Once Upon A Sandwich — Restaurant in Cortez

I had the pleasure of eating lunch here with my toddler for the first time today and was completely blown away by the experience.

The first impression came from the atmosphere - The new owners have really taken this place and turned it into a real life fairy tale. The decor is so thoughtful and cute, the playlist is upbeat and fun, and all patrons were immediately greeted with a warm smile. The owners have really leaned into the fanciful fairytale vibes and have made the restaurant into so much more than a sandwich shop. It is just so sweet and magical.

Next up was service - Despite how busy they were (nearly every table was full), the staff was attentive, calm, and kind. We were immediately brought our beverages and appetizers were out quickly. My toddler was kept busy with crayons and wikki sticks provided by the restaurant, and the staff was super great about checking in on us and making sure we always had everything we needed.

Now for the most important part - Food. I was really impressed by their menu. As a vegetarian, I'm used to having very limited options, but Once Upon a Sandwich has multiple options, and they all seem equally delicious. Their menu is the perfect size - enough items to keep things exciting, but not so many that making a choice becomes overwhelming. There are definitely options for everybody on this menu. The prices are also super reasonable, especially once we saw the generous portions. We ended up ordering fried pickles, sweet potato fries, the veggie wrap, and the children's grilled cheese. The fried pickles were the best I've ever had anywhere, and they were served with a delicious ranch. The sweet potato fries were perfectly seasoned and fried. My veggie wrap was massive and packed with super fresh vegetables. It's not common for the vegetarian offerings at a restaurant to be anything other than an afterthought, but this wrap was actually delicious and super satisfying. I also ordered it with a side of their southwest coleslaw, which had fantastic flavor and spice. My kiddo loved his grilled cheese and the fruit kebab that came with it.

It's very clear that the owners care a lot about making people feel welcome and ensuring that everyone is having a great time. Service and quality seem to be a super high priority, and this is an excellent place to come with children (or really, anybody). I am so happy to have this spot in town and look forward to...

Went once and won’t go again. The food was so bad it was almost inedible. Got the shrimp basket for lunch on a Monday when there were only a few other customers there. Shrimp were hockey pucks and there was nothing left to them because they were so overcooked. It came with the smallest order of fries I’ve ever seen, less than 20 total. Overall the shrimp basket isn’t the size of a meal, making it grossly overpriced for what you get, and meaning you’ll leave hungry (I’ve never felt that way after a meal out before). What I assumed to be cocktail sauce was the consistency of cranberry sauce - a paste - and it was tasteless. You can tell all this from the picture, so there’s no excuse for the cook and wait staff to have not noticed. I can only guess that means they serve it this way to everyone. My order also must’ve been sitting for a few minutes because by the time it got to me, the fries sitting on the pickle were already soggy. Worst food I’ve had in Cortez so far, and worst I’ve had anywhere in a long time.

That would be enough for me not to go back, but the service is poor and the male owner is sexist. He acted very friendly at first, so I was happy to help him find the part information online that he randomly told me I could help with (yes, really) for a melted oven knob. However he then called me a “secretary” which he obviously wouldn’t have done if I were male (definition of sexism). As simply a customer, let alone someone nearly 40 years old, with a professional career, who in all likeliness makes more than his restaurant does in any given year, it’s unbelievable to me that a business owner would say that to my face. It’s disgusting to me that anyone would treat another person with such disrespect, especially after them having done such a kind favor.

When someone helps you, don’t turn around and...

Great local mom & pop restaurant!

Menu hosts sandwiches, wraps, panini's, salads,soups, burgers and more! They also serve adult beverages.

This is great food, not fast food. While service can be slow, it wasn't horrible. Seems to be just one couple (I'm guessing the owners?) running it and doing all front of house jobs. That said, everyone was very friendly and helpful.

Food was GREAT! I had the Southwest wrap which was perfect. Well seasoned, and all the ingredients and textures worked so well together. My husband had the BLT which he said was REALLY good. We both had potato salad as a side, while other reviewers have raved about it...we weren't fans - but I think potato salad is one of those things that if you have a style you like you're not always fans of change.

I observed something really cute while we were waiting for our food. I can only assume she is one of the owners but the woman working in front of house went and got some puzzles and other things to keep young children occupied while their family was waiting for their take out order. I thought that was a really nice touch.

Additionally when the same server/host found out my husband was a veteran she not only thanked him for his service but also when we got our bill she delivered this little bag of three homemade cookies. I thought that was an amazing touch and a sweet/special way to recognize the service of our nation's veterans.

Overall I would recommend this stop to anyone who wants a great breakfast or lunch. But don't come in expecting everything to happen super fast. Take a breath, enjoy the ambiance, the company you're with, and...