Just off Highway 1 in picturesque Pacifica lies a nondescript strip mall hiding a decades-old deli known for its bargain lunches.

Located at 1023 Terra Nova Blvd. in Pacifica, Upper Crust Deli is among a cluster of local businesses found within Park Mall Center. The shopping strip is discreet, to say the least, but if you don’t slow down, you might miss out on killer subs priced between $10 and $13.

“People stumble in here not knowing what they’re going to get, but they decide to give it a shot and they come back,” owner Ray Gheith told SFGATE.

Since taking over Upper Crust Deli in 2003, Gheith has worked tirelessly to offer customers — mostly locals and hungry high school students — the most bang for their buck with burgers and sandwiches prepared with hefty amounts of meat. Burger patties clock in at a third of a pound of beef, while the sandwiches are all made with a quarter-pound of deli cuts. 

Inside the no-frills restaurant, customers will find 38 sandwiches listed on a colorful chalkboard menu that includes the top-selling Philly cheesesteak. The 7-inch sub is prepared with a sizable amount of rib-eye steak, grilled onions, sauteed red and green bell peppers, mushrooms and provolone cheese that are served piping hot inside a soft Wedemeyer Bakery roll. The sandwich is $11, practically unheard of for a sandwich of its kind. 

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, I made the drive to Upper Crust Deli to get my hands on this Philly cheesesteak. Finding the deli shop might take some work for out-of-towners since the restaurant is tucked within a retail space found deeper inside a main building. But after locating the sign and crossing a short path that led to Upper Crust, I placed my order (plus a side of fries for an extra $3.99). The sounds of sizzling meat filled the background as I waited by the entrance and looked around the simple shop. Photographs of youth sports teams were mounted on the wall as gifts from several local teams Upper Crust has sponsored over the years.

Gheith said that the deli gets busiest on weekends, especially during high school soccer tournaments or other sports games in the area. Sometimes teams from as far away as Sacramento take the drive south to Pacifica for those tournaments and end up at the deli for post-game fuel. Judging by the gaggle of high schoolers that rolled in during my visit, Upper Crust is definitely a local gem.

Before long, my order was ready. As I lifted half of the sandwich, layers of tender beef were perfectly stacked and mixed with bell peppers. Strings of provolone cheese stretched out after I sunk my teeth into the hot sub. I couldn’t think of a better meal for this chilly winter afternoon. One half was more than enough food, and I packed the other half for later.

For a business with a wide selection of carefully curated subs — including Italian meatloaf, Reuben and barbecue chicken — it’s hard to believe that Gheith didn’t come from a culinary background. Before Upper Crust Deli, Gheith spent years working at Snapple.

Gheith always knew he wanted to open a business, but running a restaurant was never on his radar — at least at first.

More than 20 years ago, Gheith worked as a sales representative at Snapple for several restaurants and grocery stores across the Bay Area. One of them happened to be Upper Crust Deli, then under different ownership. Gheith recalls walking into the business, which looked frozen in time with its 1970s decor and memorabilia. He formed an instant connection with the owner who, after many visits, told Gheith that he was looking to sell the deli after 11 years. After some chatting, Gheith found himself the new owner of Upper Crust Deli in 2003.

“We just clicked,” Gheith said. “I worked with him for two months prior to taking over, so I learned everything and I fell in love with it.”

Gheith never worked in restaurant kitchens, but he did know his way around liquor stores. During his teen years, he spent summers working at his father’s liquor store off Market Street in San Francisco, but felt stagnated by the lack of ingenuity the business presented.  

“I grew up in the liquor store business, but I never liked it because once your shelves are full and the place is stocked, you’re pretty much sitting there waiting for people to come in,” he said. “You couldn’t be creative.” 

Upper Crust gave Gheith a new perspective and unlocked his creativity. After Gheith’s crash course on running a sandwich shop, he began fiddling around with the menu. Previously, Upper Crust was known as a pit stop for Noah’s Bagels, but Gheith wanted to be known for subs. Over time, he revived the menu with original sandwich selections, featuring hot subs like a crispy chicken strip sandwich or a classic turkey club. Two big changes: He added a charbroiler to help deliver smokiness to burger patties and also added a flat grill to elevate and offer a variety of  Philly cheesesteaks, including chicken and veggie versions.

Gheith also added a popular oven-roasted turkey breast sub, cooked in-house, that’s only sold on Tuesday and Friday. The bi-weekly special starts with 10 pounds of slowly roasted turkey breast that is sliced into thick pieces and tucked in a pungent garlic roll along with bacon, avocado and cranberry sauce. Once the sub is sold out, customers can’t get it until the next Tuesday or Friday in the week. 

Gheith admits that the menu was put together by trial and error. Several years ago, Gheith purchased an oven to toast sandwich rolls. When the delivery driver, who was from the East Coast, dropped off his equipment, the driver scanned the menu and spotted the Philly cheesesteak.

“He says, ‘Oh, you sell Philly cheesesteak, huh?’” Gheith recalled. After the man asked Gheith to make him one, he took a bite and declared that Gheith was doing it wrong. “So, I said, ‘All right, teach me.’” The delivery driver shared that the thinner the meat, the better the sandwich. He also stressed the importance of quality rib-eye and sweet peppers. The change was instant, and the sub has remained a hit ever since. It was a big learning opportunity for Gheith.    

“The biggest thing is to never think you’re the best at what you do,” Gheith said. “If you’re talking to customers and they’re telling you something — listen — because we can always learn. We don’t know everything.”

After more than 20 years, Upper Crust Deli continues to be a big part of the neighborhood with its simple approach to sandwiches and quality customer service. Gheith wants to keep prices low and reasonable for his devoted customers.

“Our bread and butter is the community.”

Upper Crust Deli, 1023 Terra Nova Blvd., Pacifica. Open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.