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!