Genova Delicatessen Review
Genova is probably the best place to get a deli sandwich in Napa. Unfortunately, everyone in Napa knows this, and the waits are pretty long during the peak lunch times of about 11:30 to 1:30. Grab a number, wait 25 minutes and explore all the other Italian foodstuffs in the store, and then hope you get a seat later. One of our favorite places to eat for lunch though (even if we tend to go earlier and later to avoid the crowds)
Napa 365 wrote a nice overview of the Genova deli and helps explain why there is a Genova Delicatessen website, but it only mentions two Walnut Creek locations instead of also mentioning its Oakland and Napa locations. Apparently, there was a bit of a family tiff that caused them to split ways.
Genova Delicatessen food
Like I said before, Genova has the best deli sandwiches you're going to find in Napa. A huge amount of deli meats and sides to choose from. Bread's fresh, meats are tasty, sides and fixin's are plentiful, soups are hot and hearty. It's a nice, pure deli sandwich shop. Grab a ticket number as soon as you get in, be prepared to wait a while (wander around the store; lots of interesting Italian foodstuffs to look at), and then place your order at the counter.
The sandwiches are pretty hearty. The bread's fresh, and they don't skimp on the quality meats and fillings. One sandwich is probably enough for two people for a light lunch if you get some chips or soup as an accompaniment. One whole sandwich by itself makes for a filling meal.
There's definitely a lot more to the deli than just great sandwiches. There are cheeses, wine, and a ton of cold and hot side orders. So, take a good look around while waiting for your number to be called.
Genova Delicatessen setting and service
Service is solid. Deli prep crew takes time to ask and note what you want, and it feels like they're putting your sandwich together with some care as opposed to mashing your sandwich together to get it off the conveyor line as quickly as possible. Maybe not super friendly, but friendly enough (they do after all have a huge crowd to get through).
Seating can be a problem in Genova given the lunch crowds it attracts. There are maybe 8 tables on the inside with about 3 tables outside. You can also pull up on the small bar that they have though. Genova is located in a very non-descript strip mall on Trancas; so don't expect too much out of that outside seating view.
The cool thing about Genova Delicatessen is the Italian market feel. While you're waiting for your ticket number to be called for the deli, you can walk around the small store and find all sorts of interesting Italian foodstuffs that you normally can't find elsewhere. Italian baked goods, double 00 flour, all sorts of specialty pastas, wines, cheese, and so on. It's hard to walk out of there without finding something to try out.
Price of our meal
1 sandwich (about $8), bowl of soup, some chips, 1 glass of wine, 2 fizzy drinks + sales and tax/tip = ~$25
Other Genova Delicatessen reviews and links
- Yelp reviews
- TripAdvisor reviews
- Urbanspoon reviews
- Napa 365 has some interesting background information