3.5 stars, but rounded up because I didn't feel they deserved any deduction…read more I was REALLY looking forward to their #20 Old New Yorker, which I got in their Navel Cut pastrami. It was a solid 7, which is why I place it at 3.5 stars. I may be being picky here but it just wasn't to the level of "melt-in-your-mouth" pastrami standards for me. Not to say it wasn't good, because it was perfectly fine. In fact, it's better than most of the pastrami sandwiches I tried in Chicagoland. Maybe it's the fact that I had to bring it back to the office to eat it, and half hour had gone by and pastrami weren't as warm and the Jewish rye had become soggy by the time I took the first bite. I mean, it goes without saying that the sandwich would have been 3 times better had I sat down immediately and had it. Again, all things considered, it was a perfectly good sandwich. One interesting thing was that I had never been to an establishment that included a half sour pickle instead of a normal one and gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised. Pickles can be a hit or a miss for me. I like my pickles to be crunch, but some places offer overripened ones that become borderline mushy. Schmaltz's half sour pickle was not overly salty or sour, making it very attractive for me. The more I'm thinking about it, I'm convinced that I'll have to go back and try their #14 Sloppy Paul, which is the corned beef with sauerkraut, which is another favorite of mine. And this time, I'll be sure to dine in and give another review of it to see how much I like them better.

Thursday @ 5:30. Immediately greeted and seated. You can either place an order at the counter, OR…read moreyou can be seated for service. We chose the latter. Dustin, our server, was amazing. Lots of fun deli sandwiches to choose from. I chose a French Dip; hubby had a pick two-- a cup of matzo ball soup, and 1/2 corned beef sandwich. Both served with a whole new pickle. Mine was absolutely delicious. Tons of beef, melty swiss, and grilled onion. Served nice and hot with a tasty au jus. Hubby thoroughly enjoyed his as well. Great Jewish deli. Highly recommend whether you're Jewish or not! ;)

Cute, little shop with freezer cases filled with exotic flavors of sausages. Old style and Malory,…read moreblueberry and maple, Nashville hot, just to name a few. Homemade sauerkraut, lots of fresh sausages my favorite was the Italian beef, lean lean lean and full of flavor. Homemade slim Jim's in lots of flavors. Great service.

I got hot Italian, sweet (aka mild) Italian, spicy Polish, and taco brats. I found all to be light…read moreon flavor - both of the Italian were very light on fennel seed and I'd never have guessed what the taco brat was. The grind on all of them was finer than what I prefer, and they all tasted like they had a bit of something like vinegar in them. And at about $9 per pound, they're pricey for this area. But I liked that the links in each pack were not connected, and I particularly liked that all of the links were on the thicker side. I'll try these same four choices again to see if the flavor is better, but before then I'll visit Frankie's Deli in Oakbrook Terrace for the best hot and mild Italian sausage, and Ream's Meat Market in Elburn for several varieties from their huge selection of sausages.

Wonderful bagels! I can't believe that I haven't written a review. I thought that I did…read more This place is like a NY deli but next to the FOX RIVER and super nice staff. They close by 1pm so you have to get out there early. I'm sad that I live so far away. My son who lives in Batavia is the one who told me about Jake's bagels. Delicious bagels with lots of varieties of cream cheese. I love the everything bagel and the salsa cream cheese, the onion cream cheese. There is seating inside as well. If you sit outside you can sit and look at the Fox River. Such a cute place.

I always try and hit a local bagel place when I am in a new town.... Jake's did not disappoint.!!…read more Perfect service. Cool vibe. Fireplace and river views..... Oh, and the bagels were awesome! See photos. Good skin, good density, great taste. I always get my bagels double toasted with butter. Complete bonus: homemade rice crispy treats!! The prices were extremely reasonable...... like I wish they would raise their prices.... Will stop again when I am visiting the area....

I came here today for the first time. I decided to go with the $10.99 plate. The gentleman in line…read morenext to me was very nice and he recommended the meatballs in a mushroom sauce. The meatballs were delicious, the sauce actually was very good and I don't even like mushrooms at all. The second item I got was the meat filled dumplings, and those were really good. They were actually a lot better than I thought they would be. The third item I tried was the smoked Polish sausage. I will be honest, this was not my favorite. It was not bad, but the flavor on it I did not like as much as other Polish places I've tried. I definitely want to go back and try their cabbage and noodles and pigs in a blanket. They also have desserts that I will have to try as well. They do sell sandwiches, Chicago style hotdogs, and have a small grocery store inside.

Delicious sandwich. Good service. Large portion size. The rye bread they use is excellent.read more

The employees are so kind and helpful. The parking is plentiful. They have a Wonderful bakery.read more

Aurora staple! Friendly staff, great selection of craft beer. Meat that can't be beat. Prices a…read morelittle higher than average, but to be expected for a local family owned store. Still an awesome place. I love it.

Zeppe's Italian market 10/10 authentic Italian food, the variety is something else, store is clean…read moreand everything is made FRESH! I met Joe the owner and he made me feel like I had walked into a loved ones home and gave me everything there is to know about the store, very down to earth guy and all I can say is the vibe was awesome and I def will be going here more often and must I say the CANNOLIS undoubtedly S tier!!

Mary Starnes West Highlands…read more· Just now · I just left Zeppe's market on 87th street. Went to buy fresh Italian Sausage and Grab=n=Go Lasagna. I do not mind paying for a quality product and expected the sausage to be about $6-7 lb which it was. However when I reached for the Lasagna I noticed it was marked over $20.00 for the small pan. On Zeppe'S Website it states price of $16.00. When I questioned the young man behind the register he stated Zeppe's is a small family business and does not own its website. they do not have ability to amend the website and the prices are what is shown in store. They will not honor their website prices. I would have bought the sausage but because I found it "unethical" that they will not honor their advertised website prices, they lost a customer.

Josef's is an amazing, authentic Italian deli that feels like stepping back into 1950s New York…read more The sandwiches are unbelievable -- piled high with quality ingredients and made with real pride in the craft. Add in the great people behind the counter, and it becomes more than just a deli -- it's an experience.

My sub sandwich was awesome We thought the service also was…read moregreat and the location is so nice for a location near home

This is Disneyland for a FatGuy. I never took up tobacco,…read moreI'm a sensible imbiber of Alcohol, and but for a VERY few exceptions (and periods in my history) I wasn't drawn to recreational drugs. Lunchmeat and sausages, though... Thoroughly, positively, indubitably, and absolutely addicted throughout all of my 72 years. Mea culpa, pwned, signed, sealed, and delivered. (Yes I know that shit is NOT good for you or me; and I have, here in my dotage, adapted at least a smidgen of discipline in my consumption of said foodstuffs) But stepping into Reams is hard, my Brothers and Sisters, it's HARD. Temptation in the air, from the butcher shop aroma; Temptation in the eyes, from the never-ending displays in the cases, Temptation in situ from the beckoning samples placed like land mines throughout the store, and the myriad namecards everywhere you look. Temptation to cross gluttony off the "mortal sin" list, or at least create a scheme to take a parcel of fresh Bratwurst to one's next confession; slipping it to the padre hoping the penance is to leave the Mustard off the links for a week or two. I won't even try to describe the treats in store. There's just too much. And it goes beyond charcuterie. The steaks, the chops, the prepared meats. All top top quality. There's condiments, baked goods, wine and beer, even stuff for your dog. Want weird stuff? Offal and innards? It's all there. Seafood, too. And if you're one of those guys (like me) who dig "sausage stix" and Jerky, their home-made offerings are nonpareil. Ditto for their home-made potato salad-type thingies. It wouldn't surprise me to find a dozen Grandmothers fixing all this shit up behind the back wall. Here's another example: In the West Burbs of Chicago, the Czech butchers always had Daisy/Crawford Praszky for sale-It's a tasty Garlic juggernaut halfway between salami and summer sausage. Oscar Mayer WISHES they had something tasting this good. It's a Chicago Staple you'll never hear of through all the chatter about Hotdogs, Italian Beef, and Deep-Dish Pizza. Maybe it didn't get as far North as the Kosher neighborhoods, but on the South and west sides...oboy. Imagine my surprise when I saw Ream's version sitting almost hidden on the very bottom row of one of the cold chests lining the Southern wall. I've never seen it elsewhere, except for the echte Daisy/Crawford version. I thought it was a proprietary thing. Welp, here is Ream's iteration. I saw it while I was in line, and as I already had a cart full of custom-cut stuff, I didn't add it to the haul that day, but the NEXT time we're in deepest Elburn, I'm SO there. Every theory has a corollary, and I was disappointed to learn Ream's quit making their excellent Head Cheese. Yes I know, "head cheese" is on the "fear factor" list with Anchovies, Limburger Cheese, Czarnina (q.v.), and Haggis; but IYKYK, this is a significant loss. Oh well. And about that "it's not good for you" thing: Yeah, there's a lot of fat in sausages, but I am without doubt Reams has no truck with nasty chemicals, or cheating the recipes to add bulk in the name of profits. I'm also pretty sure they're using the best quality sources and the best cuts to make their stuff. Ream's is WAY the fuck out there in the far far far Western Burbs. It isn't quite Eastern Iowa, but it may seem like that during the journey there. And if you're looking for a bargain, shop at Aldi. If this was an Auto Dealer, they'd be selling Mercedes, Audis, and Lamborghinis. Make sure you have some free limit on your cards if you come out here to shop. It also is certain you will buy MORE than you planned to. Mark my words. Then again, Distance and price be damned. If you demand pure excellence, You pay the tab without a gripe. But when you make a sandwich, or pull one of their steaks off the grill, or have a snack of their heavenly Pimento Cheese on a cracker; or shook a bottle of one of the boutique sauces on who-cares-what, or took a bite of a Brat with SERIOUS "snap"... You'll smile quietly knowing you got what you paid for. Perhaps more. And THAT is a rare occurrence in these days of "interesting times"

I don't come here often, but when I do, I'll join the droves of people gathering around the Meat…read moreCounter waiting methodically for your number to be called, Yep, it's a 'cattle call' for those willing to throw 5 Stars for a slab of Beef or Pork with 'Steakhouse' prices. Apparently, people tend to become enamored over some 'Meat Stix'! It's good, but it ain't the only place around serving the best meat imaginable!

Had their "Chicago Dog". Low grade hot dog, served with relish, onion, tomato, sport peppers And…read morepickle wedge and mustard packet. Bun not steamed and fell apart. It's a sad thing when the condiments are better than the wiener. Upgrade yor product and steam the buns. There is a steam table right there, use it for gosh darn sakes and get a squeeze bottle of mustard as this condiment is the first that should be applied!

Really good cheeseburgers! Best around. Pizza is pretty good too. Friendly service .. Free…read moresoda. Free bottled water. Free coffee. Cute little deli . Oh and the ice- cream bars are really good too.

Have been coming here for years. Amazing ground beef and burgers. Much better quality than the…read morechain grocery stores right down the street. Fair prices. Staff is always accommodating, and has ground beef for me on the spot when they ran out.

Went in a few minutes ago to make a purchase and not a single person in the shop greeted me. I was…read morethe only customer.