Fresca Deli

Fresca, I will miss you and your veggie brown rice burritos, grilled PB&J’s, and Picnic grilled cheese :(

Just an FYI, Unfortunately Fresca has closed. I’m very saddened that they’ve closed because I really enjoyed the Turkey grilled cheese. I wish the Fresca owners the best of luck in any future endeavors.

Update: They stopped their delivery service all together. That was the ONLY reason I ordered so much, along with many others in my office. They unfortunately are going to be losing a lot of business.

Update:
Just tried to order from Fresca through Eat24 online … apparently int he last week they’ve updated their delivery range and they no longer deliver to my address (14^th & H — a whole 1.4 miles away) so I guess I won’t be eating here anymore :*(
This bums me out. I liked their food.

the chicken ceasar salad had lots of lettuce. i would have taken a smaller salad with more chicken.

I had the Tri-​Tip pot pie and i have to say that i am quite impressed!
I was affraid it was going to be tough but it just fell apart in your mouth! The veggies were cooked to prefection, they wernt to hard but not all soft and nasty.
This is a much better improvement from the old freshii. I love the Great w/​Bacon and the Cream of tomato basil.

Hi again,
Just thought I would update my comments since the owner was so considerate in putting down a numeric break down of my last visit. Seems a bit weird to provide my experience this way but, meh, if it helps it helps.
1. You ordered your dish with tofu instead of chicken
(You got it!)
2. She started to make your dish with chicken
(Even though it said on the order to sub tofu, you bet she did.)
3. She caught the error and removed the chicken, and then added tofu (she is young and not a vegetarian, therefore, she isn’t sensitive to all the vegetarian practices).
(Poor thing wasn’t trained to understand what a vegetarian is? I would think that she would have been educated on this.)
4. You saw her make the substitution and brought it to her attention
(Yeah, and I saw her dump out the product as well. Which is a waste to your overhead, the chicken, and I am sure left your employee feeling pretty bad for making the mistake.)
5. We made you an entirely new dish
(Sure did!, same bowl and all.)
6. You brought it to my attention, and I agreed with you that she did the wrong thing
(Yes, you did.)
7. I gave you the remade dish and gave you a free yogurt for the mistake.
(That is true too.)
Did I get anything wrong?
It depends on the perspective doesn’t it. As a customer, yes I felt that it was handled incorrectly, which is why I Unilocaled about. This is not a one time deal, I have had this happen 3 times. I have tried to make it clear what I want, but it seems that I, as a customer, don’t come across in a manner that you will hear. So I did the best thing I could do… use a service that allows me to clearly define my experience.
Does that help?

I will be coming here again, AND again (& maybe again for Salsa-​Thursdays) ;^D
SITREP
I have to agree with Clay, and in fact, his review was the one that made me decide which side of the fence to come down on — «To Go» or «Not To Go» — which just goes to show how much a fellow Unilocaler’s review DOES matter to me.
Caveat: since this establishment has been the subject of some noteworthy «back & forth», I DO feel it necessary to mention (before I launch into my review) that I respect everyone else’s review-​opinions, and believe they shared what they believed to have experienced for themselves. But I have to state that for those who gave Fresca Deli only 1 – 3 Star reviews, those ratings certainly didn’t track with mine.
THE SETUP
I admit I had NO IDEA this was even here before Brian L’s review-​talk-​thread back in mid-​Dec 2011. I don’t think a lot of my coworkers do either here at CDSS since all they talk about is the CalPERS cafeteria, which is all I talked about too.
But this place does brisk traffic with CalPers staff. And other nearby offices and state agencies. And when the backlogs become evident at the CalPERS grill, it is very nice to know I can just exit the one door, walk outside, swing over 30 feet, and go in Fresca Deli’s door, and get a great sandwich-​soup combo here (which for the most part is what I get at the CalPERS grill anyways).
THE CROWD
What a great crowd of people. Flirted with some sweet effusive girls. Very polite, PROFESSIONAL clientele. Made for a really positive dining environment vibe. [Something I really only am used to at my favorite coffee shops between 6:11pm-9:37 pm.]
On that note, it definitely beats the lunchtime mobs I usually endure during my Broadway Blvd cruising of McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Quizno’s etc., and that requires I actually TAKE TIME to go to the car, get out of the parking garage, drive down to Broadway, and spend $ on combo’s nearly as much as the $ 9.95 (including tax) I spent this day. [This also could beat doing the same cruisin thru R Street or Capitol Ave corridors of Burgers & Brew, Bernardo’s, Paesano’s etc. etc. for anywhere from 25%-100% more expensive (though admittedly, nice options to indulge in from time to time for variety’s sake).
THE MENU
Quite a variety of fare to offer. At this visit I order the Reuben Sandwich combo with Clam Chowder. $ 9.95 (including tax).
For me and everyone in front of me and behind me, here are the logistics I observed:
* Fast order Process
* Took only 5.5 minutes to get the food which is fantastic considering 10 – 25 minute waits on numerous occasions in the Jack-​in-​the-​Box and In N’Out Burger drive-​thrus.
* The Reuben Sandwich was better than average (not great, but better than good) — having been spoiled in the delis in NYC and «The Hats» in L.A. for true sandwich-​greatness, this Reuben still rises to high praise here in Sacramento.
* The Clam Chowder — Oh my GOD, what a great surprise! This conjured up positive memories of the Clam Chowder varietals on Fisherman’s Wharf on the Monterey Boardwalk, and also of IVARS in Seattle. And Mad props to the owners for stocking up with the tasty «Burry Oyster Long Island Style Crackers» instead of bland saltines — Total WIN. I will come back for the Shrimp & Corn Chowder, Clay.
MUSIC
Man o Man! Background music ran the gamut! Frank Sinatra! David Bowie! The Cars! Whitney Houston twice — RIP)! And other contempory hits, including a most welcome left-​turn trance hit from my SF underground days in the 90s. Point being, the «needle» isn’t stuck on just one genre/​scene, and I really liked that.
OTHER FACTORS
* Free WiFi — Total WIN. I like to multi-​task and I truly appreciate establishments that «GET IT» when someone has to work while they eat lunch. It makes economies of scale in terms of managing my time more efficient.
* Large Screen TV on CNN News — Total WIN. There was a nice nook where some patrons were eating their lunches while catching up on the news. Gee, I guess this doesn’t count as «customer service» in some reviewers’ minds.
* Outdoor patio seating! On beautiful day? YES.
* Open til 9 pm — Total WIN. I can go now for a 5pm/​6pm food-​beverage stop if I have to find myself working overtime til 9pm? That is ALL SORTS of WIN in my book.
* And SALSA DANCING? That’s right, folks. Salsa-​dancing on the main floor at Fresca Deli every Thursday and Saturday night at 9pm to Midnight.
THE LOWDOWN
I take reviews & opinions with a grain (or a POUND) of salt. It shows that what is important to me about an «overall & complete picture» is far different than a particular reviewer’s rant on one or two points in contrast to 20 other POSITIVE indices. In my mind, that reviewer is no better then the single-​issue voter who turns their back on the best candidate for just one obsessive issue. I highly recommend Fresca Deli.

I’m not a rude person. I’m quite nice and pleasant to be around actually. I’m glad that Unilocal exists for us to give honest and true ratings of businesses. I believe if a company lists itself on Unilocal,they should be expecting to receive a wide range of reviews about their restaurant. THAT’S WHAT Unilocal IS THERE FOR. Given some of the responses I’ve read (one personal one to my review in Dec 2011) I won’t be taking my business to Fresca Deli any longer. Sorry — if you can’t treat me with respect on Unilocal,why should I support your business? Good luck, Fresca.

This review is ONLY for the yogurt, which was awesome… Irish Mint flavor? Awesome! Mix that with some chocolate froyo, and it’s like a frozen Junior Mint… yum!

Owner blames a website for his low quality and feasts styled for staving Ethiopeans.
Don’t hate the website but take personal responsibility for your lack of business experience, for your decision to be incredibly cost conscious.
Around 90% of businesses fail and I don’t think its because of a website.

Here’s the deal. After 1:30pm lunch options within a short walking distance of this area are limited. So despite the fact that I disliked Freshii so much and Fresca is under the same management, I decided to give it a whirl anyway. I of course consulted Unilocal for recent reviews of the place and I must say that I was completely turned off by the snarky responses from the owner to some of the reviewers. Almost enough to go somewhere else. However I was more curious who was right in this case, the overly defensive owner or the customers who have spent their money here. So, to the owners, I will do my best to provide nothing but «the facts» of which I will be «spouting off» about.
I ordered The Great w/​Bacon which comes with havarti, sharp cheddar & parmesan cheeses and smoked bacon on sourdough bread for $ 5.25. Simple enough right? I was pleased to find that the cheese was melted thoroughly and that the bread was toasted right, but when you stick it in a panini press you can’t really mess that part up. What I was disappointed with was the Colombo bread that was used instead of a better quality sourdough. There are a lot of great local bakeries that could have been used here! The other oddity was with the bacon. There were not bacon strips like I expected to bite into, rather chopped up bacon that came across more like prosciutto. It wasn’t bad, just not what I expected.
Here’s the kicker. We waited quite a while for two sandwiches and a bowl of soup even though there were no other people waiting on orders. We finally got our orders and went back to our offices. When I got there and opened up my sandwich guess what… No Bacon! Come on man! If you are going to be so pompous in your responses to people then you should be able to at a minimum get your orders right, right? I did not go back in myself to have the situation corrected but it was relayed to me that the guy took full responsibility and was apologetic for the mistake. So while I understand that mistakes will happen and I can be a forgiving person, I just found it humorous that they messed up on my order while I am on a quest to see if they are justified in their harsh responses to customers.
On a side note the companion ordered The Ham Combo with soup. The shrimp & corn chowder was pretty good. Total cost for The Great w/​bacon and The Ham Combo was $ 13.74 with tax.

I didn’t realize lunch needed to be so complicated.
All we wanted was an alternative to Magic Johnson’s «Bumper Car» Café … deli sandwiches, fresh salads, homemade soup … all reasonably priced and served quickly with a smile.
All I got was a stale tortilla filled with undercooked rice, four bits of chicken and a couple of pieces of what appeared to be un-​ripened tomato. The online pre-​order «feature» turned out to be a complete «failure» when the man behind the counter asked me 3 times what I ordered. «Hey man, I ordered a friggin’ wrap!»
Last I checked there were 2,300 warm bodies filling the chairs in the surrounding offices 5-​days a week. Anyone with a hot dog cart, a Costco account, and the means to make change for a $ 20 should be able to kill it here.
PREDICTION — closed by April 2012

I miss Freshii so much. Fresca Deli is good but I liked the healthy factor that came with their original concept. I have tried the fiesta quesadilla which was really good. I also had the pesto grilled chicken and that was a disaster. They said in the description of the pesto grilled chicken that it would be focaccia bread but it was not focaccia bread when I opened it up. I would like more greeters when you enter, oftentimes I find that I have to stand there a bit to get anyone to greet me.
The Yogurt-​A-​Go-​Go option in Fresca Deli is nice and the snacks and drinks are nice and convenient.

I like the funky, friendly atmosphere of this restaurant. Also, it had an interesting smell… probably something grilled.
It’s a nice walk if you’re working on Capitol Mall. They even have outdoor seating when the weather is nice.
The food was tasty. I had the grilled cheese with bacon. My friend had a salad that looked fresh and delicious.
Bonus? Yogurt! There aren’t fifteen thousand toppings to overwhelm you, but the selection is decent. My only beef was that the hot fudge sauce was in a squeeze bottle sitting in a little vat of hot water, so it wasn’t easy to handle.
Another bonus? They have beer and wine. Well, I know they have beer. I can’t remember the wine exactly, but I was tempted to have a cold, frosty beer on my lunch hour until I remembered that it’s not the 1970s anymore.

When Freshii didn’t appeal to Sacramento the owners changed the concept. There’s still the Freshii favorites, albeit with different names. Personally I love the new grilled cheeses made with quallity cheese that melt to glorious gooey goodness. Not the processed crap. I had the pesto chicken sandwich which was filled with tons of shredded chicken. The southwestern quesadilla was good too — folded nicely square and seared shut on the panini with lots of ingredients inside. Keep in mind that the place can’t cook on a grill since they don’t have a hood, and no ovens. So they accomplish a lot with those panini grills and the cooktops that they have. I agree that the shrimp and corn chowder is a big winner in the soup category. And let’s not forget that the Yogurtagogo yogurt is still there. Yay!
They are still working on the new menu and were open to my suggestions. Instead of bitching, people should try making friendly suggestions for improvement.

It looked ok from the outside. The menu wasn’t too scary or exotic. The place was empty but had some comfortable couches. The music was crap and blaring loud. Some sort of pop rock nonsense for 16 year olds. Got the breakfast burrito for $ 3.50. Didn’t come in a tortilla, not sure what it was, but it was not a tortilla. Pretty bland over all. Except for the KETCHUP in a burrito?!? Now I’m ill and would pay a lot more than $ 3.50 to not feel the way I’m feeling right now. Not a good first impression. A place that empty may be for a reason.

— Nice, clean atmosphere.
— Friendly, personable staff.
— Frozen yogurt section.
— The shrimp and corn chowder is excellent.
— The sandwiches are unique and flavorful.
Recommended.

Oh, Fresca. I really wanted to like you… even more than I wanted to like Freshii when we first met. But you’re just a slimmer, prettier third cousin that has worse insecurity issues and crooked teeth. Sure, you might be fun for a quick fling or one night stand, but I’ll be sick of you by next week. So unfortunately, it’s not gonna work out between us. No, no, no, no… it’s not you, it’s me.
Grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, wraps and salads. There really isn’t much more to say about the menu. I eat «the Great with Bacon» which is cheddar, havarti, parmesan, and proscuitto between two slices of sourdough and grilled on a panini press. Simple as that. Add tomato or lettuce for a cheap thrill. It’s simple enough to make at home and convenient enough not to. But even for $ 6, the price just might be the dealbreaker.