A Love Letter to Compagno’s Deli in Monterey, California

A personal tribute to Compagno’s Deli in Monterey, California, featuring legendary sandwiches, decadent cakes, and decades of DLI memories.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

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There are a handful of places I could walk into 30 years after my first visit and immediately feel like I’m 20 years old again.

Compagno’s Market & Deli in Monterey, California, is one of those places.

If you’ve ever attended the Defense Language Institute (DLI) at the Presidio of Monterey, chances are you already know about Compagno’s. And if you don’t, well, I’m honestly not sure how you managed to miss it.

I’ve been going to Compagno’s since I was a young Army soldier, fresh out of basic training. I’ve eaten more than my fair share of their enormous sandwiches, ordered my wedding cheesecakes there, and watched my husband carry one of their ridiculously huge cakes halfway across the Pacific Ocean.

Okay, technically he carried it on an airplane. But still.

And somewhere along the way, this unassuming little deli became part of my family’s history.

How Every DLI Student Discovers Compagno’s

The first time I attended DLI, I had just finished Army basic training.

For those unfamiliar with the Presidio of Monterey, it’s built on a hill. And when I say hill, I mean a serious hill.

Downtown Monterey is down toward the bottom, and Pacific Grove is up toward the top. After spending all day walking around post and sitting through intensive language classes, the last thing you necessarily wanted to do was hike down into Monterey and then climb all the way back up.

Fortunately, Compagno’s was practically right outside Prescott Gate.

I’m talking about a block away.

When you first arrive at DLI after basic training, you don’t have much freedom. There are different phases of privileges, and for the first month or two, you’re pretty restricted in where you can go.

I don’t remember the exact phase terminology anymore. It’s been a few decades.

But I definitely remember hearing about Compagno’s before we were even allowed to venture off post.

Everybody knew about it.

The sandwiches were supposed to be enormous. The desserts were legendary. And best of all, you didn’t have to hike halfway across Monterey to get there.

Once we had the freedom to leave post, naturally, we had to check it out.

And the rumors were true.

Those Sandwiches. And Those Cakes.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a deli sandwich quite like the ones at Compagno’s.

My usual order was a half veggie sandwich, which sounds perfectly reasonable until you see what Bennett considers half a sandwich.

It was huge.

Seriously, look at the photos.

The sandwiches were piled high with ingredients, and there was absolutely no chance you’d leave hungry. Even a half sandwich was more than enough food for me.

But Compagno’s wasn’t just about the sandwiches.

They had wonderful prepared salads, and Bennett stocked all sorts of unusual sodas and beers from around the world. It was the kind of place where you could find something you’d never seen before and probably wouldn’t see again at your neighborhood grocery store.

And then there was the dessert case.

Oh my goodness.

If you have a sweet tooth, that display case is dangerous.

The cheesecakes were gorgeous. The chocolate cakes were enormous. Everything looked decadent, and nothing seemed particularly concerned with portion control.

One of my absolute favorites was the Reese’s peanut butter cup cake.

Chocolate. Peanut butter. More chocolate. More peanut butter.

It was glorious.

And as it turns out, that particular cake would eventually make a grown woman cry.

But we’ll get to that.

Bennett, the Man Behind Compagno’s

From the outside, Compagno’s looks like your typical hole-in-the-wall deli.

Actually, it looks like the kind of place you might drive right past if you didn’t know what was waiting inside.

But walk through the door, and you’ll understand pretty quickly why this place has such a loyal following.

There is military memorabilia everywhere.

Photographs, hats, patches, uniforms, and all sorts of things that people have given Bennett over the years.

Some of the drill sergeants from DLI gave him their hats. Service members sent him photographs from deployments. And of course, there are pictures of customers who have passed through Monterey over the decades.

It’s a little chaotic, and I love it.

Bennett has always been a huge supporter of the military community, and you can see it in every corner of the deli.

He’s also just a really laid-back, friendly guy.

I wouldn’t pretend that I was one of his most devoted regulars. I certainly didn’t go in every day, and he didn’t have my sandwich waiting for me when I walked through the door.

But he recognized faces.

And considering the number of people who have attended DLI over the years, that’s saying something.

I honestly wonder whether he’d remember me now. It’s been a long time. But I suspect that if I gave him a few details about when I was there, he might at least vaguely remember.

Especially if I mentioned the wedding cakes.

Yes, Compagno’s Made My Wedding Cakes

When my husband and I got married, I knew one thing.

I didn’t want a traditional wedding cake.

I’m not a huge cake person. Never have been.

But I love cheesecake.

And if you’ve ever seen the cheesecakes at Compagno’s, you’ll understand why I didn’t feel the need to go hunting for some fancy wedding bakery.

I already knew where I wanted to get my cakes.

So we asked Bennett to make them.

He made two enormous, beautiful cheesecakes for our wedding. I remember one was covered with strawberries, and I believe the other had raspberries and blackberries.

They were absolutely delicious.

And they were exactly what I wanted.

Here’s the part that still makes me smile.

We gave Bennett a photograph of me and my new husband cutting our wedding cheesecake, and he put it up on the wall at Compagno’s.

It stayed there for probably at least a year.

How cool is that?

We could walk into this little deli where we’d eaten sandwiches for years and see our wedding picture hanging on the wall with all the military memorabilia and other customer photographs.

I wish I had a digital copy of that wedding picture to share here. Somewhere in my old photographs, I’m sure I still have it.

But even without the picture, I remember how special it was that Bennett put it up.

The Time a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake Made My Former Drill Sergeant Cry

Now we get to my favorite Compagno’s story.

A few years after my time at DLI, I was stationed in Hawaii.

My husband had been in California, and he decided to bring me home something special.

An entire Reese’s peanut butter cup cake from Compagno’s.

Not a slice.

Not a little cupcake.

The whole gigantic cake.

If you look at the picture, you’ll appreciate just how ridiculous this was.

My husband somehow managed to get that massive chocolate and peanut butter creation onto an airplane and transport it from California to Hawaii.

And I was thrilled.

At the time, I was working in a training office near Schofield Barracks. Several of the people I worked with had also attended DLI, so I brought the cake into work to share.

One of my coworkers was a woman, who happened to have been one of my drill sergeants when I was stationed at DLI.

And when she saw that cake, she started crying.

I am not exaggerating.

My former Army drill sergeant cried over a Reese’s peanut butter cup cake.

Now, I know that sounds a little nuts if you’ve never been to Compagno’s.

But if you have?

You probably understand.

That cake was an instant reminder of Monterey, DLI, and a very particular time in our lives.

And yes, it was also a spectacular cake.

I still think it’s hilarious that my husband managed to get the entire thing to Hawaii intact. I don’t even want to know what the logistics of that airplane trip looked like.

But I’m awfully glad he did.

Returning to Compagno’s With My Daughter

Years later, we returned to Monterey with our daughter, who was about six years old at the time.

And naturally, we had to go back to Compagno’s.

By then, my DLI days were long behind me. I had served in the Army, gotten married, worked in Hawaii, and become a mom.

A lot had changed.

But walking into Compagno’s was like stepping right back into my Army days.

It looked pretty much exactly the same.

The military memorabilia was still everywhere. The sandwiches were still enormous. The cakes were still sitting there in the display case, looking completely irresistible.

My daughter wasn’t terribly interested in a gigantic sandwich.

But she was definitely interested in chocolate cake.

Fair enough.

I loved bringing her there, even if she couldn’t possibly understand all the memories I associated with the place.

To her, it was a deli with really good cake.

To me, it was a place I’d been visiting since before I met her daddy.

And now here we were, all these years later, making another memory.

Visiting Compagno’s Market & Deli in Monterey

If you’re visiting Monterey and want to try Compagno’s for yourself, you’ll find it at 2000 Prescott Avenue, just outside Prescott Gate at the Presidio of Monterey.

You don’t have to be associated with the military to eat here, of course. Anyone can stop in, and I absolutely recommend it if you’re looking for a great sandwich and a little local Monterey history.

A few things to know before you go:

• Address: 2000 Prescott Avenue, Monterey, CA 93940
• Hours: Currently listed as 9 AM to 4 PM, Wednesday through Monday, and closed Tuesdays. Call ahead to confirm, especially around holidays.
• Phone: (831) 375-5987
• Parking: Parking is available, including street parking near the deli.
• Ordering: Sandwiches are made to order. Look for the paper order slips where you can choose your sandwich, bread, toppings, and condiments.
• Seating: This is primarily a takeout deli, with limited seating. It’s a great place to pick up lunch before heading out to explore the Monterey Peninsula.

My biggest piece of advice? Don’t underestimate the sandwich sizes. A half sandwich at Compagno’s is plenty of food for most people, and a whole sandwich is something you might want to split.

And please don’t leave without at least looking at the dessert case. I can’t promise exactly which cakes will be available when you visit, but if you see something involving chocolate and peanut butter, you already know what I’d recommend.

Finally, take a few minutes to look around while you’re waiting for your sandwich. The military memorabilia, photographs, and decades of memories displayed throughout the deli are part of what makes Compagno’s so special.

You might come for the sandwich, but there’s a whole lot of history tucked into this little neighborhood deli.

Thank You, Bennett

I’ve been fortunate to visit some extraordinary places over the years. And most of the time, when I write about travel, I’m sharing national parks, beautiful scenery, museums, or places families might want to include on their next vacation.

But sometimes I want to write about a place simply because I love it.

Compagno’s is one of those places.

It doesn’t have fancy decor. It isn’t trendy. And I sincerely hope nobody ever decides it needs a sleek, modern makeover.

The slightly cluttered interior and all those photographs and military mementos are part of what makes it Compagno’s.

And I love that Bennett has spent so many years supporting the people who pass through DLI.

Think about that for a minute.

Thousands upon thousands of military students have come through Monterey over the years. They arrive from basic training or other assignments, spend months studying languages, make friends, eat enormous sandwiches, and eventually move on.

Years later, they still remember this little deli outside Prescott Gate.

Some even send Bennett photographs from wherever their military careers take them.

That says quite a bit about the kind of place he’s created.

For me, Compagno’s will always be connected to my Army days, my wedding, my husband’s epic cake delivery to Hawaii, and the fun of bringing our daughter back years later.

So thank you, Bennett.

Thank you for those ridiculously oversized sandwiches and over-the-top cakes. Thank you for making two beautiful cheesecakes for my wedding and keeping our photograph on your wall.

And thank you for giving generations of DLI students something wonderful to remember about their time in Monterey.

I hope the next time I’m in town, I can walk through those same doors, order another half veggie sandwich, admire all the stuff hanging on the walls, and find something outrageous in the dessert case.

Because some things really don’t need to change.

And Compagno’s is definitely one of them.