An Original Classic Neighborhood Sandwich Shop
Don’s Sandwich Shop in Redding…
Walk into Don’s Sandwich Shop on Bechelli Lane and the first thing that hits you is the smell–freshly baked bread mingling with slow-cooked meats and the sweet promise of homemade desserts. It’s a scent that’s welcomed locals since 1962, when founder Don Hirbe first opened the doors to what would become a Redding institution.
Today, 64 years later, that tradition continues under the stewardship of Robin Lentz, a Cottonwood native and fourth-generation Redding resident who remembers visiting Don’s as a child. When the opportunity arose in 2007 to purchase the struggling shop, Lentz didn’t hesitate.
“It had really slowed down, and I didn’t want to see it close,” Lentz recalls. “You don’t change something that’s been here that long. That was one of the main reasons I bought the shop.”
True to her word, Lentz hasn’t changed a thing about what made Don’s special. The Hofbrau-style setup remains, where customers pick exactly what they want and how they want it done. The pastrami–what Lentz calls the foundation the shop was built on–still arrives in whole briskets from Los Angeles packers and gets shaved fresh daily. Some of it simmers in broth, some gets fried crispy like bacon.
The turkey breast? Seasoned and oven-baked in-house. The corned beef? Started in crockpots the night before, cooking slowly until tender. The tri-tip? Cooked fresh every morning, then carved or shaved for French dip sandwiches like the popular Morgan, loaded with green chilies and pepper jack cheese.
“Everything is homemade. It’s all from scratch,” Lentz says. “The meats are not processed. You can come here and eat and not worry about all the preservatives that are in food at your typical fast-food drive-through.”
That commitment to quality extends to every corner of the menu. Rolls arrive from San Francisco–sweet rolls, sourdough and Dutch crunch–to be finished baking on-site, filling the shop with that irresistible aroma. The sides– baked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad and coleslaw–are all made from scratch. Even the coleslaw dressing comes from a house recipe, not a bottle.
By 9 am on most days, customers are already calling to hear what soup is on the menu. Leftovers never go to waste; yesterday’s beef becomes today’s beef stroganoff soup or beef barley. Fridays are always chowder days.
“I was taught to use everything that we have,” Lentz explains. “I love to cook. I bake our pies and our cookies. We are known for our soups and our sides. Pretty much everything is homemade, not from a box or bag.”
The dessert case tells its own story: carrot cake, lemon bars, macadamia Bundt cake, and the signature bread pudding crowned with whiskey sauce. First-time visitors often discover they’ve ordered more than they can finish ‒ generous portions being another Don’s tradition.
Running Don’s is a team effort. General Manager Linda O’Brien has been with Lentz since she purchased the shop in 2007. Between them, they ensure Don’s maintains its exacting standards five days a week. “Linda is more like family to me than an employee, that’s for sure,” Lentz says. “Linda’s here every day with me.”
O’Brien notes that between running the sandwich shop and Lentz’s other work commitments, “Robin cooks nonstop. She loves to cook.”
For Lentz, preserving Don’s goes beyond business. As a fourth-generation Redding resident, she sees it as a responsibility to her community.
“There are more and more national sandwich chains opening up in the area, and the mom-and-pop shops are dying,” she says. “But we are devoted to our little hole-in-the-wall shop. We hope our customers notice the love we put into it.”
That devotion extends to quiet community work, helping people in need without fanfare, the way Lentz was raised. “We do a lot for our community,” she says. “I’m from here, and I care.”
Beyond the sandwich shop, Lentz also runs a separate business ‒ Etched in Elegance, a catering company she started with her friend Becky Baldwin-Bassett right out of high school. What began as a partnership between two young women has grown into one of Northern California’s premier catering operations, serving events from intimate office parties to weddings with 1,500 guests. The company has won awards at local food competitions for its baking and has even traveled out of state for events.
The same from-scratch philosophy that guides Don’s carries over to Etched in Elegance. “My little shop is truly my passion, as well as my catering business,” Lentz says. “Becky and I have been business partners for years. And through it all, we remain the best of friends.”
Lentz credits both O’Brien and Baldwin-Bassett for her success. “I could not have handled both businesses without Linda and Becky.”
Her business plan for Don’s? “Pretty much what my customers tell me: Don’t change anything. And hope that the next generations keep coming in.”
For first-time visitors, Lentz has a simple promise: “Everything that they’re going to get here is fresh and they’re going to get their money’s worth in the way of quantity.”
After 63 years on Bechelli Lane, Don’s Sandwich Shop remains exactly what it’s always been ‒ a place where quality, tradition and community come together, one homemade sandwich at a time. •
Don’s Sandwich Shop
3034 Bechelli Lane, Redding
(530) 223-3744
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday
Etched in Elegance Catering
3034 Bechelli Lane, Redding
(530) 949-7043
Article Written by:
Al Olson loves culinary arts, adult beverages and hiking in the North State wilderness. You may find him soaking up the scenery at one of our area’s many state or national parks or sitting in a barstool sipping a cold locally brewed craft beer.
