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The Best Damn Sandwich Shop In Brooklyn

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We're slightly in love with Tempo Presto's sopressata sandwiches, so we decided to go in with a camera. We also wanted to know why the owner publicly dressed down one of the employees for over-sprinkling oregano on a salad a few weeks ago. Some of our readers thought we were jerks for praising this kind of "mean" quality control, but you don't understand, these sandwiches are amazing, and they're only $7.

When Michael Fiore, the earl of sandwich, was building his restaurant, Tempo, he found there was no good sandwich place around. So in the extra space next door, he decided to open his own, to feed his employees and the neighborhood (not a bad marketing strategy either, to offer a down-market version of their high-quality product). The result is Tempo Presto, located at 256 5th Ave in Brooklyn, which brings the same intense attention to detail from Michael's kitchen to the lowly sandwich. — BEN POPKEN

Videography by Alex Goldberg.

PREVIOUSLY:
High Standards Maintained At Tempo Presto Sandwich Shop
Make It Nice Or Make It Twice

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26
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but where in brooklyn is it?

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Another place to stand in line for an hour for a sandwich? Not worth it,IMHO.

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I thought the previous post was about too much dressing, not too much oregano, and I voiced my displeasure about premade salads with dressing making the lettuce soggy and gross. Since I can see the dressing is served on the side, and too much oregano on the salad would make it disgusting, so I want to retract my previous complaints.

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@Chicago7: You don't have to wait at all. You just walk in and order a sammich.

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This is an interesting video, but may I offer a small constructuve criticism to your camera-person? Hold the fucking camera STILL. It's hard, but it's worth doing.

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So is this a new strategy for getting free lunch around town now?

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@homerjay: It's a more ethical way of getting free food than buying the sandwich and asking for your money back because you're not satisfied. Still, it's against journalistic ethics to accept free food in a review.

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Yeah but Ben has pointed out on more than one occassion that he isn't a journalist but 'just a blogger'
:)

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@B: I paid for my sandwich at the end of the shoot.

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Oh thanks for talking about Brooklyn lunch goodness. Now I (hundreds of miles away) have to settle for my boring, low-fat turkey sandwich brought from home. Waaaaah.

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It's good to have someone who insists on high standards. It can sometimes lead to a clash of personalities and hard feelings if you take it personally but I appreciate where he is coming from in insisting on the best. Business like his that mostly depend on word of mouth to advertise want their customers' experiences to be something they will tell their friends about in a positive way.

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That's a mighty fine looking sandwich - time for lunch!

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Only $7!

Wow, that's way better than those overpriced $8 samiches!

Seriously, impress me with a $5 samich. And if it ain't hot, it ain't no samich, son.

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Jesus H Christ, you have some nasty readers. It's a holiday weekend, cheer up!

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just curious,why didn't he have two gloves??

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When I'm in The Slope, I head to A&S Pork Store just down the street at 274 5th Ave. Great meat, fantastic sammiches.

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@hop: Why does the sun rise in the east? Why are flies attracted to poo?

Such is the Mango

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@Islingtonian It's in Park Slope on 5th Avenue (see address). There's another location also in Park Slope, on 7th Avenue and 3rd St.

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Get a sammiches for Lindsey and the Olsen twins ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

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Next time I am in brooklyn to visit the folks, I'll stop by and try'em out.

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That's one of the "food" things I miss now that I moved out here - The oversized NY Deli Sammich.

A half pound of meat, a quarter pound of cheese, on a kaiser roll...

Subway is a VERY poor substitute.

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Still not sure why any of this makes it ok for employees to be treated like crap.

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@homerjay:
Trust me, he doesn't have to point it out...it's pretty obvious.

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@Ben Popken: The video makes you look like a freeloader. :)

Wow $7 for a sandwich? Ouch. You must be paying for the presentation (that's one fancy sandwich). I'm spoiled on my 4 (banh mi) for $5 at a local vietnamese deli.

Lee's is another place that has some great sandwiches, but they're getting ridiculously expensive for a chain. I used to eat at one across the street from my campus, but their ideal location allowed them to jack the prices up every couple months.

For those that live in Southern California the Gypsy Den has killer rabbit-food sandwiches. I usually require a little more (/some?) animal in my sandwiches, but theirs are incredible.

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I'd pay $7 for that sandwich. Looks damn good.

I don't know where the rest of you live but a

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@limiter: All the places I listed cook their bread fresh, daily. Heck, I often buy my bread from Lee's Sandwiches. Great baguettes. And all the places are sub $5. One's even $1.25 (!!!) and every bit as appealing as the presto sandwich.

Try looking harder, I doubt cheap sandwiches are unique to California. :) As with most meals, the best priced places do not do sandwiches as their main business.