Dee's Deli — Restaurant in Cranston

It pains me to write such a review, as I used to love Dee’s as a child. The quality is not what it used to be when it was on the corner of Webster and Hillwood. The prices are much higher, which is understandable, as as time progresses, costs go up, and profit margins need to be maintained, or the business will go under. I can forgive them for that, except that the sandwiches are a fraction of the size they used to be. I recently ordered a grinder and a combo. I used to love the combo, overstuffed with meatballs and sausages, and sauce made from scratch. It didn’t taste the same, but it had been a while, so I can’t say it’s not made from scratch anymore or not. However, I can say that the sandwich was no longer overstuffed. It was more bread than meat. There was space between each meatball, which is normal, but the difference was instead of being overflowing with sausage pieces, there was one small piece. There was also barely any sauce, which made it seem dry, which was never the. Are. I also ordered a small grinder. Always loved their grinders, being a great way to fill up. This one was mainly lettuce. I took out half the lettuce and it was still mainly lettuce. Only a few thing slices of meat and two pieces of cheese. Now some people might say, you got a small, what do you expect? I expect the same quality they always had. But I remember that the newer generation have taken over, and are more concerned with maximizing than maintaining the status quo. Some things are better...

Italian grinder was like eating a veggie sandwich. They put one layer of paper thin cold cuts on the sandwich. On top of that, the place is just too busy to be in such a small building. You end up packed in this place shoulder to shoulder, chest to back, like sardines, and the multiple lines for walk ins and call ins don't help. My honest recommendation would be to go to a place where they actually put some meat on your sandwich, and where you can pick up your food without someone breathing down the back of your neck because people are so tightly packed in to such a small hole in the wall place. Unfortunately this gives me the vibe that the owner doesn't care about the customers, only his bottom line. Skimp on the meats, save money, don't expand a booming business because the hole in the wall probably has dirt cheap rent or the building is paid for and it...

I love this place, and I feel sad for having to say anything negative but you need to know. The quality of the food has gone down. The flavor of the place has changed. The atmosphere is definitely different. What happened to the warm family like neighborhood feeling? The sauce was raw, the meatballs were flavorless.... I was there 6 months ago and was disappointed. I tried again 2 weeks ago it was worse. The fact that I didn't have to wait in line on a Friday should have given me a clue that I would be disappointed. The only reason I am giving you a generous 4 Star is because I can't bear to bash Dee's my favorite sandwich place for over 50 years. Sell it before you completely ruin the place because your heart has...