After winning a cult following as a pop-up, GiGi’s Deli has found a permanent home. San Antonio sandwich lovers can now devour its Italian-style grinders five days a week at El Tigre Coffee at 123 Heiman St. in St. Paul Square.
Chef Matt Garcia, an alum of The Cookhouse and Barbaro, started GiGi’s in 2021 with a pop-up at Little Death on the St. Mary’s Strip. Pop-culture themes like Mean Girls, The Sopranos, and Seinfeld may have piqued locals’ curiosity, but the roving concept soon garnered a reputation for making some of the best sandwiches in town before Garcia took a hiatus to pursue other projects.
The residency allows Garcia to sling sandwiches five days a week. Breakfast includes a trio of egg and cheese sandwiches made with a choice of bacon, pastrami, or Munchos potato chips.
The lunch options are a little meatier. The Italian Disco is stuffed with mortadella, prosciutto, salami, and pepper relish, while the Uncle Ruben features pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. We can’t verify if the latter is a reference to a villain in the Tom Hanks’ horror-comedy The ‘Burbs, but it is certifiably a baddie.
Both the breakfast and lunch sandwiches are available all day and can be completed with a side of Lays or house pasta salad. Sandwich fans also shouldn’t procrastinate if they want to try them. The ever-restless chef might be leaving the pop-up life behind, but he plans to rotate the menu regularly and feature a variety of seasonal specials.
El Tigre Coffee itself is relatively new. Owner Tatanka Guerrero took over the former home of Vice Versa Coffee & Music in February after relocating to San Antonio. At the time, he promised he had a few culinary concepts in the works.
“Bringing GiGi’s Deli back has been a dream of mine,” shares Garcia. “It’s not just about sandwiches — it’s about the people, and the feeling of sharing food that means something to me. I’m excited to give San Antonio a piece of that, and to see GiGi’s Deli come alive again in our community.”
GiGi’s Deli is now open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Hours are 8 am-3 pm daily.