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.