It’s tough tackling an institution. And Manny’s is certainly that. One of the few remaining Jewish delis in Chicago, it continues to draw mobs of fans. On weekends the lines twist out the door and onto the sidewalk, and the two spartan dining rooms are filled with customers chowing down on knishes, kreplach and corned beef.
The mob scene, the wait, the surly countermen, the heavy Jewish specialties are all part of the scruffy charm. If only the food consistently matched Manny’s popular reputation.
The heaping plates and the huge number of choices seem to outweigh quality considerations with fans. But that quality is hit and miss.
Daily specials are numerous. When you walk in, take time to check the wall-sized neon menu facing the door-those are the dishes lurking in steam-table troughs down the cafeteria line. Ignore the extensive lists on the menu above the counter. Many of those dishes (such as stuffed green peppers, Salisbury steak, stuffed cabbage, roasted tongue, short ribs, franks and beans or barbecued beef) are not available on every day, which can lead to frustrating exchanges with impatient “linesmen.”
“Next!” they holler. “Move on!” “Anyone want a sandwich? Then get down here!”
Yes, if you are not interested in steam-table specials, you can move around the line to the sandwich area. Or should we say, to the mountains of meat in the guise of sandwiches? Brisket, pastrami, corned beef … Each towers 5 inches or more.
These temples of shaved meats are crowned with your choice of bread from kaiser rolls to assorted ryes. Two hefty kosher dill spears hide under each sandwich, and for 50 cents extra, a large, crisp potato pancake perches alongside.
The Reuben’s stack of flavorful corned beef carries a mere wisp of sauerkraut and a thin slice of Swiss cheese ($7.45). Kraut lovers, forget it. The Thousand Island dressing comes in a plastic cup on the side, a nice touch for dieters, but with this much beef, no dieter should even look at this sandwich.
The pastrami sandwich ($6.75) mounds plenty of lean meat that’s spiced heavily with black pepper, allspice and other pickling spices on excellent caraway rye, which tries to hold it all together, to no avail.
The best soup is the rich chicken broth ($2.65), topped with either a giant, yet amazingly tender, matzo ball that almost fills the bowl or kreplach, delicious meat-filled dumplings.
Mushroom barley soup ($2.65), a special on Wednesdays and Saturdays, comes thick as oatmeal, with overcooked barley and few mushrooms. The only seasoning seemed to be some chopped onion.
The knish ($2.95) is listed as a side dish. Don’t believe it. It is 4 inches in diameter, shaped like an overgrown hockey puck: a meal in itself. Its flavorful mashed potato “crust” holds minced beef that tastes like hash, a bit dry, but good. Ask them to hold the cornstarch-heavy beef gravy, which adds nothing to the flavor.
Daily hot side dishes ($2.95 for small or $4.95 for large) include noodles and cheese, spaghetti, kasha and noodles or macaroni and cheese. A selection of typical cafeteria salads ($1.95 to $7.95) and cold sides (60 cents to $3.95) awaits at the end of the line-potato salad, coleslaw, cottage cheese, green salad, Jell-O. Sodas include that deli favorite, Dr. Brown’s ($1.35).
For dessert, the carrot cake ($2.25) contains larger chunks of carrots than most, attractively dotting the spicy cake. Frosting thickly separates the layers. Bread pudding ($1.75) is a strange orange color, but it has a good custard flavor enhanced with golden raisins. A daily selection of pies, Eli’s cheesecake and puddings also lines the shelves, but trust me: You’ll be too full to even think about dessert.
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Manny’s Coffeeshop
(Two forks)
1141 S. Jefferson St.
312-939-2855
Hours: 5 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
Closed Sun.
Credit cards: Major credit cards for takeout orders only
Ratings: 4 forks: Top of the class
3 forks: Better than most
2 forks: Very good fare
1 fork: Middle of the road
Reviews are based on anonymous visits by Tribune staff members. The meals are paid for by the Tribune.
