Category: Lunch Spots

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.

Being a Jersey girl, I am constantly on the lookout for new sandwich shops. When I moved out west, there was a void in my life when I could not find one sandwich shop that lived up to my high standards. Sadly enough, I have since lowered my standards - until I visited McMaster's Steak and Hoagie shop in Isla Vista.

When my friend and I first got there on our lunch break, I noticed that there were barely any people sitting inside and eating so I got a little nervous. However, as soon as I heard the unmistakable Philadelphia accent from the owner, I felt my nervousness subside. Finally, an authentic sandwich shop! We decided to split a Philly cheese steak with mushrooms and peppers and a side of fresh cut fries. While I was waiting for my food, I began to notice that it was in between classes at UCSB and people were coming in and out on their bikes and picking up to-go orders and that they were actually quite busy during the lunch hour.

The shop itself was very clean and had an open kitchen area. The owner/cashier was extremely friendly and efficient. There was also a condiment area with different sweet and spicy peppers, some of which I had never seen before. The sandwich was very good, probably the most authentic Philly cheese steak I've had on the west coast. My only complaint is that they didn't put a lot of meat inside (maybe this is because they use rib-eye, a more expensive cut of meat). When we looked over the menu when we ordered, I noticed there was an option for adding "double meat/double cheese" but I am not too much of a carnivore so I assumed we would have plenty. The French fries were also good and very fresh – think In-n-Out, but a little thicker.

After passing our taste test and proving worthy, my friend and I were still hungry after only eating a half so we ordered seconds! This time around, we tried just the cheese steak with mushrooms and no sauce. This one was just as good and with less veggies and a little more meat. Altogether, I was pretty impressed with this place. My recommendation for others who stop by McMasters is to definitely order a whole one to yourself and if you are a big eater, get the double meat/double cheese.