Can’t you just call Gjusta and do this? I swear I have done this several times before. And there were no menu restrictions, although I only got sandwiches and salads when I did it.
They even operate a separate part of the counter (by the pastries, when you just walk in) for phone orders that is separate from the other operation.
The phone system is iffy. I’ve tried calling several times before only to get put immediately on hold or get no response at all due to the weekend chaos. The website is far more reliable and fast.
Off the top of my head?
Mariscos Jalisco
Sqirl
Meals by Genet
Mariscos Chente
Sapp Coffee Shop
Jay Bharat
Krua Thai
Chego/Kogi
Taco Maria
Milo & Olive
Chengdu Taste
Hollywood Pies
There are tons more.
Yes on both calling in directly and ChowNow. As long as you’re picking up from the part of the counter for pick-up orders (as @Aesthete mentioned by the pastry section), the staff will usually honor your request for one or two simple add-ons. Just don’t get carried away - they’ll cut you short, pointing to the others waiting for their food orders.
That happened to me. But it was Gjusta’s fault - honest! How can they expect one to walk in, pick up one’s order and walk out? Walking the length of the cases causes, “And some of that, and some of this, dang - where the heck did that come from”-itis. And this is why (with my indecisive nature and fickle-mindedness) I usually don’t bother calling in anymore. I walk in with some idea of what I want, and I always walk out with far more than planned.
In some way it’s nice being forced into the discipline of walking out with just a sandwich and a cookie. The cookie was a marvel in texture, but the flavor didn’t pop as it should. As usual, savory over sweet at Gjusta.
I hear ya. I live very close to Gjusta, walk by many times, but have only had a few items from there. I like salty-savory food, so in general their food appeals to me. However, I’m just not OK with the unnecessarily stressful queuing and ordering process during busy times. That whole number-pulling thing is antiquated, ineffective, not not cute or artsy. I can hold my own in the aggro throngs, but I feel truly bad for some of the older folks who get thrown into the confusing mosh pit – I’ve seen a lot of stressed-out elderly people there, looking around trying to figure it out, getting jostled by d-bags on c-phones…ugh. Yeah, I have a hate-on for their ordering system! At those prices, and with the volumn of business they do, they can do much better by their customers. It’s lame AF.
…do love those biscuits though!
Almost every pastry I have had there has been a horrific disappointment. I think they should nix the entire pastry program as they seem to have no idea what they are doing other than coming up with hipster-esque pastries and making them look pretty with egg washes.
However, their cakes and pies are rather great. Their carrot cake is one of the best renditions of the dish I have ever tried.
How does a numbering system not make things much more efficient and ordered versus a free-for-all?
Here’s what they could do to improve the system:
Have well-placed, highly visible signage throughout the ordering area, pointing to the number-puller location.
Increase the visibility of the number-taker machine.
Have greeters near both entrances during rush times, offering direction to the obviously lost.
Have multiple number-puller machines that are synced to prevent redundancy. Press a big red button, your number is spit out.
Have whoever is calling out the number raise their hand, or hold up a number (digital display), so the person waiting doesn’t miss their turn due to chaos/poor line of sight/etc.
Really, it’s not that hard to create a kinder, saner, more human-friendly queuing system.
It’s pretty clear to me that from the get-go, part of their schtick is makin’ the customer “work for it” and be willing to sit on splintery crates in a dumpy parking lot (back in the day), etc.
If it were important to them to create a welcoming, user-friendly environment, they’d find a way. There are people who are experts in this – I’m not.
(Gjelina is guilty of similar customer-hostile environmental stuff, so I suspect it’s a top-down problem.)
Second that. That salad is stellar in all the ways possible. You’ve got the tang from the pickles, the crunch from the vegetables, saltiness from the salami. Love that salad! Always get it if you see it!
Am I the only angel here? 
While I’m waiting, I always keep an eye out for those “lost folks” - I guess it’s the Boy Scout in me (I sucked at Boy Scouts - was an evil prankster/now trying to make up for it/get in the Big Man’s good graces before it’s too late/maybe too late already).
I try to always point out to take a number or they’ll be caught in the Gjusta wash and spin cycles. But because this is a system that’s been around since - I don’t know - Babe Ruth? It seems a lot of older folks are hip to this in a deli anvironment. It’s often the younger bright-eyed/bushy eyebrowed ones who walk in for apparently their first time. By the way, what’s with the dark heavy eyebrows nowadays?
Yeah, never understood the DTF love, not just on this board, but in the world generally.
I suspect they sneak in a proprietary mixture of cocaine and meth in their food. Otherwise, how do you explain the lines.
Humans. Sigh.
I’ve never been to this restaurant, but it sounds like the DMV.
DMV takes reservations, however.
DMV also has employees who try to avoid work at all costs. It’s a wash.
I am genuinely curious, why haven’t you even bothered to visit Gjusta? You seem to get around quite a bit.
They already have a very visible number display. I’m with you they could make the ticket machine more visible (e.g., by putting it on the counter) but your other suggestions strike me as overkill. Most delis I’ve been to that use a numbered ticket system don’t go to the lengths you describe.
I’m also not buying this is some kind of hipster plot to confuse old people. Using a numbered ticket is the very definition of old school.
Hahaha! I’m a sucker like this too. I’ve even given up my number to people I inadvertently cut because they were confused.
On that note, I think the confusion is created less by the number system itself than by two other factors. First, I think a lot of people visiting there for the first time are expecting a full-service restaurant. They don’t realize it’s basically an upscale deli, so the number system is a surprise.
The other issue is inconsistent enforcement. They’ve gotten better about this, but there are still times when they just help whoever’s ready, especially if there aren’t many people waiting. I wish they wouldn’t do that.
I think I’m the devil here, as I sometimes am tempted to give people wrong information on how the system works to cause further panic.
Reflections of my past… Repent mischievous Puck! 
