By Giselle Garza Lerma

San Francisco is known for its diverse range of cultural cuisines – its selection of pizza, burritos, dim sum and seafood – but hidden in the Richmond is one meat deli you won’t want to skip out on. Sandwiched between a supermarket and coffee shop on Clement Street lies the best pastrami sandwich in the City.

Everyone has their go-to food spots – bodegas, delis and meat-markets – that are their neighborhood favorite. The places that are tied to your weekly routine, or the joint you only tell a select group of people about to preserve its mom-and-pop-like quality. That’s AK Meats.

First visits to any establishment can be intimidating. You have big menus, long lines, fast-paced atmospheres and the rush of not knowing what to order. At AK Meats however, you won’t be daunted. Upon walking into the shop, the staff will joyfully help you figure out what sandwich might best suit your taste buds or what type of meat you might be looking to cook for dinner.

I personally enjoy a sandwich that will knock my socks off and leave me wanting to come right back. The hot pastrami did just that. It’s made traditionally with meat, cheese, mustard and mayonnaise – with the option to choose your choice of bread and add or subtract extras like onion, jalapeno, pepperoncinis or sauerkraut.

My advice? Load the pastrami.

For my vegetarian friends, don’t fret, as AK Meats offers a veggie sandwich made out of the freshest, crispiest produce. There’s a perfect crunch in every bite.

Husband-and-wife duo Rola and Spiros L. Johnson are behind the delicious eats at AK. They grew up in San Francisco, raised three children and devoted their time to, not only the deli, but its neighbor, 25th & Clement Produce Market. Spiros bought the market in 1993, married Rola in 1994 and opened the deli in 2002.

“We do it old school, with craftsmanship,” Spiros said. “I think a lot of that is lost today.”

AK Meats practices traditional butchering techniques like cutting steak thicker, so you have a lesser chance of ruining the meat when cooking, and always making sure their meat is fresh – they receive deliveries every day.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” Spiros said with a smile.

AK Meats is a family-run business, but those who aren’t blood related are still treated as such.

“Even our coworkers, they’re like family,” Spiros said. “They’ve all been with us for a long time.”

On occasion, Spiros’ sister, Kathy Johnson, will create menu specials on the weekend that are mostly Greek dishes, like gemista (a traditional Greek dish of baked or stuffed vegetables) and spanakopita (a popular Greek pastry filled with spinach and cheese). These specials are sporadic, so you’ll only know if you go often and get lucky! In addition, each day they have various sides like potato salad, macaroni salad and artichoke salad to accompany the sandwiches.

“We have amazing sandwiches,” Spiros said. “Our sandwiches are second to none. We aim for the best.” The pastrami sandwich is also his favorite.

“It’s really incredible,” he said.

You learn about a neighborhood after being somewhere for more than 30 years. The Johnsons have had customers come back as adults, reminiscing on the past when they were children, going to the deli and market.

“When a customer comes back and says, ‘Oh my god that’s the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life,’ it just pushes us to work a little bit harder and aim to please everyone,” Spiros said.

I came across a woman named Patricia in the store. She’s a San Francisco resident who lives on the other side of the City, yet visits weekly to both the deli and the produce market.

“They are the most lovely people, and the quality is always so good,” Patricia said.

As the holidays quickly creep in, AK Meats offers preorders for turkeys during Thanksgiving. During the holiday season, it’s recommended to put in pre-orders three weeks prior to your desired day of pickup. So be sure to plan accordingly!

Whether you need a sandwich for lunch, meat or produce for dinner, AK Meats and 25th & Clement Produce Market have your back.

AK Meats is located at 2346 Clement St. and is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 25th & Clement Produce Market is open Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Giselle Garza Lerma is a senior at San Francisco State University majoring in photojournalism and minoring in Latino Studies. See more of her work at gisellegarza.com.