I've been having meetings in the UTC/La Jolla area quite regularly for the past couple of months. The meetings usually finish around noon-ish. At the end of one of my meetings I asked for a recommendation for grabbing a quick bite and Crossraods Deli was mentioned. I had already heard of the place via an email from "Rob", so I decided to check them out.
Finding the place was interesting. It's located in the La Jolla Crossroads Apartment complex off Judicial Drive. I would have never thought of checking this place out…..mainly because I'd never driven past here before. Anyway, there's visitor parking, you'll find the place behind the Boar's Head umbrellas.
The place was pretty busy and the menu is pretty routine, except for a couple of specialty sandwiches and daily specials. This was Falafel Friday, so of course……
I got the falafel sandwich ($7.50). Which I thought would be a great idea, since, well, Boar's Head is Boar's Head, you know what I mean? This is a real Mom-and-Pop place, really…..it's like Mom is working the register and Pop is making the sandwiches. Nice folks one and all.
This was a pretty hefty sandwich, perhaps a bit too heavy handed on the shredded lettuce and tahini sauce as it seems the falafel were a bit overwhelmed by everything else. The pita was nice and warm and the falafel, which were hot and fresh, had a nice texture, not too gritty, just moist enough, with a pleasant flavor. Needless to say, I didn't leave hungry.
I can see why this place is popular, the portion-price point is good. The falafel aren't on the level of Mister Falafel, but I'd have this again.
Two weeks later I dropped by again. The place was just as packed as before. This time I ordered "Al's Famous Club" ($7.50):
This was a pretty good sandwich. I loved that the turkey was thinly shaved, that the bacon were more like Bacon Bits, though there was a good amount of it, not so much. What seemed like a vinaigrette was very nice, the side that was over-dressed with mayo was a bit much. Loved the avocado and the swiss added a nice milkiness to the sandwich. I ordered this on sourdough, which went well with the sandwich. Not bad overall.
As I've mentioned before, I have a great deal of appreciation for these homegrown, neighborhood sandwich shops, I've been going to our neighborhood shop for over a decade. I'm glad we have one in our neighborhood and I'm sure the folks who live and work in the general vicinity of Crossroads Deli is as well.
Crossroads Deli
9085 Judicial Dr, Ste 100 (Inside the La Jolla Crossroads Apartment Complex)
San Diego, CA 92122
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am – 7pm Saturday 8am – 4pm