Gioia's Deli Valley Park — Restaurant in Valley Park

03/08/25 Was my first time visiting this place. We ordered 2 sandwiches, one a 6-inch roast beef. It was supposed to have lettuce, onion, tomato, and mozzarella cheese. There was a decent amount of roast beef, but I did not get the tomato or cheese. I also did not get much lettuce or onion. The other sandwich which was a hot salami and pepperoni, was fine. These 2 sandwiches were $27 plus change and a $2 tip. The man who took our order was neither very friendly nor the rest of the staff. No one said thank you, and when we left, my friend said thank you, but the guy who took our order was on his phone and did not respond to him at all. I said have a nice day and he ignored me too. I have worked in customer service my whole life and can say that customer service is horrible. This employee should have been cleaning the tables that were not very clean. for the amount of money spent, this should have been a good experience, but it wasn't. UPDATE: I called to let the manager know about the lousy customer service, but never received a call back. The obviously care only about the money they get from you. UPDATE 2: After I posted my first update I did hear from the owner. He reached out, giving a very sincere apology and made things right. While I have not eaten there since, I did go in to pick something up and the staff was welcoming and friendly. Everyone seemed more personable and has a positive work demeanor. So I am updating their service score...

I placed an online order, as one does when a business claims to offer the convenience of “skipping the line.” The app assured me my food would be ready in 20 minutes. That was, of course, wildly inaccurate.

Upon arrival, I walked into a cramped, overcrowded shop filled with people waiting for their orders, many of whom had also ordered online and were just as frustrated. The staff moved at a glacial pace, and the entire process was disorganized. After waiting 35 minutes, I asked about my order—“It’s being worked on,” they said. Another ten minutes passed before I approached the cashier, requesting a refund, as my patience had worn thin. And then, as if by magic, the moment the cashier spoke to the manager, my order miraculously appeared.

It was painfully clear that online orders were being de-prioritized—an unacceptable failure for a business that promotes convenience. If you cannot fulfill orders within the timeframe you provide, then don’t offer one. And by all means, take down the sign that reads, “Skip the line, order online, next time!” because, frankly, that’s a joke.

Now, to be fair—the food was good. But no sandwich is worth this level of disorganization and delay. If ordering ahead means waiting even longer than if I had stood in that cramped, chaotic line, then I won’t be doing it again. It’s not complicated. It’s a sandwich shop....

I love this deli. I’ve eaten at Katz in NYC and many others and I don’t believe there’s a better sandwich than Gioia’s hot salami. I’ve tried some of their other sandwiches but always come back to the original hot salami. Grew up in the StL area but moved many years ago. Always, and I mean always stop at Gioia’s when in town visiting friends and relatives. Don’t be afraid to try the hot salami. It’s not spicy, just plain delicious. White bread, toasted, cheese of choice. Pick your toppings. We do the spicy mustard and giardiniera oil. Just bought two sandwiches and a crock pot log for our return to Texas. @Gioia’s, I was worried when you expanded from the hill and grateful you kept up the standards of the original. Thanks for...