Little Joe’s — Local services in Gilbert

TLDR: kind people but slow, apathetic, ineffective and understaffed. 30 minute wait in line to order, and after 30 more minutes we were told it’d be ANOTHER 45 minutes to get the two overpriced sandwiches. We canceled the order and left, never having tasted the food.

— Truly, one of the biggest letdowns my family and I have experienced since moving to Arizona.

My wife and I, along with our young children, moved from New York a year ago. We’ve longed for food from home, and my wife obsessed over this spot because of their marketing. And if marketing was to be reviewed, I’d have to give five stars. Definitely on point, and makes you think they’re a legit New York styles deli.

Unfortunately, marketing doesn’t matter when you can’t deliver on what you’re selling. We went over around 11:30 on a Saturday to order a sandwiches for us and my parents. I waited in the car with our four children under four years old, and my wife went in to order. She was able to place our order (for two sandwiches, we didn’t expect prices to push fifty bucks for just that..) after waiting 30 minutes in line. Marketing had me believe this was an Italian, New York styled deli that cooked with care, efficiency, and love. I was wrong.

Literally another 30 minutes later I had to go in and ask what is going on. I know how bad she wanted to this to be a spot for us, and I tried to be patient. But when I went in and had my wife ask for an update, the nice lady at the register said it’s busy, there’s five orders ahead of us and it’ll be probably another 45 minutes. She recommended that we get there next time as soon as they open because it’s hard for them to keep up with the orders.

That means the total time for our order is a one hour and 45 minute wait. That is 105 minutes. That is 6,300 seconds. For two sandwiches. That they wanted to charge us $50 for.

We cancelled the order. The lady at the register seemed nice enough, but no one cared. No sense of urgency, no remorse for the dozens waiting so long still, no regret for us walking out, or the other family that was smarter than us and asked how long it’d be after waiting in line for 40 minutes to order and deciding to leave right away.

A truly tremendous letdown. Our search for a taste of...

My husband and I recently visited Little Joe’s after seeing it pop up on our social media feeds. The place was packed, with no empty seats in sight. We counted four people working in the small front area: one taking orders (who was incredibly sweet and patient, especially when handling a difficult situation with a disgruntled customer regarding the special burger of the day), one on the line making sandwiches, one standing by the deli case, and one visible in the back room. We were really looking forward to experiencing the shop’s rotating menu, which showcases fresh, seasonal ingredients for a unique experience with every visit.

While we’re happy to pay for quality, unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to the hype. It seems like Little Joe’s has outgrown its current space. Despite charging a premium for their food, the overall experience felt lackluster. We waited nearly 55 minutes for two sandwiches, which wouldn’t have been a big issue if the team had worked more cohesively. Instead, the staff felt disjointed, with some employees standing idle while the others worked in the back. This led to long wait times for both ordering and receiving food, and finding a seat was a challenge as well.

What really soured the experience for me was the way the restaurant responded to negative feedback on social media. After a customer expressed disappointment with his recent visit, the response from Little Joe’s was less than professional. It was disheartening to see such a disregard for constructive criticism, especially since every piece of feedback—whether positive or negative—presents an opportunity for growth. To witness that level of defensiveness from a local "up-and-coming" business left a bad taste, and it certainly doesn’t set a positive tone for future customers.

In short, if you have the time to wait for an hour, the food is fine. But the rest of the experience was overshadowed by inefficient staff management and an unprofessional approach to customer feedback. Unfortunately, I doubt we’ll...

Little Joe’s in Chandler used to be our absolute favorite spot, their pizzas were amazing and the people were super nice. But truthfully, things have completely changed for the worse over the last six months, and honestly, the way they run the place now is extremely unprofessional. The biggest disappointment is how they handle customers: if you dare suggest they fix anything (like selling out of food by 2:00 PM every single day, even though they close at 6:00), they just post your review on Instagram to rip into you and make fun of you. Recently a man named John voiced his concerns about the food selling out, but complimented that it still must be delicious and he will have to try it another day, they still blasted him and even made a joke about him on the menu! That alone shows zero respect. On top of that, getting food in general is impossible unless you live on their Instagram, which is the only place they announce closures for random trips/birthdays (we completely understand closing for family emergencies), but shutting down one week out of every month for every little thing seems a bit much. Their pizzas were their best menu item and it seems they pivoted to only sandwiches and overpriced catering. Everything is always "called for" by followers, leaving walk-ins hanging. Selling out of food is normal from time to time, but how do they not see an issue when it happens every single day? Shouldn't something change? Prep for more orders, hire another hand, or simply close earlier. It's just bad planning! Their recent shift to mostly sandwiches isn't helping either; they're fine, but they're usually just hot meat on cold bread and are nowhere near as good as those original pizzas. They really need to figure out how to run a proper business, treat people like actual customers, and maybe make enough food to last the whole day. One star, you're better off...