Like Gen Z and lowercase letters or Suni Lee and the uneven bars, few things go together better than a sandwich and a park. Something about sitting in the grass and biting into a tightly-wrapped BLT or tuna melt brings us to a special place of contentment and bliss. Which is why heading to Lucinda’s Deli & More, a small, takeout-only sandwich spot located across the street from Alamo Square, is the equivalent of taking a high-speed bullet train straight to that special place.

photo credit: Erin Ng

At Lucinda’s, the ratio of filling to bread is absurdly high, and you might audibly gasp when you break apart the two halves, revealing the colorful, neatly-stacked layers of meat, veggies, spreads, and other toppings. The roll is perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, where it’s hollowed out a little so there’s room for the fillings.

It’s not a build-your-own sandwich situation here - you’ll order from a menu of predetermined combinations like mortadella with tapenade and bagna cauda mayo, or a tuna melt with pickled jalapeño and sriracha mayo. But you’ll be in good hands: everything is incredible, and stuffed with a wonderful, massive amalgamation of salty, creamy, and spicy flavors. Before heading out for your weekend picnic or quick lunch break somewhere in the sun, grab some extra napkins, or some beer, wine, or sodas from the fridge.

photo credit: Erin Ng

Lucinda’s can get pretty busy around lunchtime, so order ahead online if you don’t want to wait. Whether you’re eating your sandwich at Alamo Square, on the go, or from your couch at home, know that it’ll be fantastic, and one you need to add to your Rolodex of lunch spots, stat.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Erin Ng

Spicy Tuna Melt

Whenever we remind ourselves that this sandwich exists, it becomes almost physically impossible to ignore the burning desire to head to Lucinda’s, immediately. The sriracha mayo and pickled jalapeños give this tuna melt a kick that keeps us ordering it again and again.

photo credit: Erin Ng

BLTA

A classic, leveled up with tomato jam, chipotle mayo, and a pile of arugula so high it practically qualifies as a side salad.

photo credit: Erin Ng

Mortadella

This one has a lot going on, but all the ingredients come together to make an excellent sandwich. The layers of mortadella, tapenade, bagna cauda mayo, hot pepper chili relish, provolone, tomato, and arugula are super colorful, and almost too pretty to eat.