Molinari Delicatessen
The Verdict
"Go before 1pm or after 2pm to miss the queue, know your sandwich before you reach the counter, and carry it two blocks up to Washington Square, where there are benches and lawn."
What you need to know
The Food
Sandwiches made to order at a counter at the back, on Dutch crunch or a roll. The Molinari Special Italian combo is the one to get. The rest of the shop is hanging salami, imported tins, cheese and a cold case.
The Story
P.G. Molinari, from Piedmont, started the business in 1896 and moved it to Columbus Avenue after the 1906 earthquake. Four generations of the family have run it since, curing salami under the P.G. Molinari and Sons label. Taste of Home named it the best deli in California in 2025.
North Beach will tell you that Joe DiMaggio asked in his will for Molinari food at his funeral reception. That has always been passed along as a rumour rather than a documented fact, and it is worth repeating on those terms.
Practical Info
Price: $$. Sandwiches run around $18 to $20.
Seating: Essentially none. This is a counter and a queue.
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm.
Bourdain: The Layover, San Francisco, aired January 2012. Molinari was his last stop before the airport, and he ordered the house special.
Filmed here
Productions the city recorded shooting at or beside Molinari Delicatessen.
- 373 Columbus Avenue4m awayMurder in the First, Season 1 2014
- Caffe Trieste, 601 Vallejo st52m awayGoliath- Season 4 2021
- Caffe Trieste52m awayBig Eyes 2014
- Cafu00e9 Trieste52m away40 Days and 40 Nights 2002
From the San Francisco Film Commission permit record.
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