Cosmo’s Italian Salumeria Hackensack, NJ 07601

I’ve had Cosmo’s Italian Salumeria bookmarked on Yelp for some time now. Randomly searched sandwich places near me and found it. While I saw some mixed reviews—mostly positive, though a few mentioned the bread being quite hard—the high overall ratings on Google finally convinced me to give it a shot.

I drove over on a Friday afternoon and noticed an alleyway that led to a convenient parking lot. The storefront sign has a great old-school vibe, and once I stepped inside, it felt like a true, traditional Italian deli. There was a line nearly out the door, but it moved quickly. The interior is filled with interesting decor and various grocery items to browse while you wait.

I ordered the Breaded Chicken Hero with mozzarella, red peppers, and a drizzle of balsamic. This was a cold sandwich; while it wasn’t overflowing with chicken, you could tell the ingredients were incredibly fresh. It was a solid sandwich, and although the bread was firm as other reviewers noted, it wasn’t stale—it just had a very hearty chew to it.

I also tried the #1, which features ham, salami, soppressata, capicola, mozzarella, and sharp provolone. I opted for hot peppers instead of sweet and added the classic toppings: lettuce, tomato, oil, vinegar, and a hint of mayo. This sandwich was excellent. The meat-to-bread ratio was much more balanced than the chicken hero, and it delivered that perfect, classic Italian hero flavor.

I highly recommend stopping by Cosmo’s Italian Salumeria if you’re looking for a top-tier hero. I’ll definitely be back to try the eggplant parm, which unfortunately was already sold out during this trip!

Make sure you check out my video to get an idea of what to expect when you stop by 🙂