami, provolone on a soft french roll - lettuce tomatoes, salt, pepper & oil. I also get onions, pepperoncinis, mayo, and mustard. It's massive, so be hungry - or just love food! Bread is always fresh tasting, ingredients always manage to be optimum temperature and texture. Service has always been good, even if it's busy I never feel like I have waited too long. They have a nice selection of bottled/canned beverages - as well as chips. There are a few parking spots out front and have always to find at least one. It's really one of those places that once you try - you just know that it won't be your last visit. I have yet to pull myself away from my standard order - but if you have something you become passionate about, let me know! read more

The Grinder - James Special - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

I have not been here in a couple years and was craving a pastrami sandwich. In the past they were pretty good but yesterday it was absolutely aweful. Use to be the pastrami was nice slices with a little fat and yummy. I got little tiny pieces all shriveled up and hard. Kind of like cat food. I'm thinking do to end of the day they just let it over cook all day and i got the bottom of the barrel. Such a bummer, my craving is so gone now thanks grinder. read more

This place never fails! The hot pastrami is beyond delicious! Keep up the good work guys!

Great sandwich but they use cottonseed oil as their oil of choice instead of olive oil. As an Italian this would take the grinder to the next step of being more authentic and olive oil is much lower in omega 6 fatty acids which is a lot better for your health. read more

This was my first time visiting The Grinder. I have driven by it so many times just saying "I need to try there sometime." I can't believe I waited this long! I got their vegetarian sandwich and it hit the spot! Their staff was very nice as well. They even included a little cold cut snack for my dog!!! They tried to tell me at the window but I couldn't hear them (lots of traffic). I wish I could've said thank you at the time, but if they see this... Thank you! Please go grab a sandwich or two from The Grinder! You won't regret it! read more

The Grinder - Vegetarian sandwich - Delis Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Such an amazing place. Been going many years. All sandwiches made to order and delicious always a full belly after eating.

I had a nice 12" turkey, bacon, and avocado sub from here for a little over $10 (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sgNv-cizh0KeLBMJZeL0DA?select=H-pqnbspvmYSmdlWkaCpWA#V8DmMZmtkIeajEy__XfWFQ). I thought the quality was good, but a little overpriced. The turkey was good and reminded me of a Hormel level quality, definitely not a Boars Head or Dietz & Watson Quality. If it were, the $10 would of been a little more of a acceptable. At any rate, the sandwich's bacon was good. It was crispy and had good flavor, but it could of used more. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sgNv-cizh0KeLBMJZeL0DA?select=H-pqnbspvmYSmdlWkaCpWA#UUUH_eBnDt1BsDGQbwsQdw) The provolone had a good nutty flavor and the avocado was skimpy. When it comes to fresh avocado on a sandwich, more is better, and I like to taste it in every bite. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sgNv-cizh0KeLBMJZeL0DA?select=H-pqnbspvmYSmdlWkaCpWA#D6JmvTVM-FJ7yJuuiWxYEA) One thing the sandwich had a lot of, was the shredded lettuce. The wheat bread was descent, but it lacked that nice chewy texture. The oil and vinegar helped cut through the large amounts of lettuce and was tasty. The service here was very good. The ladies behind the counter were very nice and helpful. The place was very clean and had some seating inside (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sgNv-cizh0KeLBMJZeL0DA?select=H-pqnbspvmYSmdlWkaCpWA#HYmP9xo4XzukZrSc1ItD2Q), but none outside. Overall an a-okay sandwich, but don't forget to load up that bacon and avocado... read more

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Been going here for years. I love their sandwiches. The owner is awesome she's been there for years and continues with great quality of food. Delicious read more

First time trying this place today and it was very good. My husband and I split a combo sandwich. It was delicious! The service was excellent, too. I asked to have the order to go as our pups were in the car. They gave us an extra treat for them... two baggies of some turkey slices. The four of us will be back! read more