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Ever try to go out to lunch during the week with several co-workers? It usually goes something like this: All of you get together, only to end up bickering for 20 minutes about where to go. Inevitably no one can make a decision (or no one wants to) and you all end up at a TGI Fridays eating deep fried god-knows what, with waiters singing happy birthday to a crying toddler at the table next to you. You come back from lunch more stressed out then when you left, and you ended up paying 18 dollars for a meal you would have happily avoided. Well, next time you guys are having trouble picking a spot, try the South Coast Deli. It has two locations, one in Goleta and a new location in Downtown Santa Barbara, and it’s sure to leave all your co-workers satisfied.

There’s nothing fancy about South Coast Deli, it’s your typical looking sandwich spot, but what separates this place from the pack is the sheer variety of sandwiches they offer. Combine that with fresh ingredients and hearty portions of Deli meat and you've got yourself a great lunchtime spot to keep all the co-workers happy…that is until they actually go back to work.

The menu ranges from hot and cold sandwiches to salads, all of which are priced reasonably, usually between 6 and 8 dollars. Their sandwiches range from the normal run-of-the-mill sandwich like the Turkey Hoagie, to the exotic such as the Flank Steak Panini, all of which are rather tasty. You can also add chips and a drink to your sandwich, or try one of their freshly made smoothies. I recently ordered the Roast Beef Hottie (Roast beef w/ melted hot pepper jack, garlic-tabasco mayo, ?lettuce, tomato & red onion) for $6.95.

I’ll admit, at first I was intimidated by the ingredients, but after overcoming my initial fear, I bit into one of the best sandwiches I've had in Santa Barbara. If nothing on the menu tickles your fancy, or you’re just very picky, then South Coast also lets you build your own from their variety of meats and cheeses for $6.75. Unlike most Delis in the area which are somewhat stingy with the ingredients, South Coast tends to be a little more generous and pile on the meat for you, giving you more bang for your buck.

If all of you don’t have the time to go out to lunch, you can also call South Coast and have them cater, which is very convenient for offices that are especially busy and can’t meet a deadline with a growling stomach.

One downside of the South Coast Deli in Goleta is that it is located right across the street from a large hospital, so lunch hours can get a little hectic and the wait may be a little longer than normal. Also, the parking lot is rather small and is shared by a few businesses, so sometimes you might have difficulty finding a spot. Other than these two minor problems, South Coast Deli is a great place to eat lunch.

Hopefully this article has helped you pick a great sandwich spot and will be the end of your co-worker lunch time woes…well, at least for now.