South Union Bread Cafe

A friend introduced me to South Union years ago and I was delighted by the quality of the food and the experience. The ingredients are fresh and the bread is awesome.
The cafe is only open for lunch so it is way more convenient to eat here if you work downtown.
Parking is either metered on the street or other paid parking.
The atmosphere is interesting since the building is so old. It can get a little loud when they get busy.
You do need to enter through the temple entrance instead of the street now. This is so the line to order can remain inside.
Sandwiches are made to order and may take a while to make. They call the number on your receipt when it is ready.
Coke is the fountain drink available.

The best sandwich place in Des Moines. The bread alone is worthy of a visit to this place and add to that some fresh ingredients and awesome service and you have a perfect sandwich place.
Their potato salad is also super unique and I loved it.

Simply the Best Sandwiches in Des Moines. Highly recommend. Everything on the menu is good.

Best sandwich in downtown, probably in all of Des Moines metro. I don't know who Sarah was or why she wanted revenge, but the "Sarah's Revenge" is my favorite sandwich.

The Pesto chicken and cajun chicken sandwiches from this place are probably the best in the country!

I have moved away from Des Moines, but still crave for their sandwiches.

Delicious food, lots of options. Their bread is fabulous. Lunch line gets long, but they are fast.

Went for lunch and it had a line but kept moving. Their menu has something for everyone. Regular sandwiches are bigger.

Often imitated, but never duplicated. South Union is the original ciabatta bread sandwich shop.

I have been coming here for years and you can always count on the quality of the sandwich. I usually visit here about once or twice a month, but for about a year my office was just a couple of blocks away, so I was visiting once or twice a week. I slowly made my way through most of the menu, but hands down my favorite is still Sarah's revenge.

This place gets busy quick, so you want to go before noon if you can. Even though dining area is spacious it fills up quickly.

Perhaps the best sandwich I've ever had. I'm visiting from Sioux Falls and am pleasantly surprised; I'll be sure to add this to my list of local favorites.

I love this place! The Cajun Chicken special on Wednesdays is by far my favorite item in the menu!
Only reason I’m not giving it five stars is because recently, I’ve noticed they don’t have it available to order online. When I call to place my lunch order, nobody answers the phone. They’re a great place to eat, so there’s always a line but I don’t have the time on my lunch to wait in it.
It’s a bit disappointing that I’ve not been able to order the Wednesday special for awhile now because of these issues. Hope someone there sees the review and can work on getting that sorted out.
I love South Union, just wish I had the ability to order ahead like I used to.

Update- I called again and got thru! So happy lol Really is a great lunch spot, and I’ve seen how busy they are. Definitely worth the wait!

South Union is my absolute favorite place to grab lunch during the week. The food is phenomenal! You have to try the Pepper Jack Potato Soup!

This is one of my favorite deli sandwich restaurants. Staffs are very courteous.. I love their Wednesday special Cajun chicken and their regular menu item pesto chicken. They have takeout as well as dine in.

Wow. I don’t ever leave reviews but this place deserves it! Great food, friendly staff, super quick service, and good prices. I will certainly be coming back.

You want a sandwich and you appreciate the bread it comes on as a top priority. This is your place. Bread is outstanding, the sandwich insides are great. Well priced for downtown, can get crowded but hey, that's a sign they do something right!

Three words; Local, fresh, mouthwatering.

Our favorite lunch spot in DSM. The hot sandwiches are delicious and the potato pepper jack soup is to die for. The staff is always kind, the wait is never too long, and the food is always fresh! Be sure to stop by!

For me deli type places are usually the same wherever you go, but this place is very unique and creative with their ingredients. I really loved the various types of sandwiches they offered and they even had a soup/salad bar that I would love to come back and try. My only complaint was the potato salad....It was a little heavy with the mustard, which I'm not a big fan of

Best bread I have ever had! Had this for the first time today for my co-workers and I, and everyone was more than impressed. The bread is just so soft and fluffy. I dont eat a lot of bread carbs but this place has me re thinking my whole way off life. I'll probably have to fast for 3 days no. Thanks a lot South Union .

This is a great lunch spot - good location, excellent food! Pesto chicken melt sandwich was delish!

Awesome place to eat. You get your moneys worth and then some. Friendly staff! They are fast and efficient! The salad bar and choice of breads along with some of the soups have been eliminated due to covid and availability of products. GREAT PLACE TO EAT IF YOUR DOWNTOWN!

This is one of the best places downtown by far for large portions. An absolutely fantastic food go get some.