Submarine Center

My boyfriend was craving a sandwich, so I looked up a few spots and decided to give this place a try — and I’m so glad we did! It’s a small space but super efficient and well-run. We ordered two subs, and they were absolutely amazing. I had the avocado with turkey, and my boyfriend went with the pastrami. Both were fresh, flavorful, and packed just right. We devoured our subs — definitely hit the spot! Great little gem for a satisfying sandwich fix.

The to go mighty sandwich shop! Such a great variety (and generous with Avo!). We split the Italian super sub, and it was great! Ratios were perfect, and bread was nice and crusty. There were plenty of staff here ready to make fast and fresh sandwiches during the lunch hour. Nowhere to eat or sit, so ger your order to go and enjoy!

One of the best subs I’ve ever had! The pastrami, Swiss, bacon, and avocado is simply incredible. The staff recommended it as it was my first time there. Sandwich was incredible. Perfectly cooked pastrami, delectable bacon, huge chunks of avocado, melting Swiss cheese, balanced mustard, and topped with a crispy bun toasted to perfection. I want to go back and get this again. A+ will be back.

this is hands down the best sandwich i’ve ever had in my life. i got the avocado turkey swiss with everything and it was delicious. i plan to come back and order the roast beef (“everyone’s favorite”). we are at a nearby park and the vibe was immaculate. they don’t have indoor seating but there is a park and various benches located nearby where you can enjoy your decadent sub.

Very small deli near the west portal station of SF. My sandwich was just okay, nothing special. Heavy on the mayonnaise. The shop has zero seating inside so you must take to go. Glad to have tried it but won’t be back.

Got the mini G7 — but I brought my own vegan meat and they were so sweet and accommodating to add it to my sandwich 🥰 the sandwich itself was soooo delicious and fulfilling… you can tell it was made with LOVE. I would highly recommend this spot!

Fresh, flavorful, and perfectly balanced—this West Portal sandwich spot nails it. Crisp veggies, tender meat, and artisan bread come together in a seriously satisfying bite. Quick service and cozy vibes make it a go-to lunch gem.

Don’t come here if you have food allergies. I was just there a few hours ago and ordered sammies without mayo and sauce. The person consuming is highly allergic. We specifically told the woman taking our order. We repeated it too. To our dismay, our order came with mayo! I loved this place for years but for one potentially life threatening mistake, I can’t advocate them anymore.

I've been coming to this sandwich spot since I was in high school and it's one of my favorite sandwich places in SF! It's a small hole in the wall joint that's takeout only and their subs are amazing. They have classic subs served on a sweet roll. You can get different sizes depending on how hungry you are. My favorite is the atomic! It has pastrami, turkey, corned beef, cheese, jalapenos with all the usual sandwich accoutrements. It's so good! It comes with lots of meat and fresh lettuce and tomatoes to balance things out.

Delicious! I've been going here since I was a kid. The sandwiches are always great. They have taken seating away so it's all to go now. They pay attention to detail so even the custom orders come out quickly and correctly. While I miss the seating, the quality of the food has stayed consistent over the years. Thank you so much! This is one of my favorite places for sandwiches.

Alright, ive now been here twice. The first was when my stomach was experiencing an ongoing issue so I had to order the most boring turkey and cheese sandwich. It was fine and ofc the bread was good but overall nothing to write home about. Today i went back and i got the atomic and added avocado. I don't even like pastrami but after all the raves I read, i had to give one of the pastrami sandwiches a try. This one has it in addition to turkey and corned beef (which i LOVE), plus cheese and jalapeños. It is toasted and the cheese melty. It was absolutely bomb af. The bread is perfection, so light and fluffy yet a crunchy exterior and soft interior. The sauce is so good. It's just a great sandwich. Now it didn't turn me into a pastrami lover, but it was good! Next time I'll probably do the atomic without pastrami cus it's just not my thing. I'm also dying to try the cheesesteak. Legendary spot.

This is always a favorite to bring back that nostalgic food taste from when I was a kid. Of course it's not the same price as when I was a kid but that is to be expected. I do miss that they don't have the punch/stamp card anymore for being a frequent customer, especially now with the prices as they are. Anytime I am by West Portal though this is definitely my go to spot.

I love a good turkey sub and love coming here at least once a week for my fix. My order is sourdough (toasted) with roasted turkey, avocado, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, mustard, mayo and I like to add extra vinegar, and it is literally a hit every time. The bread is so fresh with the right amount of crunch, it's so filling as well. Depending on the time of day, it's usually busy, but the line moves fairly quickly considering the number of people.

Absolutely fabulous. Slightly hangover making out way home from the bay to sac and a friend recommended this spot as a remedy. Delicious. Like I think my all time favorite sandwich. The walls are decorated with 49er plaques and posters. No seating. Parking may be difficult. I suggest to order ahead since it's Take out/pick up only. Service was efficient and effective. I ordered the G2 and added salami and pickles. My husband has the roast beef as it comes. He said it was a well constructed sandwich; the combination of the meat, veggies and sauce with the crunchy warm bread made the perfect sandwich. So good. Since It was warm, we ate ours in our car. We will be back for sure.

Submarine Center is probably one of my fav sandwich shops of all time. No frills, nothing fancy, just a damn freaking good sandwich with the perfect ratio of bread to meat (e.g.: not overly bread-y). It's the simplicity of their sandwiches that has me constantly craving this place, you can really taste the quality of the ingredients they use. Their bread is also sooo freaking good...it's just a simple French roll done right -- toasty and light, yet substantial enough to securely hold all the ingredients they stuff in. The roast beef and atomic sub have been my recent go-tos but you really can't go wrong with any of the sandwiches here.

I was craving a sandwich in the midst of a long run. This place is nearby after I had finished doing Mount Davidson. One of the more delicious sandwiches I have had in San Francisco. The extra meat is totally worth it, the peach Snapple was a great compliment to the mustard and mayo. The ingredients tasted fresh, the meat and cheese were full of flavor, and whatever seasoning they used was excellent. My craving was filled and I was able to complete another 9 miles. I would highly recommend Submarine Center!! Next time I go, I'll have to try a different sandwich.

The Hot Pastrami Sandwich is awesome! Parking in West Portal is easy if you're willing to walk a few blocks and know the area. The ordering process is organized. It's a great place.

My go to sandwich spot! Can't go wrong with the automatic sub. Highly recommended, been coming here since college, and it's still great.

We have been coming to submarine for years then moved out of SF to the East Bay. We made a special trip today to come for their sandwich and it was as good as usual as before. Still worth driving an hour to get it once a while. They removed the tables and chairs probably keeping it the same after the pandemic. There is a park nearby so good to stay a little at the park and the kids can play too. Services was fast. I especially love their pastrami here and turkey is great too.

Delicious sandwiches!! Detailed breakdown below: **Service, 5/5** Pretty quick and to the point -- you'll definitely be in and out in under 10 minutes. **Price & portion, 5/5** A large sub is enough for 2 people to have lunch, so definitely worth the price since they're packed full of meat and fresh veggies! **Taste, 5/5** The warm toasted sub, the crunch of fresh veggies, the tender savory beef -- so satisfying!! **Other notes** Parking is tough and you might have to walk a block or two after searching for street parking. This restaurant also isn't very suitable for dine in, so get ready to find a nice place to picnic.

One of my favorite sandwich spots! This is a staple for me. Been coming here for a long time and it is so wonderful to know that it is still around! The one thing I always get is the center cheese steak sandwich. Don't even think about getting a mini! You'll end up wanting to get a center or even a super by the time you're into your first bite! I love how fast and efficient they are and they don't skimp. They are very generous with their portions and every bite is truly amazing! I am happy to know they're still here and highly recommend to anyone who has not tried this place yet!

Stopped by before heading to the beach, line was out the door. We stood in line for about 15 minutes before we had our orders taken. Food took another 20 minutes or so, which was perfect since I love taking the dog for a stroll. What We Ordered: + Hot Pastrami; 5/5 + Meatball The guys were not impressed with the meatball, and thought it was not as good as Subway. I was shocked, but I didn't try it so I can't chime in on this sando. The Hot Pastrami passed. They thought it was equivalent to Ike's. I absolutely disagree. Submarine Center does it wayyyyy better.

The Submarine Center is still at West Portal and I've had it bookmarked for at least 15 years -- today I finally tried it and I can probably wait another 15 more... seriously, what am I missing? It's just a standard sandwich. Do people not know how to make sandwiches at home anymore?? Also the pandemic is over but this is still a takeout only joint? C'mon -- not even a small table or couple of stools?? I prefer to eat my sandwiches free, especially if you get a hot one! After scouring through 400 pictures on Yelp and noticing that 350 of them are pics of THE ATOMIC SUB, I figured it's a no brainer to try their best sandwich. The Atomic comes with pastrami, turkey, cheese and corned beef. I ordered mine for pickup and chose the medium "center" size $16.73 I have to be honest, it just didn't impress me. Everything was very standard. For the price even, I think I can find a better tasting sandwich elsewhere or even make one myself. And the fact that it's grab n' go really killed it for me.

Pastrami, avocado, swiss EVERYTHING. 10/10 one of the best sandwiches I've ever had the pleasure to have ate.

Submarine center is legendary. I don't know that there's anything I can add that hasn't already been said. They know how to make a sandwich.

I have been coming here for the longest time, since I was a kid. I still come here to this day, more often now since I work in the neighborhood. I only get 1 sandwich, and it's the only thing I have ever gotten and it's still my favorite. They work as fast as they can, lunch can get a little rush so get there early! I typically order ahead of time and usually have no issues picking up. So many ppl behind the bar it goes by pretty quick. Once in a while my turkey pastrami will just be turkey, but I refuse to complain or give a bad review because they are still my favorite sub shop and mistakes happen. I'm still gonna go back!

Not that I would ever have to, but if I needed to trace back to where my love for deli sandwiches for started, there's a pretty good chance I'd end up at here. The likes of Lou's Cafe and Two Sons may be two of my more recent favorites and while there are a ton of longtime sandwich institutions across the city, something about Submarine Center just hits different! Which probably makes it even worse that it's taken me so long to finally get around to finishing this review. I guess I'm just too used to bringing my sandwich home and digging in instead of stopping to take a photo for the sake of Yelp...#sorrynotsorry. Now, if you've never been here, it'd be easy to think Submarine Center is just a small, sleepy looking sandwich shop. And to some degree, you'd be right. The place isn't that large, the walls are adorned with sports memorabilia and decorations from the 90's, and the menu of sandwiches is more classic than trendy (why mess with the tried and true?). However, don't let their appearance fool you - this place is actually a well oiled machine, efficiently churning out tasty sandwich after tasty sandwich for the steady waves of folks who come in throughout the day. **All subs come with Mustard, Mayo, Onions, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and their House Secret Sauce (it's similar to Italian dressing). As for the size, a Mini is probably perfect for most while a Center would be good if you're feeling a bit hungrier. Otherwise, if you're looking to split a sandwich with someone (or if you're feeling particularly ambitious), a Super might be the way to go. -- (#S3) ITALIANO SUB - Mortadella, Capicolla, Salami, and Provolone...$14.55 (Super) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/submarine-center-san-francisco?select=CsibEXt2MMLY9aEk72zaJw) Not the best Italian sub I've had, but still great! The trio of meats were just slightly salty (in a good way) and complemented really well by their House Secret Sauce. As always, though, I wouldn't have minded more meat! -- (#S10) THE ATOMIC - Hot Pastrami, Turkey, Cheese, Corned Beef, and Jalapenos...$10.45 (Mini) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/submarine-center-san-francisco?select=Du9byRZgmzPyOEtKYeOYUQ) Honestly, this might be my new go to sandwich! My friend felt it was a little too meaty, but I thought it was terrific! The trio of meats worked really well together and, for whatever reason, made the veggies feel extra refreshing. -- ITALIAN COMBO SUB - Beef and Sausage...$10.45 (Mini) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/submarine-center-san-francisco?select=Gq_khY5iQRlvmAyoiidxog) My first time trying one of their sausage subs was a miss for me, sadly. While the sausage itself was fine (juicy and flavorful), less tomato sauce would've been nice, as it overpowered the beef and made the bread super soggy. -- (#S5) ROAST BEEF...$11.90 (Center) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/submarine-center-san-francisco?select=hrHM3zS9V_HaN8ByKfGthw) This is one of my longtime, go-to orders and it's just as good as ever. The beef is tender, flavorful, and cut without any gristle or chewiness. What's more, there's always a good amount of it (but I wouldn't say no to more!). -- (#G4) AVOCADO, PASTRAMI, AND SWISS...$13.95 (Center) (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/submarine-center-san-francisco?select=2PnElOhClHm7qPqtUWAlpA) I used to get their regular pastrami sandwich, but this is way better (and now part of my rotation!). Obviously, the avocado is main difference (they put in roughly a whole, small one), but the pastrami they use is awesome as well! Regardless of whatever whatever cuts of meats and cheeses you get in your sandwich, the other big thing that makes Submarine Center's sandwiches so good is the French roll they use - slightly crusty on the outside yet rather soft on the inside, even after getting toasted. Considering how long they've been around, it's amazing to me how consistent (and delicious) Submarine Center continues to be after all of these years. If there was one knock about them, though, it's that they are a little bit pricier than other sandwich joints out there. It helps that they have three different sizes, which offers flexibility and somewhat mitigates the cost, but it does feel like you get a bit more bang for your buck elsewhere. Still, that isn't necessarily a deterrent to coming here - just that they're a bit of a splurge that's more than worthwhile every now and again. FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down.

SF has plenty of good sandwiches, but a nice Italian hoagie is hard to find. This place is near the top of my list for SF, especially after Marine Submarine changed owners and the new spot is not even close to what it used to be (and not to mention a very different style). Sandwiches come is different sizes to match your appetite. The slides meats are very high quality, and not just your average deli slices. I recommend the corned beef, pastrami, and roast beef. Like many Italian hoagies, the sauce is incredibly important and has to coat the lettuce and tomatoes just right. The bread is nice and flaky, and not too soft or doughy like a lot of other places. If I lived closer I would come here once a week. Note that they no longer have tables for you to sit inside, the are only take out right now.

Some slight changes at the shop... not the right direction. A little too light on the meat... ordered pastrami. Also ordered the potato salad, which the container is no longer full. I hope they bring back the fathers business practices and keep business at historical greatness. The meat is still good, just servings too light ... 2 center cut sandwiches, 2 potato salad..$38

Cute little submarine sandwich shop at west portal. The atomic sub has been my favorite for 20+ years - how crispy sub with mixture of meat (i love their pastrami), cheesy with jalapeño. Depending how hungry i am, i may or may not upgrade; but usually a mini for $11 is perfect for lunch. For someone who does not like sandwiches, i crave this regularly.

Price of the sandwich reflects of the damn quality! But I wish it could be cheaper! Don't get me wrong! I got the corn beef sub, and it was perfect! The bread was thin and crunchy crumbling! Perfect amount of veggies, and condiments! Damn good! Fyi you'll make a mess! Lol I'll be back!

I got the large submarine sandwich for lunch, I was expecting to eat half and save the other half for dinner. When I received the order, it was not what I was use to from other places for a large sandwich. The flavor mix was good, everything complimented each other and I was able to taste each ingredient. My biggest gripe for this was that the meat was not packed for the length of the sandwich. 1-2 inches of each end were just vegetables and bread. For the price of a large, I feel like this place cheaped out a little bit.

El mejor sándwich que e comido... Delicioso y muy generoso... Super recomendado Excelente atención

Still a favorite of mine. In the current era of the 15 to 20 dollar Sando, this a bargain. Hot pastrami, Italian. Absolutely delicious and fresh and very nice people.

Today, we stopped in for sandwiches. We got the Atomic and Italiano. The bread is fresh and perfectly toasted! Loved the combination of meat in each sandwich! It's definitely one of my solid spots for sandwiches. You can't go wrong with anything you order from here! Service is fairly quick, considering they are multitasking with call-in orders for pickup. Knockin a star because I feel it's on the pricier end for the amount of meat in the sandwich. Other than that, delicious sandwiches!

Oh yessss! The atomic sandwich was great! Plenty of meat too! Didn't take a picture because there were already plenty of them already posted.

Legendary spot for a great sub--never disappoints and great value for SF. Service always great and no frills ambiance. Highly recommend!

Been here too many times to count and Submarine Center never lets me down. Hands down one of my top 3 sandwiches in the city. Parking is a bit hard to find, service is great, and the interior takes you back in time with 80s/90s 49ers memorabilia. My go to here is the Atomic Sub.

Spoiler alert. If you go to this place you might never want to eat sandwiches anywhere else in the city. I've tried their atomic and corned beef sub. And OMG. The bread, freshly made, crunchy. Lots of meat, salad in the right amount and the secret sauce was a finishing touch on the umami experience. Fast service and fun, old-fashioned sandwich shop. Peal in SF!

Best sandwich you will ever have. Ever. Thats all you need to know. Im just writing cz this needs to be 85 characters long.

I have been frequenting this sandwich shop since I was still in Grama school attending West Portal school back in the 1970's '80's and they were always the same and probably the very best submarine sandwiches in San Francisco! Always just perfect and delicious! But sadly, the old staff took off and the new staff just don't have that special touch of toasting the bread to perfection; and they tasted like something else is also off! Maybe different suppliers of bread, and or other ingredients! I was hoping this would be temporary and new staff would get it figured out over time, but just don't taste the same any longer and these sandwiches have gone way downhill. What a shame! They really were the best sandwiches for decades, but at point I have to think that they will never be the same! Also! their hours; closing at 5:45 weekdays and 3:45 on Sat and Sunday Just WEAK!!!

Been going here for years as a kid and hadnt been back since post covid. Was super excited to take my bf there for the first time... did it go downhill or was it just my turkey sandwich that tasted like terrible old soggy turkey and lacked so much taste it used to have?! Overall disappointed with the taste of the entire sandwich and took quite a while to make a sandwich with 7 people in the tiny area behind the counter.

I've been a customer for over twenty years - I absolutely love this place! The food is great, the service rocks! I hope to buy a shirt next time bc they're vibin!

I am a San Francisco local and have been going to Subcenter since I was a kid. I order Doordash and go in person. I ordered my usual hot pastrami a few weeks ago for delivery and it came with burnt bread. Was disappointed but I had no problem eating an open-faced sandwich. I returned a few weeks later in person to get a hot pastrami again, and once again my bread was burnt and I had to eat it open-faced. I've been going to subcenter for years and only recently has it become a problem that the bread is burnt. I don't know how they could be so comfortable serving something inedible to customers. Subcenter, I love you, and I'll probably return again soon when the craving really hits, but please be more mindful about the condition of the food you are serving.

Nothing stood out but also nothing wrong. Spot is also hard to get to without any parking available

The vibe here is mom&pop sandwich shop. The sandwiches come in three sizes, and a mini is about half a foot, so portions are pretty generous. They have options for deli sandwiches and meatball subs, and chips on the side as well. I got a avocado, turkey, swiss (G2 on the menu), and they did not skimp on the turkey. Their mayo, mustard, and special sauce combo was pretty good, the sandwich was not soggy at all! I'm not the biggest sandwich fan, but for a sandwich shop, this one is pretty good! There is no indoor seating but there is a small park nearby :)

God I love this place! I've been coming here since I was a child. The sandwiches here set the bar for sandwiches. Toasted bread. Special sauce. No sandwich has ever disappointed me! I love the classic turkey and the atomic. Today I did the Italiano and so good. Thank you for keeping this place the same after many years.

My favorite sandwich in San Francisco, maybe of all time. Just a classic deli sandwich. One type of bread, no extra choices, great produce, and meat is top notch. Favorite and the go to is a super hot pastrami, provolone, everything, but no mustard and add avocado. its an experience to eat this sandwich, and whenever i take that first bite, it brings me home.

Just a quick shout out to this cute sandwich shop in West Portal. I love this part of the city! Walk in and order up to go. Service is efficient and friendly, seems family run so yay for families. Sooo many options and out the door you go! Sandwiches are delicious and healthy portion sizes too!! Try it you will like it!

This place is overrated. Overpriced with no parking space however the owner and clerks have ton of actitud. Bottom line, the these are average sandwiches that you can get cheaper at any Safeways' or Lucky's.

Best sub sandwiches on the planet. They have mastered the art. Perfect flavors and worth waiting in line for. Or DoorDash.

A sandwich is something I crave at random times and there are so many gourmet subs in SF but I decided to give this place a try. I got a hot pastrami and roast beef. I preferred the pastrami, but didn't really care for either of them. For one, the bread was extremely burnt to the point the bottom was all black and I didn't think there was anything special. There wasn't any special sauce or flavor that added any depth to the sandwich.

Trying out Infatuations Best Sandwiches in SF and this place was on the list! Tried the Turkey and Roast beef sandwiches. Both sandwiches satisfies the palate. Solid, nothing fancy. I was a little bit apprehensive about the mayo being out and looking dried out for all to see. Can't complain the sandwiches did its job with being tasty and not overly ambushed with condiments. It's a bit on the $$$ as far as sandwiches go.

Best pastrami sandwich and the best priced sandwich all in one. Their sandwich is much bigger then deli board

Been coming here occasionally though the years and it's a solid sub. Atomic is always the way to go with its combo of meats with toasty bread. Appreciate how you can select the size based on your hunger level. Reasonable prices and a solid no-frills sandwich.

You know how you go to a place just infrequent enough that you end up getting the same thing on the menu all the time? That's me with The Atomic at Submarine Center. I love that sandwich.

This place is so reliable, it's five stars all the way. Sandwiches are always delicious, always hot, easy to order online or over the phone and their services is always fast and friendly. Can't go wrong here!