Gene’s Grinders

Had the small Capicola and it did not disappoint. Parking was easy, the service was quick and the sandwich was delicious. Very solid sandwich shop. Would definitely come here again.

If you want a delicious, simple sandwich, look no further than Gene’s Grinders. The sammies here are quite straightforward and simple, no frills. The base — fresh, soft bread, lettuce, tomatoes, provolone cheese. You can request to add deli mustard/​pickles/​onions/​banana peppers/​other standard sammie fixings on request. My favorite additions are avocado ($ 1 extra) and red pepper flakes.
For cold grinders, you can’t go wrong with Gene’s Special, which includes ham, salami, capicola (YUM), turkey, and American cheese. It’s as solid and old school as it gets. Be warned that it may be a bit overly cheesy, as you’ll also get provolone cheese in the mix — I tend to swap the provolone for the avocado.
For hot grinders, I love their pastrami sandwich! Their pastrami is so tender, juicy, and flavorful. The soft bread soaks up the jus and everything becomes perfect. The pastrami here is more mild than the typical pastrami as it is less salty and doesn’t have a seasoned edge, but still excellent.
There isn’t much ambience with the place. The interior décor feels very retro and is quite stuffy, so I tend to order from their external side window. I like to eat on their porch then explore Old Town Monrovia after. Gene’s Grinders provide the perfect addition to a picnic basket, or if you’re just craving a good old simple sandwich. I just wish they are open later than 3pm so I can grab them for early dinner and try their weekday specials.

I worked a block away for almost 6 years and would eat here at least two times a month. They have the best hot grinders for sure, and the cold cuts aren’t bad either. Fresh made meatballs, Italian sausage, milanesa, breaded chicken breast, and the best pastrami I’ve ever had (a million times). Now anytime I’m in the area I make a point to stop in.

This place has A been around for over 20 years for sure. I used to hear about it and couldn’t believe it would be good.
Fast forward that we have been going for like 5 years. The best all around local sandwich shop. Daily sandwiches are awesome and you don’t need to get anything else. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the Chicken sandwiches. Hands down the best chicken sandwiches ever. Healthy, hearty, and juicy. The kettle chips are awesome too (salt and vinegar are my favs). They have an inside and outside. A must try if you are in the area. They will have you coming back for sure. The lady and young guy are super cool too! Faster service than you expect. Oh and fresh bread baked daily!!!

This is definitely a MUST STOP after a nice hike at Monrovia Falls Trail. The area is beautiful and the sandwiches here BOMB! Bread is freshly made every day! Pastrami sandwich my fav (a classic with pickles and mustard). Excellent customer service with lots of friendly faces.

Best sandwich I’ve ever had! Their fries are amazing too!

Pretty amazing grinders and portion sizes are BIG. Needless to say, we ordered 2 larges and each grinder made 2 meals for us.
Fresh ingredients, great flavors, and considering it was the lunch rush hour, they were pretty quick.
This was our first time here but definitely not our last!

All of the sandwiches are so good so far been here twice only but never had a bad experience very friendly great food going to be coming more often

Great meats, really healthy portions. If you are going to eat here come hungry, the large sandwiches are not for the weak of heart.
Also pretty quick based in how busy they are.

The pastrami dip was delicious. They do not skimp on the meat. A large is definitely plenty to share with another person. The main reason for my four stars was I ordered an iced tea, which was pretty awful tasting. I’m not sure what was going on with that, but definitely would come back to try other sandwiches in the future!
The staff was really friendly and your food comes out very quickly. We came in on a rainy day but I still noticed that the inside was a little stuffy.
Nonetheless, great sandwich!

This place was just meh. I could make a better tasting sandwhich from ingredients I buy at the store. You go here just for a fast sandwhich, not for the taste.

Delicious sandwiches at a great price. Huge servings, easy street parking and fast ticket times. It is easy to see why this place has been around for so long

Cheap, giant, full of meat sandwiches.
I get the roast beef dip regularly.
As far as posters who bemoan the nuances of sandwiches as if they were at some gourmet shop, in some kind of effort to be an online foodie, ignore them.
You get a big sandwich with fresh ingredients and lots of them, really fast. Probably the best subs in town.

I have been going here for many years. Sandwiches are always good and fries are yummy. Try the Gene’s special with avocado added. I look forward to eating here when I am in Monrovia area.

Fresh bread (baked daily) and only the freshest ingredients! I’ve been eating these sandwiches since I was young. Reminds me of my childhood. I love supporting local businesses and this one has been around a long time… There’s definitely a reason!

I’ve been a long time fan of this place. Used to live about one block away, but now I need to make an effort to get there. My favorite day is Friday when they serve Italian sausage sandwiches, but their other sandwiches are great too. They make the BEST FRIES EVER!

Grinders grinders grinders, if you’re in the mood for a grinder then this is your place. I’ll echo what many people have said about the friendly and fast service, the unassuming exterior, and the modest interior from a decade (or two) past. It’s definitely a local joint that is easy to miss and easy to ignore.
I had a turkey grinder and it was good, but a turkey just isn’t meant to be exciting without some extra care. I’d suggest some avocado, that would have been a good choice. Whatever, it was a small misstep for me, but I corrected it this week! I got the fried chicken sandwich and oh my giggles it was the best choice I’ve made all quarter. The chicken was thick and fresh and juicy and tasted fantastico with just the right amount of mayo on the bun to compliment the chicken. I’m a fan of Chick-​fil-​A but this sandwich put it to shame, absolutely trounced it. And the best part? A «small» apparently means a 12 inch freakin’ grinder. I had two meals!

Best sandwich place ever. must try the pastrami dip with mustard pickles and cheese. and homemade sausage on Friday and sometimes saturday are leftovers.
I drive 30 miles out of my way to get this sandwich.
My wife loves the gene special with avocado.

The fries here are good! It’s so good, I have to start of my review with them! They are larger steak fries, and made consistently-​crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside!
You can order at the window outside, or you can choose to sit inside where you can walk up to the counter. There is seating inside and outside, although only about 4 tables outside. There is street parking right in front (watch for the green 24 minute spaces), or you can park in their lot.
The food comes out fast. I’ve always gotten my orders to go, and the turn around time has always been impressive.
I always see the same three people in there-​the older lady that takes the orders, the
younger man who works the pick up window, and the guy who makes the sandwiches.
They have daily sandwich specials, which don’t change. The chicken sandwich on Tuesday and Wednesday is great! Soft and moist breaded chicken-​and they don’t skimp on the chicken! The beef steak milanesa on Thursdays is my favorite. They pound the meat thin and then it is breaded and fried-​yum yum yum! This sandwich also contains a lot of meat!
The sandwiches come in two sizes. The small is usually enough for one person, but I always get the large, and am always stuffed by the end! Or I save half for later!

So I’ve been here twice since my first review. The first pastrami I had wasn’t an actual pastrami dip. They got my order wrong. So I finally had an actual pastrami sandwich, and boy was it good! The pastrami Dip is the best I’ve ever had.
13.11 for a small pastrami, fries, and a drink.
I’ve been coming here often and have been enjoying the food.
The only downside is the employees, They always seem grumpy.
Still the best pastrami dip I’ve ever had.