9 South Shore Italian Delis In Massachusetts With Sandwiches Worth The Drive

Massachusetts has plenty of famous attractions, but sometimes the best memory from a trip is a sandwich wrapped in white paper. Down on the South Shore, small Italian delis have been slicing prosciutto and stacking salami for decades, and the lines at lunchtime tell you everything.

Some of these counters are family-run for generations. Others opened recently and already have regulars who order without looking at the menu.

Ready to make a day of it? Bring cash, bring napkins, and bring an appetite bigger than your plan.

Many of these spots are takeout only, which means your picnic could end up at a harbor, a park bench, or the front seat of your car with the windows down. That counts as an adventure too.

1. That’s Italian Too

Since the late 1970s, That’s Italian Too has been feeding hungry locals who know exactly what they want. Four decades of sandwich-making builds a certain confidence, and you can taste it.

The menu covers both camps. Hot lovers go for meatball, sausage, or pastrami.

Cold cut fans stick with the Italian, roast beef, corned beef, turkey breast, or ham and cheese.

Here is a small choice that makes a big difference: your bread. Pick a standard sub roll, a smaller bulkie roll, or upgrade to a scala roll for a little extra.

The scala holds up beautifully against oil and vinegar.

Travelers have described the flavor as amazing and the quality as solid across the board. Size, freshness, and taste all get mentioned, which is a good sign at a place this old.

Daily lunch specials give you another reason to pull over. If you are driving through Weymouth around noon, ask what is on special before you order.

Keep in mind it runs mostly as a takeout spot, so plan where you will eat. A nearby bench or your car with the radio on works just fine.

Prices stay approachable at 957 Washington St, Weymouth, MA 02189, service stays personal, and the whole thing feels refreshingly unfussy. Check current hours before you make the drive.

2. Nonna Bella’s Italian Deli

Nonna means grandmother in Italian, and that name sets expectations high. Happily, Nonna Bella’s Italian Deli delivers on the promise with recipes passed down through generations.

Newer to the South Shore scene, it has already built a following for handcrafted sandwiches, homemade pasta, and classic Italian specialties. The place feels like someone’s family kitchen scaled up.

The Italian Sub is the headliner. Mild aged provolone, prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, genoa salami, and sweet or hot capicola get layered with lettuce, tomato, hot relish, balsamic, and extra virgin olive oil.

Visitors regularly comment on the sheer size. Thinly sliced meats pile high on fresh bread, and portions lean generous enough to split or save half for later.

Both cold and hot subs appear on the board, so bring someone with different taste than yours and compare notes.

Now for the fun part. The deli focuses on takeout, and there is a park directly across the street.

On-street parking sits close by.

That combination makes an impromptu picnic almost too easy. Grab your sandwich at 48-52 New Driftway, Scituate, MA 02066, walk across, find a spot, and let the afternoon slow down.

Scituate itself rewards a wander afterward. Hours may vary, so confirm before heading over.

3. D’Orazio’s

Twenty-plus years in one town says plenty. Hanover has kept D’Orazio’s busy since the early 2000s, and people drive in from across the South Shore for it.

Sandwiches, salads, and soups all get made with fresh ingredients. The cold cuts come from Boar’s Head, backed up by a selection of specialty Italian meats and cheeses behind the glass.

The lineup runs wide. Handcrafted subs, wraps, and paninis cover almost any craving you walk in with.

Want something serious? The Italian sub at 644 Washington St, Hanover, MA 02339, arrives packed with flavorful meats and no shortage of them.

Prefer lighter? A chicken Caesar wrap does the job without weighing you down.

Here is a practical tip worth remembering. Italian dishes here come in family-sized portions, which makes this a smart stop if you are traveling with a group or renting a place nearby.

Soup on a cold coastal day pairs perfectly with half a sub. That combination has saved many a chilly afternoon.

The vibe stays welcoming and unhurried, good for a quick lunch or a bigger sit-down-somewhere-else meal. Hanover locals rate the flavors highly, and repeat business tends to prove a point.

4. Fasano’s Marketplace

Family food history runs more than 60 years deep here, starting generations ago with Fasano’s Diner. The marketplace version opened in 2022 and carries that legacy forward in Braintree.

Calling it a deli undersells things. You get deli sandwiches, a soup and salad bar, butcher items, prepared foods, fresh bread, bakery treats, and imported specialty groceries under one roof.

Hot sandwiches include meatball parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, hot pastrami, and sirloin steak tips with peppers and onions. That last one is a serious commitment.

Cold selections start with the classic Italian, built on genoa salami, capicola ham, mortadella, and provolone. The Italian Deluxe adds prosciutto and sopressata for extra depth.

The Signature Sandwiches deserve attention. Fuzzy’s Chef Special layers Italian chicken cutlet, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, olive oil, and balsamic glaze.

Then there is The Gobblah, a hearty pile of fresh turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and mayo. Thanksgiving any day of the year sounds pretty great, right?

Build-your-own is also an option at Fasano’s Marketplace, with deli meats, cheeses, arugula, roasted red peppers, and assorted condiments to choose from.

Visitors note the quality and the generous size. Locally sourced ingredients and helpful service round it out.

Confirm hours before going to 372 Washington St, Braintree, MA 02184.

5. Scribano’s Italian Market & Deli

One traveler called a sandwich at Scribano’s Italian Market & Deli the single best they had ever eaten. Bold claim.

Route 28 in Harwich Port is where you can test it yourself.

Family-run and welcoming, this market turns out homemade Italian food, daily entree specials, and a long list of sandwiches both classic and creative.

The Italian Sub keeps it simple with ham, genoa salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, and balsamic vinaigrette. The Super Italian goes bigger, adding mortadella, capicola, and more.

Prosciutto di Parma with roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella is a favorite for good reason. The Aioli Roast Beef brings cheddar, sweet peppers, onion, and homemade garlic aioli.

Vegetarians are not an afterthought. The Veggie Sandwich on ciabatta stacks grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Gluten-free bread is available for any sandwich, which makes planning much easier for mixed groups.

Travelers describe the sandwiches as huge and delicious, and many call these some of the best Italian subs on the Cape.

Save room for mini cannolis, individual cakes, or cookies. Sweet endings are part of the deal.

Unlike many delis, there is a spacious dining room plus an outdoor patio at 302 MA-28, Harwich Port, MA 02646. Hours shift seasonally, so check first.

6. Previte’s Marketplace Hanover

A South Shore tradition since 1963, Previte’s Marketplace Hanover wears two hats: authentic Italian deli and old-school butcher shop. Both sides are worth your time.

Shelves carry premium deli meats and cheeses, private-label sauces, and imported pastas. It is the kind of place where you walk in for lunch and leave with groceries.

The sandwiches at 285 Columbia Rd, Hanover, MA 02339, have a reputation for size and quality. Fresh bread arrives every morning, and meats and cheeses get sliced the moment you order.

Start with the Italian Special Sub. House-sliced prosciutto, salami, mortadella, and provolone sit on a soft Italian roll, and that roll matters.

Other regulars include American, corned beef, roast beef, turkey, chicken cutlet, chicken parmesan, meatball, and hot pastrami.

Feeling adventurous? The Italian Caprese combines soppressata, Parma prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, and a balsamic reduction.

The Tuscan Pesto Chicken Cutlet is another standout.

For pure comfort, the Tom Turkey comes loaded with stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Bring a fork, seriously.

Family values show up in the service, which stays friendly even during a rush.

Pro tip: order at the counter, then browse while they slice.

7. Alfredo Aiello Italian Foods, Inc.

Fun bit of history: this business started in Quincy back in 1967 making pasta, not sandwiches. Alfredo Aiello Italian Foods, Inc. is one of three retail locations carrying that legacy today.

Fresh pasta still gets made here, along with ready-to-bake items and specialty foods. Then there is the full Italian deli side, stocked with imported meats, cold cuts, cheeses, and olives.

Walking the aisles is half the fun. Shelves hold imported Italian products, an impressive dry pasta selection, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and sweets like candies, cookies, and cakes.

Sandwiches get built on freshly baked bread with those imported meats and cheeses. The Italian sandwich is the one people come back for to 72 Washington St, Norwell, MA 02061.

Visitors also single out the pizza and the chicken parmigiana as highlights worth ordering.

Here is a good strategy. Shop for dinner ingredients first, then reward yourself with a hot Sicilian-style pizza or a calzone made right in the store.

Traditional recipes and quality ingredients guide everything, which explains the loyal crowd after five-plus decades.

The sights and smells genuinely feel like an Italian market, and that alone makes the trip enjoyable.

Bring a cooler if you plan to stock up on pasta.

8. Marcello Sandwich Shop

Whitman keeps Marcello Sandwich Shop busy, and the reason is simple: fresh ingredients plus recipes that have been tested for years. Pizza, subs, and Italian specialties all share the menu.

The cold sub list gives you room to explore. Italian Cold Cut, Marcello’s Special (the Italian cold cut upgraded with sweet capicola), ham and cheese, roast beef, and turkey breast.

One item stands out from the pack. The Turkey Gobbler Sub layers home-cooked turkey, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, and mayonnaise on a butter-grilled sub roll.

Butter-grilled. Let that sink in for a second.

Hot subs bring the heavy hitters. Steak and cheese, the fully loaded Steak Bomb with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, pastrami, and grilled sausage.

The Meatball Sub also moves fast, so do not be surprised if the person ahead of you orders two.

Sandwiches at 733 Bedford St, Whitman, MA 02382, get described as fresh and genuinely delicious, which is exactly what you want from a neighborhood shop.

Service leans friendly and community-minded, the sort where regulars chat while they wait.

If you are road-tripping through Whitman, this is an easy detour that pays off. Grab a sub, maybe a pizza for the group, and keep rolling.

Hours may vary, so a quick check helps.

9. Cucina Mia Cafe & Deli

Quincy Center holds a cafe and deli where many first-timers turn into regulars fast. The welcoming feel does half the work, and the food finishes the job.

Family-run, Cucina Mia Cafe & Deli leans on deli-style sandwiches backed by small pastries, iced coffee, and cold Sicilian pizza. Homemade soups and Italian baked goods like biscotti and cookies round things out.

All bread arrives freshly baked and delivered daily, which explains why the sandwiches hold together so well.

The Arrosta di Manzo deserves a spotlight. Thinly sliced roast beef meets crisp lettuce, mild provolone, caramelized onions, and a creamy herb spread on a big fresh roll.

Other strong picks include the hearty Muffuletta, The Prosciutto with fresh mozzarella, basil, and olive oil, and the Chicken Parmigiana.

Curious about names? The Rosie, The Lina, The Godfather, and The Wise Guy all sit on the menu, along with a classic hot pastrami.

Vegetarians get real options at 94 Washington St, Quincy, MA 02169, too, not just an afterthought with lettuce.

The interior stays simple, with old-world Italian touches and big storefront windows letting in plenty of light.

Pair a cold Sicilian slice with an iced coffee and treat yourself properly. You earned a break.

Check current hours before visiting Quincy.