I am a girl who just loves a good sandwich. I grew up having paninis at my grandparents’s house or picking up an Italian with my dad in between games at my many soccer tournaments. Sandwiches remind me of the simple moments of childhood. Since living in Isla Vista for the past two years, I have yet to find the perfect place to have a sandwich — or so I thought. Now with the opening of Yetz’s Deli on the corner of Pardall and Embarcadero del Mar, where PokeCeviche used to be, there’s a new contender to consider.
Local businessman and UCSB alum Daniel Dunietz changed the bagel game when he turned Dank Bowls into Yetz’s Bagels. With the tasty flavors of his bagel sandwiches, it is rare to not find a line leading out the door on any weekend morning. In fact, Dunietz had finally signed a lease to expand his bagel shop to Goleta, when his landlord offered him the space that was formerly PokeCeviche.
“It was almost too good to be true,” explains Dunietz, who shares how rare it is to find such a prime store location in Isla Vista.
It all happened rather quickly. First, the business owner considered what food options Isla Vista was lacking: a variety of sandwiches, salads, and more smoothie options was the answer. Within two months, Dunietz bought a panini press, two blenders, a toaster, and was ready to open his business! While the main items for sale are sandwiches, salads, and smoothies, take-away deli items such as egg salad and curry chicken salad are also available for purchase.
While he is proud of all his store’s offerings, his favorites by category are the Green Machine smoothie, the Kale Caesar salad (that includes everything bagel croutons from next door), and the Beef sandwich. I tried the Turkey Melt when I went, and it was a great choice as well. No other place in Isla Vista has paninis or salads, so Yetz’s Deli certainly fills that gap. Additionally, Dunietz believes his smoothies stand out because they aren’t as sweet as other offerings in the area — he wants to prioritize good flavors.
“I love selling good food at fair prices to college students, because I feel like college students do really appreciate good quality,” owner Dunietz tells me while making my sandwich.
I hope you enjoy this new option that Isla Vista has to offer us. Current hours for Yetz’s Deli are 10:30am-4pm everyday, although there are plans for expanding hours to 6pm or 8pm. In theory, you could have Yetz’s Bagels for breakfast, and then Yetz’s Deli for lunch and dinner! Yum!