Johnathan’s Sandwich House

THE place for a good sandwich. I’ve been a loyal customer for 9 years now.
I always order the Gonzo on a dutch crunch roll, and it is delicious! They provide a small serving of kettle style potato chips and a good-​sized slice of garlic dill pickle with each sandwich for the solid deli experience.

Probably 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up. A pretty good samich. Nice ladies running the place. Fresh ingredients. A little pricey. Not skimpy on the meat. Good soups and mostly easy parking. More of a pick up place than an eat in. Definitely preferred over the Subway around the corner, and these ladies don’t look like they raped any kids lately…

I was craving a sandwich and looked to Unilocal to help me find somewhere good to go. After reading the reviews, I went to Johnathan’s Sandwich House but I must say I was disappointed.
The ladies are very nice and welcoming. I decided to get the Gonzo on sourdough. Maybe my bread choice was part of the problem, but the bread did not hold up well. They did put a lot of mashed avocado on the sandwich which made the bread soggy and overall, was just too much. It felt like an avocado sandwich with a little bit of turkey added in with sprouts. Flavor wise, it wasn’t anything special. I don’t think I will go back.

If you’re too lazy to make a sandwich at the house, go here you’ll get the same quality homey sandwich.

Susan and the beautiful ladies here are so kind and make wonderful sandwiches. I have been ordering the Gonzo for years! My mom and hubby love it too! He likes the chili on cold days. This is our go to sandwich place and phone orders are a breeze. Thanks gals! See you soon!

Went here for lunch for the first time, ordered the pastrami sandwich on a sour dough bread which was pretty good. Pastrami were very flavorful and it was not dry like other places I’ve been to. Overall nice and friendly staff, a very welcoming experience. I would definitely come back here for lunch next time and try other sandwiches.

went here for the first time last week; I ordered the avocado and turkey sandwich on french bread, it was amazing! really fresh ingredients. The place is very cute too! I spoke with the owners, they have run the place for a really long time and they take a lot of pride in it – and it shows! I will definitely be back for more!

Favorite sandwich shop in town! I tried the clam chowder and was so glad I did! It’s a good one. The egg salad sandwich is also pretty delicious! My wife gets the turkey avocado sandwich and loves it. Service is fast, friendly and not over priced.

Johnathan’s Sandwich House is an Alameda institution. It is always clean inside and you get a consistent sandwich every time because the same owners have been running it for 40 years! They are conveniently located downtown on Santa Clara Ave. in between Oak and Park Street just around the corner near CVS and adjacent to city hall. If you can’t find street parking the huge lot for the theater is your best bet. It’s one of the best sandwiches available in Alameda, reasonably priced and healthy! It’s perfect to grab a sandwich and go and even easier if you call ahead of time. They are famous for their crab & avocado sandwich which uses real crab, it’s worth every penny!
Five Stars for Johnathan’s Sandwich House!

Been here quite a few times in the past year and have really enjoyed it every time. Had to take a break for a bit as I think we OD’d on the hot tuna/​tuna melt sandwich. I had never gotten that before (i’m usually straight meat/​cheese sandwich kind of guy), but my wife has been getting me to try her favorites. So I thought I would not like the hot tuna, but ended up loving it. It is a little oily but it’s damn good.
I have tried some of the standard meat/​combo sandwiches and loved those also. Great place.

Tasty sandwiches, great atmosphere, and a really friendly grandma who knows how to cook! What more could you ask for. Great food!

They have the best sandwiches! I love the Friday combo special, hot tuba sandwiches with clam chowder.

Time: 1:20 PM. 72°. Sunny blue sky
My husband saw this place this morning while getting the morning SF Chronicle from a vendor on the corner of Park & Santa Clara. He came home and told me they serve crab and avocado sandwich… okay.
For lunch to go, we stopped in at Johnathan’s Sandwich House. The crab and avocado sandwich is not on the menu, so we asked for them — two toasted crab and avocado sandwiches (on whole wheat bread) and two bags of chips to go, please.
Ambiance: comfy place with a several wood-​stained tables and chairs, four picnic type tables and benches. Maximum seating for probably about 25 people. Walls are decorated with empty bottles of beer on shelves… makes me wanna bust out singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall… y’all catch the drift… lol. On one side of the counter away from the cash register, there’s a basket filled with assorted chips and candy. Next to the cash register is the paper menu holder and another basket of assorted chips. Right across from where one places orders for sandwiches, salads, soups, chili, desserts is the refrigerator filled with bottled sodas, juices, water, etc. Against the back wall is the condiment, utensils and napkins table. Two tables and four chairs above the entrance? That’s different for the décor of the sandwich shop — I had to chuckle to myself.
Menu: At least 15 different sandwiches, 7 types of bread, additional items on sandwiches cost extra. Choices on the salads are chef, veggie, super and green. Soup of the day is sold either in a cup or bowl. Boston clam chowder and Chili with beans sold on Tuesdays and Fridays in either a cup or bowl. Desserts: cheesecake, chocolate cake, carrot cake and cookie (oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip).
Staff: Two Asian women — one preparing the sandwiches and the other working the cash register. They were friendly with the customers and us.
Eats: As mentioned before; two toasted crab and avocado sandwiches on whole wheat bread with a side of ruffle potato chips to go. Cost: $ 26.40…wow, pricey. Reason: fresh real crab meat, avocado, lettuce and sliced tomato. The sandwiches were pretty good (4 stars).
Parking: Street parking is slightly difficult in the area. One can park at the CVS parking lot and walk down half a block to order the sandwich, salad, soup or whatever they have on the menu.
Inasmuch as I would like to give this sandwich shop a four star, I have to deduct a star for the woman who was handling the cash register. My rule of thumb is if one is handling cash with his/​her bare hands, then he/​she should not be handling the food without putting on plastic food gloves.
Return trip? Might/​might not.

I have lived in Alameda for over 20 years, and never knew this place existed until I found it on Unilocal.Well, I had to try it out.
I walked in around 2 – 3 pm so it was pretty empty. A friendly Asian woman behind the counter was helpful and chatty. I looked through their menu on the wall, asked for her opinion and decided on ham and egg salad sandwich on rye bread. Yes, she recommended Gonzo, but my palate that day was craving something else. I got it to go, since I was really busy that day, and ate the sandwich 5 min later after getting an oil change on my car. The rye bread was light and fluffy kind, just the way I like it, not too strong, but definitely have a nice rye scent to it. Ham and egg salad went well, and loved the alfalfa sprouts on it.
I see a lot of comments on here that you can make their sandwich at home. Sure. I can make it at home too, but do you know how much it would cost to buy all the ingredients including the meat, egg in this case, sprouts, veggies, bread and maybe cheese? By the time you bought it all, went home and made it yourself, it would be more expensive and more time taken out of your day, and now you have to eat the same thing over and over again for days to not have the ingredients go to waste. Yes, I can make most of the food I eat at restaurants whether it’s sandwich, French, Italian or Japanese cuisine. But who wants to spend all that time and money? Sometimes it’s simply worth it to just have it made for you — and made well. That’s why I give this place 4 stars. Will definitely go back and try more sandwiches.

Time: 2:17pm/69°F partly sunny
Purpose: This place was up for possible account talks so today I’m doing eastbay figure why not?
Ambiance: The front display area of shop has telltale of a retail store that once made home. Once inside it’s a 7 round table and 4 family style seating made of faux dark cherry wood. There’s really no bling factor here only your standard deli shop look with all equipment and items push to front for that all we carry look. Only thing I like was the family style table with see through hard transparent epoxy plastic, with a Mexican coin embedded. The walls are adorn with a 3 tier shelve each tier holds different assorted vintage beer bottles/​cans. Above the entrance way there’s 2 tables set up ready to seat later I thought there was an upstairs, it’s not for deco only. Place is not concentrating on looks itself rather than just simple basic eats.
Staff: 2 ladies maybe in their late 60’s-early 70’s and one older man also near same age range. All Chinese mandarin speaking. Very friendly and helpful they really make you feel at home. Explains what they do and put in sandwich before making. The man stands by to do manual lifting and some prepping in the inner back.
Cleanliness: Grade B-​, some areas need a good scrub and wipe down a minor thing, nice to see it perform though.
Eats/​Drinks: I got the turkey on Columbo roll with all the fixings $ 4.90+taxes. Didn’t get any drink had Fiji water on hand. Sandwich is good for it’s size and price. Turkey meat was not the freshly deli slice but simply like healthy choice or Safeway Select process type. The bread was not hard and had just enough condiments to balance it out with fixings. You get a pastry parchment baggy in it a few pieces of crinkle cut salt & pepper chips about 7 – 8 unbroken respectively. Cut in half wrap up in deli paper toothpick pluck in both half. Without rubber bands or tape to hold its corner she simply twist a knot on it. Very unique as I never been to a place were corners are twisted tightly together and holds so well.
Products/​Services: Salads, sandwiches, combos, soup of day, clam chowder, snacks, fresh fruit, chili, desserts, hot/​cold drinks, add-on’s (prices varies depending on item itself). *Call for take out, line skippers, and bag lunches.
Punch Lines: Great friendly staff, made to order, inexpensive, quick/​efficient service, no upselling, ask you every 5 minutes if things are ok. Nearby banks, drugstores, school, library, APD, 7 – 11, motel, laundromat, cityhall, cafes/​restaurants, nail/​salon, martial arts school, toy shops, shoe stores, AC bus, street parking, bike shop, antique shops, insurance agents, doctors.
Tradeoffs: You come for the friendly fast freshly made eats. Don’t expect ACME/​Semifreddis bread or rolls, none of that fancy smancy gourmet ingredients, if you do you’ll be a bit disappointed. Go to Domenico’s or Sandwich Board if you want more fancy eats.
Final Thoughts: I normally don’t hit up shops that deal with Lay’s chip or Doritos but thinking about possible account sometimes you’ll need to over look it. I will say that I will return after this experience for another sandwich or so. You don’t get much places these days asking you how are things going while patronizing.

I was disappointed by my visit to Johnathan’s Sandwich House. I ordered the half turkey sandwich along with a cup of chili and my boyfriend ordered a pastrami sandwich along with a can of coke and bag of chips. He enjoyed his sandwich but felt it was a bit expensive, as did I. My turkey sandwich was very ordinary and the pickles I asked for were left off. Also, I’m a huge chili fan and was excited to try theirs based on good review, but was let down by what tasted like cheap canned soup, and for $ 3 a cup I’d think they could avoid an up charge for cheese and onions. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed with the portions, flavor or service.

Got the gonzo. Eating it right now. Super yum for price point. Friendly service. Fresh ingredients. I’ll be back

Had their chili with cheddar cheese, I thought it was great. My bf got the topper sandwich and he said it was great quality. They’re not usually open on Sundays, but they were today. Good thing, too!

Turkey avocado on a white roll. Soft bread and real turkey, complimentary chips on the side: it all tasted homemade and since you could see the owner making it, it seemed so!
I would normally give a place like this 3 stars, but because the owner/​sammich craftswoman made a real effort to get to know me as an Alameda resident/​customer, I will definitely be back here and have upgraded their rating to 4 stars even though I did feel like I was eating a sandwich I could have made at home.

Crab avocado Sammie! First of all, I am no sandwich connoisseur, but I listen to my tastebuds for sure. When I think crab sandwich, I don’t immediately think «Head to Alameda!» I would probably go to Fishermans wharf in the city. I tried a crab sandwich in New York at The Lobster Place, but it was dry and left me feeling disappointed with little flavor. I have passed by this place for about 2 years and always see that sign. Unfortunately, when I pass it, I am headed to another dining destination with family. With a picky younger sibling, my voice gets trumped by her cute one. Today was my lucky day! I was hungry and Yellow Tail was closed, so upon thinking of places to eat, it dawned on me to try this place. Was I in for a treat! Best Sammie ever! This is what I expect from a crab Sammy.
The crab was real and the mixture of avocado mayonnaise and lettuce. Please toast the sourdough bread, you’ll thank yourself for doing so. Everything blew my mind away! I usually feel gross after I eat sandwiches like from Ike’s (which I love as well, but you know it is not good for you when you see the oil drip from your sandwich to your hand or down your face and probably giving you pimples at that spot). The mayo was layered perfectly, not too much added and it felt refreshing to eat actually with the lettuce leaves and luke warm crab meat. The place is cute, this Mom and Pop restaurant off Santa Clara and Park st., screams Alameda! It feels homey and cosy. The wooden benches make me feel like I’m at a clean park. The Asian owner put pictures of her grandchildren up, so cute! She was so sweet, the place had closed and my friend and I hadn’t noticed. She let us stay an extra 30 min after closing. She scolded me for not trying out this store even after ten years of residency in the area. I don’t know if I can rave about it enough, I have been telling all of my friends to try it so they can experience a little Alamedian hospitality for themselves.
GO, GO, GO! Best sandwich ever! Just listen to me and try it. $ 11 for a real crab avocado sandwich is worth it.