Gallo’s Italian Deli
5040 E 2nd StLong Beach, CA 90803
- Go – Get up and get Grubbin!
- Sane – Price is right and perfectly reasonable for what you get!
This is likely the most confusing and contradictory blog I might ever shoot in digital ink. Gallo’s incredible failure to capture the essence of what makes it special hurts to write! I avoided my blog for the last few weeks so I wouldn’t have to break my own heart revealing the recent truth. But let me start with the good, because I decided as a food blogger if I have a regular spot, it must be a special entry!
The sandwiches. Simply brilliant! They slice and dice their own meets, cheeses with yummy and fresh ingredients. On my top favorites is the Turbacado. This Avocado turkey infused sandwich sealed with crispy savory bacon is a MUST! Ask for them to throw the book at it with toppings. Lettuce, Fresh sliced cheddar cheese, mayo, mustard, jalapenos, tomato chunks, and red onion. Oh My Lord of all holy sandwiches! Let me tell you my staple favorite food are sandwiches, and If I had 1 sandwich to eat on the last day of my life it would be this one (I think).
A close second is the HOT PRICKLER. On paper this sandwich is a NO. However in my mouth its a F%#@ YES! Hot pastrami with Avocado meets the orchestra of Mayo, pickles, melted provolone cheese and I add lettuce for a fresh crunch. Packed with almost too much meat, the salty pickles and pastrami fight in an MMA ring of flavors as the avocado and lettuce counter balance the flavor senses.
If I am ever on suicide watch, please head straight to Gallo’s because I might be ready to go to the pearly gates on a flavor town express, on the wings of the MASSIVE BLT. I am not a huge fan of BLT sandwiches but bring your defibrillator because this is death by bacon in every way that’s wonderful. Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato on soft bread loaded with baked crunchy bacon will make anyone who ever liked a BLT love them more than ever.
Now that you grasp a little bit about some of the wonderful products at this amazing place, Gallo’s Italian Deli in sandwich talk is the triple 7 jackpot even with a dozens of delicious sandwich places all around it!!! But lets get to the grimy truth that is hard to admit. First and foremost the restaurant is absolutely positively hidden, its horribly camouflaged on one of the most valuable streets in all of Los Angeles county. I’ve literally gone to the front door and was 100% sure it was closed. The windows are tinted so dark that it looks abandoned, and I lived in long beach for over a year before I accidentally discovered it one day. The open sign is on only 75% of the time, which might not sound like a big deal but that could be about 100 days a year. Next they have these awful pictures of their sandwiches. I cant imagine those are photos of their actual sandwiches, they look greasy, small, and by no means appetizing. Even after I found Gallo’s it took me 2 months to get over how awful the food looks on the windows. Located on busy 2nd street, Gallo’s is missing huge opportunities to attract the hungry and lively night crowd that wonders the street of Belmont after binge drinking. I give them a pass on their other locations being strictly lunch, but doing this on 2nd street is brain damaging for me. In the recent months its obvious by far the biggest issue with my special place is the staff. Cut down to even now 1 person during the day, the sandwiches and everything in between hurts. I came in one day and pretended I had never been there before. I casually asked the cashier about the most popular sandwiches and chips. I was shocked that I knew more about the sandwiches and even which chips are constantly being restocked more than she did. This single staff member has butchered the sandwich so much that I actually look to see if shes working when I need my sandwich fix. If shes in there I keep walking and go to the next place as should you. Its really a shame that for a place I used to eat at 2-3 times a week every week has been ruined by 1 person. For this reason I am not going to banish Gallo’s with a 1 star death sentence. The reality is I think this person is so uninterested in their job it wont be long before shes gone. Once that is I hope the best for Gallo’s. I know they have been struggling, but with a few small changes I think there could be massive improvements in their bottom line. And Ill be back, just hire better staff. Your #1 fan, #wandergrub
WANDERGRUB 