Erik's Delicafe - Salinas

My favorite sandwich, if it's done well, is a Rueben. I was looking for this sandwich in my area Salinas/Monterey for a year. It was hard, so I guess it?s choice is not currently popular. Recently, I discovered that Erik?s Deli does it, so I fell in today. The service was good. Sandwiches were made quickly. The staff were friendly. The plant was clean. And they offer a high discount! But I was disappointed with my sandwich. It should have sauerkraut, which was not immediately visible. There was too much dressing that dripping and caused the other ingredients to slide. The majority of filling was in the middle of the sandwich so that the outer edge of bread with nothing but a thousand island dressing. This was important because the meat, cheese and herb slipped out of the middle and the amount of bread standing alone increased. Am I back? I don't know if someone's making the sandwich.

One word: disappointing. I’ve never dined at an Erik before, and it wasn’t a great introduction. My wife enjoyed her Strawberry Fields Salad, but that was the highlight of our meal. The butternut squash soup had an odd flavor and, quite frankly, I wasn't impressed. I ordered a sandwich with pastrami and turkey. When I inquired about the sauce, they said it was a mix of mayo, mustard, and vinegar. I requested it on the side, but it didn’t add much to the flavor, and I didn’t end up using it. The macaroni salad also had a distinct vinegar taste that wasn’t to my liking. It’s not my place to judge, but that seems to be Erik’s style. The sandwich itself was nothing special, and the pastrami needed a little more attention to improve its texture. To top it all off, they were out of lids for the drinks. Maybe it’s a California thing, but I wouldn’t recommend visiting another Erik’s.

I ordered a chicken Caesar salad, but it was served in a small bowl that made me nervous about spilling while mixing it! When I ate there, I was literally the only customer in the café, which says a lot. People tend to remember places, whether their experience was good or bad. Honestly, I think I'd be better off making my own salad and sandwich.

The sea dog I ordered today was soggy and the bread was hard on the edges. The tuna salad was mushy and watery. I will never order anything from here.

Erik's was fantastic! The staff was very efficient, and the food was excellent. You can't go wrong with anything you order!