The old-school deli where people queue for an hour for a $15 sandwich

An old-school delicatessen in Sydney's inner west has fans travelling from across the city to get their hands on a sandwich - and it's even attracted the attention of the Prime Minister.

The queues outside Raineri's Deli can stretch for more than an hour on a regular weekend.

The family-run business has sat on Great North Road in Five Dock since 1981 but has experienced an unexpected boom in recent years as people travel from all across the city to queue for a panini.

It's even caught the attention of the Prime Minister and Member for Reid, Sally Sitou, who lauds the deli as a "Five Dock institution".

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Favoured by locals and Italian migrants, the deli is run by husband and wife Peter and Rosario Raineri, who have been serving meats and cheeses fresh to order, as well as a rich selection of antipasto for the last four decades.

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Although the delicatessen has always been busy, the simple introduction of focaccia, combined with social media, has brought in a new crowd of clientele, who patiently wait outside for a freshly-made sandwich.

The couple's son Sam - who has been working at the deli for the last 10 years - told 9news.com.au the most popular sandwich order was his namesake special.

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"Our most popular order is the Sam Special it comes with artichokes, prosciutto, stracciatella, eggplant and capsicum," he said.

Sam has been working to future proof his parent's legacy for the next generation.

In recent years he's introduced the option of fresh sandwiches, a coffee machine, tables and chairs as well as other Italian-sourced produce.

"[The deli] has diversified, it's multicultural now," he explained.

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"It's opened up the door to everyone, it's not just open to the Italians anymore which was the way it had been for the last 20 years." 

Lines of customers can begin to build by 9.30am on a weekday with wait times blowing out to 65 minutes on weekends.

The pandemonium sparked the interest of the Prime Minister who visited the shop last week with Sitou, a Raineri's regular.

"The PM visited for the first time, he even had a coffee with us," Sam said.

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"Just a straight espresso made by one of our workers, Chiari."

Sam believes the success of the deli lies in fostering relationships with members of the community and maintaining strong ties with local suppliers.

He said another factor was that their sandwiches, which can be stuffed with salami, proscuitto crudo, parmigiano-reggiano, and other high-quality meats, are also affordable.

"We make sandwiches that everyone can afford, they're 15 bucks and everyone's happy about that," he said.

Sam said the cost is capped and the deli has no plans to raise it despite its surging popularity.

"People don't mind lining up and we don't close until everyone's served," he said.

"No one argues and no one fights - everyone leaves with a smile on their face."