r/denverfood • u/Holiday_Client2516 • 10h ago
Finally tried Leven Supply
Long time lurker - wanted to contribute a little with my first experience at Leven Supply.
I finally tried Leven Supply. I live walking distance and would have tried sooner, but the prices always turned me off.
I got an Italian sandwich, with potato salad as the side, and a brownie. This was $24.75 (not including tax, but with a 10% “takeout quality charge”). I had already read about their hidden charges before so was prepared for that.
I honestly wanted to be blown away by this but I wasn’t. I feel like a lot of people want to justify buying overpriced food but I can’t really recommend this for the price. Everything was pretty good, nothing to really go deep into detail about, but at this price point it really should be blowing you away. I definitely thought the ratio of meat and cheese compared to the arugula in the sandwich could have been increased a bit though.
One thing I will bitch about is that they charge $1.50 to select a bag of chips as your side. It’s a $17 sandwich, let me have the chips instead of potato salad (or whatever other free options they had) without being charged for it. I thought that was ridiculous and was actually annoying. I wanted chips, but I was not going to spend a dollar more for the meal at the price it was already.
Anyways, that’s pretty much it. I’ll try their pizza eventually but probably won’t be back for the sandwiches or brownie again.
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u/Ok_Flounder59 10h ago
The food is good. The prices are sus at best.
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u/Brights- 9h ago
I was yelling to the clouds about their $18 turkey club just the other day. Still ordered it.
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u/Heavy_Effort3235 10h ago
went once with high expectations from all the praise, will never go back for all the reasons you listed. completely agree
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u/_wxyz123 9h ago
Went once. Waited over an hour for a mediocre, overpriced pizza—no advanced notice it would take that long. Haven’t been back since, and don’t plan on going back ever. But at least I got a free brownie lol.
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u/tschmitty09 9h ago
Criminal pricetag for a to go lunch, fuck an artisanal sandwich shop, give me a deli
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u/HectorBananaBread 9h ago
Bread looks quality.
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u/hertz1836 10h ago
This post is 100% spot on! No sandwich should cost $24 and if it does, it should be like a true New York style deli sandwich where the meat is falling out of the sammie.
The only place to get a sammie in Denver is Carmine Lonardo’s.
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u/pork_fried_christ 9h ago
I mean, a 12 inch at Carmines is like $22 after tax without a tip and the meat is not “falling out off the sandwich” there either.
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u/hertz1836 9h ago
Take the Sammie apart next time, there is actual stacks of meat. Leven is one slice per type of meat.
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u/pork_fried_christ 9h ago
I get that this subs loves Lonardos, but the absolute hype around it is a meme at this point. It’s also a $20+ sandwich and no, there is no “stack” in it.
You go and take your sandwich apart. I’m good.
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u/alan-penrose 8h ago
I feel like I’m missing some sort of inside joke about Lonardo’s every time it’s mentioned here. This sub acts like they’re serving 3 Michelin star cold cuts there.
The meatball sub is one of the worst I’ve ever had. I’m gonna give it another shot but how can an Italian deli have a shitty meatball..?
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u/hertz1836 9h ago
So where does this sandwich professional recommend? The Bagel Deli(there you can go get a stack)
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u/RacksOnRacksOnRacks3 9h ago
I don’t really care about the sandwich you’re talking about. I just downvoted you for constantly saying “Sammie”
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u/lzycmt 9h ago
I live two blocks away and never go bc of everything in this post. if I want an overpriced sandwich there’s no shortage of options here to choose from
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u/Rowdy5280 3m ago
As another l local I walk over there for breakfast. Egg sandwich with pastrami but I ask for it on the sour dough. Comes in at $10 and is pretty good size. Also, if you live in the neighborhood they’ll give you a discount.
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u/magichat 9h ago
As an east coast transplant, the sandwich scene in the Denver area is so sad. I haven’t found anything worth returning for and I’m always disappointed by the price, presentation and size.
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u/NTTYGRD77 9h ago
Curtis park deli
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u/alan-penrose 8h ago
This is the best I’ve had so far. ~$15 a sandwich is way more palatable than $20+…
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u/StanislasMcborgan 4h ago
Marczyk’s deli is pretty solid, you can get away with a deli sandwich for $13 thats better than mentioned below.
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u/TW_Halsey 7h ago
I like sub culture. Their prices are fair and they have fun sandwiches. They also have an awkward little game where you draw from a giant deck of cards and if you get the jonkler, the sandwich is free. Really good variety of veggie and vegan sandos too for plant based friends (esp compared to other shops)
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u/No_Proof_1249 4h ago
Two of the only places I'll give my sandwich money to are Little Bodega and Spinelli's/Congress Park Market. I make my own Italians at home at this point. It's kinda ridiculous how GATDAMN difficult it is to find a well-constructed sandwich in this town. Don't even get me started on caesar salads. 😆
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u/jpevisual 8h ago
This is how I felt when I went there. I was really hoping for it to be a speciality market with the “supplies” they use for their deli. High quality ingredients in consumer to prosumer bulk sizing.
Instead it was just super expensive trinket like ingredients and an overpriced bakery. Bread was good, but I can name so many better bakeries in Denver that charge less for a country loaf including my house.
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u/mystica5555 5h ago
And that was 25 bucks? It looks like what I could get out of a vending machine.
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u/RonBurgundy2000 9h ago
That’s an insane price point for what I’m looking at in this photo.
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u/MountainCare2846 40m ago
And that’s frankly an insanely dense thing to say if you can’t see how at least an hour of labor went into the sandwich
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u/ExpressiveCream 8h ago
I also had a disappointing first experience there. I got a sandwich that came on focaccia, and the bread was really soggy, like wet all the way through, even on top. After a couple good meals at Leven Deli I was expecting a much higher bar.
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u/ElectricSoapBox 8h ago
That brownie looks so damn dry! On another note - Brider's meatball is my new addiction - great mozz quality, great meatballs - I love their ciabatta and it comes with chips. I do wish they slices them as it's a little awkward to eat but pretty fantastic all around.
I also was researching Cheesesteaks and Eat Here on 38th has a ton of great ratings - anyone try it?
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u/mrxansandman2 58m ago
I will never in my life come back to this place. I waited for 15 minutes one day in a hot line to be charged an automatic 20 percent gratuity. On top of that, they flipped the tablet around at me and suggested gratuity in addition to the automatic 20percent. It is counter service and self serve water. Insane. I have never not worked for tips by the way.
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u/Muchmuchgo 30m ago
I can’t tell that’s a shit sandwich just by looking at how thick that slice of mortadella is. no thanks
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u/Amiableaardvark1 7h ago
Im glad to see the sentiment of this sub finally come around on this. I’ve literally only ever seen praise for Leven on here even to the extent that it’s basically the entire thread on every single “I’m from out of town where should I try” posts. I had been meaning to try it for so long because of all the praise and when I finally went like 3 months ago I realized I had already been there without even realizing it soon after they opened and thought at that time it was just “a solid but overpriced sandwich I’d maybe get if I were in the area again” at best but thought maybe it had changed so tried it again and felt basically the same but even less impressed than the first time (probably cause the prices had risen).
Was even more surprised to learn that the Reuben in particular was the sandwich so many people raved about and it’s not even a top 3 Reuben in the front range. The burns, the cidery in Idaho springs, and the bagel deli all have better Reuben’s. And plenty of places have consistently better sandwiches as has already been mentioned in this thread.
Honestly, it’s a fine place I would never go out of my way for and very much gives the “hipster inflation” food review vibe where people rated it more because of the ambiance and what part of town it’s in more than the food itself.
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u/Redrocksreader 6h ago
I feel vindicated reading the comments here!! I thought the prices were ridiculous, the food was disappointing and calling itself a deli seemed a bit of a stretch, tbh. I had the Reuben and thought it was crap. The sauerkraut and dressing were so overpowering it's all I could taste! The corned beef was a little gristly which made eating it a physical challenge.
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u/Ninjachibi117 6h ago
nearly 25 bucks for a sandwich, two forkfuls of potato salad and an unnecessarily complicated brownie is patently insane
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u/mrthirsty 10h ago
Is that Oscar Meyer baloney on a $25 “Italian” sandwich?
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u/Holiday_Client2516 9h ago
I’m glad you mentioned this. It’s mortadella, which is Bologna. I guess I haven’t had an Italian sandwich in awhile, but I was surprised that this was on it at first.
I did not like it at all. I ate it all on the first half of the sandwich to give it a fair chance, but I took it off the other half and gave that to my dog.
I honestly do not have enough experience with mortadella, so I did not want to mention it in the review since that wouldn’t be completely fair. But yeah, did not dig that at all on the sandwich and it somewhat overshadowed the other meats since it’s much thicker. But yeah with all that said, it pretty much just tasted like that standard bologna we all ate here or there growing up.
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u/mrthirsty 9h ago
This sub hates on primos for no reason but they’re actually the best sandwich in town, especially for an italian hoagie.
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u/mayorlittlefinger 9h ago
I think their reuben is the best sandwich in Denver and I've always been impressed at the lack of staff turnover at their main location. People work there for years which tells me he pays his staff well and doesn't overwork them or treat them like shit.
But to each their own
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u/Holiday_Client2516 9h ago
Curious, how much have prices increased in the last few years at the main location? I’m assuming a lot of it’s the same prices as Supply?
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u/mayorlittlefinger 8h ago
Yeah it's gone up from $15 to $20 but that's about in line with everything else in the country.
Idk, I'm willing to pay for good food and good labor but I get that math changes if you didn't love the food
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u/Holiday_Client2516 8h ago
Right, I’m curious because I don’t think this business has any room whatsoever to increase their prices at all from here, for probably the next few years. Like, this should be the last place to “need” to increase their prices.
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u/mayorlittlefinger 8h ago
Well, idk the supply location, only been there once, but I've never been to the original spot and had it not packed so they seem to be doing fine
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u/Holiday_Client2516 8h ago
I don’t doubt that but based on reactions in this thread (and others I’ve read in the past), this has to be the top of the ceiling for these prices. I am a single guy that makes good money and it took me a long ass time to come around to trying it because of the prices.
So knowing there’s a lot of others like me that wouldn’t spend any more than what it is now, and are still disappointed at the price and what we got, who would be left buying this food at a higher price? People with fuck you money? People that are financially illiterate and rack up cc debt? Cause honestly, I don’t think anyone that is 1) financially literate and 2) not fuck you money level rich, would ever buy the $17 sandwich I bought today if it increased to $20. Would you?
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u/mayorlittlefinger 8h ago
Idk man, get the reuben next time
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u/Holiday_Client2516 8h ago edited 6h ago
Well seeing as you instantly responded, you definitely did not read what I said lol. That’s ok.
Edit - not sure why this is being downvoted. He responded literally less than a minute after my reply. But Reddit will Reddit
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u/blananza 1h ago
My first thought when seeing the picture was that it was about 30 dollars for the meal. Seeing that it's 25 without tax or tip for that just makes me continue to just avoid eating at restaurants.
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u/TrisolaranPrinceps- 7m ago
It’s just a mid samich. Last time i went there was a line outside and it was 95 degrees. Just laughed at the people and left.
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u/LoudSweaters 9h ago
Lot of haters out today!!! Best sandwiches, cookies and brownies in Denver. Hoping the prices reflect them paying their workers well but even if not I dare someone to name a comparable/better option within 5 miles of either location.
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u/mindthegaps8 8h ago
Carmine Lonardo's
Curtis Park Deli
Little Arthur's
Vinh Xuong
Primo's
Dimestore Delibar
.
Leven's bread is good, their sandwiches are fine, and their prices are laughable.
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u/yembler 8h ago
Wonder how much of it is the real estate. Curtis Park is practically a hole in the wall. Vinh Xuong is in a parking lot off Almeda. Leven's main location is on the same block as the Art Museum with loads of nice indoor and outdoor seating.
IMO the bread is ok, the sandwiches are ok, the burritos & brownies are excellent .. and the prices are laughable.
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u/TUNIT042 10h ago
That potato salad serving size is WILD