How Arguello Market’s ‘world well-known turkey sandwich’ grew to become a cult favourite in San Francisco
Inside an unassuming grocery store situated in the shadow of Sutro Tower on Arguello Boulevard and Cabrillo Street, a bold proclamation is plastered everywhere.
From a handwritten sign displayed in the front window to the menu board behind the deli counter and the ATM screen that’s tucked into a far corner, it doesn’t take long to spot “Home of the World Famous Turkey Sandwich” at Arguello Market in San Francisco — it’s even printed on the back of the store’s popular crewneck sweatshirts and on the bottom of every receipt.
The deli sign at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A sign of the window at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A receipt at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A customer opens up the wrapping paper for a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
The shelves are well-stocked with standard supermarket offerings, from organic produce and fresh loaves of bread to canned goods and boxes of cereal, not to mention a wide selection of beer and wine, perfect for an impromptu picnic in nearby Golden Gate Park.
But Andy Rothschild, who grew up four blocks away in the Inner Richmond and has been a frequent customer for most of his 32 years of life, said he’s never really viewed Arguello Market as a place to buy groceries.
To him, it’s the mecca of turkey sandwiches in San Francisco.
A hot roasted turkey sandwich on Dutch Crunch at Arguello Market in San Francisco on April 10, 2022.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
“I have listened to many people in front of [or] behind me in line place their orders … whenever someone orders something other than a turkey sandwich, I feel sorry for them for doing it wrong,” he said.
Rothschild won’t come out and say that Arguello Market offers the most out-of-the-box sandwich in town. (There are spots like Deli Board and Turner’s Kitchen for that, he said.) But it’s the no-frills approach that’s kept him coming back for decades.
“Arguello may have the best singular sandwich,” he said. “It isn’t fancy, but the roast turkey is just so good. Any true fan is getting it on Dutch Crunch, with avocado, and if you want my insider tips, the move is to get it with dark meat and pepper jack.”
Peter Qaqundahat poses for a photo with his father Sal, the owner of Arguello Market on April 10, 2022.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Owner Sal Qaqundah, who bought the market in 1984, said the roast turkey sandwich is his best-seller by a long shot. The store makes around 150 turkey sandwiches every day, encompassing about 70% of the orders made at the deli counter. The market also goes through 12 turkeys weighing 25 pounds each during the lunch rush. On a recent visit, I watched the golden brown birds twirl and glisten beneath the heated glow of the rotisserie oven while I placed my order and the savory aroma wafted through every aisle.
Turkeys roasting for sandwiches at Arguello Market. Customers have their choice between light or dark meat layered with their favorite toppings.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
“I don’t smell it anymore because I live in it,” Qaqundah said with a laugh. “I’m here almost every day.”
When he moved to Southern California from Palestine as a teenager in 1969, he started working at grocery stores and diners to pay his way through college, including Ralph’s and Denny’s. His second-ever job was at Spires, a 24-hour diner chain that had a $1.49 chicken sandwich special on Monday nights.
“People lined up outside of the restaurant for that and they were busy from 3-10 p.m. nonstop,” he said. “And because of the quality, the quantity, the service and the price, they kept coming back. It really stuck in my mind.”
Deli customers order a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Qaqundah graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in speech pathology and taught for two years in Huntington Beach. It was a rewarding job, he said, but he wasn’t earning enough money and still had to work nights at various restaurant gigs until 2 a.m. to make ends meet. Around that time, a family friend living in San Francisco mentioned they had spotted a market for sale downtown and encouraged him to check it out.
“I saw it as a chance to start my own business and excel,” Qaqundah said.
In June of 1975, he packed up all of his things and moved to the city.
Qaqundah’s first store, Cable Car Market, was on the corner of Bush and Powell streets across from Uncle Vito’s Pizza. It was a runaway success, due in part to the central location and heavy foot traffic, but after about nine years, he lost his lease and was given 30 days to vacate the premises.
As he hunted around the city in search of a new space, he came upon a now-shuttered market on Chestnut Street called Victor’s. Even though it wasn’t up for sale, he went inside and noticed they were selling fresh whole turkeys, which he found intriguing.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Qaqundah said. “I never forgot it.”
The sunny exterior of Arguello Market at 782 Arguello Blvd.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
In 1984, he bought Arguello Market. It was run-down and hadn’t operated as a grocery store since the ’40s, he said, but when he saw the deli counter, he knew it had potential. For one, it reminded him of the chicken sandwich special at Spires and how he wanted to bring something like it to San Francisco.
He remodeled everything, from the light fixtures to the shelving to the flooring and the refrigeration. The deli counter was the only component left untouched, and while he didn’t have the means to duplicate a restaurant-quality chicken sandwich, he decided to try his hand at selling turkey sandwiches. So he started with one bird per day in 1987, and eventually graduated to two and three as the popularity of the special — then just $3.69 — skyrocketed.
Owner Sal Qaqundaht talks about the food items available in the deli case at Arguello Market.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
“It was big enough that it could be lunch and dinner for many people,” he said. “I remember telling my customers, ‘The only drawback about this is you’re going to come back again.’”
Years later, I’d discover just about everyone had an opinion on The Sandwich™. When I decided to consult Twitter, I received more than 50 replies with takes ranging from “Best Turkey Sandwich I’ve ever had” to “I was so disappointed” and “it has divided [my] entire household.”
It’s the best, and I am overdue to eat one. pic.twitter.com/Ly1G0eDrJF
— Jef Poskanzer (@jefposk) April 4, 2022
“It’s above average at best,” one argued. “Yellow Sub is the best sandwich spot in the city and it’s not even close.”
“[It’s] An indispensable member of San Francisco‘s sandwich ecosystem,” another proclaimed.
An employee cuts pieces of turkey to make a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market in San Francisco on April 10, 2022.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Emails and direct messages arrived in my inbox by the dozen. People shared their tried and true advice: Order dark meat only. Try the cranberry sauce. Avocado is a must. Eat it with provolone or pepper jack, topped with pepperoncinis, or as a boxed lunch with potato salad. Order The Sandwich before noon or it’ll taste too dry. Take it out to Golden Gate Park for the ultimate dining experience.
And, like Rothschild, most insisted that Dutch Crunch was the way to go.
An employee slices a turkey to make a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A cut piece of turkey ready to be placed in a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A hot roasted turkey sandwich being assembled at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
An employee cuts in half a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
An Arguello deli employee makes a hot roasted turkey sandwich. (Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE)
Others sent multiple-paragraph-long odes to the turkey sandwich. For some, it was a point of childhood nostalgia, a trusty cure for hangovers, and a meal they returned to whenever they could, even if they had moved out of San Francisco or to another state.
“I’m not really sure why this sandwich got me so passionate, but here we are …” concluded one message from Sam Johnson, who grew up in the Sunset and is now an attorney with the Tulare County Public Defender’s Office in Visalia.
Although he’s also not sure how it developed such a loyal following, he suspects Arguello Market’s proximity to the University of San Francisco, where he went to law school, and its access to Golden Gate Park, make it a popular choice.
An employee wraps a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
“The Arguello sandwich is one of my favorite things in the city. It’s not flashy or particularly innovative but it’s so great at what it is,” he said. “I always feel at home when I eat it, and whenever I am in town, I try to stop by — even if it’s as I’m about to get on the highway and need to wait the four hours before I get home to enjoy it.”
Pete Bogdis, a former employee of the San Francisco Plumbing Company from 2001 to 2016, said he’s “eaten hundreds of them,” stopping at Arguello Market for lunch almost every time he was working in the area.
He attributes the popularity of the sandwich to word-of-mouth.
“That’s how I discovered them,” Bogdis said. “My boss brought me there once and I was hooked. I’d tell other tradesmen on jobsites about them, if they were ‘cool.’ Those of us in the know didn’t necessarily want the secret getting out. But over the years, the line got longer and it became common knowledge.”
Qaqundah chalks the hype up to the consistency of his product, which has been about the same since he introduced it 35 years ago, with the occasional improvement made here and there.
It’s a level of dedication Qaqundah’s son, Peter, admires about his father as he ensures the flavors and quality of ingredients remain familiar to those who passed on the good word and let others in on their neighborhood secret.
“Now, it’s a cult classic, if you will,” said Peter, 33, who has been helping out at the store since he was 12 years old. “He takes a lot of pride in everything he does at the store and is very meticulous and on point.”
The sandwich starts with bread sourced from Wedemeyer Bakery. Once sliced, each half is slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise and dijon mustard. Then, the carved and seasoned turkey is carefully arranged on top, followed by Kosher pickles, green and red leaf lettuce, a variety of tomatoes (that Qaqundah won’t divulge), and sweet Italian red onions.
But where did the “world famous” title come from?
Owner Sal Qaqundah holds up one of his branded T-shirts at Arguello Market. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Over the years, Qaqundah said the turkey sandwich was reviewed by multiple publications, named a “fundamental San Francisco sandwich spot” by Eater and one of the “best fall eats” in the city by Yelp, and was even featured in the first episode of the Travel Channel’s “Shoestring Getaways” series, which concludes with hosts Christine Williams and Jules Hatfield chowing down on the sandwiches under the Golden Gate Bridge.
But when the popularity of the sandwich took off in the early ’90s, he said he was surprised to find that tourists from as far away as England and South Korea visited Arguello Market after receiving a recommendation from a local. He also discovered that longtime regulars who moved away would often return to the market for a taste of home.
“Many of them will cry when they come back, whether it’s been a year or five years or 10 years,” he said. “We wanted to keep that legacy alive. We say it’s ‘world famous’ because this is a jewel of San Francisco. It’s like a landmark. We want to keep it going.”
The sandwich is still as sought-after as it ever was, even though the price is now up to $10.99, partially due to the cost of turkey surging in recent years. Qaqundah said he’s paying three times what he was prior to the pandemic, but it hasn’t hurt sales.
“Last weekend, the line was out the door from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” he said. “We had to pause DoorDash.”
An employee holds a a hot roasted turkey sandwich at Arguello Market in San Francisco, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2022. The market is the self-described home of the ‘World Famous Turkey Sandwich.’
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
He doesn’t anticipate things will slow down anytime soon. But in a city transforming as rapidly as San Francisco, it could be that customers are coming in for more than just a convenient lunch.
“It seems like there’s a tendency these days to change things up and evolve for the sake of staying fresh and not being stale,” Johnson said. “But the turkey sandwich is something that has been there. There is something to be said for that.”
