The Sausage Deli we all know and love turns 45 years old this year but before the Sausage Deli was the Sausage Deli, the Sausage Deli was a sausage deli.
Here, let me explain.
Opening in 1957, on the corner of First Avenue and Grant Road, stood a small stand owned and operated by a German couple who sold sausages and other delights from their European home turf. It was in 1978 that a young enterprising man by the name of Steven Kleinsmith bought the business, but instead of selling whole sausages he chopped them up and put them between slices of bread.
The nearby university was starting to boom with incoming students and Kleinsmith’s idea was to cater to them, along with the surrounding community. Hey, who doesn’t like a good sandwich on the go and on the cheap?
That’s when things began to really start moving for Kleinsmith. It did not take long for the little deli that could grow into a tasty snack institution for not just broke and hungry students, but for anyone that was in the mood for a belly-filling delight that didn’t break the bank.
A few years later, Kleinsmith and the Sausage Deli opened their collective arms, much like an open-faced sandwich, and began expanding the menu beyond the reaches of cased cured meat shaped into tube form. There was now roast beef, turkey, pastrami, ham, and even, get this, a vegetarian option.
In the hedonistic era of the ‘80s, during the aerobics crisis, a lot of people, including those attending the University of Arizona, were thinking beyond meat and going for a lighter yet lovely plant-based nibble for their midday meal. Totally awesome!
The Sausage Deli was becoming so popular that Kleinsmith had to spread his tiny operation outdoors — installing patio tables where customers could eat in that glorious Southern Arizona weather. You know, those six beautiful months boasting near-perfect temperatures before and after summer — a season that’s obviously trying to kill us.
If you haven’t had the privilege to experience the original Sausage Deli, the original Sausage Deli had really tight interiors for the amount of hungry humanity that arrived regularly. For those that know all too well about the original Sausage Deli, it was pretty small, right?
But wait! What original location? Hasn’t it always been on the corner of First and Grant?
Well, yes. But it used to be a half-block down, kind of where that dollar store is now (we’ll get to that soon enough).
In 2004, Kleinsmith sold his business to a young couple, the same couple that owns the Sausage Deli today. Kleinsmith was burned out and ready to not fill sandwiches with mustard and meats day in and day out. That’s where Chris Fanelli, along with his wife Valerie, took over. Having very little experience running a successful sandwich shop, the Fanelli’s brought in some help from former employees to demonstrate sanctioned secrets of how the classic sandwiches are constructed, presented, and adored by the teeming Tucson masses.
In fact, some of those past employees climbed back aboard because they missed the place so much and a few of them are still with them today. Now, that is deli dedication if you ask me.
The Fanelli’s kept all of the usual sandwich suspects, such as the top-selling (still to this day) Italian Grinder along with its queen companion the Susie Sorority, the ever-present Black Dog, the “legendary” Bismark Sub, and another that usually goes hauntingly by the Breathtaking.
If you are not familiar with those Sausage Deli paradigms then it is your duty, dear reader, to get thee into the deli and seriously familiarize yourself with them — quick. Be you an old-time Tucson resident, a newcomer, or even a seasonal visitor, those sandwiches need to be visited and appreciated on a fairly regular rotation.
This is where the “new location” topic comes into play.
During the near decade that the Fanelli’s owned the Sausage Deli, one thing was clearly clear and had been for a while — they needed more space. The conundrum was, where do we go?
The Deli is known for being a midtown staple, so going downtown, way east, or relocating to any of the valleys would be weird. Fortunately, they didn’t have to look very far. In fact, just up the road. In 2013, the new Sausage Deli was built just a few doors down west, this time with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, a bigger kitchen, and space to put in a beer and wine bar.
Yes, now you could drink a tall cold one, either on draught or from a bottle, while eating one of the OG sandwiches. They’ve got new creations to enjoy, too, such as their Meatball Sandwich, Artichoke Reuben, Reuben Goldberger, and newly-introduced weekly specials.
On Wednesdays, you can get the deli’s namesake which is Italian sausage packed in next to sauteed onions and peppers. On Tuesdays and Fridays, you are treated to their barbecue draw which has the tagline “Federal truth in labeling guidelines mandate we tell you this is beef in barbecue sauce, and whatever we find in the trap overnight!”
Plus, with a spacious cook and prep area they were able to install a fryer. So, now you can get perfectly seasoned crinkle fries along with said sandwiches and beer.
The address upgrade was one small step for the Sausage Deli, one giant leap for Tucson kind.
When I moved here nearly 20 years ago, I was almost immediately introduced to the ways of Sausage Deli. It was something to try and if I were to be a true local, I had to order something on the menu that was simply breathtaking.
Yes, that breathtaking is a sandwich better known as The Omar.
The legend of its magnificence is something of a midtown myth. Some say it was named after a former employee of the Sausage Deli whose name was Hershel Bleffman. Just kidding, it was Omar. Some say that the person who came up with the simple yet stunning combination of salami, turkey, onions, bell peppers, pepperoncini, mustard, and Italian dressing with Swiss cheese cried out “Oh my!” after taking a bite. A co-worker then asked, “Who’s Omar?”
Others say, “Who cares about how The Omar got its name… Let’s eat!”
Yes, in all of its beautifully basic trajectory of ingredients, The Omar is something to behold and be bewildered by. It is breathtaking. But why? How? Whatever the devilry may be, this is a sandwich that I hold dear to my heart and waistline. It’s something to look forward to, like that first spring yield of fresh strawberries, a show from a band you didn’t think was touring ever again, or seeing Linda Ronstadt eat a chimichanga on St. Mary’s by the I-10.
When I get my Omar, I know that I have been a good boy that week.
In fact, everything at the Sausage Deli is delicious and that is why they have endured nearly five decades in the Old Pueblo. Happy 45th birthday, Sausage Deli! You make being a Foodie in Tucson so much easier.
The shop is currently open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday – Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Sausage Deli is located at 754 E. Grant Rd. For more information, visit sausagedeli.com and follow Sausage Deli on Instagram and Facebook.
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