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Whether you like your sandwich piled with cold cuts, melty with cheese or as a glorified salad between two buns, sandwiches are a portable, convenient and tasty lunch offering.
While many Peninsula delis are longtime favorites – Woodside Delicatessen in Redwood City has been around since 1958, and The American Italian Delicatessen has been a Los Altos institution since 1956, just to name a couple – a number of Peninsula sandwich spots have debuted in recent months, with more coming soon.
Pigly plants Redwood City roots
For Redwood City resident Victor Lu, flavors are better bold and punchy.
“I like strong flavors,” he said. “So if somebody says, ‘My food has lemongrass,’ I’m expecting a lot of lemongrass. If you say your food has garlic, I’m also expecting a lot of garlic.”
In the case of Lu’s lemongrass pork recipe, it has both, he said. Lu has been recreating his mother’s lemongrass pork for years, and he thinks he’s developed a recipe that’s even better than the original. Lemongrass pork is the star of his menu at Pigly, a sandwich pop-up he started in 2018 that established a home in the Redwood City Eats ghost kitchen on July 20.
Now operating out of a CloudKitchens location alongside other small businesses such as Sicily “Sicillia’s Specialties” and Niku&, Pigly offers a concise menu of just four sandwiches ($11-$14): Pigly OG (signature grilled lemongrass pork, pickled carrot and daikon and spicy aioli on brioche), char siu (housemade Chinese barbecue pork, pickled red onion and sweet chili mayo on brioche), banh mi (Vietnamese ham, head cheese, pate, pickled carrot, daikon and spicy aioli on a baguette) and Viet hamwich (Vietnamese ham, Maggi sauce and spicy aioli on a baguette). Mini versions of the banh mi and Viet hamwich are also available ($9-$11).
Before immigrating to France, Lu’s parents lived in Cambodia, where his mom’s family owned a noodle shop that was taken away by the Khmer Rouge during the Pol Pot regime. Lu was born and raised in France, attending business school but dropping out to go to baking school.
After working as a baker in France for a bit, he realized that the pay wasn’t sustainable, so he took a job selling frozen pastries in New York. His job took him to California, where he worked at a restaurant before going back to school to finish his degree. He worked in sales operations for a few years before getting laid off. That’s when he decided to start Pigly.
The concept started as a pop-up in Oakland, but after a few months, he returned to work in sales operations, fueled by the desire to save up enough money to go full time on Pigly.
“I need to feel like I’m doing something for me and doing something for my kid, because I just got a 2-year-old, and it sounds a little cliche, but I do want my kid to also be proud of his daddy,” Lu said.
Lu is now testing out his concept from Redwood City Eats, and if it’s viable, he hopes to eventually open his own brick-and-mortar store.
Pigly, 426 MacArthur Ave., Redwood City; Instagram: @pigly_eats. Open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gigi’s expands with another Burlingame location
Teresa Gee grew up in Burlingame frequenting Sam’s Italian Sandwich, located for nearly 50 years at the Burlingame Train Depot. So when she learned that the space was available to rent, she jumped on the opportunity to expand her sandwich shop, Gigi’s Cafe, to the depot.
“(Sam’s) was the sandwich shop to go to growing up,” Gee said. “I even got the opportunity to go visit (owner Rino Betti) and tell him the legacy was gonna live on, and he was really emotional and really excited.”
Gee opened Gigi’s Cafe in 2018 in Burlingame, offering stacked sandwiches, salads, smoothies and coffee drinks. In 2023, Gigi’s Cafe ranked #14 on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.
Now, Gee is in the process of opening her second location, focusing more on grab-and-go items to accommodate for the small space, which is less than 600 square feet. Expected to open in December, Gigi’s at the Depot will be takeout only, with outdoor seating available.
The new location will still offer all of Gigi’s signature sandwiches ($16.50-$26.99), including the Sam Sandwich, named after Sam’s Italian Sandwich and made with salami, ham and Swiss cheese. Gigi’s Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich, which previously was only available every three months, will be a permanent addition to Gigi’s at the Depot. Other changes include grab-and-go salads only, no smoothies and prebatched lemonades, tea and coffee (instead of made-to-order drinks).
Gee hopes that Gigi’s new location will be convenient for people who live and work nearby. Despite both locations being in Burlingame, it’s a 10-minute drive between the two shops.
When asked what makes Gigi’s sandwiches special, Gee said, “One hundred percent is they’re made with love.”
“We also use a lot of sauce. We don’t skimp,” she continued. “That’s why they’re so special.”
Gigi’s at the Depot, 1080 Howard Ave., Burlingame; @gigiscafeburlingame.
Nosh Corner serves sandwiches with specialty coffee and tea in Redwood City
What if a sandwich run and a coffee run could easily be completed in one stop? That was the thought Redwood City residents and married couple Kenny Hout and Ashley Chhor had when coming up with their concept for Nosh Corner.
Located in the former Ike’s Sandwiches space in Redwood City since April, Nosh Corner offers a variety of sandwiches (many of which include housemade shredded chicken breast), as well as a large selection of coffee, matcha, milk tea, fruit smoothies and slushies. Hout and Chhor are veterans to the Redwood City coffee scene and have owned Brew Coffee and Bakery since its founding in 2021.
Signature sandwiches include the Ohh My Nosh, made with shredded chicken breast, avocado, provolone and basil pesto, as well as the Redwood City BBQ, featuring shredded chicken breast, bacon, smoked gouda, barbecue sauce and honey mustard ($13.50). Vegetarian and vegan sandwiches are also available, made with vegan chicken, meatballs or turkey along with a variety of vegetables and sauces.
The beverage menu is extensive, with cold brew topped with sweet cream, Vietnamese coffee and various flavored lattes. Matcha lattes can be topped with strawberry or mango cream, and milk tea options include taro and Thai tea.
Nosh Corner seats about 30 inside and also offers outdoor seating. Chhor said she plans to expand Nosh Corner’s sandwich menu and introduce more seasonal drinks in the future.
Nosh Corner, 2655 Broadway, Redwood City; 650-587-8538, Instagram: @noshcorner.rwc. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Rosie’s brings seasonal sandwiches, smoked meats to Sigona’s
Rosie’s Pesto Bianca with smoked chicken and bacon, dill pickles, pickled hot pepper, lettuce dressed in oil and vinegar, tomato, pesto, toma cheese and mustard seed aioli. Courtesy Rosie’s. 
Rosie’s pastrami sandwich with smoked pastrami, shaved white onion, dill pickles, pickled hot pepper, Swiss cheese, horseradish aioli and Dijon mustard. Courtesy Rosie’s. 
Rosie’s pulled pork sandwich with smoked pulled pork butt, shaved white onion, hot peppers, mustard barbecue sauce and mustard seed aioli. Courtesy Rosie’s.
High-quality sourcing is central to the ethos of Rosie’s, a sandwich pop-up created by husband-and-wife team Richard and April Sigona in 2025.
The Sigonas smoke their own meat, use local produce whenever possible and focus on seasonal ingredients. The couple is transitioning their sandwich business from a pop-up to a permanent residency at Sigona’s Farmers Market in Redwood City three days a week and in the East Bay twice a week. A custom-made pink-and-white food trailer is still being built, with regular service expected to begin in November.
Richard Sigona, whose family owns Sigona’s Farmers Market in Palo Alto and Redwood City, worked in fine-dining restaurants pre-pandemic, including Saison, The Perennial and Protégé. After working corporate jobs for a few years, he and April Sigona wanted to start a creative passion project. After a year, the couple decided to go full time on Rosie’s.
Rosie’s is named after Richard Sigona’s great-grandmother, Rose Sigona, as well as April’s childhood dog, Rosie.
“I think (Richard) has so many ideas in his brain in terms of flavor profiling, and I think that that really stems from being raised in a family that cares a lot about produce and food, but then also bringing his fine-dining experience and background into it as well,” April Sigona said.
One staple of the menu is the pastrami sandwich, made with house-smoked pastrami, shaved white onion, dill pickles, pickled hot peppers, Swiss cheese, horseradish aioli, dijon mustard and toasted Acme sour rye bread. Sandwiches will rotate with the season, with heartier and hot sandwiches being introduced for the fall and winter months.
In addition to sandwiches, Rosie’s offers two signature sweet treats: tiramisu and brown butter chocolate chip cookies, which feature ripply, crispy edges and a chewy interior. April Sigona said she’ll introduce more pastries and desserts in the future and looks forward to incorporating seasonal produce and jams.
“I think the main goal for us is just to bring quality products that we can share with our community, as well as hopefully create a brand and a business that I can model from what my family has done, where they’ve created a business that can be multigenerational,” Richard Sigona said.
Rosie’s, @rosiesbayarea. Beginning in November, operating from 2345 Middlefield Road, Redwood City.
Other new and soon-to-come sandwich spots
In June, The Sandwich Guy debuted in the former space of The Broadway Sandwich Market in Redwood City. Created by the team behind Falafel Tazah, The Sandwich Guy offers hot and cold sandwiches ($15.95-$17.95), salad and soup.
Stacked on 25th Deli & Cafe is coming to San Mateo on 25th Avenue near Miss Shang and Li’s Knife Cut Noodle.
Woodside Delicatessen is expanding to Foster City, taking over the former Plaza Gourmet Delicatessen space.
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