Famous East Sacramento market sells a sandwich ‘you can’t beat.’ Here’s what I got under $15

Brianna Taylor
·4 min read
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About the Writer

Brianna Taylor covers affordability on The Bee’s service journalism team.

One of the most popular sandwiches in Sacramento is crafted behind a deli counter in a specialty grocery store on Folsom Boulevard.

The venerable Corti Brothers in East Sacramento was established in 1947 to bring high-quality food and wine from around the world to Northern California. It’s perhaps most well known for its $8.49 Corti Special: customers pick the bread and condiments and the sandwich-makers choose the meat.

The suggestion to try the sandwich — which was bound to test my trust — came from Sacramento Bee reader Olivia Cano, who discovered the grocery store while on a hunt to support local businesses during the pandemic. Years later, she said the sub still hits the spot and doesn’t break the bank.

“Corti Brothers. You can get a huge sandwich (corti special), a single beer (or two) and chips all under $25,” the Sacramento native told me.

Since I started this affordability challenge last year — discovering Sacramento through one $25 activity at a time — I’ve had the most fun talking with all of you about why you’re so passionate about this city.

Sacramento on a budget: We’re finding cheap eats and activities for $25 or less

“You can’t beat a sandwich under nine bucks, you just don’t find that very many places these days anymore.”

Count me in.

How I spent my $25 budget at Corti Brothers

Full disclosure: About a year and a half ago I went to Corti Brothers to order a sandwich and immediately left and walked 400 feet to Chipotle.

Blame it on my age or the fact that I was brand new to the city at the time, but watching a crowd of customers write their sandwich order on a slip of paper using miniature pencils stressed me out very quickly.

“You definitely have to order online, otherwise it’s crazy,” Olivia said.

This time around, I took Olivia’s advice and ordered online for pickup.

The list of 27 different sandwiches was easy to read, ranging from an $8.49 Corti Special to a $14 parma prosciutto sandwich.

I ordered the Corti Special on a Dutch crunch roll with provolone cheese, honey mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onion and pepperoncini for a total of $9.21 after taxes.

I wasn’t prompted to pay online. Instead, I was asked to select the type of payment I planned to use once I got to the store.

My order would be ready in 30 minutes, giving me just enough time to pack my bag for an afternoon in the park.

My time at Corti Brothers

Corti Brothers’ weathered tile flooring, quirky French decor and dim florescent lighting could make you believe it’s behind the times but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The beer and wine selection is vast. The narrow aisles are stocked with standard supermarket items like pepperoncini as well as hard-to-find products like eggplant relish and moonshine honey.

But the deli counter is where the magic happens.

Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor visits Corti Brothers at 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento on May 13, 2023, with $25.
Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor visits Corti Brothers at 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento on May 13, 2023, with $25.

When I walked through the automatic doors in the afternoon on an early May Saturday, the sandwich line was packed with customers penciling in their orders.

Location: 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento

I grabbed my sub, a bottle of kombucha and a bag of salt and vinegar chips and headed to the checkout.

My sandwich drink and bag of chips cost me a total of $14.02, tax included.

Next, I’ll tell you just how tasty my dutch-crunch lunch was.

Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor visits Corti Brothers at 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento on May 13, 2023, with $25. She spends a little more than half her budget on a sandwich, a bag of chips and a drink.
Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor visits Corti Brothers at 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento on May 13, 2023, with $25. She spends a little more than half her budget on a sandwich, a bag of chips and a drink.

Took my sandwich to Tahoe Park

Per Olivia’s advice, we took our sandwiches to the nearby Tahoe Park less than a mile from Corti Brothers.

Me, my partner and my dog Annie scouted the area for about five minutes before settling at an ironed picnic table in the shade.

Location: 3501 59th St., Sacramento

Then, it was finally time to eat.

This was a classic deli sandwich — and I mean that in the best way. The bread was crispy, yet soft in the middle and all of the ingredients tasted fresh.

For those of you wondering which meats my sandwich makers chose: salami, turkey, bologna with olives (not a fan) and prosciutto.

Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor visits Corti Brothers at 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento on May 13, 2023, with $25. The $8.49 Corti Special is on a Dutch crunch roll with provolone cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.
Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor visits Corti Brothers at 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento on May 13, 2023, with $25. The $8.49 Corti Special is on a Dutch crunch roll with provolone cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

After we ate, we walked Annie around the park,chatted for a while and then headed back home.

Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor takes her Corti Brothers sandwich to Tahoe Park at 3501 59th St., Sacramento on May 13, 2023.
Service journalism reporter Brianna Taylor takes her Corti Brothers sandwich to Tahoe Park at 3501 59th St., Sacramento on May 13, 2023.

Thank you for the suggestion, Olivia! I waited way too long to try the Corti Special.