Downtown Deli & Coffee Company

On a quiet Sunday, I wandered into the Downtown Deli in Hemet, a modest coffee shop and sandwich counter that doesn’t ask for attention. It just waits for you to notice. The place wasn’t packed, just comfortably alive. The cashier was friendly in that unforced way that tells you no one here is reading from a script. She scribbles my order, not punching it into a machine, and that feels just right. At first glance, the menu prices might give you pause. Then the food shows up. The daily special and a scoop of macaroni salad erase any doubt. This is food made with care. Quality ingredients. No shortcuts. The kind of deli food that reminds you how things used to be done, before everything got cheaper, louder, and disposable. They even carry Coke Zero, which some people treat like a basic human need. I can live without it, but I respect the attention to detail. The atmosphere is where this place really settles into your bones. Exposed brick. Warm wood shelves lined with books, old photos, and found objects that feel collected, not curated. Big ductwork overhead, soft lighting hanging low, and furniture that looks like it’s been lived in, not staged. Couches you sink into. Heavy tables meant to stay put. Chairs that invite you to linger longer than you planned. The decor feels unmistakably American, but not in the loud, flag-waving way. It’s the old America of packing plants, small towns, and front rooms where stories were told and time moved slower. A version we lost, but I just found. Nothing flashy. Nothing ironic. Just honest and worn-in, like it belongs. This is a place where you can disappear for a bit. Get lost in a sandwich, a book from the shelf, or a cup of coffee. The world can wait for a bit.

Was just walking by and decided to walk in this place. We ordered a peppermint hot chocolate with whip and a chicken sandwich. It was super comfortable to sit in. So yummy to eat at and service was perfect. This is the first time I have been here and it won't be the last.

I am leaving this review as a fellow business owner and consumer: Esthetically the place was very pleasing. If I owned this place, the front staff would be the first to go. They were rude and lack luster. Almost like dealing with living dead people. The food was average, yet fresh. The wait times ridiculous, but the the man who handed me my food was kind. Waste of a drive.

Absolutely love this place! The food and the drinks are amazing. If you would like to try a refreshing sandwich there is one called the stock farm sandwich. It's fresh sourdough bread with avocado, turkey ,sprouts ,onion , tomato and cream cheese. So good!!!

The Cafe is really esthetically pleasing, but there is this one young lady at the front who is very rude. I did get my drink right away but had to wait for my sunrise bagel for about 40 minutes. I asked 3 times to her to check up my order after waiting almost 30min and asked 2 more times but she kept saying I need to wait because they are very busy. I told her I should leave so please check my order but she still told me wait. Finally I saw another young lady from the kitchen and ask and she said I need to wait even though i was waiting for 40 min. But she went to the kitchen and I got it right after asked her. After I got my food the RUDE YOUNG LADY and young man at the front were looking each other and gigging. I also tipped in cash before knowing how horrible this place is. They don't deserve a penny. I had horrible experience today.

Delicious sandwiches and coffee. Tried for the first time. Got a chocolate chip cookie dough iced coffee. Our Philly cheesesteak sub was bomb. So was my turkey blt. The owner was very friendly. Love this place. Will definitely come back. I just won’t go in the evening, the staff isnt really friendly and the sodas taste gross.

To the management. I've been bringing my family here and for now we need to break up. I've seen the place needing cleaning and repairs for over a year. I've thought about writing a review but held off. I held off while I held hope that things would change. On our last visit my elderly father needed to use the restroom. It felt unsafe. The ceiling was falling down and that was the final straw for me. You need to do repairs and keep your customers safe. A deep cleaning of the restaurant has been over due for more than a year. I don't know what is going on but I hope who ever is in charge this is the call to action you need to hear. I hope that you can take action before it becomes too late. I wish you well and look forward to your reply inviting us back when all has been cleaned and repaired.

Charming, cozy, friendly. I had a very good latte & a bagel with cream cheese & avocado, also yummy. It's nice to see an older part of a town revived with new, local businesses. The interior is large with lots of comfy chairs and eclectic decor. Kind of a random pick for coffee, and I was not disappointed.

Always excellent Had a delicious meatball sandwich for the first time today (from here). wonderfully filling, meaty and cheesy They have fresh brewed iced tea, everywhere else has that nasty fountain tea, of course if you like that stuff they have you covered as well. The staff is delightful and polite. Always a pleasure. I have had in the past; turkey, blt, pastrami, and French dip. All of them are well above average.

The most beautiful little coffee & deli spot in town. My mom brought me here for as a birthday breakfast. We were so I love with all the beautiful decor. every corner of this place is stunning. Great service. Coffee was delicious we will be back to try the clam chowder

Well my wife has been here many times with her friends and seemes to enjoy it here. I decided to go for the first time. I got the Monday special and loved it. The quality of the sandwich was great and tasted amazing. The staff was very friendly and brought my order out quickly. I also liked the interior of the place, it was nice friendly and makes you feel at home. I will go back to try other things on the menu.

We ate lunch here yesterday and the food was good. Service was good, but our order was not what we ordered. I ordered the turkey apple cheddar 12 inch sandwich and got a sandwich that was chicken on cheddar with slices that were apple chunks. But on a egg bread toasted. That's not what we ordered. My wife ordered her sandwich and it came very similar and she ordered it in a 6 inch roll. Flavor was good as I said earlier, but not what we ordered and probably not go back again. The ambience is a coffee shop deli with a large seating area.

Food is so yummy !!!! I got a smoothie too and it's delicious asss ffffuuuuuh. It's genuinely so delicious, I got a passion fruit smoothie and the service is amazing everyone is so sweet, if u have a question about the menu they kindly and patiently answer. the ambiance? Immaculate. This is a gem of a spot in hemet and there's NO other place here like this! Dont sit at Starbucks, or Panera etc. please, come here they deserve it it's so wonderful. Couldn't say enough good things about this spot!

Absolutely love this place! This is where you get quality food and service! I love the look of this place! I feel instant calmness when I walk in!

An incredibly fresh and delicious sandwich with the cutest ambiance and vibe in the cafe! My husband and I came here after a 4 hour hike in Idyllwild. We were both extremely hungry afterwards and craving a sandwich, but didn't want to go to your typical chain restaurant like Subway, Jersey Mikes, Panera, or Philly's Best so we Yelp searched what was close to us and came to the agreed decision to try this place out. We got there about 20 minutes before they were closing, but they graciously allowed us to wait while preparing our sandwiches fresh! Unfortunately we couldn't enjoy our meal inside, but we will definitely be back to enjoy the incredibly cozy atmosphere here. Everything looked phenomenal on the menu, and I decided to go with the 12" Downtowner with "the works" and extra veggies on there as well. This sandwich was everything I could have ever dreamed of fulfilling my cravings at the moment! My husband got the hot pastrami sandwich and he really enjoyed it as well. Another great aspect of Downtown Deli & Coffee Company is that the prices are very reasonable and competitive against other sandwich chains. Now a days its hard to buy a decently portion sized sandwich without paying less that $25 bucks for it. Our total came out to $28.12 for TWO foot long, fresh, homemade sandwiches! I can't wait to come back and indulge in more of their delectable sandwiches as well as their coffee and breakfast options. Such a cute spot to hang out in while supporting a local business and giving the corporate monkeys at Starbucks a run for their money! Thank you for a truly enjoyable experience and for being a part of our community :)

I stopped by Downtown Deli with some friends since I've heard some great reviews. When you walk in, you're welcomed with some really unique, rustic decor. It has a very cozy vibe and seems like a great place to read or study at. We got in line and had our orders taken fairly quickly. I decided to go for a Philly Cheesesteak because I was craving a hot, filling sandwich and it did not disappoint. My friends ordered some cold sandwiches and their orders came out much quicker than mine. Everyone looked like they had some great sandwiches, especially with the Italian sub having a combo special for the day. When mine came in, it was piping hot and looked great! You could see the smoke coming off the middle part. The taste was great, and I especially liked the chewiness of the bread. My sandwich was also filled up to the point where the filling kept falling off the sandwich. I feel the sandwiches were quite fair for the prices as well, which is a major plus! I'd definitely stop by again and try another type of sandwich. The only thing of note that happened is one of my friends found a hair in hers. However, it was at the end of the sandwich and she didn't want to bring anything up since she ate most of the sandwich by then. On the other hand, my other friend stops by constantly and has absolutely raves about this spot and has always had quality service, so it could very much have been a one-off situation. My own personal experience with my own sandwich and service was great!

This was the first time I've come here and WOW was I amazed! The deli/cafe is extremely well kept, everything we had (including a sandwich not pictured) was delicious! The cafe was super clean and inviting, the staff was very sweet as well welcomed us in and made sure we were satisfied with our order and answered any and all questions we had. This deli/cafe is somewhere I would DEFINITELY recommend giving a try! I will definitely be coming back to try everything they have on their menu! SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES!!! 10/10

My wife and I live in Quail Valley on the far west side of Menifee from Hemet ( about 18 miles away from Downtown Deli ), and we've been going to this deli once a month for over two years because they make the best deli sandwiches around [ at least, that we know of ]. I very seldom leave reviews, good or bad, but our visit, yesterday, was just so strangely bad -- not from a sandwich point of view .. but from a waaayyy out-of-the-norm "customer service" point of view -- that, after half a day later of not being able to get it out of my head, I decided to just go ahead and leave a bad review, just as a way of holding the particular people involved accountable to the public. And to be fair, I probably should have been giving this place quite a few 5-star reviews over the last two years because their sandwiches are 2nd to none. We usually get there around 2pm, and, besides the great food, all the workers have always been very nice and accommodating. Yesterday, we went to Downtown Deli and, for the first time, got there later than usual { about 6pm } and ordered our usual: a sandwich combo with a macaroni salad side. The sandwich was outstanding as usual, but the macaroni salad had a strange "bite" that made it feel like "pins & needles" at the tip of our tongues, much like if you've ever touched your tongue to a 9-volt battery to see if it's still got a charge. The TASTE was fine, but that's the first time it had ever had that "electrical" effect. It wasn't over vinegary or over salty; it was a totally strange physical effect that made both my wife and me go "Wow! What is THAT!". I described it to one of the helpers who was out on the floor, and she didn't, at all, share my puzzlement that macaroni salad shouldn't do that. I found myself repeating myself like three times as though she must have just missed something that I was trying to convey. I could tell by her non-reaction that, if I just walked back to my table, that would have been the end of it, so I suggested that she go to the kitchen and try a taste so she'd know what I was talking about. She didn't give any indication that she would, so I asked if I could speak with the manager. A man, wearing a knitted cap, came out. He didn't introduce himself, so I don't know if he was the manager or not. And, strangely, after telling him about it, I got the same non-response, not even curious as to what I was describing; pretty much, just a dead, emotionless stare, I told my wife, later, I felt like I was talking to Norman Bates just before he was starting to go into one of his psychotic episodes. I suggested to the man that he try a taste before serving it to anyone else, and he didn't respond that he would or wouldn't. So, I essentially re-emphasized how abnormal it was compared to any macaroni salad that they've ever served us there before, and again, asked him to at least try it so he would know what I'm talking about. He finally commented that he usually doesn't eat macaroni salad. I was a bit dumbfounded with apparently no one left to appeal to, so I just said "okay" and, very unsatisfactorily, walked away. I don't care whether the man normally doesn't eat macaroni salad or not! Wouldn't you think that he -- or if he doesn't like mayonnaise, get someone else who -- would at least taste it to see what I'm talking about? .. or even just lie to me and assure me that they would, OF COURSE, check it out? To me, that would be a normal response. Wow! For that to happen at our favorite sandwich shop! It's been bugging me off-&-on all yesterday evening and then again all this morning, so I wrote this review, hoping I can consider it "dealt with" because I've got other things to think about. Yes, my wife and I will go back because of their great sandwiches, but it will never be in the evening again.

Everything is so fresh, the service is great! I had the Downtowner, it was very tasty. I'm on my way there again to get another sandwich and I'm going to try the soup of the day. I'm sure it will be good.

What a great place for a sandwich! They make everything fresh. Much better than any chain. Nice eclectic decor. Friendly.

Nice place to study or get lunch. I like the atmosphere, decor, and central location. Not too busy but not completely empty. The food was good. However, when I got home I honestly (sadly) got explosive diarrhea that was within 30 minutes - 1 hour of eating & quickly resolved which shows it was the food and not a stomach bug. I had the chicken pesto, chips, lemonade/sprite. It must have been the chicken /: Also the WiFi doesn't work.

Horrible service, soda machine taste like sewer water. Brought my hydroflask was told I couldn't "bring outside drinks" lol it was water. Anyways enjoy guys :)

First time coming in here wanted a Hot pastrami sandwich and my husband order a turkey sandwich all I have to say the bread was fresh and delicious the service was fast and very clean enjoyed ourselves here. the sitting was wonderful with all the rich history on the walls. Love it.

I make this a go to several times a month. Staff is friendly, place is clean. Soups are amazing. Excellent sandwiches also. Relaxing atmosphere.

I go there for the meatball sandwich or the Italians. Both, very enjoyable it. Took me a long time to get used to it. But I really enjoy it now.

The best ever pumpkin coffee cake and the service was excellent. Nice atmosphere and a great place, from Idaho.

Good people but food and beverage needs improvement. Ice machine had black specs in the dispensed ice and the purchased brownie was stale and tasted like saran wrap. Asked if refunds are provided and was told no but she was sorry. Threw away the item in store. Latte was ok, waited about 15 minutes. Nice people though

Took ONE HOUR for two sandwiches!!!!! Will never come again. ..........,,,,

Great and attentive service, seating area has great decor and seems to have quite a few regulars. I had the pastrami, my wife had the SoCal BLT and we both agree the sandwiches were so good but the star of our visit was my wife's Matcha drink. She said it was the best she's ever had! Definitely coming back (prices were very good) and trying other sandwiches and drinks!

I was pretty upset when I had to wait 37 minutes for our food because I didn't get to enjoy it with my friend that I brought in, so we had to take it to go. I'll say that services was slow considering we went after the lunch rush, but the food was great like always.

My first time getting out in a long while and it was great to meet a couple of friends here at this place it's a hidden gem for me. Never been here before, never heard about it, but the food was a delight, the atmosphere was very welcoming. The service was a bit timely but we had time to kill before parting ways, it gave us more time to enjoy a lengthy conversation and check out the scenery from wall to wall aesthetically pleasing. The socal BLT with avocado I ordered was satisfying, along with the peppermint mocha blended, the Philly cheese steak and Our other friends had ordered what looked like toast with avocado... We will most definitely be coming back to try out more things on the menu. I will recommend this place to friends, family and acquaintances .

Customer service was not pleasant, Cashier was serious and not welcoming. Told us we couldn't have outside drinks inside the restaurant. Stepped outside in the heat. Noticed a few other Caucasian entering the building with drinks and wasn't told anything. Feel a bit discriminated. First time here not a great experience.

Absolutely love their Turkey BLT! I moved to Irvine two years ago and when I visit my parents during the holidays I would often miss the location being open! Thankfully, I was able to get my cravings satisfied this past Saturday! Thanks to James for assisting me with my phone order- he was incredibly thorough.

Super cute coffee shop. It's definitely a must try! Love the aesthetic, definitely a great atmosphere.

Love their sandwiches!! I understand I came on a Saturday at lunch time(not too crowded), but the wait is ridiculous for a sandwich. Use to wait maybe 10 minutes for a sandwich to be made, but today it was 45 minutes. Won't be returning anytime soon unfortunately due to the slowness.

Wake Up, get a Downtowner, get a coffee. Enjoy your meal. Go home, and sleep. #BestDayEver

I love coming to Downtown Deli. You can't go wrong with a turkey sandwich. The vibe has a "friends" feel to it. Love the way it's set up inside. They do get busy so if you're in a rush, phone it in. Otherwise, you will be waiting during lunchtime for your food.

I'm giving this review purely on an experience this morning. I brought pan dulce from the bakery across the street and purchased a medium iced coffee and a large smoothie from the Coffee shop. Sat down and when we got our drink order we got told the owner was very strict about bringing food from other places. Fair enough. 30 mins later. A group of 3 women and their toddler walk in with bags of food, a large fountain drink, and ICED COFFEE FROM STARBUCKS! They sit down at a table and don't buy anything !!!? And not a single worker came by to say anything.

Coffee is great the menu looks awesomely delicious. The atmosphere is very relaxing, quiet and friendly. They're very attentive and bring your order right to you. Very polite and quick.

The food was good but the customer service was poor. I ordered a chicken salad. Sandwich waited 17 minutes. I stood where I can watch the kitchen and nine sandwiches are wrapped and they're only three people in the dining area and me waiting for a sandwich. GrubHub orders can wait and when I mention that the kid just argued with me.

The food is fine but the wait really isn't worth it. When I order in person, I wait a minimum of 45 minutes yet they make smoothies to go within 10 minutes of waiting, leaving it to melt. When I've ordered by phone I've been made to wait in a line to pay that took 15 minutes while my food sat and got room temp. I've watched while the staff moved without much hustle at all, while multiple other customers asked about their orders continuously. Seems that if a store is busy on the weekend, an extra set of hands in the kitchen would be helpful. I really doubt I'll be returning at this point.

I stopped in to get a coffee, it is really cute inside. We stood there for five minutes waiting to be helped. I could hear people in the kitchen, we rang the bell for service and grumpily a man walked over and took my order. I ordered a hazelnut latte and was greatly disappointed. It was very acidic and I couldn't drink it. The service and drink were a great disappointment, will not ever be going back.

I try to support local businesses whenever I can. That being said, the staff and service were both pleasant, the ambiance was very comfortable, BUT the food is just crap. Always. Soups, salads, sandwiches...just crap. Poorly assembled and presented. Flavorless. Tastes like my 4 yo opened a can and dumped whatever on a paper plate. I try different things to try to get a different outcome, but no. Just crap.

Downtown Coffee & Deli in well... in downtown Hemet and is a real treat. It's near the old railroad station and has ample parking in front. The atmosphere is someone's bohemian home, which makes it cosy and fun. We stopped in around one o'clock and it as half full. We had two in front of us in line to order Lunch. It went quickly. First off, the coffee drinks here are incredible and are the real star here. We also tried two of their sandwiches which were good. Their turkey was very tasty and we would definitely order it again. The SoCal BLT and Avocado was mostly bacon bits (see photo) and was missing the Avocado. Granted the Menu says crispy (not burnt) bacon, but it came in quarter inch pieces. Grrr Three and a Half Stars, rounded up to Four, on the assumption they ran out of avocado and bacon.

Always good food and good people. We feed our Olive harvesters with takeout and stop in whenever we are in town for coffee, lunch or whatever.

Breakfast croissant with cheese and sausage was very plain. Was unable to order a cappuccino as I was told 'we had no steam working'. The overall appearance was somewhat rundown. Unfortunately I think they are the only coffee house option in Hemet besides SBUX.

Loved in the area for years and never stopped by this little deli shop. So we decided to give it a try as we believe all small businesses need someone to help spread the word (if worthy) smile. My wife ordered the Turkey sub with Salami and I ordered the meatball marinara. Now I worked at many fast food, QSR and was a business consultant for over 5 years, this place has great atmosphere and great tasting food. I highly recommend you try this local GEM! They have quality deli meats and breads. The meats have great flavor unlike packaged meats. They seem to stress on quality with a reasonable price point. Next time you're in Hemet, and in the mood for very tasty sandwich and coffee, stop by! The staff is welcoming and friendly. We will definitely add this location to our Local Great Food Locations in Hemet!

First time trying here today and YUM! The coffee is way better than Starbucks. Everything tastes so fresh. Very strong coffee though, I might go decaf next time lol. Also got a sunrise bagel and my son and I were SUPER impressed with it. Very nice little hidden gem in Hemet. Will be returning a lot now. I really want to try their lunch options as well! Can't speak on service or ambiance because my husband picked it up.

I came into the deli after work around 2:30. The place was not busy, there were maybe 4-6 customers in the dining area one customer ahead of me. When I ordered the guy taking orders said it would be 30-35 minutes I said ok I'll wait so he took my order for 2 six inch sandwiches. 30 mins into the wait other customers came up wondering when is there order coming out. 45 mins later I'm still the waiting for my two sandwiches finally I went up to the guy and asked us my order coming up soon he said yes they're working on it now. I'm like wow couldn't believe how long it took. All the make mainly is sandwiches how hard can that be. They really weren't making signature drinks to ge backed up. I was like are they high back there that there moving at glacial pace. At that point I was annoyed. The wait is bad for business. Don't get me wrong I love their sandwiches I think there the best in town. But I'll think twice before going there again.

We ordered 2 six foot sandwiches, and man oh man!! They were a hit. I swear this place gets better and better! The service was impeccable, the restaurant was so clean my grandma would be proud lol!! The entire experience, from ordering to eating was on point! Thank you Downtown Deli, y'all never miss, always sliding in with a win!!

Meatball sub was amazing! Super melty cheese. Sauce was very nice. Meatballs had good flavor & consistency. My wife had the Reuben on sourdough. Best Reuben she ever had (her words)! If it wasn't so far from south Temecula, we'd be back tomorrow.

The barista ( sorry did not get her name) was just amazing got my order to perfection..... on the other hand I ordered a sunrise sandwich, after half an hour they said it takes a while for sandwich. 45 min later I wanted a refund as I was done waiting ...... the lady says " it's not been that long...::: thank God for reciept time stamps.... 10:20 it's now 11:03 ......Then she says..... there were many orders before you..... "lady I have been sitting here watching people who come after me get there food, eat and leave. 45 min to cook an egg and toast a bagel??????????? In short stop with the excuses and fess up to the error and we all move on......

Always tastes so good! And the chocolate chip cookies are to die for!! Customer service is great and the food quality is wonderful!

Brought my parents in, they loved it. Dad loved the taste of the meatball, the meat was really good to him and my mom loved the fresh bread . It was worth the wait

I highly recommend this deli. Hands down the freshest breads, meats and veggies in Hemet. The service made me feel like I was home and the entire indoor area sure felt like home. Couches, reading material, tables for chatting or for daydreaming with an awesome Java. Highly recommend dining in. one added plus is that they are dog friendly as well.

Found this little gem of a coffee shop today and I'm so excited! I'm not into "retail" coffee and always get excited about the smaller shops! The service was great, the ambiance amazing layout and lots of space and I can see why people would want to come here and spend some quality time. The coffee hit the spot! Thanks for being in the area.

Cold brew coffee was decent. Pretty good flavor and I appreciate it being available somewhere besides Starbucks. The Italian sandwich was DELICIOUS. found ourselves out here for my daughter's cheer event and will definitely keep this place in mind for next time. Staff was friendly and helpful. Location is actually pretty decent but it looks like a lot more houses are going up in the area, so I can definitely see this spot growing a lot with the community. Definitely recommend to everyone to try.