Little Lucca, South San Francisco

On our way up to San Francisco, we decided to stop by the Little Lucca Sandwich Shop and Deli, which was recommended by one of Theresa’s co-workers.  The shop looks like a tiny converted house.

2-3 sandwich makers man the service counter, which is just inside the door. Coolers with drinks and racks of chips line the tiny room, with specials posted on the wall. Sandwiches come in only one size and you can choose the type of bread along with the filling.

When I saw the prices, they seemed high to me, but Theresa mentioned that based on all the reviews on Yelp, the size of the sandwiches are large.  We opted for the rotisserie chicken bacon provolone ranch sandwich on dutch crunch and is served hot. Additional options included lettuce, tomato, mayo, Little Lucca’s Original Garlic Sauce,  hot sauce, pickles, and mustard.

Constructed and layered properly, it comes wrapped tight in deli paper.  This sandwich is large and substantial. Definitely share, or expect to take about half of it home. Meat portions are fairly generous. making the sandwich rather thick  and it’s pretty difficult to put all the layers in your mouth, unless you have Dagwood’s jaw.  What separates Little Lucca sandwiches are the 2 sauces/spreads that they use.  Makes for a nice Italian twist on whatever sandwich you decide to get.  The bread is fresh and holds up well to our very “juicy” sandwich by not falling apart, being too spongy nor so chewy as to require violently yanking at the sandwich with your teeth coupled with a violent jerk and pull with your hands.

There is no indoor seating, but there are tables set up in the “alley” along the side, which opens up to a small back yard with more tables.  The day we went was very sunny, relatively warm, and not that windy, which is unusual for the area. On a typical bay area day or a rainy day, I would advise taking the sandwich to go or eating in your vehicle. Also, the shop only gets a set number of bread loaves each day, and because of the popularity, your choice might run out if you get there later in the day.

Verdict:
While the sandwiches are very tasty, a good value, and judging by the fairly long line, even during the mid afternoon when we went, extremely popular, I think not living close to the shop would deter us from going up to South San Francisco just for the sandwich. However,  I would put this on the top of my list for a hearty lunch if we happen to be in the area. Just remember that these sandwiches are for sharing.