13 Best Delis near Lake Forest

“Fantastic sandwiches and exceptional customer service! This little deli is tucked into a nondescript shopping center in Lake Forest. They make super fresh, delicious sandwiches, breakfast burritos--and really yummy fresh juices. Try the carrot, celery, and apple juice! Maybe the secret ingredient here is love--the owners are so kind and go above and beyond--every single time--to make you feel welcome and happy with your meal. Thank you so much for being in our community!!“

“If you’re looking for a delicious spiral ham this is the place to go. The staff is very friendly and even though it was busy during the Easter holiday they were very quick to get people through the line.

Parking: When they are busy parking lot can get full with about 20 or so spots.“

“Good food, good service, good people
The people are kind and fast with no detriment to the food’s quality
Definitely go here when you’re free on a weekday before 2:30pm!!

Dietary restrictions: I personally have Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and there are plenty of options for people who have medical restrictions or are just picky“

“Best food shopping for fresh Sausage/Meats etc.. Sandwiches are simply TASTY, like being in Italy... Friendly helpful staff“

“This is DEFINITELY the hidden South Orange County gem that the true locals around here know all about! Very friendly service. Donuts are great but their sandwiches are EXCELLENT. My tip: Always go with their longest length sandwich. I go with either pastrami, egg, or veggie sandwich -depending on the mood and always with everything on it. You get to choose a donut -I always go with plain, maple bar, chocolate cake, or chocolate frosted donut. Lastly you get a drink -I recommend the unsweetened ice tea. Why? Bc the dessert was the donut... No need to sugar your way up with anything moreGo here: Trust me you won't be disappointed“

“Great selection! The pastrami sandwich is AWESOME! Bought some Polish kielbasa to grill later! Don't know why I waited so long to go as I live ONE BLOCK AWAY. Customer for life!!“

“It’s really interesting how the best sandwich places in Irvine are out of the way in office buildings. Is it because they get to concentrate on their craft over making fancy decorations? Maybe it’s the constant practice they have with great customer service and making something simple into something delicious. Could be the great prices reflecting great food. Whatever it is Cafe O’deli is probably the best sandwich place in Irvine!“

“It would be hard to overstate the excellence of Honey Baked Hams products - in this case the exceptional spiral cut ham. A tradition in our family as well as millions of others throughout the country. Merry Christmas everyone!“

“I am sure the service, atmosphere and probably even the food is much better if you show up an hour or more before closing but after showing up 5-10 minutes prior to them closing, my experience was waaaay less (more 🤔😆🙃😉) then par. Abstract golf joke there☝🏼. Anyway, I waited 5-10 minutes to have my order taken because a dude spilled water all over a table. Instead of taking my order then wiping the water dry, the main guy did the opposite. Then a gal cut infront of me in line until her friend told her I was ahead of her but after assessing the situation I let them pay for the ice cream ahead of me so we can get them out of the relatively cramped quarters. Finally, guy took my order but was very rude, rushed me and clearly seemed upset because of the spilled water near closing especially when he has other customers waiting. Why you being rude to me bro? I pulled up an hour ago to charge my EV in the back lot and when I saw y'all had no public restrooms I walked elsewhere for #1, then returned for the lox sandwich 5-10 minutes prior to closing.

Anyway, I paid like $15 for a lox bagley and $3 for halva chocolate bar. I did not like this halva stuff but the lox sandwich was fair. I did see any added salt nor pepper to the lox but it tasted OK to good.

Overall, the place is way overpriced for what you get and the service at least from my experience made it worse. The guy was friendly when I left but I just did not feel welcome the first 20 minutes.

On a personal note I appreciate Kosher delis and halal restaurants or both in one and hope to visit more places of this nature.“

“We are locals, and sometimes even walk over with the dog to sit outside and enjoy the outdoor tables, and the delicious sandwiches. They do a great job and always offer great service!“

“UPDATE: TAP TO PAY LIIIIVES

This place is super convenient and the staff is always extremely friendly and helpful. My only qualm with this place is simply not having a self-checkout area, and they definitely have the space for that, which you can see as soon as you enter the store. In addition, they could do better with their produce. But I often go to Ralph's simply because they have self-check out. Oh and if you're a company doing any kind of business and not doing tap-to-pay, seriously?“

“😀 Made to order - only fresh ingredients - only great staff. What's not to like?“

“Great sandwiches and atmosphere. Definitely going back!“