Downtown Deli
328 Main St, Ames, IA, 50010
Downtown Deli Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Ames for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Ames for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Ames for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
328 Main St
Ames, IA, 50010 - Phone (515) 232-3626
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 7:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Miles L.
Great fresh ingredients. Awesome staff. Lines can get long during peak lunch times. Otherwise it's tough to beat the quality and taste.
(5)K. B.
The oldest and best deli in town. Located on Main St. In downtown Ames, park in back for free. Great meal and unique atmosphere. They have home-made soup and other goodies most days. A favorite of Ames locals and always busy during lunch. Under the same ownership for 32 years. Claude has out lasted all the chain sub shops that popped up downtown only to be run our of business by the Downtown Deli. Come see why. They just remodeled the building's front facade and it really looks nice! Stop by
(5)Samantha C.
The tuna on wheat I had today was far better than most subs I've had in a long time. The fresh onions, tomato, and lettuce plus cheddar cheese and oil and vinegar made it even better. Service was awesome, and we got several great suggestions. The potato soup was good, not amazing but nice and hot. A 7 inch sub is more than enough unless you have a large appetite! Only 4 stars because the inside of this place made me feel a bit claustrophobic! Several tables close together, and a large part of the interior is used for the sandwich station and line for people to order and pay.
(4)Patrick T.
If you are a fan of sandwiches this is your spot in downtown Ames! I'm Vegan so I can't speak for the meat, but I know it's cut fresh every time you order it, like a true old deli! The cheese too. Now this may mean the line moves a little slower then a Subway, but heck, your meat is not coming off a little piece of wax paper! That is really the only negative thing about Downtown Deli is sometime the line moves slow, but for quality, I can have a little patience! They have great hummus here, and they don't skimp on the veggies, you can get a bag of chips and a pop and get your whole meal for around 5 bucks! The location is not huge, so you might not find a seat in the restaurant around the lunch hour times, but i dig taking my sandwich and eating on one of the many park benches outside! Great friendly staff, fresh cuts, and a locally owned lunch and dinner institution, that's all you need to know! Let's eat!
(5)Colin S.
Glad I stopped in here, good job yelp! I had a capicollo and pastrami with the classic ingredients and provolone. Great spot for lunch though the line moves slow. Pricing is equivalent to JJ's but meat is indeed fresher as other commenters have noted. The quality of the bread is definitely an opportunity for improvement.
(4)James W.
Best place in town for a sandwhich. I love this place, just make sure to get there before or after the noon rush or you will wait in line a long time.
(5)D B.
Why go to chain sub shops and eat processed meat sliced hundreds of miles away with crap preserved colored toppings when places like this exist? Everything is fresh, meat is sliced on the spot. Perfect sub. Delicious. Fair prices too. I'll never give a penny to any chain garbage peddlers in Ames. Downtown Deli is just the way I like it. Support local fresh healthy foods. Start here
(5)Veronica K.
This is a wonderful place to get a freshly made sub sandwich custom-made just the way you want it. Sure, there may be short wait as you stand in line for your turn at the counter, but it's definitely worth it. The super-friendly guy at the counter taking your order makes you feel like you're his only customer and he's got all the time in the world for you. And when you ask questions about toppings, he answers you cheerfully, not like some exasperated teenager who wishes you would just hurry up and go already so he can get to the next customer in line. And then he loads up the toppings onto your bread. You think he's going to stop, but he keeps going and going. Now that's the way to make a customer happy. I really don't know how Subway can even compete with that. And their prices are quite reasonable. They also have soup available to go with your sandwich. What more could you ask for? Being from Des Moines, I'm always wishing we had a good soup and sandwich place like this in my neighborhood. I love this place. The decor of this deli isn't fancy and it looks like it's been around for awhile, but it doesn't matter. The food is great, the staff is awesome and you can tell they love their jobs. That's all that matters. I'll come back the next time I'm in Ames.
(4)Tara B.
Great food! Warm or cold, great and yummy sandwiches! Soup is great too, if going plan to wait to get feat great toppings, it's pretty quick if willing to stand in line. Small location but worth it. Just got a corned beef with everything... Oh so good!
(4)Kenzie T.
I love this place. It's a wonder to me that the Subway a few blocks down stays in business. This is clearly the best place to get a sandwich on Main Street. The ingredients are great and they don't skimp. You get a good amount of toppings on their delicious bread. The price is also great for what you're getting. I usually get a 7" sub with a medium drink at $4.75. Not a bad deal. What I really love about this place is when you order a veggie sub they offer to wipe down the slicer for you! This is a way to make a vegetarian very happy! When I was there the other day I mentioned that it was nice that they do that and the gentleman working assured me, "I'd offer it even if there was a line out the door." That's service and it also speaks on how nice the staff there is!!
(5)Megan S.
I've always had yummy sandwiches and usually just ask them to make whatever sounds good to them that day! I was a vegan for a while and they have a great vegan sandwich with yummy hummus! Staff is always super laid back and friendly :)
(5)Sarah C.
Great fresh ingredients and friendly staff, however the sandwiches lacked the umph of flavor to catch my attention. I ordered the tuna sandwich with peppers, olives, tomatoes and lettuce and the flavor was pretty bland. It was good enough to satisfy my hunger but would try something else next time.
(3)Andrew W.
A great place for a freshly made, custom sub. Cheap, friendly, vegetarian choices. Stand in line, until your turn then watch the magic happen. There is nothing fancy about this place, but the service is worth it. The owner is a gem who cares about his business and the community. If you can't decide what to order, ask for a "Clyde Special", the owner will look you up and down and make the sandwich you need. He is a veritable deli mind-reader!
(5)Heidi T.
One of my regular lunch stops. Friendly staff, good sandwiches. (And delish desserts!) Eat local and skip the chain sub places.
(5)Peter g.
Fast, clean, good choices, their soup needs some help, well priced but then again I live in a lot more costly area, good grub for the buck. local icon in the heart of Ames, if your ever around and need your deli fix, stop here 4 sur.
(4)Dr.emilio L.
Had a great sub sandwich , I can say that the value is WAY! better then any sandwich shop here in Ames. The prices are extremly good and the qualty is "top" notch , all my years as a chef I like knowing that even with the advertising the others put out, a place such as this rocks on !
(5)Spencer G.
Had the 7 inch capicola and the 7 inch French dip. The capicola was good, the French dip was amazing. Next time I go I will double down on the French dip.
(5)C L.
I really like this place. A great local place for deli sandwiches. Service is fast and staff are friendly. Prices are inexpensive.
(5)Evan R.
I live in Chicago and my wife and I always look forward to stopping by DD while visiting my family in Ames. I don't know why there are only 10 reviews but this is THE BEST SANDWICH IN IOWA. I don't know where they get there ingredients but every ingredient they use is tasty. The meat is so good and the cheese, bread and veggies are all fresh. Why waste your money at Jimmy Johns or Subway when you can have the best sandwich in the state just a few steps away for the same price!? I really hope this review never gets read so the line does not get any longer.
(5)Matt E.
If you're in downtown Ames pass on Subway and JJ's and give this locally owned an operated deli a try. You won't be disappointed. It's operated like a well oiled machine where they build your sandwich to order, including slicing your meat of choice. One of the few places in Ames you can get a pastrami sandwich. Fresh ingredients and superior meat selection. The help is kind and can really crank out quality sandwiches quickly. The only disappointment is that they don't take credit and/or debit cards. Make sure you have cash (it won't take much) on hand before arriving and avoid the $3 fees of the surrounding banks. $6 got me a fairly large sub style sandwich and a deep "cup" of homemade soup. Superior sandwiches and soups with an eye-brow raising low price. If you're in the mood for a sandwich for lunch on the eastern half of Ames, this should be the first place you try.
(4)Ross B.
Ermahgerd, so good! Delectable sandwiches, friendly staff.
(5)Megan M.
Wow! These guys (and gals) can make a sandwich! The meats and cheeses are sliced right in front of your eyes and the whole sandwich is assembled into what I can only call "heaven between bread". I tend to get the 14" two meat combo. I found out that they'll even make 4 separate, two meat mini sandwiches if you REALLY want (and ask nice enough). I tend to just go for the 2 separate two meat sandwiches: corned beef and turkey with provolone cheese, and ham and turkey with cheddar cheese. I find that the full 14 inches is too much, so I wrap up one quarter of the sandwich and save it for dinner. I've always wanted to try their cheese soup or chili. I've heard that it's pretty good. Also, if you're getting pop, it's cheap (essentially, the cost of the cup) and there are free refills. The staff is fantastic and always pleasantly chatty. They seem to love what they're doing, which turns the whole experience into a great one. The seating amount is sufficient. If you go during a rush, you might worry while you're standing in line, however, by the time you've paid, it is never a major issue. Going around noon (and I imagine at dinnertime) may be a bit of a mistake if you're wanting to get in and out quickly. Lines are usually out the door and can last up to a half hour or longer. By 12:30, the line is usually shorter This is my third favorite sandwich shop just behind Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh and Katz's Deli in NYC. However, it has the distinct advantage of being much closer since I live in Ames.
(5)Ana E.
I know this place because a friend of ours works here. The sandwiches are edible and inexpensive. The biggest disappointment is their bread. I prefer chabata bread or something like a french roll. The cold cuts seem fresh. I wish they had avocado, sprouts, and tortillas but what I can I say, I'm from Cali. Oh yeah, the service is great. Staff is SUPER friendly.
(2)Nou Nou T.
My sandwich of choice - capicollo and turkeys This is by far the best place to get a sandwich, especially now that they take cards! Great owner that remembers you out of who knows how many people he saw every day a this shop, great people that works there, and just awesome all around. Keep in mind if you were to go out there for lunch or any other busy meal time, you're going to have to stand in line for a bit. A must try if you're in Ames!
(5)Steve C.
This is a pretty good sandwich shop. If like the food & the people. Went there on Monday for a ham on wheat to go. Looking forward to October 1st because that's when they have chili every day. Whats best is also whats worst. The meat cutter remembers and chats with everyone. It's nice but slows down the line at lunch time.
(4)Mike T.
It is the best sub I have ever had. The short wait is worth the time. I recommend getting all the toppings.
(5)Stacy S.
Pastrami, Corned Beef, and Sausage OH MY! This place is awesome. While the sandwiches look small, they are mighty and full of good product. The coolest thing about this place is that they have really good meats, cheeses, and condiments. They don't spice anything up with chipotle mustard, or stuff that is off the beaten path. This deli is all about basic sandwiches that taste amazing. Another rockin' thing about Downtown deli is the super thin sliced lettuce and the great service. When you walk in, the people working there actually treat you well. They offer suggestions and are willing to take you on a sandwich journey. Staples are the hot corned beef, pastrami, and sausage on wheat. I go for those 90% of the time. The owner is excellent and the prices are ridiculously awesome. Go there! NOW!
(5)Lindsay H.
Really great made-to-order sandwiches with fresh ingredients for an amazing price. The sandwiches are really good, I always get the vegetarian with hummus. They even clean the meaty machine off for me before slicing the cheese. The veggies are always very fresh - crisp shredded lettuce and very customizable to your liking with all the different toppings. The pickles are really good garlicky kosher dills. My husband always gets pastrami or corned beef and raves about the taste and quality of ingredients as well. The staff is very friendly. It can take a while if there is a line, especially if there's only one person working, but the staff is always courteous and they never get flustered or screw up my order. The sandwiches and bargain are definitely worth the wait. How more people don't know about this place is beyond me. My only complaint is that they need to be open later, but most of the downtown businesses close early so I can understand why they're not.
(5)CHRIS C.
Great locally owned deli. Excellent service, line can be long at times but worth the wait. I prefer it over jimmy johns when I'm downtown. Basic Deli. No bells and whistles but very good.
(5)Joel A.
Personable service and amazing sandwiches. Skip the deli sandwich chains and go to Downtown deli. They slice the meat and cheese right in front of you when you order, so you know it is fresh. Plenty of choices for things to go on your sandwich. The Capicolla is excellent.
(5)Danelle W.
Friendly staff and great sandwiches made from fresh ingredients. Their soups are also worth a try!
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