I went up to Boulder this week to see a logistics business. I met with the guy who runs the place, and since it was lunchtime, he suggested grabbing a sandwich.

We went to a neighborhood sandwich shop: Snarf’s.

It was a little run-down – basic furniture (and some non matching chairs), and wall posters that were slightly askew and probably older than most of the customers. Snarf’s has the kind of character and inefficiencies that are rarely seen in the age of corporate control: no employee uniforms (gasp); but one cash register stood idle even while the line snaked out the door; and a sandwich maker stepped outside for about 10 minutes when his cell phone rang.

Know what else? It was the best damn sandwich I’ve had in a long, long time. The key to a deli sandwich is the bread, and what can I say. Snarf’s gives great bread.

Fresh, warm, both toasty and soft, and just the right texture. And they don’t have little pre-portioned slivers of meat pre-sorted by little plastic containers: they drop a handful of meat on the bread. Kind of like you would do if you were making it yourself.

I went for the Pastrami and Swiss cheese. And there was none of this silly which-of-these-thirteen-mayonnaise-flavors-would-you-prefer. Unless you tell them, they know what works. My sandwich had a slightly flavored mayonnaise and a few hot peppers, but both were an addition to the pastrami, not a distraction.

The sandwiches come in three sizes: Novice, Snarf and Pro. If you can handle a Pro, you may not have room for the ice cream. Which would be your loss, especially if you missed out on the malts.

Snarf’s does not have a website, but here is an appreciative review. I went to the one at 5340 Arapahoe; there is a better-known location on the Pearl Street Mall (Pearl & 21st).

If you are in Boulder, show some distain for the sandwich chain. Snarf instead.

FoodMob is a group blog written by Heather Lamm, Sam Kamin and Alex Ooms.