Picnic Sandwich Bistro

I disagree with the reviews saying this is pricey. It’s $ 7 — $ 9 for a sandwich and a side? How do you beat that unless you eat at crappy Subway. Three of us spent $ 25 on lunch. The sandwiches are warm, tasty and great. I’ve had the kielbasa, BLTA, and today had the hummus sandwich. My 13 year-​old son wanted the half of the hummus, cucumber, aoli on ciabatta when I said I was taking it home. What 13 year-​old boy wants a hummus sandwich? The service is attentive, friendly and appreciative. I recommend highly.

Had a chance to try this today and must say that the sandwiches are amazing… Tried their signature one along with the lemonade which was also good…

Hmm. Picnic Sandwich bistro was surprisingly pricey. And was only average in my book. I got the PCH (crab salad) sandwich which seemed popular among Unilocalers and other customers and it just tasted like your average tuna or potato salad-​like feel, you couldn’t really taste the crab or much anything else, really. Each sandwich came with a choice of sides, however… if you wanted the salad, it was an extra $ 2?
We got the Norcal nachos as well. which was actually the highlight of my meal. But it was really heavy that both of us had to take a nap after. Without chicken or avocado, the nachos ran us $ 6, but for obvious reasons, we got chicken… which left us with an overpriced $ 9 nacho dish.
Overall, the bill came to around $ 30 with 2 sandwiches, and Norcal nachos… Surprisingly pricey for a sandwich place! Not bad, but probably won’t be back too often… Service was outstanding though!

I like this place for their sandwiches and their Sunset Salad. My favorite sandwich is the El Capitan — you can never go wrong with the turkey, bacon, and multiple other flavorful ingredients. Also, the servers are pretty quick bringing the food out, making it an easy place to stop by during your work day.
There are a few things that prevent me from giving it a higher rating:
— The sandwiches and salads are pretty pricey (you can get them for cheaper, but if you want to add chicken or avocado, it’ll cost more than $ 10)
— They offer a punch card, which is nice, but after fulfilling your punches, they still charge you $ 2 rather than giving it for free

This is a cute spot and the servers were very welcoming and sweet, so I had a very pleasant lunch. I shared an El Capitan (with no bacon, substituted avocado), Caesar salad, and the nachos with avocado/​guacamole.
The food was only okay though. I did not like the avocado/​guacamole. It was a much lighter color than I’m used to and had such a creamy consistency that I almost believed cream had been added to it… but that’s crazy so I’m going to hope it was just something else. Were it not for the avocado mishap, I think I would’ve loved the meal and given 4 – 5 stars.

My first review was a good one, I had to update it though after today’s experience. I had ordered a Sonoma BLTA for lunch today with a Caesar salad instead of chips, total came out to $ 11. Ok not too bad but for an $ 11 BLT I feel like I should be getting a really good sandwich. Not the case at all.
This BLTA is different from any other BLTA I’ve ever had and it seems like it would be pretty hard to screw up a BLT, but these guys succeeded in doing so. Normally it will come on toasted bread or even a croissant… This one came on sourdough which had been pressed down in a panini press that created a smashed BLTA. On top of that, my bacon was super minimal and almost was like the pre-​cooked bacon you can get at the store, just crispier. Not thick slices of bacon like the menu description says. On top of that, the avocado they use for the «A» in the sandwich aren’t avocado slices or even mashed avocado! It’s an avocado/​brown mustard mixture that they slather all over the sandwich and completely overpowered the taste of my lunch. Who puts mustard on a BLT!!! I couldn’t even taste the bacon at all. I ate it about 3 hours ago and am still tasting the mustard mix, which is not pleasant at all. The Caesar salad I ordered in lieu of chips was ok, but was a teeny portion and had too much dressing on it. Maybe this place is just dressing happy, I don’t know but I was very dissatisfied with my sandwich and will not be ordering it again. On top of that, they assumed my order was to go and had packaged everything to go despite the fact that I was waiting at a table for it.
Service is friendly, no doubt, but I don’t think I’ll be back again. First time I was impressed, second not so much. I’ll stick to Whole Foods… They make better sandwiches that are first off cheaper, more filling, less messy and not smashed or completely drenched in avocado brown mustard blend.

WOW! Walking you’re greeted by this ball of energy Lisa. I ordered a El Capitan with a salad and house brewed iced tea. I added avocado.
Again wow! It was flavorful juicy, the salad was crisp topped with a vinaigrette.
Clean tables and restrooms, I would recommend this place to anybody. They’ve even got vegetarian options.

We ordered and shared the pch (crab) sandwich and a shrimp Caesar salad.
Both were very good. The was nice enough to split the portions in half for us.
Lovely outdoor seating area.

I have never been disappointed with my sandwich although I always order the same thing, Rio Del Mar (Portobello mushroom, artichoke, jack, olive spread, tomato-​basil fresca, grilled wheat). The bread comes nicely toasted and the cheese is melted and gooey. The sandwich has great flavor and a nice list of ingredients you can’t get at a regular sandwich place.
I usually get take-​out but I did bring some family members for a sit-​down meal once. If you have big eaters they may find the sandwiches don’t have enough filling but I think they are fine.

I’ve ordered take out here a couple of times now, and I was very happy with my sandwich and salad combo both times. First time, I ordered the Pacific Coast Highway which had crab and artichoke salad, cheddar and tomatoes in it. It was very good. They used real crab, not imitation, which definitely made a huge difference in terms of flavor. The second time, I ordered The Big Sur (love how their sandwiches are named after iconic California attractions) and loved how it had real slices of chicken breast, not the deli cut type you get at the grocery store. Both times, I chose the Caesar Salad option ($ 2 extra) to go with my sandwich and I was very happy with it. Definitely worth the surcharge.
I can just imagine how busy this place gets during the lunch rush. They do have seating outdoors as well as indoors. Should be nice to sit outside on a warm day and enjoy your sandwich. I’ve only been here around 5 pm, so the place is usually empty around that time. It’s on my way to class and it’s fairly inexpensive for the quality and quantity of the food you get, so it’s been such a good find for me!
I can’t wait to try their nachos and other sandwiches! I still have at least another 8 weeks of class, so I’ll be back!

Checked this place out today for lunch since I work across from it. Walked in, pretty warm. Maybe heater was on cause it was raining outside looked around and didn’t see any seats available other than the bar seats. Ordered the pacific coast highway and had a side of beans and chips. The sandwich was pretty good. Panini style. The crab and artichoke was warm which I didn’t mind. It kinda reminded me of a tuna melt. I’ll be coming back here again to try what else they have on the menu.

I am completely in love with their Prawn Caesar salads.
Honestly? I hate to admit I have been unable to try anything else… my level of love is that extreme. My sister loves their chicken Caesars and also has been unable to commit to anything else.
Service is always spot on and the owner is just a super cool guy.
Support your local business peeps! This place is fantastic!

Great ambience with a pretty seating area out alfresco as well. Their food plus great though very limited sandwich choices for vegetarians.
They take time to serve food to the table so you may want to tell them to hurry in case you are out for s quick meal.
Salads are humble, unpretentious and made from freshest produce.

I had been waiting to try this place ever since I got really into Unilocaling a few months back, finally stopped in last night. I grabbed the El Capitan sandwich and an iced tea to go and I must say, both were packaged nicely. The sandwich was good, but I think it may have been better if I had stayed to enjoy it at the restaurant. Because of the sliced wheat bread, it didn’t hold up as well as I would have liked since I had to eat it about 30mins after ordering it. The flavors were still really great and the added avocado (guacamole status) was really good! The iced tea was amazing, super refreshing on a hot day.
The service was not really quick, but there was only one guy behind the counter at the time. I will be coming back to try more menu items, probably a few more sandwiches and totally the small bites menu, cause all of them sound
!

I’m a pretty big fan of this place.
Tried it out for my first time today after eyeing it for far too long. Just as delicious as anticipated.
I tried out the el capitan (roast turkey, bacon, tomato, cheddar, aioli, lettuce, and for an extra fee: avocado on a grilled wheat bread). It was wonderful. The avocado was ridiculously creamy and so good. The wheat bread complimented the turkey perfectly. The two complaints id have is that it is a sandwich that you have to eat rather quickly and there was barely any bacon. The avocado definitely made my bread soggy, so I couldn’t finish the second half. The bacon thing got me though. My total was 10+ dollars. Could’ve given me more than a slice of bacon on my sandwich.
You get to have a side along with your order: potato salad, fruit salad, beans and chips, or a bag of chips. I opted for the Beans and chips, and I was thoroughly pleased. The bean dip thing was made of a mix of Redford and black beans with cheese on top. Yum!
Next time I’m going, I’m trying the Sonoma bltA for sure! I want to see what that’s about.

Picnic Sandwich Bistro caught our attention flipping through photos on Unilocal.We happened to be in the area, so timing was impeccable for delicious sandwich. When we entered we were warmly greeted and asked for our seat choice. It was a beautiful day, so outside patio was the obvious choice. Our waters were served immediately along with menus. She was very polite and really showed her desire to please us.
Reading about this restaurant’s goal of serving fare that is fragrant, earthy and seasonal, I was excited to say the least. Although most sandwiches entail fresh ingredients, the Bob’s Classic was irresistible once I learned it had smoked kielbasa and sauerkraut in it, with its flavor enhanced by brown mustard spread, cheddar cheese served in a grilled ciabatta bread. It was delicious and actually less oily than expected. I also had a side of their potato salad, which was on par with the sandwich. The sandwich was not a giant, but satisfying.
Nice local neighborhood sandwich shop with friendly service and truly flavorful sandwiches.

It was a good day to sit outside this sandwich place. It was sunny and nobody was around.
I had the El Capitan. It’s turkey meat with grilled wheat bread. Simple sandwich but very tasty. I opted for the chips and beans as my side. Delicious! $ 8. With avocado you pay an extra $ 1.50.
The staff was very friendly and quick to respond. Our orders were fulfilled quickly and presented nicely.
Location wise– this place is located in the same building as the apt complex in that building. Also right across from the Surgical Center and from Kaiser across the street.
Cozy inside. Could be a problem with parking as most of the spot is assigned and you need a permit.

Great place and awesome food! Went here after a nice hike with my friend at Garin Park.
Great customer service!

Was in Fremont on business and needed a quick lunch with co-​workers. This place seemed simple and easy. Parking was on the street (all taken), but we parked in the civic center parking lot next door (not sure if this is encouraged). It is a little confusing when you first walk in… Do I order at the counter? Do I get seated by a host? Should I grab a paper menu? I’ll answer those questions: wait to be seated (indoor and outdoor) and waitress will give you a nice laminated menu.
Menu consists of 2 entrée salads (a pecan/​Apple & a tex-​mex salad). You can add shrimp and/​or chicken to either. I felt the salad choices could have been better. a couple more options. Sandwiches all sounded good (about 10 choices)– I went with the BLT with avocado on grilled sourdough. It was delicious!!! Totally recommend! Your side is a choice of potato salad, baked beans, fruit, or a green salad. Service is fast (for a quick lunch) and attentive (refilled my ice tea). Definitely a place for that no frills, tasty lunch!

Sometimes I just get major cravings for this place. They have awesome sandwiches with cute names. I docked them one star because they’re a little pricey considering their portions.
1. Mission peak — My favorite! It’s basically a grilled cheese with an ooey garlic spread and tomatoes.
2. Rio del mar — also a good one, but not my favorite.
3. Del valle salad — my favorite of their salads. When I’m trying to be good about my bread intake, I’ll get hald a mission peak with the del valle as a side salad and it’s very satisfying.
4. Norcal nachos — very generous portion and great to share! I’ll probably add avocado next time