Cavaretta's Italian Deli — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Cavaretta's Italian Deli has been a West Valley institution since 1959, and it's no surprise. They haven't forgotten the formula of providing a quality product, with incredible attention to detail and old school customer service!! Appropriately enough, they're located on the west end of a section of Sherman Way, between Owensmouth and Shoup, that is known as a bit of a valley time warp....a mile and a half stretch of boulevard that harkens one back to a simpler, more analog time. Independent boutiques, craft shops, health food stores, pubs, pizza places, and Cavaretta's all proudly line this length of thoroughfare largely unexploited by corporate big box stores. Walking into Cavaretta's, one is instantly transported back to that simpler time....a time when kids went with their parents to the local Italian market to grab ingredients for home cooked meals, or friends met to order hand-sliced sandwiches to take for lunch at the ball game or beach. Want more proof of the old school, analog feel at Cavaretta's?? The first thing one does when walking in is "take a number"....yep, those paper pull tickets....just like the old days at the butcher shop!! And, honestly, there's so much great eye candy in Cavaretta's, from the small aisles of imported Italian ingredients in their market (one of the few places in LA to find uncut fusilli pasta....see pic!!), to the shelves upon shelves of Dodgers bobbleheads and LA rock 'n roll ephemera, including classic 1980s KLOS and KMET band stickers that used to be handed out at legendary LA concerts, that one doesn't even mind the wait!! The music plays behind the counter, and the employees all buzz around to the beat of the music, and seem to be having fun, as they serve customers....and that energy is absolutely infectious!! While I was waiting to be be served, The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" was playing, and I caught the eye of one of the employees as we were both nodding our heads to the classic tune, and he immediately points to me and asks, "Where are we going to?" And without missing a beat I answer, "Strawberry Fields!" He gives a quick affirmative gesture, and says, "YEA!!" Now, that exchange might be one of those "you had to be there" moments, but it exemplifies the positive energy and rare attention to customer service that one gets at Cavaretta's!! I highly recommend experiencing Cavaretta's old school flavor for yourself. Pick up some hard to find ingredients for your next family meal, or grab a sandwich with some of their fresh Boar's Head meats, but whatever you do, don't leave without treating yourself to one of their legendary...

The absolute best in Italian To-Go ordering.

I've been going to Cavaretta's since 1997, when a co-worker first introduced me to it.

To this day, there is NOTHING like walking in from the hot San Fernando Valley heat to the refrigerated coolness that has the heavenly aroma of the various meats, cheeses, and spices hitting you face first.

This is an italian grocery store that has been passed down through hand-picked successors who will ensure that while they might update it enough to keep it clean, tidy, and efficient, they absolutely will make sure that the food is made in classic style, fresh, and the proper way.

They have a full range of italian deli items from olives, pastas, imported wines, sauces, cookies, to a multitude of meats and cheeses. The Lasagna is made fresh daily, along with the meatballs for the sandwiches. The half and full sized Lasagna trays can either be cooked on site, and handed to you for immediate service, or given to you cold, wherein you cook it at home when you need to make it (Waiting for it to cook, with the smell of their Lasagna filling the house makes for the longest. hour. of. your. life.)

They are famous for their sandwiches, which means that during the lunch hour, the line goes out the door, despite 5-6 very efficient sandwich makers buzzing about grabbing bread, slicing meat, and working the prep station. The bread itself is sourced from a local baker daily. With the exception of their Cold-cut combo (due to volume), every sandwich has their meat cut in front of you at time of order. Here again, driving home with the sandwiches in the car will make you consider more local real estate.

They do have a small dining area, but I've not made much use of it, so I can't comment on it too much.

The Cannoli are also made on site, and taste incredible. Do not deny yourself one of these when you visit.

The parking leaves a little to be desired, but that is out of their control, really.

Some people have told me of sandwich shops they think are the greatest. I've tried them, and still walk away wanting my Cavaretta's.

Suggestion: the Dry Coppa or the Soppresetta. The hot variants of...

Ice Cream Delight, But Everything Else Fell Flat

I had heard glowing reviews about Cavaretta's Italian Deli, so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, my visit left me more disappointed than delighted.

Sandwich Letdown

I ordered the Corned Beef & Pastrami Sandwich with the works, expecting a hearty, flavorful bite. Instead, I waited over 30 minutes for a sandwich that was dry, bland, and overwhelmingly bready. There were no bread options, just a plain white Italian loaf that lacked character and taste. The meat was sparse, the condiments nearly nonexistent, and the overall balance was off. It felt like eating a loaf with a hint of deli.

Cookie Confusion

I also ordered half a pound of Italian Wedding Cookies, but was mistakenly given sprinkle cookies instead. To make matters worse, they tasted stale, at least two days past their prime. This mix-up and lack of freshness added to the frustration. Spumoni Redemption The one saving grace was the Spumoni Ice Cream, prepackaged from Brothers' Company. It was rich, flavorful, and exactly what I hoped for. If you're stopping by, this might be the only item worth grabbing.

Timing & Setup

I visited around 4:30 PM, and it seemed like the food had been sitting out all day. Perhaps an earlier visit would yield better results. Also, the store layout is inefficient; servers constantly run up and down, and into one another in the prep line, which slows everything down. A streamlined setup, like what chains such as Subway use, could drastically improve service speed and consistency.

Final Thoughts

Cavaretta’s has potential, but my experience was marred by poor execution and stale offerings. If you go, call ahead and aim for an earlier time slot. And definitely grab...