One stop shop to meet all your Jewish Deli, restaurant, and bakery needs. You can easily find traditional foods served in generous portions at reasonable prices here. As this place tends to get quite busy, you should be prepared to move quickly and efficiently so that other guests can get served quickly as well (and even consider making a reservation in the restaurant during peak hours). Parking here is fairly easy as the lot is quite large. read more

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What happened to this place? Over the years, I've been to some of the best delis in the US. Canters, Wexlers, Fromins, Greenblatts, Shermans, DZ Akins, Manny's, Bergsteins, David's, Russ and Daughter, Stage Door, 2nd Avenue......... Max & Benny's used to be on this list. Not anymore. We hadn't been to the restaurant in years, so we stopped en route to Wisconsin for a Friday night dinner. The changes were immediately noticeable. The once-busy marketplace area was empty and quiet, with many empty cabinets and coolers. Once upon a time, you'd have to take a number and wait in line for service. That evening, there was nothing to buy and no one working to serve you. It was bizarre. Even more bizarre: the seating process. We checked in with the host station and waited to be seated. The restaurant was nearly empty -- at dinner time -- which should have been a clue. Still, we were kept waiting for about 10 minutes while the server and his co-worker socialized in front of us. Then, we were seated at a table next to the host station that had been empty and ready the entire time. Why? Another 10 minutes passed with no server. We received water, but no menus. The host continued chitchatting with coworkers right next to us, but nobody waited on us. I finally turned around and asked them if we had a server. They said they'd get someone. A server came racing out to take our order, but we'd never received menus. More waiting. Finally, we placed and received our orders, but there was no silverware, no bread basket, no pickles, nothing. When we asked about this, we were just told "oh, we don't do that anymore, we haven't done that since the pandemic." To which i said, "including silverware?" We each had an old-time favorite: half soup, half sandwich. The sandwich was tiny -- more of an appetizer size than the former portion -- and the bread tasted like it was stale. The soup had zero flavor at all -- none. It just tasted like water. There was no presentation or garnish to the meal at all. My half sandwich came on an enormous plate. It looked almost ridiculously small. Throughout our dinner, we noted that none of the tables were being cleared or cleaned. We also noted a lot of customers waiting for service, some of whom actually got up and left. We were just handed our bill, which turned out to be for another table, and led to another long delay just to leave the restaurant. We were still hungry after spending $50+ for two people. Unreal! It's actually kind of heartbreaking what happened to this place. We used to drive out of our way to visit Max & Benny's for years. Now, I drive by in shock that the restaurant hasn't closed permanently. If you live in Chicago, save your time, save your money, and save your frustrations. The Bagel is far superior in every single way, and they actually care if you come back or not. read more

My husband and I met some friends at Max and Benny's Restaurant who recommended it. When I sat down, our server yelled at us to ask us who wanted coffee. I ordered the Ashkenazi French Toast. This was French toast cut and fried. It was petty good. I also ordered a side of sausage. My husband ordered the Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict. I was disappointed with this dish as it was pretty flavorless. Overall, the food was OK, but it didn't meet my expectations. read more

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I went to get rye bread from the bakery and got bagels instead. A disappoinment as was the tub of cream cheese and chive. I think it was that but it had no label on the container. My wife thought it may be onion dip. I wnt to NY bagel and bialy and did a second shop of the same items. Much much better..... read more

Generous and well-prepared deli sandwiches. Great staff! Deli ambiance. Recommended take-home soups!

Max and Benny's is a deli restaurant and long time staple in the Chicago North Shore (Northbrook). Excellent food, and Jewish deli. It still tastes high as a still whenever we're in the Chicago area. Just off the I-94 Eden's Hwy spur. read more

Great service! Awesome diner with everything. Food portions are big for what you pay which is a plus. I've had the sandwiches paired with matzo ball soup mmm...tasty! My go to is the burger. When you are done eating, they have bakery as well as other take out offerings. read more

Max and Benny's is your typical diner, where they serve everything from breakfast items, like omelets and pancakes, to sandwiches like their famous Rueben sandwiches. The place was pretty packed when we went... I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, to make myself feel better for eating healthier and it was A-OK. I ordered the matzo ball soup and it was good. Nothing like a hot soup on a hot day. The table came with complimentary bread. I really enjoyed the onion rolls. Coffee was slightly watered-down, but my cup was always full. Service was good, and everything was pleasant. BATHROOM REVIEW: Decent, clean, and it got the job done. Sit or squat? Squat. read more

Max and Benny's Restaurant - Matzo Ball Soup - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

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I was there on the 8th of May and will not return. I have been there many times but have not received the service that i did on this date. server placed something that i did not order on the table and he came back for it once he realized that it was mine, picked it up off of my table and immediately served it to another table. I have never seen food being taken from one table to another. When i mentioned it to the server, he was like oh well read more

I recently hosted a party here for about 18 guests in a private room. Great communication to schedule it, and everything went smoothly the day of the event and all the guests were happily fed. Great place for a small party. read more

Max & Benny's is always Dependable, always clean, always friendly, and always really good food. Today, late morning on a Wednesday, it was very slow and pleasant, and quiet. What I'm told is that early mornings it's usually jammed but it has begun to slow down since they are opening later, at 8 a.m. now. The crowd is mixed between business breakfast and senior citizens, the former group annoying and the latter group warms my heart. On weekends, it's absolute mayhem in here... families and babies, zeides and old ladies. It's a wonderful scene, something as great as the food. I believe midweek dinner hour is the same. read more

Max and Benny's Restaurant - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

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Max and Benny's offer such hearty and delicious meal options! I had a soup and half-sandwich, which were both delightful. I even had leftovers because they will definitely fill you up! Can't wait to go back. They also have two back rooms for larger events/parties. read more

My group of friends love meeting here for your delicious soups and Chicken Salad Sandwiches!!!

What happened to Max and Benny's? Rather, what happened to Customer Service? It's been a long time since I've been here and it will be even longer before I come back because of the surly behavior of the man in the deli and the less-than-helpful older male cashier. I wanted to buy something from the deli and was curtly referred to the pre-packaged ginormous refrigerator case. I asked a followup question and the man repeated what he said but even less friendly than the first time. There wasn't a freshness state or use by date on the item I wished to purchase. His growl, and that of one the less-than-helpful cashiers was, "It's fresh! Packed today!" Perhaps but it is reassuring to see an actual date to be guided by. Giving a vague, "it's good for three or four days" is not helpful nor satisfactory. Additionally, it is not possible to buy the exact amount of what one wishes, like cream cheese. You buy their designated sizes. Again, what happened to Customer Service? I guess they're too busy to deal with actual customers. The last straw was the way-too-cakey black and white cookie. How do you screw that up? Sadly, there is not one item at M&B that's better than at any other good local deli and some items aren't even that good. It was great while it lasted; or maybe it was never as good as I remembered. read more

A friend who is in the Chicago area more than I am suggested a group of us go to Max and Benny's for lunch. As someone who is not local, I want to be sure my review is about this experience on its own and to not compare it to "similar" experiences elsewhere. This is a combination deli/diner, with a very large seating area (2 separate rooms) and you walk past the deli part on your way to the table (sort of a teaser I guess). We received excellent and friendly service the whole time. I noticed that a number of earlier reviews mention less good service, and I wonder if intentional improvements were made. It was tough knowing what to order, since I wanted to try some of the deli meats. They solved that for me by having a special for the day, a "Triple Threat," which was a 3 sliders, one of roast beef, one of pastrami, and one of corned beef, served with a very small side of cole slaw and a pickle spear. The meats on all the sliders were tasty and VERY lean. Knowing now how small the side of cole slaw was, I would have ordered more as a side dish, because I enjoyed it a lot. We received a plate of the same rolls as our bread for the meal as were used for my sliders - soft inside, slight crispiness to the crust, but room temperature. I think more freshly made rolls, or maybe even microwaved for 10 seconds, would have made them better. Others in my party ordered omelets - these contain a LOT of meat/ingredients in them. Coffee came out quickly and was refilled about every 5 minutes. But with regard to the coffee, I'm in this "scratch my head and smirk" place. When we received our bill (which you can pay online by scanning the QR code on the bill, a nice touch), I noticed it actually said Kona Coffee. I really can't see that in the Chicago suburbs, you're going to receive a full mug of Kona coffee with generous refills for only $2.95. My guess is it's perhaps a Kona blend, but I'm not sure how much Kona you actually get - still good coffee though. If I lived locally, I'd certainly come here often. read more

Max and Benny's Restaurant - Triple Threat lunch special - sliders of roast beef, pastrami, and corned beef. - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

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Service was meh. Food was terrible. Even if I complained and got a gift certificate for compensation, I would not go back. Aside from the waitress bringing out an entirely different meal than I ordered, the turkey was bone dry. My husband asked for a side of fries and got coleslaw. The brownie ala mode was COLD. The churro sundae was comprised of stale COLD churros and cheap vanilla ice cream. Do not waste your time or hard earned money. read more

I've eaten here before and returned today with a very large group of over 20 people. We did not make a reservation but they were able to seat us immediately in a large dining room connected to the main room. It took a while to get all the orders in, and amazingly they were happy to let us all receive a separate check! (That seems almost unheard of!! Thank you Max and Bennies!) The food did not take that long to arrive. I had my beloved Turkey Club which was accompanied by amazing cole slaw. I'm a picky slaw-snob and this slaw is top-notch!! The Turkey Club is one of the best in the area and is actually a little cheaper than many other local places. The half pickle that came with my plate looked about the size of a large bratwurst!! It wasn't super flavorful but was still good. A little more dill and garlic would have made it perfect, but not a big deal in my book. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food - it all looked very appetizing and fresh Everyone got their food fairly quickly - two orders took a little longer but with 20+ orders at the height of rush hour, we were not too surprised or upset about a delay. Max and Bennies know what they are doing and they do it very well. The restaurant was fairly packed and our large group did not seem to make them bat an eye. They got us seated quickly, the food came in a decent amount of time after ordering, and everyone left full and happy! And letting us all get separate checks was a very nice surprise!! read more

We have been going there for years and the food is delicious and service is great! Easy access from I-94, lots of parking and open later.

Eating there less frequently as a result of pathetic bagels. I simply don't understand a wonder bagel at a good Deli. Essentially disqualified from Jewish integrity. Good food crap bagel. After all these years had to clear my conscience. read more

Consistent. Quality food. Ample portions. Friendly staff. For those that have not been to a deli previously, order a hot corned beef sandwich on rye and have a potato pancake on the side. read more

Overall, we enjoyed this restaurant. Nothing fancy, just good basic food, except for the sweet and sour cabbage soup. Everything else was tasty. We will be back next in the Chicago area. read more

This is to answer the question "What is Door County chicken salad?" I went online and saw the name comes from a recipe using Door County cherries so I was disappointed that my sandwich didn't have cherries. Our server Emma found out for me that the kitchen uses red grapes and dried cranberries - not bad for texture and taste as opposed to the regular chicken salad ($1 less). Though there was celery in the salad, I wished the sandwich came with some leafy greens. The Cole slaw was nice but not much quantity. The rye bread was delicious and there were generous chunks of chicken. Nice casual atmosphere. We only go this far north to visit a friend so it's not a place we'll visit much but I'd recommend it for the menu variety read more

Max and Benny's Restaurant - Door County Chicken Salad with grapes and cranberries - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

We wish this place was closer to home. Still worth the trip. Excellent food and service.

usually my experience is great here. I spend Ami of money and toda EVERYONE was very rude. I couldn't even get my order or and was being rushed and the customer service was shitty today and very much a deterrent to come back. when reporting our complaint the cashier barely acknowledged it and then he was rude . our server was Roberto G. Just a shame! read more

An institution. You can't go wrong w bagel dogs, Reuben's and sugar cookies. Great selection and service at the counter.

Never had a better Reuben. Lean, juicy corned beef stacked high with a slim slice of Swiss cheese on top piled onto perfectly grilled (not toasted) rye bread. Tangy cole slaw and a whopper of a kosher dill pickle on the side. Too much to eat at lunch, took half home. No need to snap a picture -- it looks exactly like the shot from their web site here. If you want the true Reuben experience you'll get it here. read more

Max and Benny's Restaurant - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

Pros - service at the deli, corned beef, potato pancake, clean space Cons - kinda pricey but most places like this are, super busy lunch time - but nothing wrong with that Heard about this place a million times. Was in the area. I read the mixed reviews took the risk - glad I did. Ordered corned beef reuben, potato pancake, piece of keugel, onion bialy and Mish mosh soup. Reuben was generous and potato pancake was fresh. The 1000 island dressing was on point. Will try out the Mish mosh for dinner. Looks great. Would come here again. read more

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We came to this restaurant used to be a favorite what happened to it ??server nowhere to be seen finally came we ordered no bread basket anymore and i should have stayed with a corn beef sandwich thought it would be nice to try a special choose roast chicken came with ok but not completely cooked vegetables and no gravy for the very dry chicken husband had salmon patties and they did not smell or taste fresh the deli was empty and we picked up some bagels the person acted as if we were bothering him by having to wait on us This is not the same place as before and won't be coming back for a long time if ever read more

I didn't try the dine in part just the walk in bakery side. Initially, upon entering, it looks like a cute mom and pop type bakery. You see the traditional big glass cases with the various products being presented on shelves. The set up is confusing because there's different counters, and I'm not sure if they're independent of each other. The counter where I got my food gave you a ticket to pay at one specific register counter. There aren't any signs or labels, so we had to ask the employee where to pay. There aren't any prices anywhere, so I would ask before you get stuck with anything. To be honest, none of the food items look fresh. However, I will give it to them that most things were more shelf stable type of items like bagel chips and cookies. I got a supreme pretzel dog (filled with a hot dog, cheese, and peppers). I thought I would be able to eat it right away, but it was cold and definitely in need of warming. This was disappointing as I wanted it for a quick snack. It would be nice if there was an option to get it warmed. However, this further increased my thoughts that things have just been sitting in the cases for a while. Later, when I got home I heated my pretzel dog up in an air fryer and it was nothing special. Even after heating it up, the cheese tasted stale and the contents flavorless. I think I could've gotten something better from Auntie Anne's. I'm sure there is good stuff here, maybe I just picked the wrong thing. read more

Went for breakfast this morning, was not impressive at all. Breakfast sandwich was not prepared as we asked for. Veggie omelet was greasy and lacked flavor. Overall value was very weak. Will not go back for breakfast, maybe give lunch a 2nd chance. This place used to be to be very crowded, what happened? read more

When I was growing up in Chicago, there seemed to be a decent Jewish delicatessen nearby. Frances' on Clark used to be a steam kitchen, and Manny's on Jefferson Street. Both have changed. Driving out into the suburban hinterlands of Northbrook, along a nondescript mall next to a highway, is Max and Benny's. This is a flagship deli, a takeout store with a bakery, meats, soups, sandwiches, and frozen food. Next to it is a vast dining area. The menu has all the favorites you would expect in a deli. The service is speedy and friendly. We ordered a pastrami on rye, sweet & sour soup, and matzo ball soup. All were spot on; though, given we are in a shrinkflation age, the servings are smaller than before the pandemic. This place is worth going to. read more

Good food and fresh! Sit-down service can be a little slow when they are full (they are usually full), but the waitstaff has always been super nice. There is a ton to choose from and everything we've had has been good. read more

Overall great experience here! The corned beef sandwich was huge and came with slaw on it which we loved. If in this part of town, this place is worth a visit! read more

Food and service were very good. Overall the breakfast satisfied my cravings. It is your traditional breakfast. The restaurant looked clean and well kept. read more

Max and Benny's Restaurant - Breakfast Two Eggs & Sausage - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

Went there on St. Patrick's Day. The corned beef was tough, Kaiser roll dry!!! I hot the non lean because it's supposed to be more tender. B.s....fatty, toug.h. I'd been there many times before. Horrible! 5 guys sat next to me blurring their phone with music. Older Juveniles. After 3 loud episodes, I has to yell at these idiots. The rudest ppl.. I ordered a brisket to go when I order my corned beef but he never came back with the check or the beef brisket. Finally he says hed be back with check and take out food. Q5 minutes later, Couldn't find the waiter. Manager had to find him. I told him to keep the take out...said they were very busy. NEVER GOING THERE AGAIN!! read more

some of the worst food I ever tasted took the wife out to dinner weather was terrible wanted to stay close to home. no taste whatsoever the soup is loaded with salt mashed potatoes had no taste turkey was dry no taste .i would rather eat at McDonald's then this poison palace. read more

I've heard great things about Max and Bennie's over the years. Growing up outside of York City, deli food is in my blood. I also remember the days when Jewish style delis lined Devon Avenue in Chicago. (And, I miss those days a lot.) I agree with some of the other reviews - I think the Bagel, when it was in Old Orchard, was better. The ambiance is old - it looks like a diner from the 50s. That isn't a bad thing, but the decor is sparse and a little outdated. Their menu has the normal deli staples you would expect. We started with an order of Kasha Varniskas. They were excellent. Most placed I've been to serve this dish with very little flavor. However, this had sauteed onions and most likely they used schmaltz when preparing it. For dinner, we had a turkey Reuben and a corned beef sandwich. Each comes with a pickle and slaw. The slaw was outstanding, the pickle was good. The sandwiches are made in a way that they look huge. But, if you look at the picture of the corned beef, you will notice that it was stuffed to the gills in the middle but devoid of meat as you moved away from the center. However, in fairness, the meat was tasty and very lean. After we ate, we went to the deli/bakery to pick up a few things. Their prices are fairly high so we didn't get a whole lot. They were also out of a number of things we did want - Knishes for example. We took home two enormous stuff cabbages, their last potato Knish, some Halvah (probably the best I've ever had), some challah rolls, and a few other things. We'll probably go back at another time. Max and Bennie's isn't particularly close to our home but (1) there aren't a whole lot of Jewish Delis in and around Schaumburg and (2) we get up that way every month or two. When it's cold, I really want to try one of their soups. They looked very good. read more

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Wanted to try this place since it was near a place I was visiting and I was in the mood for good deli food. I am so glad I tried this place and definitely recommend it! I am a huge fan of deli foods- I love a good lox sandwich, yummy borscht soup, and could eat stuffed cabbage or peppers any day. I was delighted that all of them were on the menu and even more excited about the yummy bread basket that we were given. Food -loved the huge selection. I ordered the borscht soup, stuffed cabbage and door county chicken salad. The soup was cold and delicious but not reminiscent of the Russian-style borscht soup I was thinking of. It comes with sour cream and is amazing. My stuffed cabbage was pretty big but I was expecting more of a tomato-y sauce and more rice in the filling. It was delicious nonetheless. I absolutely loved the door-county chicken salad which had huge chunks of chicken and delicious grapes. My guest ordered a cabbage soup and thought it tasted like candy. He really enjoyed it. I also ordered some food to go which I can't wait to try. I also have to comment that the iced tea is amazing and has great flavor! Service -we had Janice and she was really good. She checked on us, got us our orders and even brought me a paper bag to put all of my to-go boxes in. She was friendly and a great server. The other staff were all very polite and I had a great impression. It was Sunday around noon so I would say there was a ton of foot traffic in the restaurant and accompanying store. I would love to try more and I think I will definitely be back to try the soups. I love that there is a deli with tons of options. I didn't have a chance to peruse the options but I saw that they seemed to carry a ton of cookies and carry-out/freezer options. There is plenty of free parking in the lot and this place is right off the highway. read more

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I go there for other people Nostalgia. Food is dos do . Heartburn guaranties . Over priced

We've been here for dinner a number of times since moving to Northbrook a few years ago and have always had good meals. When I'm sick, it's Max and Benny's matzo ball soup that I crave. The broth is flavorful and the matzo balls are substantial without being heavy. I consistently order the same thing - corned beef on rye - and find the corned beef to be tender and tasty. My husband bounces around the menu more and seems to always find a new gem every time we visit. And, of course, we stop at the bakery on the way out for a cookie or other treats. I recently stopped in looking for sufganiyot during Hanukkah and decided to pick up some bagels and cream cheese. I opted for day old bagels, which were a great bargain and still some of the best bagels I've ever had, and I'm now declaring myself the president of their green onion cream cheese fan club. Luckily, we live close so this is an easy option for us - coming back was never in question but we've added bagels to the list of reasons why! read more