Crave Sandwich Cafe & Catering

Crave catered lunch for us today. There were several selections: Tuna Salad, Roast Beef, Ham and Turkey sandwiches along with an assortment of Wraps. The Wraps were a complete hit. My turkey sandwich was just ok. The cookies were standard as well. Fast service and convenient location.

Great spot to pop in for a sandwich downtown. Located in the heart of the ASU downtown campus. Go for something with Green Chile.

Wonderful lunch spot! The food was super yummy and fresh with reasonable prices. Service was amazing as well. Close walk to the conference center to avoid the crowds and lines at other restaurants in the area. Can’t complain and highly suggested place :)

great location for the Mercado on the downtown campus. Very convenient for grab and go. Sandwiches are made quickly and have been excellent. I wish they had more selection of hot sandwiches — like having the mozzarella & tomato as a panini option or something like that. I usually get the BLT. Today I tried the thai chicken as a wrap instead of a salad. It was very good — had quite a kick to it but very good. Staff is always helpful and very polite. No inside seating but there are tables and chairs outside (too hot right now but would be great once it gets cooler).

Close to work yet I think I will keep walking. I’ve been there for breakfast and lunch and it’s ok. I tried their spicy peanut slaw, and all you can taste is sriracha and nothing else, bleh! I couldn’t eat it, it was not flavorful just a burning heat. Sandwiches are ok, nothing to really jump and down about.

This is a perfectly acceptable little (tiny) sandwich shop tucked away off the street. There are a couple things to be aware of before you go.
1. They have no seating, but there are tables outside. Don’t come here on a rainy day.
2. They are closed early on Fridays and all weekend, so Friday at lunch is not a great time to come because they can be out of some things. No soup, no chicken, etc. when we went.
Those annoyances (and the less than optimal location) aside, I found the sandwiches themselves to be solid if not remarkable. One thing that I really do like, even though I’m not a vegetarian, is the abundance of meatless sandwiches. Usually a sandwich place will have one veggie sandwich which is just «all the veggies on bread.» You can come here every day of the week and get a different variety of veggie sandwich.
The meat sandwiches also show some originality, though if you look at the menu, it’s really the same four sandwiches over and over with different meats. The ingredients seemed fresh, it came with chips, and I don’t think $ 7 is exorbitant for a sandwich and chips. There’s only one size, so you get what they give you, but it was enough for lunch.
I don’t know that I’d be rushing back to try anything else, but it served its purpose for a quick afternoon meal.

Loved the food, but not the prices. Oh well! I don’t remember names of the sandwiches, but we tried two different kinds and I loved them. One had turkey and cranberry sauce (they ran out of stuffing) but I didn’t care! The other one had a kick to it. Peppers, chipotle sauce and roast beef. YUMMY!
We were staying right down the street and I found this place on Unilocal and I’m glad we did. :-)

One of the best lunch options downtown in walking distance for me. I used to go to Subway all the time and pay $ 7 for the same old 6-​inch, chips, & drink. Then I realized for the same price I can get a freshly made sandwich (½) & (½) salad at Crave. No drink or chips with that, but fine, I get a better meal overall. Good to mix up your lunches during the week anyway.
Don’t miss the specials board to the left of the menu, when I don’t want something healthy the chicken pesto sandwich is my 1^st choice, it is awesome! Also try a new secret menu item called the «Parker»…it’s a mixed green salad with half a tuna sandwich, toasted bread, and avocado.

AH-​MAZING!
If you haven’t been to Crave and work downtown near the Arizona Center, then you are truly missing a diamond in the rough! With so many eating choices downtown, Crave really stands out as a place where quality and price are a top priority. All their sandwiches are fantastics. They even offer healthier choices with ½ sandwich and a salad or soup combination. Their low prices make them the perfect choice for my daily lunch destination (Less than $ 7 and includes chips).
Their staff are very helpful and provide consistent service on a daily basis. Be sure to get in early on your lunch break as it can get quite crowded.
Definately A+++!

Super fast, lots of vegetarian options, and the meat options aren’t bad either. I’ve never had a bad sandwich or salad here. The staff is always friendly, and the toffee chocolate chip cookies are super good. I am also confused by the fuss about the prices, because I find Crave to be on par with or even a bit cheaper than… every other sandwich joint I’ve been to in my life. Additional shout-​outs to: the caesar salad and roasted pepper/​brie sandwich.

Great sandwiches (that’s all I’ve tried) — especially their honey-​mustard and brie combinations (with Turkey, Ham, or Roast Beef). Yum. I also appreciate their convenient variety of snacks and candy, even Tylenol if you need it. They serve coffee too, although I haven’t tried it yet.
Its a pretty basic sandwich shop, that caters to students and employees at ASU’s Mercado buildings on Van Buren, and to a lesser extent the UA College of Medicine across the street, and Heritage Square. Its too bad the storefront is so hidden — you have to know exactly where you’re walking or you’ll miss it, and its not at all visible from the street.
I’m not sure what upsets everyone so much about the prices — this isn’t Subway, their sandwiches are much more substantial, and you get chips (plain Lays potato chips) in the bag with your sandwich. Most of the sandwiches are between $ 6 — $ 7, but that’s what you’d pay at Corner Bakery or really any non fast-​food-​chain or sandwich shop these days. Also, it’s a local business for goodness sake, in downtown Phoenix no less, so consider the fact that they represent exactly the kind of economic activity this part of the city needs. There’s some cheaper pre-​made sandwiches and snacks for sale if you’re really so concerned.
Despite having just compared it to generic fast food, the service really is quite fast. Unfortunately, there isn’t room in the tiny shop for any tables, but you can order a sandwich and they’ll have made it in 2 – 5 minutes while you wait.
The owner, Tom, is there almost every day, and most of the employees are very nice and will remember your order if you go there frequently.
Also, they just replaced their cash register with an iPad and use Square, so they will swipe your card on the iPad and sign with your fingertip, OR (even cooler) you can use the Pay with Square app and never have to take out your wallet at all.

Worst customer service I’ve experienced in a long time. I was attending a meeting at ASU, when a Representative from Crave came in to clear out the pastries and catering items the conference contracted them to serve. When the Program Leader at the meeting asked the fellow a question concerning water; he replied with disdain stating «that’s not my job». When she further questioned him, he proceeded to answer her questions in a very antagonistic way.
I had just bought a sandwhich from this place during our lunch break, but after witnessing this interaction, I have no desire to support a business that lacks a certain amount of professionalism. The sandwich was not impressive, so clearly I will not be missing anything over the next few days.

Excellent local sandwich shop, I’ve been going here for several years and the sandwiches are always good. Great prices an always fresh. Support your local business.

Everything there is Way overpriced. My sandwich wasn’t terrible, just ok. I could make better at home. Definately not worth $ 9!
I will give them credit for their coffee. It is amazing.

3.5 Stars. Crave is a pretty solid sandwich spot for downtown Phoenix. Not terribly expensive, simple, and quick on the go. I used to drop in here when I worked downtown and I’d have a tasty California club, a bag of chips, and a cookie for under $ 10. A friend of mine worked here for a while, but everyone behind the counter is friendly and efficient. Their veggie sandwiches were good too. Parking is a little difficult to come by, but it’s just off the light rail. I’d take this over going to Subway or Quizno’s any day.

I have a monthly professional development to attend on the ASU Downtown campus and this place is very convenient so I’ve stopped in a few times. As a vegetarian, they have at least 5 sandwiches for me to choose from, I’ve tried 2 different ones and I was satisfied with both. I wish I remembered the name– but I personally enjoyed the spicy veggie one! The people that work here are quick and kind. The owner seems to always be there which I can always appreciate it.
I’m glad that Crave is in such a convenient location, serving up solid sandwiches.

not good. i went on a wednesday, during lunch, when school was in session. i ordered the roasted red pepper and brie sandwich which was served on a baguette. they had no baguettes, and no brie. they also had no coleslaw which is served on many sandwiches. the prices on the menu were different (and higher) than their menu online. i paid $ 9.02 for a bad sandwich and a drink. it did come with a bag of lays potato chips. if you want to upgrade your chips to anything else, be prepared to pay 75 cents more.
i only went because i was in a class in the mercado which is where this sandwich shop is located. i will not be going back.

Seven dollars for a bag of chips and a sadwich is NOT expensive! Maybe for Unilocalers that think lunch should be purchased from a drive-​thru window, but not me!
Good choices-​especially on the vegetarian side. Happy to buy coffee for under $ 2-​with refills at only 50 cents. AND, happy to support a local business.
Call ahead during the lunch rush-​it can save you ten minutes.
Great for families visiting the Science Center-​split a sandwich and save some $$.

I have eaten here on several occasions for lunch, and I have mixed reviews about the place. It’s not horrible, but its not the greatest either.
For starters, they are tucked away in a really weird spot. Its in the ASU center, and if you did not know it was there, I really don’t know how you would find it. It’s also a rather small location, so there is actually no seating inside the place. All you can really do is place an order, and take it to go.
The few times I have been in there, the service has been pleasant, but not great. There is a guy who has waited on me before, and I believe he is either the owner, or a manager. He’s friendly and nice, but always involved in a conversation with someone else. It seemed like the people that he was talking to were his friends, and I had to wait for him to finish talking to them before I could get any service. Plus, its not like hes neccesarily «waiting» on them. He’s «shooting the breeze» so to say. Can you say annoying? Im on lunch hour here people, I don’t have time to play games. I just want to eat my lunch and be done with it, ya know?
Anyways, they seem to have a decent menu of items, but the prices are ridiculously expensive. I can’t believe how much this guy charges for his sandwiches. like $ 7 for a cheapo sandwich. The food is good, and the portions are good, but I just find that its not worth the $ 7-​$ 10 at all… plus you have no seating, and you ignore me when I come in? yyyeeeaaa.

Stopped by here once on my way home from a movie at the Arizona Center. I had the SW Turkey, or whatever they call it with the guacamole on it. I thought the sandwich was delicious, though pretty expensive at $ 7. I know you guys have high rent in that complex, but c’mon! The service was pretty poor even though it was empty inside. I tried making small talk conversation with the guy behind the counter asking how long they had been there, etc. He didn’t seem to want any part of talking to his customers.
+1 for the food –5 for ass hole employees.