What is this place?
From the sidewalk and bike lane, Hero Deli might not look like much, and it’s easy to miss the small, newly opened sandwich bar by Den Røde Plads on Nørrebrogade—unless you slow down to a crawl as you pass by.
But let me put it this way: Stop here! Inside the tiny space with just three seats by the window, magic happens with bread and fillings that are worth the money, the calories, and even a detour.
Hero Deli specializes in what are called subs, hoagies, heroes, grinders, you name it—long sandwiches in sesame-coated, crispy baked bread with a soft interior that holds in the juices and absorbs the flavors from the incredibly tasty fillings packed in the middle.
A fresh addition to Copenhagen’s food scene, which is currently experiencing a sandwich revolution.
A sandwich revolution?
Yes, a sandwich revolution. A few years ago, it was the great burger wars raging in the city, and now it’s time for this equally handheld but slightly less fast-food coded meal.
Places like Abrikos, Et Cetera, Doomsday Deli, Helges Ost, and the city’s many excellent sourdough bakers have proven that lunch takeaway in sandwich form doesn’t have to be made from subpar ingredients. The level is sky-high right now, but we’ve been missing something... a proper hoagie.
What should I order?
For heaven’s sake, make sure to order the ’Hero,’ which the place is named after: a Danish take on the Italian-American classic with juicy, deeply flavorful meatballs made from Birthesminde’s black-spotted pigs, warm marinara sauce from sun-ripened tomatoes, basil pesto, grated pecorino, and slices of provolone that stretched long threads of melted cheese from bread to mouth with each bite, while glistening drops of tomato-colored pork fat and olive oil stained the table beneath me.
An insanely good taste experience. The little pitstops in the jar of homemade giardiniera—pickled pieces of cauliflower, celery, red pepper, onion, and chili—cleansed the palate and highlighted the pork’s rich, fatty flavor. A dip in the homemade fermented chili sauce took the taste to new heights, as did the chili-spiced heather honey in the container next to it.
Is it the city’s best new sandwich? Yes, definitely one of them.
The fact that the bread was still crunchy and the filling piping hot after a 10-minute transport home—the place primarily does takeaway due to its small size, so that’s how I’ve tested the food—also says a lot about the craftsmanship and the packaging skills of those behind it.
Okay, okay, what else?
You won’t be able to eat more, because Hero Deli’s sandwiches are massive (the one above weighed in at 682 grams on the kitchen scale).
But if you absolutely must—and luckily, some of us do—I highly recommend the ’Brutus’ after sampling four different sandwiches on the menu. It’s like a Caesar salad in sandwich form, with crispy romaine, breaded Rokkedahl chicken, roasted walnuts, and the familiar creamy dressing, here with an extra punch from the aged Parmesan that lingered on the palate for hours.
A different, fresher experience compared to the hefty ’Hero,’ and as such, a perfect complement... for example, to share.
Why six hearts?
Hero Deli charges DKK 115-135 for a sandwich, and that price is more than fair.
Only ingredients of extremely high quality are used here; the insanely good and aromatic bread is baked every morning in the back room (the owners also run the popular bakery Rondo as well as the Nørrebro institution Gaarden & Gaden); and the enormous sandwiches can easily be shared by two.
There are many good sandwiches made in Copenhagen, and I am lucky enough to have tasted most of them. Hero Deli shoots straight to the top as my new favorite.
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