A K Meats
2346 Clement Street
(between 24th Ave & 25th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121 (415) 933-6328
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
47 reviews
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
"You gotta love this little block of La Playa, with its handful of shops so unobtrusively tucked away even the Burger King is almost…" read more »
75 Reviews for A K Meats
Damn what a let down. This place used to be the shit for a sub. Their pastrami, die's decadence, a chris's combo was hella good. The sandwiches were large and full of meat. Then they switched owners and everything started going downhill....They run out of bread, sandwiches barely have meat in them, the quality of meat has also downgraded, and they RAISED THE PRICES...BOOOOOO!
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I use to rank Submarine Center and AK subs neck to neck in the best sandwiches in the city. After the sales of AK subs this place has dramatically gone down. Portions of the sandwiches are a lot smaller. The Pastrami sandwich was the best I have ever tasted but now it is a disappointment. Why Spirro did you have to sell it??? All of their sandwiches used to be very big and good. Now........it's just your typical deli with no heart. My guys go to Subways now for lunch instead of this mom and pop place. What a terrible.............terrible.........turn of event. I have always preached about how we should support the mom and pop store and not give in to franchise. We have resulted in the 5 dollar foot long. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
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Boo Hoo.. New owners. Totally different experience nowadays.Bummed.
Most of the other new reviews have already said it all. Another one bites the dust...
I recently bought a delicious sandwich at AK and it's the best sandwich I've ever had! The service is excellent. There's an asian family who own it and they're the nicest people I've ever met! Very friendly. I highly recommend this place because that sandwich made me want to eat lunch there every day.
So, at some point AK Meats switched owners and a happy Asian family is running the place now. They kept the same sandwich guys, so the sandwiches have suffered none in the transition.
The last couple of times I bought meat here, however, it didn't last longer than a day or two in the refrigerator. I used to buy our meats for the week from here, but if the chicken breast can't make it past Tuesday, then I have to go elsewhere.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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01/25/2007
Sandwiches are done all Italian sub style with oil and vinegar. Though, one minor pet peeve is that… Read more »
I ordered a hot pastrami with peper jack cheese on sourdough bread with sun-dried tomatoes and pickles. That was the best deli sandwich I have had in years!! Absolutely fantastic!! The woman greeted me with a smile and helped me immediately. Very friendly! I will definitely go back! They even had a nice selection of organic drinks...
switched owners. very friendly lady behind the counter, but i felt like my now "AK's Decadence" was not as amazing..
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/28/2007
I got Die's Decadence today and carried it home in my arms like a small baby because that's how big… Read more »
AK used to be my weekly stop for meats -- but something has changed with the new owners. Like Stacy J. said -- the meat just does not last. I have no idea what they are doing different, but everything -- turkey, chicken and even cheeses seem to harden after a few days in the fridge. This never happened before the owner switch, so I have to assume they are using different meats.
The new owners here used to own a very good casual restaurant on Fillmore named Trio Cafe, but they got driven out by the outrageous rent. Very nice people with a good sensibility about food. Terrific meatball sandwich, high quality meat, exactly the kind of local owners you want in your neighborhood.
Had their sandwiches twice. The first time, my coworker ordered it to go and by the time he brought them back to work they were all soggy. Anyways, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, it tasted pretty darn good despite the fact that I had to eat it with a spoon. I went back the 2nd time with my friend because she LOVES AK. We went there and the guy who was making my sandwich didn't wear gloves! 0_0 and to make my stomach turn even more.....he had a huge dirty band aid on his thumb!
UGH. I couldn't eat it so I gave it to my brother.
2 stars for the flavor.
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The meat and the fish all look really good. I didn't get any meat or fish though. I just looked at it.
I did have the turkey sandwich (called the 'decadence' or something like that which to me is just absurd because damned if I'm going to let some sign in a butcher shop in the outer richmond make me feel guilty about eating a turkey sandwich) and the potato salad. The salad was very good and the sandwich was reasonably good as well.
The service was friendly and acceptably fast. It's a good place to eat sandwiches or look at meat and fish.
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Who would have known that AK Meats has good-sized sandwiches for less than $6. I had a vegetarian sandwich on a sweet french roll and was very satisfied with the freshness of the vegetables and bread. They also serve a variety of fresh deli meat sandwiches also for less than $6.
The lady at the cashier was full of smiles. My sandwich was ready to go in a quick 3 minutes.
AK Meats is a great little fresh meat and fish market. The quality of the meat is really environmentally conscious because it's all free-range and organic. You gotta love that!
A perfect place for grabbing lunch and picking up some fresh meat or fish for dinner.
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I couldn't decide whether to review this place or AK Subs in SOMA because they're both just as delightful.
Both have the most mouth-wateringly delicious pastrami sandwich hands-down - I get mine on a 3-seed roll, and I love the fact that it's just cheese, meat, and mustard. Simple yes, but simple is often better and plenty enough. They also have a variety of other sandwiches that I'll get if I'm craving something relatively healthy (it happens sometimes) - Die's Decadence, Terrie's Treat...one of them has sun-dried tomatoes in it, I think it's Terrie's Treat. Several veg options too if you're into that. Sometimes I'll get their green salad or their potato-egg salad, the latter one having a deviled egg ambiance about it.
Unfortunately due to zoning rules or whatever, they can't do grilled items like their counterparts in SOMA, which is too bad because the burgers and fries at AK Subs are divine. On the plus side, it is called AK Meats for a reason, which means if you want to buy a 1/2 pound of ground organic hamburger along with some high quality lamb to cook at home, you can (which you can't at AK Subs).
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What a gem.
My friends and I were trying to decide what to eat, but we were having a hard time. We'd finally decided on buying sammiches and sitting in the park. Now where to get sammiches? I wish I had internet on my phone so that I could reference yelp more often then I do. We were driving up and down california and clement streets and couldn't locate anything that we were sure offered delicious sammiches. Finally we pulled over and were talking about it, and some of us were getting a little bit cranky from a lack of food, and alcohol...when I happen to look to the left of us...a sign from above:
AK Meats, Subs and Sandwiches.
Well heck.
So we go in and look at the menu...some really good things to choose from, I ended up just getting whatever and it turned out to be the best whatever I've ever had. The AK's combo. Three meats roast beef, turkey, and ham, swiss cheese with bell peppers and all the fixin's. You can have it hot or cold. Whatever you want. I got it hot. Mmmmm.
My friends go the AK's Decadence. Turkey, swiss cheese, with avocados, mushrooms, sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and bell peppers. Hot or Cold. Shan got it hot, Mer had it cold. They were pretty happy about it.
I'm so glad I looked up and saw their sign, otherwise we would have been some grumpy pandas.
;) Good service too.
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this place has some great sammiches. it's a little more pricey. you must not forget to grab a few of the sausages. you can take them to go and throw them on the grill when you get home.
The vegetarian sandwiches from this place are really good. The ingredients seem really fresh, and the quality and preparation are consistent. It seems a little overpriced, but I always think that about sandwich places.
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The sandwiches at A K Meats aren't as good as the ones from Sub Center...but they're pretty damn close. And since A K Meats is walking distance, picking up sandwiches here is a no brainer.
For $6 you get a hearty sandwich. Today I sampled the turkey and the pastrami sandwiches, both with a three seed bun. The pastrami was especially fragrant, juicy, and delicious. The turkey was also pretty good.
Considering this isn't even a sandwich shop, but a butcher shop, makes A K Meats pretty amazing. I have a feeling I'm just crossing the tip of the iceberg with this review, I wouldn't be surprised that after a few visits, I'll have to bump this review up another star.
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There's a Dan Sartain song that goes, "young girls are stupid and they're cruel" but in this case he's wrong. In this case they're just bored because they have to work for their parents. This is a family run Deli with a nice selection of sandwiches but not a lot of meat & cheese varieties and a young woman taking baby steps to look like Amy Winehouse.
My Turkey and Roast beef both tasted fine as did the Swiss and Provolone cheeses. For a calming effect they pipe in soft rock which also helps you digest. A nice ham and cheese sandwich goes well with The Eagles, "I can't tell you why"
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4.5 stars.
I love AK! They have amazing sandwich's and fresh meats. They have high table and chairs to eat your food at outside and people watch on this busy Clement street.
The prices can be high but they have specials you can take advantage of. Service is friendly and very knowledgeable of all products carried.
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A butcher shop where Spanky and I can get a remarkably tasty & delicious pastrami on rye, AND a meatball sandwich full of succulent sweet peppers on a soft hot roll, AND maybe pick up a perfect rib eye and some salmon or a piece of Manchego cheese and some lamb chops? What can I say except "Hell, yeah!"?
Friendly, small, convenient, super-quality, and reasonable.
It's good to live around these parts. Four beefy stars!
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INcredible pastrami sandwiches...
the stuff of food fantasies.
staff is sweet,but i agree, the salads leave a little to be desired. if i was in the market for buying meat, i suppose i would go there...it's all organic/free range which is not easy to find in my hood.
as a kosher-keeping person, it would be nice if there was a little less pork on the menu...and sadly, their pastrami comes with cheese. as a pastrami purist, i find it odd that a pastrami sandwich would come with anything other than a huge helping of mustard :)
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Holy crap that's a good pastrami sandwich!
Only criticism I have, and it's not really much of a criticism as it tastes good this way, is that the bread was slightly soggy...
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It's a damn tasty sandwich. And they have good vegetarian sandwiches too. I really like Terrie's treat. More importantly, it's a damn tasty sandwich, what more do you want? A damn tasty sandwich wrapped in hundred dollar bills?
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This place makes a great hot pastrami sandwich. I don't really know about the deli meats, steaks and seafood for sale, however.
I get lost whenever I try to find it though, because I can't seem to convince myself that its really on 22nd and Clement, or whatever, and keep heading out to 40th and Balboa instead.
You could easily miss it driving by too.
I think they should get a big light-up marquee sign or something to rectify this situation.
I got the Die's Decadence and ate the whole thing...peppers, onions and all... It was so big that I had enough for two meals. I can't wait to walk over and get another one this weekend. MMMMMMM
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I'm weird. It's been established in many ways before; but, here is one more for you to chew on:
I love steak tartar.
Do you know what that is? If you don't, let me inform you: It is raw, ground beef with a variety of spices and egg, served on buttered toast.
Raw. Beef. As in: not cooked at all.
*grin*
Well, you probably could have figured I'd like something like this, what with my love of sushi/sashimi and bloody rare mooing steaks.
The thing is: it's near impossible to find ground steak fresh enough to make steak tartar with. It has to be, like, right off of the cow. And, that cow can't be a cow which was grown for slaughter with all sorts of hormones, steroids, other-oids and ones... it has to be a natural, free range, hippy cow. Well - a pre-1970 cow, anyhow - the cow doesn't need to reflect any sort of political ideology. It just needs to be disease and drug free.
Like my dates.
(Oh I went there.)
Anyhow. In this day and age it's next to impossible to find beef which fits those qualifications. Beef that you use to make carpicho has to be of the same quality. Because both dishes are RAW. And, if there is anything wrong with the beef it will make you sick, potentially kill you.
I like to live dangerously.
I digress:
AK Meats (also owned by my nice landlord) has beef which is of the high, high quality that you can make steak tartar or carpicho with. I know this because I'm eating some right now (*steak tartar) - mmmmm it's GOOD - and, also because my grandfather was a butcher and I know what to look for in a butcher shop to determine quality of product.
I am the granddaughter of a butcher and I'm proclaiming that AK Meats is top shelf. For beef and everything else.
*AK Meats does not *sell* steak tartar, but they have the beef required for you to make it yourself.
EDIT: AK Meats, not made from real AKs.
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After reading so many raving yelp reviews, I knew I had to give AK Meats a try. I went in a skeptic and came out a convert.
The sandwiches really are very good. Die's Decadence was sooo delicious with the avocado and mushroom, I'll probably come back tomorrow for another. I got a taste of my boyfriend's Chris' Combo and it was pretty good too. This place will see a lot more of me, that's for sure.
Good treats ready to eat. Vegetarian stuff, too. Great Deli and wonderful sandwiches.
I heart AK. So A K Meats automatically gets an extra star from me for that shared moniker. I also heart meatballs. A K Meats makes a MEAN meatball sandwich. So big I willingly gave Kate K half. I NEVER share my food (except with my boyfriend because I have to be demure and girly and lovey dovey like that) so you KNOW it was a big sammie. Cheap too for the quality they provide. I only wish they were in my 'hood.
Alas! I only have Subway. (cries into pillow)
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Ok, not really. Should be 4. But I wanted to get your attention because I have a lot of criticisms.
First, briefly, the good. No complaints about the meat, sandwiches are some of the best in the city (Pastrami, Rola's Roman, Die's Decadence, hell yes), some really awesome soups (corn chowder and scallop chowder what?!), and a lot of bang for your buck.
Complaints? Fuck the salads. The salads are a bunch of sandwich toppings with weak dressings. Seriously, if they dumped that salad on the counter and ran a knife through it a couple times it would be a start. what am I supposed to do with a whole onion slice with a 5" diameter? If I tried to use a knife I guarantee you that huge slice of avocado would be all over my hands by the time I was done.
Fuck the potato and pasta salads too. There's no reason for that much mayo. It doesn't fit the style of the rest of your food. If I was at a bbq joint I'd grin and bear it, but you serve sun-dried tomatoes in at least 2 of your 10 featured sandwiches. No one here wants the mayo. And get the fuck out of here with the apples/raisins in your potato salad. It would be one thing if they weren't, to reiterate, drenched in mayo.
Last complaint is back when they did deliver we'd order like 3 times a week and they'd always act like we were such fuckers for patronizing their restaurant. Like us spending $120 a week at AK was such a fucking disaster for them. They'd take the phone off the hook half the time during delivery hours. That was some weak shit. I mean, more power to 'em for fighting the good fight and winning (they don't deliver anymore) but it was pretty weird to have to call up and be like "I don't wanna step on any toes here, but I'd like to order some sandwiches from your sandwich shop."
But anyways, the sandwiches are still, if nothing else, the best north of the park and west of Arguello. That's the best sandwiches in like a 300 block area. That's pretty good.
So three stars, but really four. Give me one good salad, potato, pasta, lettuce, or otherwise, and I'll feel right about raising the rating.
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Rola's Roman had fresh veggies and deli meats thinly sliced. The mayo was a little much. It oozed out of my sub. I like mayo, but not THAT much! No worries, just scrape it off the sandwich, yo...
It's a good size sub for about $5. I'd pick this place over Gordo's.
I was on diet try to lose some weight.
I was trying to eat vegis, wild rice mixed with brown rice, sea weed, Natto, of course, and "Kon-Nyaku".
Do you know what the "Kon-Nyaku" is?
It is look like a gooee gray color jelly made from J-kind potato.
I don't even know this is right to spell.
Kon-Nyaku has ZERO calorie.
I do love it .
But My boys & GF they all said, " This is taste like an eraser!"
I said, " Have you had an eraser?"
They said, " No, but taste like it."
I said, " How can you tell that taste like an eraser?"
On and on,
They don't understand.
'Kon-Nyaku" is good for you.
So as Natto.
I was just walking on Clement Street to get some lunch the other day.
I found this place.
The sign says "SUBS".
Something about this place, it looks like Fish & Meat Market.
Cool Lookin'.
When I saw the sign, and the line of construction workers, I could not think anything else.
I got sudden hit by God.
I was walking into the store like a Zombie.
I forgot everything about my diet.
I ordered out loud, "Tony's Hot Pastrami, everything on it with seeded french roll" !
I don't know who the Fxxx is "Tony's" but that's what the menu said.
NICE TOASTED ROLL with HOT PASTRAMI....
Hmmmm.
I was in heaven.
Fxxx the Kon-Nyaku.
Fxxx Natto, for a while.
Don't bother me, I am really eating.
P.S. they have organic chicken, natural meats and wild fish.
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Support local! Everything I've had from AK has been far above average to stellar. Worth a walk for quality meat or a very tasty sammich.
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I love MEAT! And A K does it perfect.
They sandwiches are some of the best I have had in the city, save for a few in the more crowded hoods. People should make a point of venturing out here or NOT since I can have this place all to my self. Soups are also worth trying and make for a hearty meal when paired with the sandwich.
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Place is way above the game. Old school type place. Gandhi would have broke for one of AK's sandwiches
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I came here twice and got total opposite sandwiches. Whatever the name was, it was the meaty italian sub, now that was pretty great. Second time I was all meated out so I opted for the all veggie sandwich, now this one was great too.
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I highly recommend this place:
Great subs
Great meats
Great price
I would recommend you all to order for to go since the place only has 2-3 small tables. It is a perfect lunch when you watch Saturday/Sunday football. Just order for to go and eat in front of your tv (:
A total 5 stars for me.
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Totally yummy sandwiches. I really like the selection of meats and cheeses. Kudos to Die's Decadence...the sweet onions really make a difference. I love love love hot sandwiches!
There were different natural meat sausages: Chicken Apple, Tomato & Basil, Lemon Chicken to name a few...I kinda want to try the Hot Louisiana Links just for pure heartburn sake. They also offer Wild Salmon fillets ($12.99/lb). Drool...and fresh Ahi Tuna (sushi-grade).
Absolutely fresh ingredients and nice service. The tables are few and not meant for groups. But a nice place to hang for people watching.
Parking's crappy...make sure to spend over $10 to use a credit card otherwise you will have a 75 cent surcharge for under $10 charges.
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Great neighborhood butcher. They don't have a crazy huge selection but this means that what they do offer is fresh. Pretty decent sandwiches to boot.
I had a friend who worked here, and she would give me the occasional sandwich with her "employee discount" (free). This made me uncomfortable, because I know the owner personally, and I felt like I was going to get bad karma and choke on a piece of bread, or cut my tongue on a pickle or something.
The sandwiches are absolutely delicious. And they also sell delightful soups, and free range chicken!!
My friend would come to my house on her lunch break and drink half a bottle of vodka. We would chain smoke and watch Judge Mathis. (this was pre- day job). Then she would go back to work and do lines of coke in the bathroom.
The bathrooms are increadibly clean. And always well stocked.
My friend got fired.
I highly reccommend the pastrami. Especially when hung over.
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