D.Z. Akin's
6930 Alvarado Road, San Diego, CA 92120
A full range of European-Jewish specialties including deli meats and smoked fish, house-baked breads and pastries, huge sandwiches and dinner entrées (including a lively Romanian skirt steak and an ethnic sampler platter). Moderate.
Additional Info
Hours
| Sunday | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Monday | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Thursday | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Friday | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
Restaurants details
| Cuisine | Bakery Cakes Cookies Deli Dessert Hot Sandwiches Jewish Sandwiches Soups |
| Price range of entrées | $12 - $26 |
| Delivery | No |
| Outdoor seating | No |
| Party room | No |
| Reservations accepted | No |
| Kids menu | Yes |
| Occasional live music | No |
| Vegetarian friendly | Yes |
| Vegan friendly | Yes |
| Payment options | Accepts credit cards |
Being a New Yorker, this IS the best deli I have yet to find in San Diego!
I love the deli, you can get anything you want. From meats to cookies. The food is great, but to me, it's overpriced. It is kid friendly. They do take major credit cards but no checks.
If you are a Jewish friend then I know you will love this place. Lots of celebrities have been there and still go there. Of course New Yorkers love it too. Frankly it's just not for me, but everyone I know wants to go there and they all love it. Too pricy for me too, but hey I am only one person. The only time I go there is because a friend wants to go really bad and so I give in. Usually always crowded but usually no wait. Service is good. I just don't care for the food, but if you like the New York style Jewish deli with tons of sandwiches and lots of other stuff then drop by, who knows you might see Ted Lightner there.
Just past a Denny's off the 70th street exit, I've been in DZ Akin's at least 100 times, but I've never had a sit-down meal there. For me, it's all about the takeout counters! I'm not Jewish and don't know what half of the stuff is, but I've never tried anything there I didn't like.
In particular, the variations of a sweet grain desert item I think is called halvah - some are the consistency of applesauce and mixed with fruits (love the dates and blueberry versions), while others are stiff like candy bars and more chewy, but still made of the same basic stuff.
I usually get at least something from the sweets counter, but the basic deli meats, cheese and breads are all great too. I would have ranked at 10, except once in awhile you'll get something a little stale and dusty tasting (but I'll still eat it). There's almost always a few people in line, but the staff moves quickly and they're very helpful with educating gentiles like me who know nothing about the cuisine.
D.Z. is great. I just think it's a bit odd that this is the deli in town that everyone raves about. And it's about half as good as the ones in L.A. and a fourth as good as the ones in NY. But, if I need a cornbeef or pastrami fix, I'll go. It beats City Deli in Hillcrest.
But, I'm not sure why it's so much more praised than Milton's in La Jolla.