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    The Lunch Box

    4.4 (604 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    THE LUNCH BOX ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    $13.99 for some spinach and barely any toppings
    Kara S.

    They are very very nice. But what an insane rip off. I got the large spinach salad for $13.99. It has exactly 11 kidney beans, 4 cherry tomatoes and 3 half moon cucumber slices. I thought more might be buried, but what is in the picture is all there is!And it wasn't even densely packed with spinach. I cannot fathom how they think this is an acceptable salad for that price.

    so much thick cut pastrami, slabs basically!
    Blu M.

    I LOVE THE LUNCH BOX SO MUCH. Had to say it loud for everyone to be aware. This place is incredible. No notes, just WOW. I love sandwiches, they are a comfort food and are just exquisite. Delicious, tasty, fun, filling. The Lunch Box provides everything and more that you want in a sandwich. This place reminds me of a bodega. You walk in and you just see a counter to order at, fridges with hella drinks, and racks with chips to choose from. Behind the counter is the flattop in which the cooks are cheffing up everything to order. This place is always busy during lunch time, but the wait is never too bad for your food. Your order gets taken quickly and you'll have your name called pretty fast. My go-to has always gotta be the hot pastrami. I love pastrami more than anything on a sandwich, and they do it just right here. The meat is thick cut and is so tender. You gotta try it. All sandwiches come with cheese, Cheese, Mayo, Mustard, Lettuce Tomatoes, Red Onions, and a choice of tapenade. I always go for havarti and the garlic olive tapenade. BOMBBBBB. You can also add a variety of other toppings and condiments. If I feel it, I add horseradish or hot sauce to my sandwich! The menu overall is pretty big. Everything is fresh and you can tell they put in a lot of effort when making their dishes. There is something for everyone here! If you haven't been yet, check this place out ASAP!

    Rueben
    Chad M.

    Employees took care of me and I appreciate it. My dinner planes got cancelled and I wanted to try something new. I ordered off Uber eats and they did not have a Rueben sandwich on the app. So after making a custom sandwich order, I said "if a Rueben is available I'd rather have that" they actually read the note and then delivered. Thank you very much. The food for my taste is just ok, probably 3 ish stars. But I gave an extra for the service. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs from a sandwich shop. We all know that was a mistake. So I'll just say don't do that The Rueben had really good tasting meat. Could have used more sauce and a harder toast on the bread. The rye wasn't real strong. Passable Mac salad was not my speed. Potato salad also not my speed. I wouldn't avoid the place, but I also wouldn't seek it out. I'm grateful for the great service. Modgilianis is still my rock for Sandwiches

    Tiffany M.

    Late lunch. Service was welcoming. Good selection of sandwiches. I had a veggie on rye. It was easy and tasty , but I'd go light on the carrots next time and ask that my bread is toasted well.

    Jessica K.

    House sitting in the neighborhood. Walking the block to see what's up and decided to come in for lunch. Clean inside, not a ton going on, what you see is what you get. No jndoor seat Vast menu, so many options, order how you like it. but the brisket jumped out to me. The person who took my order seemed like she knew what was up. No nonsense, and I loved it. Sandwich was made pretty quickly. I walked back to the house, and it was still hot. The one sandwich and a bag of chips was more than enough food. I couldn't even finish the whole thing. Looking forward to coming back and trying additional sandwiches.

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    Jeff A.

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    3 years ago

    Great sandwiches with East Coast style service. Feel like family and order your lunch favorites. They also offer catering of their menu!

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    2 years ago

    Always my go to sandwich spot! Pastrami sandwich is to die for! Fast service and alway fresh. Oakland staple for sure.

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    Ask the Community - The Lunch Box

    Is there parking in the afternoon?

    We have a 10 minute parking spot in front of the business that we do our best to keep clear. Otherwise there is street parking, the parking garage is are usually full in the afternoon.

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    Brothers Deli - Toast Flight (choice of 4)

    Brothers Deli

    4.7(151 reviews)
    1.5 miEast Oakland
    $$

    I had the Italian sub at Brothers Deli, and it was honestly one of the best sandwiches I've had in…read morea long time. The bread was super fresh--soft on the inside with just the right amount of crunch on the outside. You can tell they don't cut corners with quality. The meats were just as impressive--fresh, flavorful, and stacked perfectly. Every bite had a great balance of meats, cheese, and toppings. Nothing was overpowering, and everything tasted clean and well-made. What really stood out to me was how fresh everything tasted. It didn't feel like a rushed sandwich--it felt like it was made with care. If you're looking for a solid Italian sub with fresh bread and high-quality meat, Brothers Deli is definitely the spot. I'll for sure be coming back.

    I really wanted to like this place, but I was a little underwhelmed by the sandwiches I ordered…read more(Italian Sub, Turkey & Swiss, and Ham & Cheese). The sandwiches were okay. I really shouldn't single them out because I've noticed that a lot of the east bay delis have the same type of bread, but I will say that it just wasn't my taste. The rolls (I got the Dutch Crunch, sourdough roll, and the soft roll) were not that great and --like I said-- maybe it's the same vendors everyone uses in the east bay. For the cost, I'm not too enthused to try the other options. Every time I passed by their spot, it's busy, so I figured I'd try it. It's just not for me, but people seem to like it. ‍

    Photos
    Brothers Deli - Interior

    Interior

    Brothers Deli - Toast Flights

    Toast Flights

    Brothers Deli - Italian--chopped!

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    Italian--chopped!

    Clove and Hoof

    Clove and Hoof

    4.1(945 reviews)
    1.6 miNorth Oakland
    $$

    Well this ended up being kind of a bummer today. Not a very attractive place, but we chose it…read moreknowing it was a diner, so expectations of decor were limited. The waitress looked comfortable wearing her pajamas and the cook in his shorts and t-shirt.... Odd, but whatever. Some standard tables and chairs and a cooler in the dining area for drinks. Handy, I suppose. Or, maybe that was the only outlet available? Who knows? Added character! Haha I'll share some positive notes: The French fries were great! Perfectly crisp outside and tender in! We ordered the pulled pork fries as an appetizer. It was okay. The pork tasted a little off, but not quite sure why. My daughter's cheeseburger was fine. My friends sandwich, BLT was also fine. Things went south from here. My sandwich was the brisket and the waitress said it was her favorite. Well... everybody has different tastes I guess because I felt like it was gross. The meat tasted old and it was absolutely the messiest sandwich in the Kingdom of Messy Sandwiches. I'm OK, in general, with messy sandwiches, but in this case it was extreme. I needed a bib and wet wipes in abundance. It came with a salad, which would have been great, except they absolutely DROWNED it in an apple cider vinegar dressing. The thing is, the dressing had a wonderful flavor, and it would have been quite lovely had it not been so cloying and gooped on so massively. It was literally inedible. So after three bites of the sandwich and one bite of the salad, I decided to send it back. The whole plate was just nasty. And this is where my rating went from a 3 or 4 stars to a two. First the waitress was extremely confused. Okaaay.... So she went to talk to the cook who then came out to argue with me. I was trying hard not to be rude. I just wanted to let them know that I didn't want the sandwich and they needed to take it back. I told him that I didn't like it. He proceeds to tell me that it is everyone's favorite, their most popular sandwich. That all of their sandwiches are messy. ( The BLT and the hamburger were not. They were normal) so I tell them that despite other people liking it apparently I did not. I explained how there was too much salad dressing and that the meat tasted old to me. They acted like they had no idea what to do with this feedback. I said please just take this plate away from our table. I was not paying the bill so I do not know for sure if they charged for it or not. But yuck. Who argues with a customer? Especially when it's about taste and perceived quality, as we all have different taste buds that's why there's a menu of different options available at restaurants! I worked in restaurants for many years of my life. I hate sending things back and I don't do it unless it is really bad or really not what I ordered. It's very uncomfortable to be confrontational at all with anyone at any time, but the reality is when we are paying for something we want it to be good and if it is not good we need to be able to speak up about it and hold them accountable to an inferior quality product. They made that very difficult.

    My only question is....WHY haven't I been here sooner?! I…read morewas craving pastrami, so I looked on yelp for pastrami in the area. My mom and I came in around 2pm on Monday (8/11). It's a cute delicatessen/restaurant. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. Immediately the staff was so friendly and welcoming. The woman at the register was very nice and asked if we had any questions. My mom and I shared a pastrami sandwich, Brussels sprouts, fries, and slaw. It was reasonably priced for the Bay Area. When they brought the food to the table I was shocked. Everything looked amazing and very appetizing, and the portions were much bigger than expected. Before she brought the sandwich over, she asked if we were sharing it and was so nice to split it into 2 plates for us. That was very kind for her to do. Let's start with the French fries. Omg they were perfectly crisp but still fluffy on the inside. They had so much flavor probably because of the beef tallow and had just the right amount of salt on them. There was a side of mayonnaise with the fries, and it tasted homemade. I meant to ask them if it was. It was very good lol I couldn't get enough. The poppyseed slaw was very refreshing and it was tangy and sweet. We loved that the cabbage remained crispy and it was great for a warm day. The fried Brussels sprouts were full of flavor. They were a nice balance of sweet and salty. I loved the bacon on them. The hot pastrami sandwich definitely satisfied my pastrami craving! There was just the right ratio of meat-cheese-sauerkraut-mustard-dressing. The bread tasted freshly baked as well. It was full of flavor. And the side salad that came with the sandwich was excellent. We loved the tanginess of the dressing. We were shocked that there wasn't more people inside, but also for 2pm on a Monday, it probably was just an off hour. We had so many leftovers as we both don't eat very much, but lol as soon as I got home I started eating some more of the slaw and salad. Can't wait to eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. We are already planning on coming back to try the meatballs next time and definitely trying their Indian cuisine! I'll have to bring my husband here next. Thank you guys for an amazing lunch!

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    Clove and Hoof
    Clove and Hoof
    Clove and Hoof

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    The Lunch Box - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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