M & L Market

Thanks Mom-​Mom May and Judy for years of good eats and friendship… Best of Luck for whatever comes next…
A Loyal and long time customer

Oh man, I use to get addicted to coming here, ordering the same sandwich every day after school ended. I ordered their famous pastrami sandwich. I tried going there two days ago during the hours Unilocal has, but they weren’t opened. I live near there so I would pass it every day, and try to hold my stomach from buying more sandwiches because I know it’s not good for me. It’s tastes so good yet so bad for me. I can’t help it! I wonder what their hours are now…

So good… I get a turkey pastrami on a soft white bread if eating there and a turkey pastrami on dutch crunch if taking it to go. I go once a month when they are open as it is super out of my way… but no complaints. It’s worth a trek.
It’s good for small groups of 3 — 4 people. There’s only three tables and the line can get pretty long.

I’m going crazy. M & L has been closed for vacation for over four months. They deserve it but I selfishly can’t wait for my favorite sando market to reopen.

When I heard about the BEST Pastrami in SF from a good friend I was ecstatic and could hardly wait. Well, the wait continues… The first time I wanted to go, it was closed for remodeling and their Unilocal page said it was re-​opening in early October. When that re-​opening date came, the re-​opening was re-​scheduled to late October and now it is rescheduled again to late November. I understand that good things take time but I sure hope M & L are making a comeback soon or at least fill us in on what is going on b/​c as each day goes by, I’m reluctantly giving my business to your competitors. You wouldn’t want that now would you?

I used to hate the smell of the pastrami cooking but now it’s more like an old friend because of this place. I’m usually vegan for a variety of reasons and usually get a veggie sandwich but the pastrami is still a sometimes treat for me. I’ve also had the tuna salad and a few other but never had a less than stellar experience here. Judy is renowned and one of the nicest people I have ever met, also a huge Giants fan apparently.
As it is an old-​school family business sadly their isn’t really a new generation to take over the business as yet. Judy and her brother do a masterful job but have had to limit hours and even close for months to take care of the original Mae, who I think is the M in M&L.
When they are open get their and wait 30 minutes before they open to experience a shorter line. Otherwise it can be a chance to chat up the others in queue. You can also go at the end of the day before they lock the door but even then there can be a line …
If you are buying more than two sandwiches bring others to wait in line with you and each get 1 or 2 each. I wish they would have huge escalating fines for anyone who orders three or more.
I think I’ve said enough, when she opens again — probably in Spring 2015 there will be no announcement. She’ll just be open.

I kind of want to give this place 1 star to throw people off the trail of this neighborhood gem. I would hate to see another SF institution ruined by the hipster/​techie fucktards infiltrating our fair city. Everyone thinks that Ike’s is the best. That’s fine. They’re entitled to their wrong opinion.
This is the best pastrami sandwich in town. I am sure they offer other sandwiches here, but I am stuck with the hot pastrami.
Ive been coming to this place for the last 15 years and it as good as I remember it being. Is it possible it has gotten better?

OK, I finally got in to this place after passing it by seemingly dozens of times and always finding it closed. The best thing about M & L isn’t a sandwich. It’s the delightful folks that run the joint, right down to the smiling lady who hands out cookies at the register.
I am from New Jersey. Less than an hour from Manhattan. So I know a great deli sandwich. By NYC standards, this doesn’t quite rise to that level. But by SF standards, M & L is near the front of the pack. I’ve spent considerable effort trying to hunt down the perfect pastrami sandwich in the City by the Bay, and I’ve usually come up short. M & L’s pastrami sandwich is really good. It’s big, the meat is high quality and they pile it on pretty high.
I’ll definitely come back here, especially since it’s great value for your money compared to some of the much more expensive ($ 15 for a large sandwich at 1058 Hoagie?!)– but also superior– sandwich shops in town.

A magical place where sandwiches are enormous and so cheap…
I love the turkey pastrami sandwich with mustard, lettuce, sprouts, and pickles. Such thinly sliced and flavorful pastrami!
A few tips for ordering here:
— The half sandwich is really a regular sandwich with 2 pieces of bread. The whole sandwich has 3 pieces of bread, mountains of meat, and delicious
— Order bread by the color of the packaging
— Order like this: [Half/​Whole] [Meat] sandwich on [Bread option] with [Toppings], [for here/​to go]
— Savor the almond cookie from May!
Thanks, M&L!

Great family that runs this place. Hot pastrami sandwich here is one of the best sandwiches in the Bay! They don’t just throw your sandwich together here, Judy is swift, but makes sure each sandwich that rolls out is quality.

Dang Ma! Five stars for that roast beef sample! I taste the roast! Hot pastrami all over my face in 5 minutes! Value, quality, and quantity are all in the sando!

Straight up no fuss no fancy name sandwiches. Yet so good! I got the hot pastrami with dutch crunch with everything on it, swiss cheese.
*** Tip #1 — the half sandwich isn’t half a sandwich but half the meat. If you get the full sandwich get the fancy sub bread or the structural integrity of your sandwich may be a problem.
The sandwich was stuffed with super good thin sliced pastrami. Pastrami falling out ever where. Eating bites of pastrami off the side of the sandwich to try and cut it down to size. This is not a complaint but a good thing.
*** Tip #2 — get everything on it!
With the two types of lettuce, mayo, pepperonci and surprise sprouts (!!) and who knows what else it balanced out the meatiness of the pastrami. The sprouts were a nice touch I thought. Kinda old school but really yummy.
It’s a mom/​pop run place with «dad» running the pastrami and «mom» putting together the sandwiches. Even «grandma» was in the act taking care of the bagging and cash register. Though seriously grandma was so old and moved so slowly I was like I can do that myself, save your energy! Think like Yoda but without any Jedi moves.
The full sandwich was definitely two meals for me. And even cold it’s delish so no big deal if the bread is a little soggy the next day.
I would love to try more sandwiches there but it’s a lot of effort due to the fact they’re only open during bank hours during the week — meaning you can’t go before or after work, or on the weekends. You pretty much have to work in the area of wfh one day to try and catch them when they’re open.

Outta sight.
Ike should come here to learn how to make a sandwich without resorting to a lot of fatty goo as «sauces».

woot, $ 5.25 for a «half» order of pastrami w/​avocado! This sucker is more than enough for 1 lunch meal. Only quibble is that my choice of bread was not substantive enough to survive a walk back to my desk; after eating half of a half, it started falling apart, so I needed a fork to finish it. Eating there would’ve probably avoided the problem. Next time I gotta try a toasted onion bun, according to one of the people running the show. Speaking of whom, she made my first time ordering a bit interesting…
me: «Can I get a pastrami w/​avocado please?»
she: *smiles, pointing at something low below my vision*
me: «uh…oh, bread! what kind of bread do you have?»
she: *continues smiling and pointing*
me: *looks down, seeing all the loaves to choose from* «oops…»
…
she: «first bread, now tell me what you’d like»
At these prices, I’m more than happy to get schooled on how to order here!

It’s a darn good sandwich that they serve here at M&L Market.
It’s been on my to-​try list forever now but I could never make it down here when they’re open. I mean it’s Monday-​Friday from 11am-​4pm but they also often close up December through February for vacation. I know I’ve stopped by before only to find that they were closed but let me tell you, the wait was totally worth it.
I ordered their signature hot pastrami sandwich on dark rye. The meat was moist and so tasty. Honestly all the sandwich needed was mustard to highlight the meat but I love my veggies so I piled mine with lettuce, tomato, onion, and sprouts.(
) It does make for one messy sandwich but next time round, I’ll hold back on the mayo since you don’t really need it with the meat jus. A half order, which is what I got, was more than large enough and a good lunch deal at just under $ 5. A delightful sandwich to enjoy on a sunny SF afternoon!
But beyond the sandwich, M&L is an absolutely charming place. Besides their sandwiches, folks here are proud of their sports & cinema memorabilia. You know it’s a spot for regulars because folks here know them by name and their usual orders. As a first-​timer, I was just trying not to mess up the ordering system. Friendly, attentive, and welcoming — service is slower here but only because it’s truly a mom-​and-​pop business with grandma manning the cash register and asking if you want an almond cookie with your sandwich. Yes please and I’ll be back for sure!

I was in San Francisco on nice, romantic getaway. I had all the places to eat planned out, but my counterpart said she didn’t want what was planned for lunch. She was being a brat, so I get online and start looking desperately for something great to replace it. San Francisco has such great food, so I just have no clue what to look for…
I find an article on the best sandwiches in town, and as I’m checking all places on google maps, this is nearby. They have pastrami? Yes, we’re on our way.
This might be the one and only occurrence in which I am giving her malcontent attitude a pass… perhaps even thanking her for it, but nobody tell her that. It will remain a silent thank you.
My rating is based primarily on the food, but also for my liking of unique one of a kind places. We both ordered pastrami on the roll, and even though they’re strict on their method of ordering, I have no problem with it. Some might say this is a lack of customer service, but I disagree. They know their sandwiches stand on their own, and you don’t need it made extra special or customized. Take it as it is and let it blow your mind. This is the best pastrami I have eaten to date. By miles.
Some might complain for slow service, but I would never. Excellent food is worth waiting in line for, and it is not as though the line looks like Krispy Kreme’s when they first opened up in Southern California. I think total time spent in line was 10 – 15 minutes with a sole sandwich maker in the wife of the business. Her husband assisted, and her mother rung us up on the old fashioned, manual cash register… I could not ask for extra pickles on my sandwich, due to the strict guidelines of the place, but my worries were beyond alleviated when I saw the jar of giant pickles for sale when I got to the register to pay. I think they were $.75… Winning!
So… this place is still somewhat under the radar with most of the traffic being locals. I like it that way. It is quaint and quiet, but the food roars… the pastrami did anyway. I love it… I do not love the fact that they are only open a few days during the week because I went back to SF a few months later and was unable to enjoy this lovely gem as it was the weekend. However, the food is so good, that I cannot mark them down for this. They’re not here to become the next big chain, make millions and millions of dollars expanding their business. They are here to make a living and in the process, grace the mouths of those patient enough and knowing enough to enjoy something so wonderful in such a humble setting.
I could go on and on, but I am afraid people will, if they have not already stopped reading, just come up with this grandeur expectation of a sandwich in their mind that really can never be realized. I guess I’ll just close it up by saying, if you’re in the neighborhood during business hours, stop by and have a pastrami here. You won’t regret it.
Come humbly, don’t expect your life to change, and just grab lunch…
See what it’s about.

amazing prices on huge sandwiches. sandwiches come with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, spouts, pickles, cheese, and your choice of bread.
pastrami is a must try.
one word for this place– fantabulous and you’ll walk out with a happy tummy, and a smiling wallet

This is the place to go to get a GREAT sandwich super cheap.
It is not a trendy hipster place so you dont have to worry about impressing anyone there. If you’re a hipster tone it down when you go so as not to ruin the vibe, ok? Cuz this place has a really good vibe. Everyone is friendly, people dont mind sharing tables, and the owners are friendly/​chat with you while making your order. Also dont go if you’re in a huge rush because you will have to wait in line. Period. There is always a line. DO go if you want an amazing sandwich, want a relaxed welcoming atmosphere, and dont want to break the bank.

Today was their last day open this year (owners on long vacation — an annual tradition), they reopen next year probably in February.
Seinfeld’s soup nazi was funny, but the real life person is not. Sushi nazis are devoted to their craft, but I also think that their bad attitude ruins a meal (never seen that in Japan). This place is the sandwich equivalent, and many decades older than the others (51 years in business).
In other words they were strict before being strict was cool.
May & Judy (mother & daughter) W. are the sandwich ladies. May has mellowed down over the years, but strong-​minded Judy remains strict. Just follow the system to avoid any mean stares and sharp tongue remarks. Assuming u only want one sandwich: 1 — type of bread, 2 — half or full size, 3 — what meat u want for sandwich, 4 — condiments, 5 — choice of cheese.
The standard condiments (aka. trimmings) are: mayo, mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, sprouts, pickles and choice of cheese: cheddar, swiss or jack.
The place gets busy during lunch, but the line moves fast enough.
Nobody can deny that they make good sandwiches,
use very fresh bread and tender meats. The best part are the bargain prices: half sandwiches ($ 2.50-$ 4.20) and full sandwiches ($ 4.50-$ 7.45). Note that «half or full» refers only to the amount of meat. Every sandwich has 2 complete slices of bread. The best seller is the homemade hot pastrami.
Portions are very generous, so «half» here = regular size sandwich elsewhere. Just look at my food pics, those are «half» sandos: paper thin sliced pastrami on rye,
egg salad sandwich on onion roll,
and a thin sliced homemade roasted pork on black and light rye bread.
Can u believe that I paid $ 2.50-$ 3.95 each!
May always adds complimentary almond cookies to every bag.
Hours: Tue-​Fri 11:30am-4pm
(in the past it was Wed-​Sat)

Awsome.