The Real Italian Deli of Palm Springs

Mixed experience, I’ll have to try this place again. The muffaletta sandwich was awesome on the delicious focaccia bread, but the eggplant Parmesan tasted like old oil, it was stale and tasted a few days old. We ended up having to throw it out. My husband had tried to order it as a sandwich, but there must’ve been a miscommunication. Either way, even on a sandwich it wouldn’t have been great. Excited to try the other sandwiches on the takeout menu!

We found this place because our usual was closed for renovations. Sherman’s deli is where we usually eat. The Real Italian really was! We had a huge roast beef on ciabatta, delicious 😋 also they have benches inside to sit. Also you can buy any of your pasta, sauces and cheeses there. Great desserts.

Today was the first time at this deli. Super cute, great service (greeted with smiles), delicious sandwiches. My husband had the meatball sandwich, which he loved! I got the pesto turkey, and ordered a second for our coworker. I should have just got the one sandwich and shared with her, it was so big! And also very delicious! Actually all three of us had half a sandwich left. Which was great because dinner was taken care of. Haha! I must admit I was a little leary because it's a little pricey. But if you can get 2 meals out of it and delicious, as well....It's definitely worth the price. We already plan on making it a weekly stop.

Being that I am Italian, I'm picky about Italian restaurants/Deli's. Love the sandwiches! This particular deli is under new ownership, yet they are making improvements and seem knowledgeable. They are still ordering new item's in the food area. I go here every single time I'm visiting Palm Springs. (Every 3 months.) Deliziosa!

I used to like this place, it had a great atmosphere, great food. My friend used to bring me sandwiches home. After new management took over it’s just not been the same. The employees seem miserable and they fired a bunch of my favorite employees. It feels more corporate now instead of the welcoming and less like a small business. They charge for avocado now, and the new owners just don’t seem to really care about customers.

Really good sandwiches. Excellent service. And the small indoor eating area is very charming. 9.5/10 would be a 10/10 if they still had their cookies, but alas they do not.

The name doesn't lie. I'd been wanting a real Italian Submarine sandwich and found it here. Lots of great prepared dishes you can take and reheat at home. Many authentic Italian grocery items as well.

We just had a spicy Italian sandwich. It's great! Ingredients are fresh and the bread is amazing. It was big enough for my husband and I to share. We bought four rolls to take home. Highly recommend.

Love this hidden gem! Food is fantastic! Don't let the strip mall location deter you from trying the food! My favorite is the meatball on focaccia! Minimal seating, but the turnover is fast so it hasn't be much of a problem to sit and eat there. Staff is very nice. A very different vibe from the Palm Desert location.

The deli is soooo cute and quick! We went for work lunch break and were in and out in less than 15 minutes. The sandwiches are delicious and taste fresh. I ordered the spicy combo, and while it wasn't very spicy, it was still super yummy. There's also a variety of beverages and foods at the deli that are an ode to their Italian theme! While more on the expensive side, I'm a believer that a delicious sandwich is always worth it!

1st visit and the guy was so patient ,informative on their food and their popular sandwiches..... settled for the muffalleta sandwich on their rosemary bread and added arugula........... well balanced and delicious. Sandwich is a good size. Best eaten fresh. It's a nice cozy store with different Italian products. The basil pesto is just amazing. I put it in everything.

Will The Real Italian Deli please stand up? I repeat, Will The Real Italian Deli please stand up? We're gonna have a problem here... To my fellow Eminem fans, you're in good company. And even though this place might not serve up 'Moms Spaghetti', I say this is the Realest Italian Deli that you're gonna find in the middle of the desert this side of Detroit. -------------------------------------------- Thanks to Yelp, we found this place ahead of our trip to Palm Springs and it did not disappoint! We split an Italian sandwich, a Caesar salad & ordered 2 cokes... and it was the perfect lunch time meal allowing us to escape the heat temporarily before heading back to our hotel and hitting the pool. Not only does this place have fresh Italian sandwiches, salads, pastas & premade desserts, but you can also shop their small Italian grocery store which offers up authentic Italian goods from the Motherland. From canned tomato sauce to olive oils and balsamic vinegars, this one stop Italian grocery shop is gonna have you blasting Andrea Bocelli all while you cook your little heart out in your own kitchen. And whether your eating in, grabbing lunch to go or taking the grocery ingredients home and preparing it for yourself; you can now confidently bring your thumb up against four fingers and shake it back & forth in the air by your head, just like the Italians do. (The finger purse gesture). Because whether you like it or not, after eating here, you will become apart of the Real Italian Deli Famiglia. So, now that I came, I saw, I conquered this hidden gem in the desert... It's your turn to Veni, Vidi, Vici for yourself and see what makes The Real Italian Deli really stand up.

Favorite deli!! Seriously, the best sandwiches in the entire desert! I don't know why I didn't review this place earlier, but it is truly a deli gem! Fresh sandwiches- Turkey and Swiss with the works on a croissant- 5+++ Turkey pesto on rosemary bread- 5 Spicy combo (can get it mild)- 5 Muffuletta- 5 Take-home goods: Deli meats and cheese selection are excellent- 5 Muffuletta- 5 Giardinara- 5 Fresh baguette- 5 Croissants- 5 Olive Oils - 5 Service and setting- 5 Excellent all around!

Got the spicy combo and there sandwich's are all pre made. Make sure to ask for fresh because the bread is hard as a rock. Sandwich was great just really hard old/hard bread.

The location on Sunrise is so convenient to grab a sandwich for the plane ride home. The people behind the counter are so nice and will always make you a custom sandwich if you don't see what you want in the case. The only gross thing I got was sweet and salty kettle chips - just weird and not what you'd want beside this beauty. I love this place!

Good sandwich but the customer service is shitty, I placed an order to be picked up at a specific time asked if the sandwiches can be made fresh so that they weren't sitting there the guy who took the order sounded frustrated huffing and puffing just rude. I then asked for my total and he continued with the attitude I asked him "why the attitude " he said "I'm busy" which I found extremely rude!!!! Do better! I then went to get my order and it was no where to be found they said they never got it and that I might have called it into the palm desert location, bullshit!!! Higher people with better attitude it's ridiculous!

Cute deli with a lot of good looking Italian products. I picked up a sandwich. It was great, the focaccia is fantastic. Really tasty meats and delicious spicy olive spread. Huge sandwich, enough for two meals for me. I'd go back for that bread and to try more stuff.

Baked goods, sandwiches, bread, salads and frozen Italian dishes to take home. I really like the muffuletta and parma sandos. I always grab some dessert and bread to go. This place is worth the stop. It is the real deal.

Delicious sandwiches, great ambiance to hang out and eat inside or outside. I love the meatball sandwich. Very nice service as well.

Really good Italian hero style sandwiches. They also sell good Italian pastas and sauces and other things.

Came in with a group of friends and enjoyed their Spicy Combo sandwiches , salads and cake. Great spot to grab a quick bite and service was efficient and friendly. Chocolate cake and carrot cake were nice and moist! Their bread was amazing as well! Thanks for the service and helping us right before closing!

Stupendous spicy sandwich with all the trimmings. Delicious fresh bread, high quality cured meats. What more could you want? I can't wait to pick up a sandwich for my plane trip home! Very nice service too. If I was staying somewhere with a kitchen I would have picked up some more pantry staples which looked legit (sauces, dried pastas, etc.).

The people who serve you here are both efficient and friendly, but the food is the star. Highly recommend the lasagna with bechamel; it's a true bolognese. The Turkey pesto sandwich is justifiably popular, The Muffaleta is the next best thing if a trip to NOLA isn't possible. The Caprese is great too. Five stars.

I primarily like to buy their red sauces for my pasta. Also, there is a much higher grade of cold pressed olive oil here, than you will find at any of the grocery stores. In fact, there is no way to tell if Olive oil in grocery stores is truly high quality and I read an article somewhere where items that are labeled cold pressed olive oil isn't even olive oil... especially if it's super light in color or bottled in plastic. So.. I purchase all my olive oils here @ The Real Italian Deli. The sandwiches are pretty incredible as well.

We stopped by here after the Crab spot (in the strip mall) was closed. Oh my!!! An amazing spicy meat sandwich on focaccia bread! The truffle kettle chips were amazing too! Ohhhh soooo good!!!

Best subs in Palm Springs ! Great subs and great service every time! Get the turkey pesto

I'm usually not the biggest fan of italian sandwiches but this place really made me a huge fan. We got the spicy italian and porchetta and both were incredible. Was so surprised that the spicy italian was actually spicy but it was the perfect kick! Plus, the owner (I think or was he the manager?) was extremely kind and welcoming. He even gave us an extra sandwich since we came around closing but so glad he did to have the chance to try another sandwich. I'm from LA and will definitely brave the heat and come back!!!

Absolutely the best sandwiches and bakery around. We visit this place every time we come to Palm Springs. The sandwiches are always fresh, and the assortment of fresh bread is a plus. I was skeptical of ordering the pre-made sandwiches versus the special made for a dollar extra, but they were just as fresh. Service is fast and organized by a friedly staff. Try out their bakery for absolutely delicious pastries. I will keep coming back, and I recommend you try it. You won't be disappointed.

Fire sandwiches and it's the cutest decor in and outside the store, friendly staff too. I've only had the sandwiches so I want to buy all the authentic meats and pasta and olive oils, etc that they have on the next time I come. Thanks!

Found a new delicious Italian del it's the kids favorite place to eat now all the food is so fresh so healthy it's amazing we love it and all the staff are so nice and helpful. They know how to give great customer service I Highly Recommend this restaurant thank you to the staff for always making our visit so wonderful

When we're in town we try small places to eat to find the little gems. This is a fantastic find. There are a slew of sandwiches, salads, and pastries to feast upon. The coldcuts were fresh and tasty but the bread made the sandwich over the top. The bread alone with EVOO would be a treat. Can't wait to return.

Yesterday we drove by this place as we found an amazing deli we love in town. For some reason my wife said let's stop by and see the menu. Well here another great place to go to.

In all my visits to your establishment, my most recent visit was deplorable. I can not recall ever experiencing such terrible customer service and the most disrespectful employee. On Saturday, March 16th I place a order for pick up. The young girl who took the order was rude, and when I I arrived at the store, I asked for a manager. As I proceeded to go over with the manager the treatment I received, the young girl stared at me and kept rolling her eyes. As I continued to address her attitude, she started talking back to me and her manager. Her manager told her to go to the back, the young girl said "no" and proceeded to talk back to the manager and never went to the back after being told to do so 5-7 times. The restaurant was full of customers, watching a defiant, rude employee talk back to her manager and a customer. If this is the best help you can employ, you might as well shut down this establishment.

Picked up a sandwich to bring with me to the PS airport. Delicious and fresh. It must have looked pretty good to others because a man sitting near me in the open atrium asked which food vendor I had bought it from. So much better than airport food.

The sandwich was tasty but for $15 I'd expect more than one thin layer of meat and cheese. The baguette was great and all the flavors worked well together, but it was overpriced. I had the sandwich as takeout and ended up adding more salami at home to enhance the Italian spirit of the meats. If you like a little spice, like roasted peppers, then definitely add their spicy muffuletta sauce to it. I also asked for extra tomato and onion and the staff, while accommodating, seemed a little annoyed that I didn't just take it as is from their fridge case. And being that it wasn't "fresh" the veggies on the sandwich had that I've been refrigerated flavor. For the price, I would expect the option to have everything done fresh like most sandwich shops and be given the option to upgrade, so to speak, to double meat, etc...

The food is ( CHEFS KISS) !!! I am a " Real Italian"(haha*ItalianAmerican*) from Brooklyn, New York . Listen its not home, BUTTTTTT its the closet thing your going to get here in the desert . I will say the staff isnt their strong suit. Dont put too much into it - if you want some good italian food go to the Real Italian Deli. You're stomach will thank you.

I am So thankful for The Real Italian Deli! The closet Deli to a NYC Italian Deli! It reminds me of my childhood in Manhattan. Best sandwich experience in California and especially Palm springs. Such a golden Gem! I wanted to shout out ALEX in the Palm Springs location for providing EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE! It is service like his that makes you want to come back because he shows care and respect. Please give Alex a raise and let him know how badass he is! Thanks for providing high quality ingredients. Highly recommend trying this place.

Great delicious sandwich, meat sliced to order with a great balance of all the flavors. The ciabatta bread was perfect, I had hesitation of coming here based on reviews. I'm the first one to complain if there's not enough meat however today my first time here it was a perfect portion of meat and very delicious. Hopefully this place can keep that consistency every time. I will be back!

Nice affordable fresh delicious options. 2 sandos, chips, marinated mushrooms and cold drinks for about $25. The sandwiches are largely premade but we're amazingly fresh and delicious for lunch. The combo was darn tasty. The muffuletta was absolutely spot on delicious. We're already contemplating a double dip on this location during our short stay. The staff were ver attentive and friendly. So many delicious options in the cold case and on the shelves.

Great options. Authentic. Great service. Everything I have gotten here has been delicious.

I will be back. I bought a sandwich there last Saturday delicious. Everyone so friendly and very patient with me I wasn't sure what I wanted to eat and one of the ladies her names slips my mind but she explained to me about the sandwiches and the difference between the breads. They also have pastries and salads ready to go. I love the way the store looks. It's a quiet place and very clean SUPER clean.

I'm originally from the East coast wheregood Italian food and delis are everywhere. This place hit all the sweet spots for me. Whether i just want sn amazing lunch time sandwich, gathering essentials, or putting together the perfect Italian dinner. The Real Italian Deli has what i need and want.

Authentic and classic Italian subs! Always a go to stop whenever I am in the Palm Springs area!

My family and I walked in after a 2 hour wait at the urgent care next door. I was tired and my husband decided we'd give it a try. I believe it was the owner who right away offered us free desert for our two babies. My husband was admiring the bread and she started packing up some for him to take home. She said they'd end up throwing it away anyways since it was the end of the night so she was happy to give it to him. Their sandwhiches were delicious and huge ! I was full with half but had to eat the entire thing since it was amazing. They're a bit on the pricier side, but everything is fresh! Plus, supporting a local small business is always a plus. I didn't mind it at all. I know it's silly to leave a review over free dessert and free bread, but after a long day and sick babies-- their customer service and making us feel welcomed was much needed. We will definitely be back. We left with full stomach and full hearts . Great business they run here!

Friendly service, authentic ambiance, and just okay food. As someone who has spent many summers in Italy, I wouldn't consider it authentic Italian food.

Getting there: Located right off on Sunrise in the same shopping center as the 99 cent store. There is plenty of parking in front of the deli. Experience: My mom and I found this place with a quick Yelp search of an Italian Deli in the area. It's a small, cute deli that has a bunch of homemade items such as frozen pizzas, homemade alfredo sauce, pasta salad and more. They also have sandwiches for purchase, but they do not make custom sandwiches. I ordered a caprese sandwich that more than filled me up. If you're in the area, I highly suggest stopping by.

So good that I had to go twice during my short trip to Palm Springs! It's in a stripmall (they also have another location in Palm Desert), very unassuming, but it was fantastic! I ordered The Combo sandwich (mortadella, capocollo, salame, lettuce, tomato, provolone, balsamic glaze). They have some in the case already made to grab and go, but I had mine made fresh and customized it (no extra charge). I changed the bread to a baguette from the ciabatta it usually comes with and added mayo & mustard. It was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, so good that I had to go back and get the same sandwich again to take and eat on my flight home. They have true, Italian daily made sandwiches, lasagna, salads, deserts, etc., and Italian specialty items for sale. The staff was super friendly. I would definitely check this place out and will be back again!

Great if you're having guest over and would like a charcuterie board. Their bread is excellent, freshly made and there's a few fun fines. they are also very informative and helpful.

Stopped by in the late afternoon looking for a sandwich and was informed that the only sandos available were the pre-made 'wiches in the display case. They look uninspired and blah. What good is a deli without freshly made sandwiches? Nope. 2 stars.

Today I stopped in for a Parma sandwich and was disappointed with how little prosciutto was on the sandwich. Usually the sandwich has a thick layer of prosciutto but today it was a measly 2 slices I could barely taste. Hope this is a one time mistake and not a change to the sandwich or I will not be coming back.

These sandwiches are damn near perfect. Only thing that could make them even better is if the torpedo bread was softer to bite into. It was a fight to eat.

If you have Wi-Fi in your restaurant, there is no reason to deny your customers using it. I love your food, but I work during lunch. I'm happy to update this review and make it more positive, if you change this silly policy.

Awesome deli experience! I came here after two failed attempts for a grocer with prepared items. Small but good selection. I got a classic meatball sandwich, spicy Italian sandwich on focaccia, macaroni salad, beet salad, green bean salad and steamed greens. All of the salads were well seasoned and very fresh! The sandwiches were delicious & bread was soft of flavorful. Overall, awesome experience and delicious leftovers!

Great deli. We drove all the way from Indio to have a great sandwich. We'll drive back for food to go.

I LOVED this place and their food. We got the Combo sandwich on the ciabatta bread lightly toasted and man oh man was the sandwich great with that toasted bread. My only personal opinion is that the sandwich could have used a bit more of the yummy sauce or some mayo or special Italian dressing, but other than that it was great. I like my sandwiches with a crunch, a tang, a good sauce, and a fresh element to it and overall, this sandwich had it! Finally, got the Arancini (fired rice and meat ball) and omf it was so good, so authentic, 10/10 .

Beautiful little Italian deli with both prepared food and all the Italian cooking items one might want. I had an excellent sandwich- the real deal indeed! Servis was swift, and they were able to manage a line easily. Bonus that it's easy parking as it's within a large mall.

The most authentic Italian deli we have tried in the USA. This place is outstanding. We've been frequenting this place in Palm Springs for about 5 years. We first came here just as a quick drop in for a sandwich. It has become one of our go to places for exceptional Italian deli style food. They do have a good selection of homemade pastas, desserts and a small but excellent section of authentic Italian grocery items. The deli meat is excellent I usually just have them make me up a charcuterie board; though I also enjoy their sandwiches. Like many businesses in Palm Springs, they are careful in enforcing the number of people inside for pickup. There is, at this point, no dine in service; but there are a number of tables out front. We almost always just grab the togo and take it home to eat.