WOW Deli & Cafe

Update: This is now a new branch of the «What’s Up, Dog» franchise… haven’t tried it yet but the smells wafting out are good…

Couldn’t «wow» enough people, so now it’s CLOSED. That was quick, only a few months. But not as short as Beijing BBQ in the Excelsior (less than a week). Jeez, they closed before I could even write the FTR.
The Korean beef sando at Rhea’s Deli is much better. I really didn’t care for the heat in this version, so I didn’t bother to write a review. I’m sorry they went out of business, but now i get to write about it for my list of closed places.

This is a good place for sandwiches (formerly Pick Me Café). It opens early and closes early. The sandwiches are reasonably priced. I would recommend the Korean sandwiches with Kim Chee and spicy sauce. Little Saigon neighborhood is littered with cheap Vietnamese sandwich shops. If you want to try out something different, then you should go to this place. This place also sell Korean beef bowls and regular sandwiches. The customer service was fast and friendly.
I like the BBQ pork sandwich with Kim chee and spicy sauce. The sandwich was toasted, via panini press. The BBQ pork was warm and flavorful. The toppings gave the sandwich an unique flavor. They offer three choices for bread (sour dough, wheat, french roll).

If you’re interested in checking this place out, here’s some advice: get the veggie sandwich. Judging by the comments below, this is the way to go, and really, the only kind of sandwich I have ever gotten here.
For under $ 4 bucks it’s a great deal. A healthy sandwich that packs a punch (and that’s saying something for veggie). I ask them to leave out the iceberg lettuce and give me extra spinach. What I get is a whole wheat sandwich with artichoke, sun-​dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, spinach, basil, provolone, cucumbers, olives, mustard and vinegar. yum. It’s super-​healthy and super-​cheap.

I was a fan of Pick Me Café, which has come under new management and is now WOW.
They still have the same sandwiches as before, with the daily specials, so that’s good. But they also have a fucked up excuse for «Korean bbq» which is awful.
I ordered bbq chicken, saw the lady pull something out of the refrigerator and put it in the microwave. Then it went straight from the microwave to on top of some rice, and that was it. The kimchi served with it was probably the worst I’ve ever had.
So if you come here, come for the sandwiches, but be wary of the Korean BBQ.

What is Saigon Sandwich proximity regret? It’s the feeling I get when I get a sandwich from some place close to Saigon Sandwich. I experienced it again because Wow Deli is on the same block as Saigon (and I could have had a better, cheaper Saigon sandwich if it weren’t for my curiosity).
WOW (note it’s WOW for emphasis, not Wow) Deli (formerly named Pick Me Café — another desperate sounding name) has standard deli sandwiches (and a $ 3.59 daily special), three types of Korean sandwiches (BBQ pork, BBQ beef, teriyaki chicken), noodle soup, and rice bowls. They also have pastries, drinks, chips and coffee. For your Korean sandwich, you can choose your roll (wheat, sourdough, French) and have it with or without kim chee.
* BBQ pork on French roll ($ 3.99): I didn’t get all the veggies that other people got in their sandwiches (judging from the Unilocal pics), maybe because I asked for kim chee? The pieces of pork were decent but rather salty and the veggies in the sandwich seemed random (basil, cucumber), not what I typically see, even in a Korean sandwich. The bread was soft without much chewiness and the sandwich was barely toasted. It was okay; the ingredients were average and there wasn’t much meat. The kim chee was the highlight.
Why does someone open a sandwich shop anywhere near Saigon Sandwich? I just don’t get it… maybe they should emphasize the Korean rice bowls, maybe bi bim bap? They would have less competition. Pick up a frequent buyer card if you think you’ll go there on a regular basis.

I wandered down to this place because I thought I wanted a sandwich from Saigon Sandwiches but spotted the sign for Korean BBQ sandwiches here. Just a half block down, I strolled into this deli and was greeted by a nice Korean lady behind the counter. I’m assuming this place just opened since there isn’t much inside and the lack of reviews, but it is clean, and I was hungry. lol
Earl G covered the sandwiches pretty well. 3 types of Korean style sandwiches: cheesesteak, chicken, and BBQ pork. 3 types of bread: wheat, sourdough, french/​I chose the pork with wheat bread. Inside my pork sandwich was pork (duh), lettuce, cucumber, basil leaf, onion, peppers, and spicy sauce.
I really like this sandwich and would recommend it to anyone. The cucumber and basil contrast nicely with the spicy pork. This sandwich actually does have some spiciness to it which I like. I hate it when some places have a spicy dish that barely has any heat. This sandwich had some heat, very manageable. I liked the bread as it tastes great but wished it had a toasted crisp to it similar to what you can get from Saigon or Ike’s. At less than $ 5 and tastes great, I will continue to come back and rotate between here and Saigon Sandwiches.
This place is a solid 3.5 star place. Rhea’s Deli Korean style sandwiches are better. But for less than $ 5, this place is good.
place is very clean. hoping this place gets somewhat popular so there is a high turnover of food
service is very friendly
parking can be found, metered

Imagine my surprise when I read Earl G’s review and realized there is now Korean bbq sandwiches within my reach. Yay!
Korean BBQ Pork Sandwich (
): Thinly sliced pork topped with kimchi, Korean hot sauce, lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumber, onion and fresh basil served on toasted French roll. At first I was skeptical of all the vegetables in the sandwich, but they provided a nice crisp and balance to the juicy pork and heat. Oh man it burned so good!
My friend got the Korean beef cheesesteak and was not impressed. Since it had cheese and no kimchi or hot sauce, he said it tasted just like a cheesesteak except for the bulgogi.
The sandwiches are around $ 5 each with tax. A bit on the small side. But overall, a very tasty meal! Thanks Earl! =)

Hey! I found another one.
Korean sandwiches!
This time instead of being from Rhea’s in the Mission, it’s from this newly remodeled, under new management, quiet and empty sandwich shop with clean tables about half a block down from Saigon sandwiches in the TL.
Ordered the Korean bbq beef, but they also have bbq chicken and pork. All these sandwiches are under $ 5! (
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Pick what type of bread and cheese you want (jack on a french roll for me, but the bread leaked and starting falling apart from the bulgogi juice so I’d probably suggest the sourdough). Wheat is the 3^rd bread option.
The sandwich had all sorts of flavor going on as it was grilled on a panini press and filled with jalapeño, zucchini, red onion, spicy sauce, grilled onions, lettuce, and cilantro besides the bulgogi and cheese of your choice. (
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The woman behind the counter was super nice and I bet it’s only a matter of time til the crowd from Saigon and Lee’s start trickling down here. (
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