hip pocket deli

did know what a gyro was but when i tasted it was delicious.

the food is delicious, the dining room is quaint and clean, and the staff is friendly. the wimpy burger us i believe only on wednesdays. the maufaletta is perfect, the salads are fresh and the gyros are superb. the manager remembers regulars by first name and little things like that make this place extra special. definitely try the chocolate cake with the heavenly snickers like filling and whipped, light and fluffy topping.

this is by far the best sandwhich place i've found in pensacola. their 5 lb meatball sub can feed my family of 3 for days!
i had family in town and knew that this was a place they had to try while in town and they absolutely loved it! not to mention, the owner is the nicest and friendliest gentleman! i would recommend this locally owned, military supporting, delicious deli to anyone and everyone!

twice the food at half the price. and they do not compromise on quality. the only drawback is their hours.

gryo and cake. gryo was really good but just like everyone has been saying alittle overly garlicy. the cake was huge...we cut it into 1/3rds and it was a normal piece of cake.

my "ridiculous" comment. apparently my hip pocket review was "ridiculous".

the actual quote from the review that addresses my opinion is pasted as follows:

"someone down below made the ridiculous statement that we makes [sic] a fuss or acts insulted when you dont want the cucumber garlic sauce on your pita and that is the farthest from the truth"

gyros are one of my favorite foods, i have had them all over, and have never encountered one that i didn't like until the hip pocket. i love tzatziki sauce, even when it is so loaded with garlic that others whine and complain.

the toppings on the gyro were not listed in entirety, and when i inquired the owner told me lettuce onion tomato and tzatziki. i asked him if there was another sauce in addition, and he tersely quipped, "well that would be our greek dressing" , so i asked for him to leave that off. there was a line behind us, and i'm sure that this was adding to his agitation. i went to secure a table as my two friends began to order.

for this review to be more complete, i just contacted my friends for them to recount their experiences. they wanted to try the hip pocket based on a rave review from another manager at felix's. these are two easygoing younger girls who truly don't complain. i do remember that they both came back to the table irritated.

i was able to speak to both while writing this, and here is the recount of what happened. they began to ask questions about the menu(which was not very descriptive in anyone's opinion), and received short condescending answers. they were told that nothing could be changed about the way that the food was made, and felt rushed to hurry up and order.

the icing on the cake was the fact that he didn't bother to remove the offensive dressing from my gyros. the flavor of the dressing was as bitter as saccharin. it may have been just a matter of using a type of harsh full bodied olive oil, and or bitter herbs, but by serving it he has no sensibility of what most people will find palatable. it was easier to just ignore me than to stand up for his "no change" rule. i guess he can only do that in front of girls.

i am a big supporter of independent businesses, and can overlook many flaws. i have only ever written four scathing reviews(this one included). this guy however operates one of the most popular spots in town, a few reviews pointing out the faults of his behavior are totally appropriate.

there will always be customers who get along famously with the owner. it does not negate the validity of all of the experiences of people who find him rude.


-----18 nov, 2011-----

first visit in almost 20 years. i'm flashing back to when i was fresh out of college and would get sandwiches there occasionally. the last time that i had visited, i ordered a gyro, and it had a sauce on it that was almost inedibly bitter. i unhappily and silently went away.

a couple of friends from visiting from mobile really wanted to try the food based on hearing a rave review from a friend who is a food fanatic. i was actually excited to go again. i love gyros and figured that i could get it without the heinous sauce.

the menu only listed the vegetables on the gyros and didn't mention tzatziki sauce. when i asked the owner, who also works the register about sauce he indignantly said "of course"(it comes on the sandwich). i then asked if there might another sauce, accounting for the bitter taste that i did not like. he angrily said "that would be our greek dressing". i nicely asked to leave that off , and skulked away feeling like the bad kid in class who got snapped at by the teacher.

my friends arrived at the table after placing their order, and both were irritated at the way the owner treated them they asked questions about the sandwiches. these are two bubbly sweet girls who never complain about anything.

long story short, their condiments were wrong, my gyros was just as bitter as 20 years ago. i'm not talking bitter from garlic, i love excessive raw garlic. this place has real atmosphere and staying power. we just felt unwelcome and unsatisfied, and won't return.

i wish they were opened for dinner. i loved the chicken kabobs!!!

awesome local eatery!. the norm nowadays is to pay too much for not enough food. not here! there are multiple items on the menu that are 5lbs! but who cares if there is 5lbs of food if it isnt good?? well hip pockets food is always awesome!!! my favorite 3 things on the menu are the grilled chicken club pita(7 pieces of bacon!), the french dip(a special) and the grouper fingers(a special and lots of them!). yes if you want a calzone, you have to call ahead because it takes awhile for them to make it so dont walk up to the counter craving a calzone and be disappointed when he wont make it on site. the owner/front counter man is a quirky guy that really gives this place a personality! if you come often enough he will get to know you by name and say hi as soon as you walk in the door. there are reviews on this site that say he is rude and that is definitely not the case. i will say sometimes he is more business because there is a line out the door of customers but never rude. someone down below made the ridiculous statement that we makes a fuss or acts insulted when you dont want the cucumber garlic sauce on your pita and that is the farthest from the truth. actually he doesnt even try to push it on you. he asks each and every person who orders a pita if they want it "greek or americanized", greek is with the sauce and feta, american is mayo and mustard and normal cheese.

there are so many things i could say about this place but ill let yall go and try it out for yourself! enjoy

if you have not eaten here, you are missing out and probably living under a rock. it is a dive. the building leaves much to be desired but as soon as you bite into whatever you order from here, all of that will melt away. the place is decorated in all kinds of armed forces memorabilia. the guy who runs the pave may be a bit awkward at times but once you're a regular or he gets to know you he is super nice.. he may also yell at you to close the door behind you when you come in and out but hey its a small business and a small place, you don't want to let the air out!!! it really is a super cool place and warrington wouldn't be the same without it!

we drove in from bossier city, la and stopped to eat. the staff was super friendly and the meatball sub was fantastic! it was enough for 2 to 4 people and hands down the best meatball sub i have eaten. the only disappointment i have was it was not thursday so i could eat the "whimpy burger". next trip down will include a thursday so i can try one.

the biggest (and best) calzone ever. if i was to say the the calzone was great, it would be an understatement. this thing was beyond amazing and made fresh. i came in with my buddy expecting it to be a little tiny calzone, but we received a 5 pound monster of a meal. it was packed with meat and cheese. amazing.

coconut cake wwwwooooowwwww!!!!!!!!!. i have been eating here 10 years and love it. i freaked out when i heard a while back he was closing because of the widening of barrancas ave. i now know he will be moving across the street and i am very greatful for that.
i've tried most on the menu and love it all. today i asked about what cake he had and he only had coconut and gave me a piece to try, i am a cake fiend and this cake was off the hook, i mean holy cow is it good!!! the cool part is 1 slice will last you three days

top notch food. been in the navy and associated with the pensacola area for 18 years, the one place i always have to visit is hip pocket deli. chris and his family provide a level of customer service like no other restaurant in the area. won't be back down to pcola for about a year and my hope is that hip pocket is re-opened because a full shutdown would be a devastating blow to this community. for those that have not enjoyed lunch here, visit and try a gyro or one of the deli sandwiches and then determine for yourself if there is a more customer friendly and satisfying restaurant in the local area. keep hip pocket around

some of the best food you will ever eat. great staff; they make you feel like you are family. this is a great example of local business thriving with roots in the community. you are missing out if you don't try at least once!

i have travelled to over 20 countries. in each location i seek out the best hole-in-the wall places to eat. i have favorites around the world and hip pocket is on my list.
you go there for the food. large, delicious sandwiches- try the gyros and the reuben, my favorites. the price is extremely reasonable. the staff is a local family who engage their customers with welcoming conversation. the location is quaint and filled with memorabilia from the local community, especially the neighboring naval bases.
highly recommend.