Rose City Fresh Deli & Subs

Really good food. Excellent fresh quick selection and choices. Mike the Italian does it right.

I have very mixed feelings about this place. It’s semi pricey compared to the food on campus.
I would say that you’re paying for the quality, but sometimes that’s not the case. When the food here is good, ohhhhh is it good?! I was eating here for a good 2 week streak until I had a bad chicken wrap and that kept me away from awhile.
I decided to give it another chance and ended up getting a chicken and rice plate. I noticed my chicken was the last bits. The bad bits left at the bottom of the pan before a new batch. The rice was super dry that day that I didn’t even finish.
I’m always slightly confused because whenever I ordered a sandwich in the past, I’ve noticed whoever that was making it would check with the other person on the appropriate amount of stuffing being put in.
Don’t let my review drive you off, I feel like it’s worth a shot. Hopefully it’s good the day you have it so you come back. I’m still dreaming of their chicken wraps.

Can’t manage basic business practices like having accurate posted hours of operation. I visited here on a Sunday after their website stated they were open and there was someone inside but he wildly gesticulated at me that they were closed.

consistently tasty, fresh, fast, affordable, and friendly. Falafel and lamb shwarmas are yummy. Desserts are pretty good too. Hummus is thin for my liking. Tabouli is good.

I’ve been here a couple of times. The falafel is pretty good and the fries are okay, but half of the times I’ve tried to order from them, they’ve been out of falafel. Why?

I just got a delicious mezzeh plate with falafel, and everything was delicious. The dolmas were firm and tangy, the falafels were crisp but not greasy, the tabbouleh was fresh and bright, and the baba ganoush was the creamy, smoky stuff of my dreams. Even the pickled onions and hummus were tasty. I’m super excited to have found a place that will sate my cravings for middle eastern food while still having good options for my partner’s more mainstream palate. I’ll definitely be back — next time I’m getting a cannoli too.

Pretty disappointed. Sandwich was pricey for amount of meat they gave me and the quality of ingredients. It was dismally mediocre and not very fresh. Only tried it because it’s near where I live. Would honestly recommend Subway over this place.

Sooooo good. The service is quick. I had a turkey sandwich and it was loaded with veggies and meat! I will most definitely go back!

This place is the worst of the worst. The place was dirty, staff was unfriendly, bread was hard and everything is over priced! DON’T GO HERE!

Basing this review on the made-​to-​order kebabs. I got the chicken kebab, which was tasty although a little dry, and it came with some onions, too. Not enough actual chicken to justify the price/​waiting 15 minutes, though.
The rice was fine, pretty much what I expected for a side of flavored rice. Not the star of the meal, but it gave the chicken something to team up with.
I did like the hummus; it’s very smooth and rich and simple. I wish I had gotten a whole order of hummus and pita.
Maybe the falafel wrap was the way to go. I’d give Rose City Fresh another shot but I’m not dying to go back ASAP.

Update: I gave Rose City a 5 star before, but returned two days ago and was pretty disappointed. Luckily, I’m reviewing the same dish, so I feel like I have established a baseline. The gyro meat tasted like taco meat.
I’m sayin’… Like the Lawry’s seasoning you buy at the grocery store to make ground beef tacos… That’s what it tasted like.
Weird.

I love lebanese food. I love sandwhiches. Perfect combo here ! My boyfriend and I both had the felafal shawarma, a cup of homemade chilli and french fries… everything was awesome! We were visiting frlm california and so thankful for Unilocal reviews that helped us choose this place. The shawarma was soooo good that we had to take one for the road and regretted not bring more ! We will definitely visit rose delk next time we’re in town. Ohh we also had both the pistachio and walnut baklava. Yum!
Only downside was the location, finding a parking was a pain in the butt !

Excellent falafel sandwich (everything was so fresh), and the owner is really nice. Great interior –nice garage door facing the side walk, great photographs on the walls.

I was stuck in Portland for hours due to the parking situation while my kid was doing a school thing. I went into Rose City for some lunch after looking around at reviews for the various asian offerings within walking distance. Not a lot to choose from. Being a Saturday it seemed the pickings were slim. It turns out I’m glad they were.
The Rose City Deli serves Boar’s Head cold cuts. Anyone from the east coast knows what this means. Deliciousness. And the prices of the sandwiches were not sky high even though they are using Boar’s Head brand, which is a pretty pricey product. The owner made my sandwich with a nice amount of meat. This is huge. One of my pet peeves is skimpy meat on a sub. That didn’t happen here! I had a hard time finishing it! The toppings are not extra and the marinated red onions are a delicious addition.
I had parking issues. I needed at least another 5 bucks in quarters. Instead, the owner told me to park in one of his spots and hang out there instead. So I did. Then I had the baklava. He offered me tea with it (what a nice man!). The baklava was filled with an almond filling and crusted with crushed pistachios and honey. I could have eaten the whole tray while I sat there reading my book. This place is a gem and I can’t wait to get another roast beef sub (and forty pounds of baklava).

…was so delicious tonight ! We had lentil soup, meat pie, cheese pie, hummous & pita, falafel and baklava. Thank you to the sweet owners who are so hospitable. It’s not quick but it’s definitely worth the 10 minute wait.
Right across from the Ondine building near PSU.

Rose City Fresh Deli & Subs is a rather soothing eatery. The place isn’t hip attracting crowds, nor is it one of those low-​quality Sysco places. The vibe is something decent like in a major city.
I walked in and I saw their huge menu. They will ask for your input in assembling the sandwiches, but only a little unlike the big sandwich chains. They have sandwiches, salads and little desserts which are typical deli fare. After much thought, I ordered a burger, which includes fries and a drink.
They do take their time, so it may not be as quick as the fast food nearby. But it came in ten minutes and the burger was wonderful. It was cooked very thoroughly and the toppings were arranged with care. There were some fries, not too many, making it the only possible corner that they would of cut.
The tables are fit for a little studying. People are fairly quiet. You can get drinks and snacks such as a slice of their cheesecake.
This place combines the ingenuity of American food with the hospitality of its Lebanese proprietors. It is near Portland State University.
Rose City Fresh Deli is a good place for a simple lunch and, or dinner.

Woah backing up here from my previous 5 star review that I gave them.
I don’t know what happened but they seem to have lost what they had that wowed me earlier. I have been to this place less frequently since. I was a usual 2 times a week customer and now they’re lucky if I even glance in while walking by.
It has to do with their consistency. I remember the first couple times I came in and my sandwich looked like perfection. The last time I ordered sandwich they just sloppily threw the ingredients on and wrapped it up; which is why I switched to something other than a sub. I tried their lamb gyro and that wasn’t very good… Possibly due to over usage of their garlic sauce though.
I have yet to try their burgers or anything else other than the sub and gyro but at this point I’m afraid of being disappointed further.

This HAS to be my all time favorite place to eat around PSU!
I’ve tried some food carts near my dorm and the Subway not far; but hands down goes to Rose City for making eating worth the effort!
Traditional gyro and amazing Baklava have me craving my return visits! Which I’ll have plenty of in the next couple years and beyond graduation I’m sure

I have had numerous meals since this establishment has opened. There is absolutely nothing on the menu that is not super fresh and delicious. The owners and staff are always friendly. I find it hard to believe that anyone that dines here could not be completely satisfied. This is one deli that takes pride in the quality of food that they produce. I suggest that if you find yourself unsatisfied in anyway that you consult with the owner instead of posting erroneous reviews.

Finally we have more food options near PSU! Rose City Fresh sprung up quickly out of the space that used to be taken by Big Town Hero. I believe Rose City was started from the people previously next door– Abu Rasheed. The space is clean and modern, the walls are lined with PSU and Portland photos and comes complete with your Portland-​style garage door wall. The menu is well laid out, you essentially pick by sandwich style– sub, gyro, shawarma, doner or a bowl. You then pick your bread, meat, cheese, veggies, etc. They build it for you ‘Chipotle style’ but with much higher quality. I went with the falafel pita, with falafels fried up fresh. The size of this sandwich competes with some of the bigger burritos I’ve enjoyed– it will fill you up. The pita is fresh and doesn’t give up. The falafels were tasty and showed some green– really important! It came with creamy hummus, mild tahini, shredded lettuce and tomato. They also offer doner-​style meats, burgers with fries, salads, soup, and tons of mediterranean platters, kabobs and appetizers. The staff working here and the owner are super friendly and very excited about being open. I hope Rose City Fresh becomes a staple for PSU students and staff alike. Here’s to better lunch options!