Lucca Delicatessen is a charming old-world Italian deli where you can savor top-notch sandwiches, imported meats, and heavenly cheeses—all in a bustling, friendly atmosphere.
"During the primetime lunch hour, the Italian deli in the Marina is crammed with people ordering half pounds of prosciutto, stocking up on pantry essentials like olive oil or crackers, or grabbing a tray of meatballs to go. Successfully navigating the crowds just to get to the ticket dispenser should be considered a sport. But once you order, and one of their Italian combos or caprese sandwiches lands in your hands, the effort will all be worth it. Or maybe just order online in advance." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong
"For a little piece of North Beach, head to Lucca's, the 80-year-old Italian shop where salami hangs from the ceiling and the obvious order is the #1 Italian combo (salame, ham, mortadella, provolone, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, mild Italian pepper). There are a ton of other sandwiches, plus heaping salads, antipasti, meats, and cheeses to satisfy your Italian-American cravings. Plus, it's family owned, which is always feel-good." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff
"The Park: The Marina Green Shielding your sandwich from a rogue frisbee or extra curious golden retriever is the Marina Green experience. But we'll do anything for Golden Gate views that remind us we live in a really cool place. Pick up a sandwich from Lucca Delicatessen on Chestnut Street—the Italian deli is always packed, mildly chaotic (orders are shouted out from every direction), and charming, especially because their sandwiches with standard fillings are so incredible and always hit the spot. Get a stacked Italian combo or caprese with thick mozzarella slices, and any of their assorted Italian cookies to round out the picnic spread. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"From the outside, Lucca’s looks like a tiny Italian deli that got lost on its way over to Columbus Avenue. But it doesn’t matter where this place is located—it’s a sandwich temple. The deli is usually pretty packed in the middle of the day, with people ordering lunch, trays of meatballs, or groceries like olive oil or crackers, but the chaos is worth it to get their impeccable sandwiches (order ahead online if you don’t want to wait). The Italian combo and caprese sandwiches with sliced meats (always add prosciutto) are the way to go. " - julia chen 1, lani conway
"If you’re only going to try one sandwich at Lucca Deli, make it the Americano, with house-roasted turkey, cranberry, mayo, iceberg lettuce, and black pepper on Acme focaccia, which makes it easy to bite into, but not too mushy. But, really, you can’t go wrong at this spot, which has been serving sandwich fans since 1929." - Lauren Saria, Justine Jones, Eater Staff
