Bullpen in San Carlos: The “Godfather” of Laurel Street Deli’s.

February 4, 2011

The Incumbent.

There was a ton of excitement when The Sandwich Spot opened its doors in the southern section of Laurel Street last year, and for good reason — White Oaks and southern San Carlos was sorely in need of a good deli to balance out the plethora of restaurants along the northern stretch.    But throughout all of the hype, one special deli kept plugging away with its signature sandwiches and lightning-fast service:  Bullpen Deli, located at 603 Laurel Street.

Bullpen opened a number of years ago in this ideal spot near the corner of San Carlos Avenue and Laurel Street, which is just around the corner from Sneaker's Pub & Grill, which is operated by the same owners.   But as many restauranteurs in San Carlos have discovered, great location doesn't guarantee success with the San Carlos crowd.  You have to deliver the goods — and Bullpen delivers…fast.

Generous Sandwiches, Great Service.

We have been going to Bullpen for years,  and I can't decide if it's the excellent quality of the sandwiches (the Godfather is a must) or the outstanding service that keeps drawing us back.  Geronimo has become almost legendary with the regulars with his ability to whip up a masterpiece of a sandwich almost before you get to the front of the line to pay for it.    Here are a couple of typical responses from Yelp about the service from that pretty much sums up the experience:

…But the thing that keeps me coming back to this place is not the food, actually.  It's this little game that I play.  If there is no one else in line, I try to place my order and pay, BEFORE my sandwich is done.  I always lose.  Seriously.  The sandwich guy is amazingly fast.

…They need to rename this place “Fastest Deli Imaginable”    Seriously…they make your order in front of you, and it is ready before your credit card has even been fully swiped.  The bread and the meat are fresh, and you get your sandwich so quickly, you're left with plenty of time on your lunch break to stroll down Laurel and stop into one of the many cute shops.

That's Geronimo in a nutshell.  And he manages to keep up with the latest sports conversation while he's whipping up your order.  Go figure.

The only rap on the place from readers seems to be that it's a tad on the expensive side, and that there's not enough seating there to sit and enjoy your sandwich.  But that's fine with us — we always take ours to go, and if there indeed is a premium for their sandwiches, it's worth it in my book.

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3 Comments

  1. Anonymous on February 5, 2011 at 1:10 am

    I agree with the concept: it’s not the food that brings me back to this place. (It’s pretty processed turkey, etc.). It’s the service that is great. Geronimo and his sister are pleasant to deal with and he can make about 10 sandwhiches in the time it takes to get ONE from Le Bou across the street. I always thought they were reasonably priced. Their gelato/ice cream is a nice treat on a warm day. As far as super good sandwhiches with real turkey, Eric’s Deli in Menlo Park /Sharon Heights is awesome but pricey.



  2. Tamara on February 7, 2011 at 5:37 am

    I disagree. You don’t have to go all the way to Menlo Park for fresh turkey sandwiches. Little know Gracie’s Deli, a llitle bit down from Bianchini’s serves killer fresh daily roasted turkey sandwiches. It’s often sold out, so get there early. P.S. Order it on freshly baked oat bread and you’ll never bother with another deli in town.



  3. Anonymous on February 21, 2011 at 2:46 am

    Gracie’s has the real deal (real turkey) but haven’t been back there in a few years. Had a series of bad customer service visits and gave up. Perhaps they’ve improved in that dept.



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