Moonlight Beach Deli & Dogs

For some of us, our «dirty little secret» is that we LOVE Moonlight Beach Deli & Dogs. And for others of us, it is a cool shrine of quick nosh and delicious drink. The drink is good, but I prefer the piña colada (no alcohol). I do request a a really well-​done hot dog and extra onions… the guys are very nice that way. This is certainly NOT «fine dining» or elegant food or even a place to sit down and watch the crowds meander by, but a cross-​section of us Encinitas is evident and you can get a good sense of who we are at Moonlight Beach Deli & Dogs !

So, sandwiches taste better when some one else makes them and this place proves that. I got the club sandwich, nothing fancy. Could have made it at home, but they did a great job at crafting this club sandwich monster. Definitely a better lunch place than breakfast. The girls behind the counter work with what tools they have and pump those sandwiches out like no other.

Saw this place on Unilocal and their list of sandwiches looked great so thought I would check it out. It’s part of a big gas/​service station that does care washes and detailing also.
Got the soprano on a French roll with Ham salami lettuce tomato peppercinis mayo and Italian dressing. It was warmed up. This was probably one of the best subs I have had in ages. They have some pleasant outdoor seating Check this place out if you are in the area. Even worth going out of the way for!

The food is amazing here! By far the best deli shop I have ever been to.

I was pretty underwhelmed by this place after seeing so many raving Unilocal reviews.
My co-​workers and I always refer to this as the «gas station sandwiches» and have been hesitant to try it because of that fact. But because I usually trust Unilocal when they tell me something is great we went ahead and tried it.
The staff here definitely weren’t the friendliest I’ve come across, which by itself isn’t that big of a deal. People have off days, It happens.
Now, the sandwiches: I ordered a simple ham & cheese on the pretzel bun and I was extremely disappointed. The ham tasted like it came from an Oscar Mayer package from the grocery store. And for about $ 8 per sandwich I was pretty disappointed. My coworkers were also not impressed by their sandwiches. One especially because they were out of avocado!
With Subman and Harvest Ranch in the area I probably won’t be coming back here.

I was very surprised to find this place on Unilocal but as usual, the community knows best! The sandwiches are made very well and everything tastes very fresh.
Keep in mind that they are in the Chevron station. I missed it the first time around because I was looking for a stand-​alone restaurant.

It’s interesting that this place is in a gas station. So it was kind of annoying when I ordered and I asked about the Unilocal special that they didn’t know what I was talking about. So first I ask about the beach bbq, they say they don’t have it anymore. Why would you have a sandwich on your menu, if you don’t sell it anymore?! Then I ask about the Reuben and they said they don’t have any pastrami right now. So I order a Cuban and it was very good. I’m not sure I’d really call it a Cuban though, it was good though.

This used to be my favorite sandwich place in SD, hands down! However, it may be going downhill. I called in an order for a salami sandwich with mustard, pickles and light mayo. When I got the sandwich there was barley any salami but a plethora of mayo. A few months ago I ordered the same thing and it was amazing! This time I feel like I was jipped =(

Last two visits have been ho-​hum. I typically order the same thing, either a turkey or tuna salad on French roll, sometimes hot and sometimes cold.
The soft rolls were something that I always appreciated but as of late the rolls seem to be a bit on the hard side maybe a day past being super fresh. Still edible but I don’t find myself singing while eating lately. I will try them again in a few days and see if I can catch them with a fresh delivery…

This place is delicious! nice workers and great food. love their focaccia bread! best sandwiches around!

While the location may be a bit weird, the sandwiches at Moonlight are top notch.
I came here today after searching Unilocal for a deli in the Encinitas area. I haven’t been able to find an authentic deli in the area so I was a bit skeptical coming here.
There was no reason to be skeptical — The sandwiches were top notch!
Tuna melt ridiculously good!
Club sandwich just as good!
I will be back. …hi5!

First time here
Kinda weird place if you think about it because is in a gas station and a car wash, but let’s give it a try
Got the moonlight and the tuna melt

These are the best sandwiches ever. I got the heaven with no peppers and added avacado and lettuce and it was AMAZING. My husband got the cali cuban which was delicious as well. The owner recommended both our sandwiches and im so glad we took her advice. Wish we lived closer.

There are a ton of sandwich places around but this one by far is the freshest in the best! You wouldn’t think so because it’s attached to a gas station but it really is. Go inside and check out the vast menu.
You have vegetarian and tuna sandwiches as well. Made warm or cold with very fresh ingredients. A Local suggested it to me so I went, it was totally worth it.

I can honestly say that the Acai bowls are delicious!!!
But I also have to say that the service was horrible. Also, sanitation was not a priority here. I paid a decent amount for this product and although it was delicious, the experience was not worth the money spent.
I noticed both employees making my Acai bowl without any gloves. Not to mention that one of the employees had just touched deli, never did I see them wash their hands and I was so afraid to eat this fruit that was not handled correctly. The Acai was placed in the microwave, I’m guessing to defrost a bit… ??? And the same procedure for some of the berries. Well, as one employee was waiting for a sandwich to heat up, she opened the microwave and «tested» the temperature of the berries with her fingers… That were not previously washed.
I am not one to judge but when I go to a «deli» I do not expect for the employees to have their stomach hanging out the bottom of their shirt that seemed to be a size too small. Same with the shorts. If I was working with the public and their food, I would consider my appearance. And hygiene.
Again, the Acai bowl was so good but I admit I did not eat the whole thing because I kept thinking about how my bowl was made. I hope that maybe a manager will read this eve though I do not plan to visit again. This is crucial in the food business… It should be something that all employees take pride in.
Good luck and take care.

This place is within walking distance of my office so I visit frequently. The breakfast sandwiches are rather insipid. The deli is inside a gas station and they dont have a grill or stove so the bread gets toasted on a George foreman grill, the eggs and bacon get cooked in the microwave and they melt it all together with cheese 1 final zap from the microwave. I could have my 6 years old niece make me a sandwich or this caliber.
The regular deli sandwiches are pretty darn good but they happen to also be in the upper range of deli sandwich pricing. The staff is always friend, even early in the morning or after one almost chopped her finger off (serious happened while I was there with the circular deli slicer).

I really need a sandwich today and needed some help ordering since I had never been here before. The nice lady that took my order helped me out with their most popular sandwiches of which I choose the saprano. With the combo (chips and drink) my total was just under $ 10.

I was very surprised to see this place at a gas station/​car wash. Not sure how I feel about that. BUT then again, if I was stopping for gas or a car wash, I would be pleasantly surprised, so there we go.
My friend’s 2 year old was pretty psyched about their cookies, so they have the hard-​to-​earn child stamp of approval right there. Amongst the three of us, we got: The salami one (forgot the name, sorry), the cuban, and the Twilight pastrami one. The sandwiches are huge! And there is a check in offer for free chips and a drink, but ours wouldn’t load (NOOO service in there), but the lady gave it to us anyway! Woohoo!
The sandwiches are pretty good, and definitely a surprise coming from a gas station, which notoriously have awful food. I would not oppose coming back if I was in the area! Good size, decent price, nice and hearty.

Heading down I-​5 from Carlsbad, I decided to stop in for a late lunch. There is no menu board, instead you look at one of the printed menu’s by the front counter. They give you a number and you pay at the main gas station register. Simple enough.
I ordered the Cali-​Cuban and that thing was HUGE! I have a pretty big appetite and I was only able to eat ¾ of the sandwich. It was jam packed with meat in between a focaccia style bread with swiss cheese and some pickles. A little on the pricey side, but definitely one of the better sandwiches I’ve had in a while.
Word to the wise, come hungry!

Moonlight Beach Deli & Dogs has been open at this location for 8 years — how am I just now finding out about them? I like everything about this place.
The Cali Cuban is one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a while. It has ham, pulled pork, pickles, Swiss cheese and their «Cuban sauce», which is essentially a chipotle mayo. The sandwich comes out hot and awesome. If I have one quibble it is that I don’t love focaccia. Next time I might ask for a different bread, but as focaccias go, I have to admit this one is pretty good. The sandwich, by the way, is HUGE.
The service was great too. I chatted with the owner at the counter and she is so proud of her shop — she told me how good their soups are and how the girl who makes them does everything on the premises. She talked up their clam chowder, which I’ll definitely have to try when they have it. The soup on hand today was cheddar broccoli and potato, which she suggested I try — it was delicious. The sandwiches are so big that next time I think I’ll do a soup and half sandwich.
I love mom and pop shops with personality, exceptional products and pride — this little place in the Chevron mini-​mart fits the bill. The location is unique and the quality is unexpected.