Hector's Deli — Restaurant in Melbourne

I’ve always had great experiences at Hector’s Deli in South Melbourne — even when they’re slammed with lines out the door, the staff are friendly, understanding, and happy to accommodate requests. Sadly, my first visit to the Fitzroy location was the complete opposite.

As we were about to walk in (through the wide-open door), a staff member (with tattoos on her arms) yelled at us to order from the side instead. I now understand that inside is for pick-up and outside is for ordering, but at the time we didn’t know. Even if we had stepped inside, it really wasn’t a big deal — she could’ve politely said, “Do you mind ordering from the side?” Instead, she shouted at us in a rude, unnecessarily loud tone that immediately set the wrong mood.

We then asked for a simple modification to avoid pork contamination — such as using baking paper or the wrapper to toast the sandwich, or even wiping down the toaster. Each time, she cut us off with a loud, condescending “NOOOO SORRY.” The chef, Chin, was the complete opposite: polite, friendly, and clearly willing to help. But she wouldn’t even let him get a word in.

Because of this, we ended up with cold tuna melt and cold meat sandwiches. Being from out of town, we didn’t have enough time to find other options, which made the experience even more disappointing.

It’s a shame that one staff member’s attitude can drag down the whole experience for the team. I won’t be returning to the Fitzroy store, especially knowing how much better and more accommodating the South...

We got to Hector’s Deli at 1pm on a Sunday and after waiting 45 mins to reach the start of the line, we were very disappointed to find out that (a) they weren’t offering the hot menu as featured on their website which was what we had been waiting for and (b) they only had 2 types of sandwiches left…

I understand why the menu was changed (disappointed but I can’t blame them and I didn’t check their insta) but it would’ve been appreciated if one of the staff members came out to inform us people waiting in line that there were very limited options left at the time.

Once we placed our order we were also told that it would be an extra 5 min wait but turned out to be closer to 15 mins, in which during that time someone finally came out to tell the rest of the people in line that most of their menu had been sold out. We witnessed the disappointment in many people’s faces as they left the line because they waited all this time for nothing, I felt bad for them.

Despite this the sandwiches were still yummy and I still want to try their hot menu but will make sure to come earlier before it sells out and to minimise wait times.

EDIT - Response to owner’s reply: Selling out is not the issue and fine if you want to make it the norm, the problem here is that you need to think and care about your customers’ experience. How would you feel if you waited in line for over 30 mins to find out that everything is sold out? I’m just saying that you should communicate to your customers earlier to minimise...

Saturday mornings are my favourite time of the week. No alarms, no dress code and no socks needed. This is always the perfect opportunity to venture outside our usual comfort Saturday morning picks to try out new places recommended by my brunch brethren (you guys).

This weeks pick was this small corner deli- Hector’s deli. The reviews were raving so of course my curious mind and tongue had to go try.

Upon arrival, the long line was indeed a good indication.

Menu- simple and refined. Having read the reviews, we went with pastrami and pickle sandwich with their hectic sauce and cheese as well as the classic chicken burger.

Pastrami and pickle sandwich was perfect, fatty meat cut through by the pickles and sauerkraut. Would definitely recommend the hectic sauce as well for that extra saucy tang.

Chicken burger was lightly fried with panko and complimented well with pickled mayo sauce. Having said this, my craving for fatty deliciousness was only satisfied by the pastrami and pickle sandwich.

Coffee was as per the normal high quality Melbourne coffee standard.

Deli itself was small but provided outdoor bench and table seating. Most people seemed to order takeaway.

Overall this was a lovely find and I thank you all for recommending this place. Keep up the good work and we will definitely be coming back to try other delicious sandwiches (don’t you go anywhere...