Hot salami is Hill grocery canon before it is anything else, but the corner-deli habit spread across the city long ago. This roster covers the sandwich counters, delis, and neighborhood joints where a proper sub or deli sandwich is the whole point, not an afterthought on a bigger menu.
The Hill $$
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Adriana's sits deep in Hill deli territory, though the menu leans toward comfort plates more than the corner-store sandwich tradition. The burger, meatloaf, and mac and cheese are the draw, family-style portions built for a neighborhood crowd that treats the room as a regular stop. It is casual, unfussy dining, the kind that runs on repeat customers rather than novelty.
What to orderburger, meatloaf, mac and cheese
№ 02
Ninth Street Deli @ Howard's
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The Mediterranean chicken wrap gets named as often as anything on the menu, fresh chicken and vegetables in a tzatziki that customers single out by name. The pastrami on rye and half-smoke round out a counter-service operation built for a fast lunch. Regulars who remember an earlier downtown location have followed it to this address, which says something about the sandwich, not the setting.
What to orderMediterranean chicken wrap, half-smoke, pastrami on rye
№ 03
Steve's Meltdown
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Grilled cheese sounds simple until a kitchen gets it wrong, and this counter inside The Foundry does not. The bread grills evenly, the cheese pulls right, and the flight of four half sandwiches lets a table sample the range without committing to one. It is not reinventing anything, just a reliable stop for a quick bite between other errands.
What to ordergrilled cheese flight, grilled cheese sandwich
№ 04
Hi-Pointe Drive-In
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The double burger and the Frisco Melt carry this counter, cooked with a crust that holds up against the sweet potato tots ordered alongside. It draws a steady lunch crowd, families stopping in after the zoo and repeat customers who know the menu well enough to build their own order, jalapeños and sauce add-ons included. Service moves fast even when the room is full.
What to orderdouble burger, Frisco Melt, sweet potato tots
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The Pastrami Reuben is stacked heavy on rye that holds together under the meat, a sandwich worth the line that forms at the corner counter. The Italian chopped salad comes in a portion built for two, dressed simply and finished with croutons customers ask about. This is a deli that earns its regulars through volume and consistency, not decor.
What to orderPastrami Reuben, Italian chopped salad, roast beef sandwich
№ 06
P'Sghetti's Pasta & Sandwiches
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The bread is the first thing people mention here, and the sub sandwiches and meatball sub built on it justify the order-at-the-counter setup. It works as a stop after Cliff Cave Park or any errand nearby, a straightforward neighborhood sandwich shop with a menu wide enough to keep repeat customers ordering something different each visit.
What to ordersub sandwich, meatball sub, Italian sandwich
№ 07
Carl's Deli
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The Rachael, a pastrami Reuben, comes out generous enough that a to-go order needs its own instructions, and the mac salad and potato salad sides are packed just as full. This is a true deli built for a serious appetite, sandwiches assembled with meat sliced thin and stacked high. Customers return specifically for the volume and the consistency of the build.
What to orderRachael (pastrami ruben), mac salad, potato salad
№ 08
Snarf's Sandwiches Maryland Heights
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The egg salad sandwich anchors a counter that also turns out a veggie sandwich and an eggplant Parmesan sandwich worth seeking out. Pickup is the common order here, a quick-lunch operation with enough variety on the menu that regulars rotate through favorites rather than sticking to one. The pasta salad side is modest in size but well made.
What to orderegg salad sandwich, veggie sandwich, eggplant Parmesan sandwich
Frequently asked
What is the best hot salami sandwich near me in St. Louis?
It depends which side of the city and county line is closer. Hill groceries and delis carry the classic hot salami tradition, while the sandwich counters and delis on this list, from Blues City Deli to Carl's Deli, show how far the habit of a serious deli sandwich has spread across the metro. Check the Insider Score on each listing to compare.
Do any of these restaurants pay to be listed?
No. Nothing on this guide is paid placement. Every restaurant here is included on the strength of its food and its Insider Score, which is built from the public review record, not advertising.
Is hot salami the same as the sandwiches at these delis?
Not exactly. Hot salami is a specific Hill grocery item, but the delis and sandwich counters on this list, like Ninth Street Deli and Snarf's, represent the same neighborhood deli tradition applied to Reubens, subs, and specialty sandwiches rather than salami itself.
Which of these are counter-service spots good for a quick lunch?
Steve's Meltdown, P'Sghetti's Pasta & Sandwiches, and Snarf's Sandwiches Maryland Heights are all built for a fast order-at-the-counter lunch. Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Blues City Deli move quickly too, even when the room fills up.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Nico Marchetti
Staff Writer · Top of St. Louis
The Hill and Heritage Editor. Third-generation Hill family who grew up bagging hot salami on Saturday shifts. Covers the red-sauce canon, St. Louis-style pizza, and the kitchens of Cherokee Street, South Grand, and the Olive Boulevard corridor. His standard: the regulars would notice.
