D.Z. Akins graphic

Restaurant: D.Z. Akins

Location:
6930 Alvarado Rd.
San Diego, CA

Phone: (619) 265-0218

Price Range: $3.95-$22.95

Number of visits: many
Last visit before review: November 9, 2001

Randy has had: Cold roast beef or turkey platter, iced tea.

Jeff has had: Corned beef sandwich, Philadelphia steak sandwich, mushroom and cheddar omelette, cold roast beef or turkey platter, iced tea.

Rating
9 chunks
9
(of 12)
Good
Jeff says: When we first started going to D.Z. Akins I tried some of the traditional deli items. Each deli in San Diego has things they do well and not so well. Unfortunately I've found the sandwiches at D.Z. Akins fall into the not so well category. The corned beef was so marbled with fat most of it had to be discarded. The Philadelphia steak sandwich was disappointing. It had a rather strong smell that might have been from the cheese. However as a side to the sandwiches I have had the potato latke, and this D.Z. Akins does well. The latkes are fresh and golden brown.

Randy says: My favorite item at D.Z. Akins is what is called the cold roast beef or turkey platter. It consists of a small plate of roast beef or turkey, accompanied by a huge fruit plate. I like it with lean brisket substituted for the roast beef or turkey. The fruit plate is generally excellent and generously packed with a wide variety of freshly cut items including apples, oranges, pink grapefruit, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes, bananas, and my favorite, kiwi. There are also usually tomatoes, as if there's room. In the center is a mound of cottage cheese (which may be low fat, or may only be low fat if you ask — we've gotten varying stories on that). The meal also comes with toast or bagel. I like a very lightly toasted poppy seed bagel. I've had other things at D.Z. Akins, but nothing compares to this which I've been getting for quite a while.

Jeff says: The fruit plate on the cold roast beef or turkey platter is very good and makes a healthy meal. My current favorite, though, is a mushroom and cheddar omelette. These are yummy and come with toast or bagel and home fried potatoes, which are baked potatoes fried up with onions and other seasonings (or you can have cottage cheese or tomatoes, by why would you?). I like the cinnamon raisin bagels, and they come with a mound of yummy cream cheese. The iced tea is passable.

D.Z. Akins is in what looks like used to be a strip mall, but they've taken over the entire building. It is a large room with several sections. Some of the walls are painted to look like chipping brick, and there are amusing cartoons painted onto some areas where the "brick" is chipped away giving an interesting visual affect. The obligatory autographed celebrity photos are ubiquitous.

D.Z. Akins is a very busy place, but it is very efficiently run and we've never had a maddeningly long wait. The parking, on the other hand, can be maddening. The parking lot and the street fill up during peak lunch hours and the lot can become such a mess that once you pull in you cannot get through to the other side. We tend to go a little later to avoid these problems. There is also a huge deli counter and bakery in the front area of the restaurant, and this is also very busy (so the items must be good!).

The portions at D.Z. Akins are generous, and we always feel stuffed when we leave. We visit every time Randy sees his allergist at the nearby medical center, and we look forward to continuing to do so.

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