I'm so sad to see this place has closed. I had been going here since they first opened many years ago. I was vegan for a number of years and hadn't been in about 10 years and the owner still remembered my name and rest of the family. Good on him for retiring and telling no one. Though, I think the community softened him over the years for the better. Seems like the right way to go out, just wish I would have gotten one last grinder. read more

I always enjoyed the personalized sandwiches but mostly the service, especially bc Pete knew me by 1st name basis AND our impactful convos over the last few years. As a medical professional, I used to work down the street and we'd talk about medical diagnosis, treatments, medications, nutrtion, etc. Even with my own medical diagnosis. And basics: cars, exercise. Anyway, I drive up today to get a sandwich for my Dad and myself. Shocked that this community staple is gone. Missed him by 3 weeks. Good luck to your future endeavors and thanks for food for thought and tummy. read more

Something to consider is that I have not been to this restaurant for about seven years as I have moved out of the area and have been plant-based for five years. The owner of the restaurant prioritizes healthy food and was always in the shop when I came by. I love the idea that an owner or manager is in their restaurant working alongside their staff. It says a lot about how they care for and appreciate the people who make their business work. I'm not sure if they have anything plant-based, but when I frequented their restaurant years ago, they did have vegetarian options. The owner always remembered me & called me by my name, and even remembered the order I typically chose (and the order was always ready fast!). The sandwiches were always on point, and I would absolutely recommend this place for its customer service and quality of food. read more

I had not been here in years but stopped by and was reminded why I always loved this place. The bread is excellent, pricing is super reasonable, and it's just an awesome small business. 10/10 recommend! read more

4 meat combo: ham, pastrami, pepperoni & roast beef with provolone! Very satisfying! After moving to Portlandia, Peter had me still on file after not ordering for 8 years! read more

The sandwich was served in a hot dog bun that's used at Costco. I paid 70$ for two 12in sandwich, 2 bags of chips, and two drinks. Crazy price. I could've went to a restaurant and gotten a better meal. He asked if I wanted my smoked turkey warm or not and he just put it in the microwave. What the heck is up with that. Crazy prices for horrible quality. A sandwich at Peet's coffee is better than buying from here. Try it yourself if you want to pay for such an expensive meal. read more

My go to spot for lunch when I want to grab a sandwich.. it's a small shop on the side of an eye glass store. Nice welcoming staff.. they have plenty of options to choose from they also do custom sandwiches.. a wide variety of chips and drinks.. orange cream soda read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - Front door - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

This place has been a staple in my life for twenty plus years. I ventured here today for lunch with my mom. She had a hot pastrami sandwich on rye bread. She always get this and reports she is "never disappointed "! The owner of the shop has a great system that allows for you to customize your sandwich perfectly. And it's efficient. I had a veggie sandwich on a roll that was good. The choice of veggies is limited and they are mostly chopped ( I.e. chopped tomatoes, onions, lettuce). So it's makes the sandwich a little messier when eating. But the taste is still good and fresh. They offer plenty of chips and cold beverages. There is no place to sit inside but there are plentiful benches in front. The menu is extensive and service is fast and accommodating! read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - Veggie sandwich on a roll - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

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We had a great experience here today as a family of 4. The service was quick and friendly, and the sandwiches were delicious. We tried both the turkey and the bbq beef and both were delicious. We will definitely be back! read more

Love this place! Excellent grinders, fast service. Happy to support this small business and enjoy some fab grinders.

I'm giving one star for stale bread it's so stale I couldn't eat anymore this is not French bread it's more like a hotdog bun it got soggy too on its 5 minute drive home. The search continues for a good sandwich place in Oakland read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - Italian on French bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

My boyfriend and I stumbled apon this cute little shop yesterday. Very nice, funny and energetic owner who took our orders. The girls who made our sandwiches were very nice. Sandwiches were delicious. I had an Italian sandwich recommended by owner when I couldn't pick between the meat option haha and my boyfriend got a teriyaki chicken sandwich which I also bit into . Definitely recommend will be back read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - Yummy sandwiches - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

The sandwich was good enough, though the Costco-esque hot dog bun roll fell apart on one half. My problem here was the price: two18in sandwiches with avocado and two bags of chips total was $60 with a $5 cash tip given. I would be much more inclined to return here if the price was half or even 2/3 of that. I mean really? $30 for a large sandwich and a bag of chips seems a bit outrageous even for Montclair. The owner is nice and organized though. read more

Honestly, extremely disappointed. Overpriced and very little effort to make something quality here. They brag about their bread on the menus but its just name brand store bought rolls The taste of everything was mediocre. The presentation you can see for yourself. Im all for supporting local businesses, especially long standing one, but this was in my opinion garbage food. 1 star for the customer service and speed. Id give a half star more for fresh chopped onion and peppers, but its absolute minimum effort. And honestly, what sandwich has diced ingredients? This isnt a freaking chili dog... Every bite was raining ingredients (with the wrapper holding it together!) read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - Meatball sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

The sandwiches are great. Texting your order is the easiest way, but he will run you through the options as well. Once you get the hang of the menu you can try a lot of variations. read more

I'm not sure how this guy can sell horrible tasting food like this. The roll was HARD and flat, the meat was chopped in Pieces,the lettuce was not fresh and he forgot my tomatoes. I took one bite and tossed the rest. Absolutely no Quality in this product at all. For the price he should be serving whole slices of Fresh meats and cheeses,and the veggies should be bright colors and crispy. The young ladies working in the shop had nothing but smiles on their faces and very Pleasant. Avoid Grinders in Montclair village,can get a better sandwich at 7-11. read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - a pile of meat and lettuce - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

Two 9 inch sandwiches, 2 small bags of chips, 1 small plastic bottle of Pellegrino. $49. Seriously. Sandwich was mediocre at best. Bread was hotdog bun-like. I personally didn't find the owner to be rude, but these prices are absolute highway robbery for what you're getting. read more

Have you ever been to a deli the size of a shoebox with everything you could possibly want? No? Okay. So here's what you're gonna do: put on your shoes, set your alarm for 11 am tomorrow when they open, and then RUN TO GRINDERS. Oh my GOSH. How I love this little local sammie shop! (Emphasis on little). The owner/cashier has it down to a SCIENCE. He knows how to get orders through quickly and efficiently! I usually go for a turkey or ham deli situation but I got the Philly cheesesteak last time I went and it was divine. Show Grinder's some love next time your lunch time sandwich cravings are hitting!! read more

I found it to be an average sub. It had a good amount of lunch meat and toppings in ratio to the bread. I can't say there was anything that really impressed me about it but there was nothing also bad about it. I got the 9in and it was a nice size. I may have enjoyed it more if they had toasted it. It was easy to order; just placed a call via text. read more

Disclaimer: I am hoping to leave this review not to harm a persons small business but Instead to inspire them to do much much better. I grew up going to Grinders and it USE to be really yummy. I would like to start with the bread used: "San Francisco International seeded Gourmet ... Hot Dog Rolls" (I will include a picture of it for those that don't know what kind of bread that is) - but just know that this is a soft cheap alternative to actual sandwich bread. Not okay. If I wanted to have cheap tasting bread on a 20$ sandwich I would of stayed home and used left over hot dog bread or gone to subway around the corner for a $5 sandwich for "better quality". The fillings- you get charged for every single item you order ... Which include the standard shops - shredded butter lettuce, diced onions etc. There is a menu at the beginning and it has a list and steps on how to order, so you think: wow! This is an awesome ordering experience, then you get to the front and the owner (I'm assuming) older gentleman with glasses with a very sarcastic personality & he starts asking out loud the sandwich build, he gets irritated if you look down at the paper and "don't listen" ! He charges you for every single item. The sandwich as a whole: you get a sloppy soggy sandwich on a hot dog bun & if you ordered the large sandwich ... you get TWO hot dog sandwiches. For the price it is NOT worth it because again... it's a hot dog bun bread. The food nor the personality make you want to return to this place. Here are the things that can be changed and Should be changed ASAP for the sake of their business. The bread type- change to sourdough, Dutch crunch - just any bread that matches the price point of their sandwiches. People are coming to you for a sandwich they Cannot easily make at home. So give that & do it like "you care". The cold cuts- change to cold cuts that match the price, my roast beef was pieces of plain steak, the turkey my friend ordered was cheap turkey. The personality- that's a tough one to change but tone it down. It's funny but only at the beginning, after you continue to have the same sarcasm it turns annoying and not cool. Combine the sarcasm and the quality of the cheap skate over priced food.. and you get the worst sandwich place one has EVER been to. I spent $40 on two large hot dog sandwiches... I threw one away. That was a huggeeee waste. I am a person that will pay top dollar for good food but this was the biggest rip off of my life. Never thought it would be a sandwich shop owner would be the first person in my life to rip me off like that. Lol Anyway Grinders owner please turn your expensive sandwich quality ship around & let me know when you do because I will give you another shot and support my local sandwich shop. I believe in you. You got this! Bring me back to my childhood at your sandwich shop. If you bought this from an old owner please reach back out to them to give you successful tips and if you have always been the owner: whatttt iinn the world happened to you!? Get it together! Otherwise please get out of this neighborhood where you are ripping everyone off. read more

Grinders Submarine Sandwiches - Sandwiches Near Me - Oakland, California

The Italian combo tasted like a salt lick...even when I asked for no salt or pepper. The filling options are mentioned by the clerk rather than set out buffet style to choose from like Subway. Over all, it took 15 minutes for me to order and receive my combo. The ambiance is storeroom decor. The closet sized venue is lined with drink cases filled with bottles and cans to sell. All parking in the area is paid parking on the street or a nearby garage. The single 12 in combo cost $26...for one sub. I do not recommend this place, read more

Way to overpriced I got two sandwiches and it was like $45 I was disappointed with the price and quality

Just an average sandwich. Subpar for the high price. The menu and cryptic pricing of the food is made for savants. Ordering food here is certainly a unique experience. read more

Super yummy sandwich. Expensive but felt it was worth it. Speedy service too! Small storefront and nowhere to sit so plan to take your sandwich to go. read more

Solid sandwich, have been coming here since I was a kid. Nothing spectacular, but far better than Subway. There are better spots out there, but this place works when convenient. read more

11/12/21 Well, it's different, that's for sure. It looks more like a tiny warehouse inside than a restaurant, maybe an Amazon fulfillment plant scrunched down to 1:1,000,000,000 size. I know this place is about grinders but I saw burger front and center and was like hmmm, that would hit the spot. So, that's what I got (a burger for $8.88--hmm, yes, that's what's on my receipt...).... Well, tried to get. As soon as I said I wanted a burger a whirlwind of questions came. As if I was designing a house or something. 50 questions later I was like, "Dang, that's like a designer burger." Counter dude tells me that my order is stored under my name, and most people will just reorder the same thing they always do, so just tell him my name next time and the 100 ingredient list does not have to be repeated. Interesting indeed. Well, I made sure I said, "Please make it not dry." Dude said, "I HATE dry burgers too. I just finished one and trust me, you'll like it." Welp... I got my order 10min later and took it out to a bench outside, sat and ate. How was it? Well, to be perfectly honest, yes, the first bite was juicy as hell, but it was from all the tomatoes, condiments, etc, that made it sloppy good. But the meat itself is definitely low quality--it tasted as fake as Burger King, and that's really something. I can't tell if it was cooked medium as I specified, but due to such low quality meat it just tasted well done despite it possibly be cooked less so--I "THINK" the middle was soft, like rare meat, but again... it was all grey and rubbery. Anyway, overall it was alright, but I'd order something else next time. 3/5 #oakland #grinders #subs #submarinesandwiches #sandwiches #burger #hamburger read more

Super fresh ingredients. Super reliable every time. Service is not the friendliest, but the sandwiches are worth it.

This was highly recommended by a friend but when we got there, we were sorely disappointed. A 12-inch turkey (chunk) sandwich on a soggy Costco hot dog bun for...drum roll...$30?!?! Safeway deli does better than this. Never again. read more

Fast, friendly service, to go! Best low carb friendly Italian sub (customized - no bun, just on a bed of lettuce) I've had...so fresh and tasty! read more

So it's not your new age sandwich shop. This is a very particular type of sandwich. The bread is old school po boy style to me. Hoagie style if you will. We never have any complaints as we know what to expect. The sandwich may not be instagram worthy for pictures but the taste for me has always won me over. The Italian is my go to. read more

Fantastic Sub Shop. We were on our way for a hike at Sibley and looked up Sandwich shops on Yelp. This came up and we decided to give it a try. The owner was really friendly and fun. Ordering a sandwich is an incredible experience. It's like filling out a State Test Scantron or what I imagine filling out a match (dot) com romantic profile to be like. You go in with an idea of what you want and then he asks a bunch of condiment questions with the skill of an auctioneer! They only take cash so be prepared. Also, it's pricier than most sandwich places... three of us walked out with 2-9" subs, 1-6" sub, 3 bags of chips and one soda was about $31. CASH ONLY, again so be prepared. Parking is a bit of a pain, but you can find street parking or a small private lot with meters an hour will run you a buck so it's not bad. There is no seating inside so be prepared to take it and gobble on a bench nearby or quickly make your way to your eating destination. Now, about those sandwiches..... FANTASTIC! The meat was fresh and the condiments were as well. I got a turkey/avocado (with various condiments) which was absolutely delicious.. the turkey was first rate and piled high. Our daughter ordered a tuna fish which when she had reached full she said "I really hate to throw the rest of this out, but I'm so full." Hubby got a turkey, salami & provolone with lots of goodies. When our order was ready the owner said two things which cracked me up... 1) These sandwiches are going to be great RIGHT NOW and 2) I'm putting in extra napkins because I know one of you is going to be messy. HA! I loved it! That would be me. :) We will definitely be back and are so glad we discovered a new place thanks to a search on Yelp. read more

Got a XL italian today. It was pretty good and the size and quality were satisfying. my wife got a micro sized tuna sandwich that she enjoyed. no complaints here really. there are lots of options and the dude working there runs it all by you one by one. I like that. The prices are a little high to be honest but that the reality of th bay area/ You want something cheap? go to Subway. read more

I've been going here for 30+ years, no joke! It's has always pained me to deal with the owner but the sandwiches were good. Crazy ordering system but hey whatever. Today is the last time I support this business. Used the text in order system. Arrive 25 minutes later nothing ready. No problem, people behind us order and their sandwiches are delivered 10 minutes later. We ask "do walk ins take preference?" He stated no. In total we waited 45 minutes from text to pick up. This is not the first time we've had issue with ordering. The owner just doesn't get customer service, he could care less. Too bad, but now I can focus on other business. Update: got home and all of the sandwiches were wrong! We looked at the text and nothing matched. Ah!!!!! read more

The guy running the counter should not work in customer service. They're obviously struggling business but there are eager to overcharge customers by surprise. read more

Can't go wrong with the Italian sandwich. Toppings are fresh and the bread is soft. People often complain about the service and ordering process, but once you got it down...it's really simple and easy to get your sandwich. Everything is very well organized: your sandwiches are stored in a database, a column of chips to choose from, and an assortment of drinks displayed on the counter. read more

Best sandwich spot ever the bread is soo fire and the sandwiches are soo warm too come here for breakfast lunch dinner you won't be sorry :))) read more

The sandwich guy can be extremely intimidating. I felt like you were expected to answer hella fast. Him: what kind of bread do you want? Me: Whole wheat. Him: What kind of meat? Me: Tuna salad. Him: What kind of cheese? Me: No. Him: Pickles? Me: Yes. Him: Ketchup? Me: Yes....WAIT NO. Him: Mustard? Me: Yes. Him: Onions? Me: No.....WAIT YES!! Him: Jalapeños? Me: Yes. Him: Onions? Me: Yes. Him: Grilled or raw? Me: Both. And it goes on...lol. Gosh, I felt like I was playing Family Feud's Fast Money Round. "Alright Priscilla, 20 seconds on the clock...." Where you had think fast and had a second to answer. Overall the sandwich was not bad at all, I'll be back if I want some thrill and anxiety in my life. read more

This place has one of the best ordering systems I've ever seen in my whole entire life.... The sandwiches are incredible the accuracy of the order makes the whole experience that much better! You'll have to try it to believe it! If your sandno is wrong it's on you! Full accountability to the customer for customization due to the fact that sandwiches can be incredibly complicated and are often messed up in that ordering phase.... This place, it's impossible for "THEM" to mess it up! Thanks you guys! read more

I'm not gonna lie this is by far the worst Philly cheesesteak I have ever bit into absolute trash. I asked the man that took my order if he had a recommendation, he said everything is delightful. Clearly we don't have the same understanding of the word. How he managed to f up a Philly cheesesteak. Never going back. I would give you no stars if I could. read more

Everytime i come here i get a kick of how they work. They have a list of the food outside the door so if you can make sure you have your order ready. Once inside you will be greeted with a wall of chips on the right and a counter on the left. When its your turn he will ask your name and if you have been here before. If you have then you know they save the sandwiches in the system for a fast return visit. If not he will be blunt and say what will you like. the list of options are a bit overwhelming for the first timer.The sandwiches are a bit on the pricier side but hey its the bay what else would you expect. But hey i don't mind paying a bit extra as long as it's good. The philly cheese steak and the tuna egg salad sandwiches are my goto. You can't go wrong with these choices. So when you stop by make sure you remember no seats and it's only take out. read more