Salumi — Restaurant in Seattle

I went here twice due to a lot of hype online. After two visits, I'm super confused & honestly kind of offended lol. Firstly, the space is stinky. Like boiled sweet pickles and old lady. Secondly, the wait time was lengthy both times I went. I'm talking 20-30 minutes for a sandwich. The employees worked with NO urgency even though there was a huge line of people waiting. Finally, they were probably the worst, most expensive sandwiches I've ever had the displeasure of tasting. The Cubano was....gross. Period. The meat tasted totally unsalted. The bread hard as hell. The turkey sando was WET. Like...a huge soggy mess immediately after they made it. More cheese than meat. Neither had good flavor or bold flavor (I don't think they use salt in ANYTHING AT ALL let alone any other seasoning, flavor, or spice.) They were very basic, nothing special. Like a school cafeteria. Everything was bland, watery, disgusting. For around $17 a pop for the sandwich alone you'd expect something delicious. I don't even think you can get them toasted here. The QFC deli makes a better sando!!! I didn't think it was possible to mess up a sandwich THIS bad but these guys manage it! I didn't finish either sandwich, honestly. I can make a 20x better sando at home by myself. And for a lot less than $17!!!! I've told everyone I know to go elsewhere in the neighborhood. I have no idea where the hype is coming from (paid folks? friends? People who have never eaten outside of a low budget cafeteria?). I do not...

The lady at the counter was kind. However when I asked if I could have a different bread on the turkey sandwich- a man said that “we don’t do that and if I didn’t like it I could go somewhere else” that was super rude. This was the first time id ever been there and I made that known. Im from the east coast and I expect a certain crunchy texture to bread. Fyi if you want a crunchy baguette for your sandwich you will be unable to get it here. They only do it on the hot sandwiches. Id pay more for the bread- but they dont offer that option. Unfortunately disappointing. I still would have ordered if the man hadn’t been unnecessarily rude.

Came back to try this again and “manager” called me “cunt” wow. Super appropriate business here.

Lastly, the sandwichs you see in the pictures with crunchy baguette breads are from catering orders and are misleading.

To review the food. I got the pork sandwich. The meat was too salty. The bread became soggy on one side (which is why this bread should be used for cold sandwiches and not hot sandwich takeout) and there was cold toppings on my hot sandwich. This place was a far cry from any Italian deli ive been to on the east coast.

From the food to the manager. Disappointed. Manager shouldnt be fired as it seems the owner is the source of stress for this manager. However, the owner should take ownership in their shop and try some of the food that comes out of the kitchen and cultivate managers that know how to speak appropriately...

The sandwich hype is real. It's an unassuming little joint that stays quiet until noon rolls around and all the hungry patrons line up for a delicious sandwich on their lunch breaks. There's quite a bit of seating inside, thankfully, and there's a public restroom with the code written on the wall. You order via a kiosk now, which is efficient, if a little impersonal. I wish they had Wi-Fi, as lunch spots like this tend to be great to pop open your laptop and get some work done, but alas. I got a porchetta sandwich, a grindhouse sandwich, and a chocolate-chip cookie.

The porchetta is my favorite. It's served hot on a fresh baguette, smothered with an herb aioli, some kind of vinegar, and some sweet peppers. The meat is incredibly tender and juicy, the richness of the fat balanced by the tangy vinegar and peppers. It's a juicy and delicious sandwich.

The grindhouse is a cold sandwich on ciabatta with salami, turkey, cheese, shredded lettuce, and mayo. It's a solidly executed sandwich, if not the most exciting. If you're an East-Coaster missing your deli fix, this might do it for you.

Finally, the supposedly famous chocolate-chip cookie is pretty disappointing. Mine only had about 5 tiny chocolate chips in it (a crime which should be punished with the full extent of the law) and the cookie itself was just bland and basic.

Overall, I'd highly recommend you stop by Salumi a little before noon on your lunch break, grab a hot sandwich, and skip...