Dugout Deli

I love going around and finding good sandwich places. There used to be a place in Sacramento called The Bread Store, and it was my absolute favorite place for a sandwich. Sadly, it closed a few years ago. Thankfully, there are some great places to get a good sandwich around town. Today I got to try The Dugout Deli, a locally owned sandwich spot that keeps it real, keeps it fresh, and keeps it friendly!

The Dugout Deli is a baseball themed restaurant. It’s inspired by the sport, so you’ll find baseball photos hanging around the walls as well as sandwiches named after baseball terms. I came in my Will Clark jersey and old school Giants hat and totally fit in. There was even a framed Will Clark poster on one of the walls. How’s that for matching?!?

From the outside, the Dugout Deli doesn’t look like much, and can easily be glossed over as there are many other businesses around where it is located. It’s humble exterior matches the humility of the restaurant. There’s no pretentiousness at all, and the service was as friendly as it gets. The folks on the other side of the counter we patient with ordering and happy to talk with you. It’s just one of those places that give you a nice warm feeling when you go inside.

Looking at the menu, you’ll see names like butcher boy and Shoeless Joe. These names are their creative way of identifying their sandwiches. I went with the butcher boy, which is a turkey, bacon, and swiss cheese sandwich. You get it on your choice of bread (Dutch crunch, sweet French, sourdough, or wheat) and the option of mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, pepperoncinis, onions, and their special Dugout garlic sauce. I just went ahead and put everything on it with Dutch crunch bread and had that as my order.

The sandwich was a good sized, and with Dutch crunch bread, it feels a bit bigger. The meat was a sizable portion and was definitely not skimped on at all. These sandwiches certainly would make a great lunch as they would fill you up for the rest of the day. Pair the sandwich with a salad or chips and you’ve got yourself a complete meal. You can get their potato salad, macaroni, or small green salad. You can also get a full-sized salad with ingredients like grilled chicken, tri-tip, or tuna salad.

The Dugout Deli also offers catering if that’s something you need. They have sandwich trays that serve 7-10 and also have boxed lunches that come with a sandwich, bag or chips, a drink, and a cookie. I’d certainly recommend the Dugout for catering as the quality of the food is higher than a place like Subway, and you get to support local businesses!

As it turns out, I went to the newer of the two Dugout Deli locations in town. Both are pretty close to each other in the Arden area of Sacramento. Apparently, the first location was once a Mr. Pickle and could use a bit of a refresh, but it’s still going strong.

I’d have to say that the Dugout Deli is a great choice for a quick lunch or one to get on the go. I really admire small businesses like that started by people who have a passion for what they do. I was fortunate to speak with some of the people at Dugout and learn a bit about how they came to be. They certainly left an impression on me!

Go and check out the Dugout Deli next time you want an honest to goodness well-made sandwich.

Website: www.dugout-deli.com

Address: 2552 Cottage Way, Sacramento, Ca 95825 // 3355 Arden Way, Sacramento, Ca 95825