Belden Deli

So not surprised that this place has been put out of its misery.

Just informed by Groupon that the Belden Deli is now CLOSED.
Wish I’d tried the place since it was THE place to hang out on Friday nights after the bars during the 80’s. Oh well… :(

Here’s the short version: Slow service. Bad food. Waste of money.
I have nothing good to say about this place. Ordered food to go and it took FOREVER.
Upon eating, we were disappointed to discover the food we had waited so long for was terrible. I had a turkey sandwich on an everything bagel– the turkey was dry and awful, the bagel was bad bad bad, and the lettuce and tomato were sad and not at all fresh. The worst part was the pickle, although technically it shouldn’t be called a pickle. It was as if it hadn’t fully pickled and was stuck somewhere between a cucumber and a pickle. Ick. My boyfriend had a Reuben and wasn’t pleased with his meal either.
I can deal with slow service, if the food is great, but that’s not the case at Belden Deli. Don’t waste your time.

Last week, I returned to the Belden Deli for the first time since my first visit. As you can see, things didn’t go so well the first time around. At the time I posted my review, the owner sent me a message here on Unilocal that «addressed» my issues. I use quotes because he didn’t fix anything or make any attempt to solve anything. He just repeated my gripes and made jokes about them. (He also never acknowledged my being overcharged. I sure hope they fixed that one…)
Anyway, I got the Reuben again because I had a craving. This time I knew it would be an open-​faced sandwich but IT’S STILL NOT LISTED IN THE OPEN-​FACED SECTION OF THE MENU! Why would you have an open-​faced section of the menu, then have open-​faced sandwiches not listed in that section? Again, from experience I knew this was coming but A) I’m not the only person to complain about this and B) You have had time to fix this.
It’s like, if you had a globe and chose to color all of the U.S. pink except you colored Illinois blue. It’s mislabeled for no reason.
The owner’s response to this (back in June) was as follows:
«Let’s get to the „meat“ of your beef: Open faced reuben. I know I know, it seem sacriligious to do so, but we have half a pound of hot corned beef on that sandwich. Combine that with wet kraut and you are asking for a sandwich that will be falling apart in your hands. Open faced is a fork and knife venture, and with the swiss cheese melted under the broiler to finish it, damn that is a great sandwich!»
Great. I’m aware of what I received and why it came that way. I just didn’t know (at the time) it was going to come that way.
Regardless, I got the Reuben and let me say, it was decent. I still like to be able to pick up my sandwiches, but for a pile of meat and cheese that I ate with a fork, it wasn’t awful. That said, they can probably save themselves some money by not even giving out bread with the sandwich. It’s soggy to the point of pointless.
The pickle… oof…awful. I think it was pickled in foot juice. It smelled awful and tasted worse. (Yes, I know, «Why did you try it, Steve?» «Well, because pickles can be great.» This one wasn’t.)
Points for the coleslaw however.
Based on many other reviews, one of my biggest concerns going back was that my sandwich was going to take a while despite the place being empty at 2 in the afternoon. Watching the guy at the cold-​station text the whole time I was there didn’t exactly boost my confidence. However the sandwich came out in under ten minutes (because it was clearly made elsewhere).
Anyway, it’s unlikely I’ll be back in the next months. Unless the reviews (by people who have written more than just one review that’s a 5 star review for this place — come on, BD, Unilocalers aren’t stupid) skyrocket in the near future, I’ll find my Reubens elsewhere.
If you want to fix the review, fix the problems.

So it’s been 3 months or so since this place opened and admittedly I have dined in 4 times since my last review.
Although the service and portions have improved, the food is still too bland and a little expensive for just grabbing a quick bite. $ 13 for sandwich and drink.
The only real bright spot is the breakfast which is actually tasty and a decent value.
I don’t hate you Belden Deli but I always keep you at arms length. You are there when I want to stay close to home. Above all your physical location is the reason for my patronage.

I was so excited to find this place — a full scale diner/​deli a few blocks from my place with the only notification of its existence being a poster-​board advertizing a breakfast special.
After walking in, I was impressed with the cleanliness of the place and amazed at the number of staff for what looked liked a pretty empty place. I counted no fewer than 8 people working there, but unfortunately, this seemed like a case of ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’.
We walked right up to the counter and placed an order. Simple stuff — egg and cheese bagels, and then proceeded to wait. And wait. And wait. Others came and went. Yet still we waited. Eventually, I had to go and ask them where the food was and they said «let me just go and check up on that for you». I just hate it when they make it seem like it was being worked on the whole time, lovingly being prepared to ensure exquisite goodness, when really, it is just a forgotten order. Admit your mistakes, apologize, make it right and move on.
Eventually when the bagel came, its accompaniment, the home fries, were missing. The bagel left and the home fries arrived. Then, the home fries left and eventually returned, as ordered, with the bagel.
The food was fine, the experience has a long way to go.

Unfortunately the deli choices in the Chicago area are becoming increasingly slim.
One of my first jobs many years ago was working at Sol’s Delicatessen in Skokie so I may be a little more critical. The pastrami on rye was dry, the meat sliced too thick and it wasn’t warm. The cole slaw is very good though. The management here should probably take a field trip to Manny’s.
I really really wanted Belden Deli to deliver for convenience and because good deli is
one of my guilty pleasures. Sadly no compelling reason to return.

Egg, bacon, cheese sandwich on a bagel with a drink for $ 3.95? This a dream for both my wallet and my hangover.
You will be hard-​pressed to find this good of a breakfast deal anywhere else in Lincoln Park. The opening of a Jewish deli mere blocks from my residence is absolutely thrilling. Everyone I bring here has loved their menu choice, ranging from Reuben, to bagel and lox, to egg salad sandwich.
I think they still need to work out a few kinks… for example, I was with three other people and all of our dishes came out at very different times even though we ordered one right after the other. Maybe they should switch to giving each table one number. I bought a Groupon here and am definitely looking forward to purchasing some of their deli items and salads!

The entrance on Clark was a little misleading and I was afraid it was closed. It’s not the true store front… you have to go through the lobby to the store front inside. If you park in the lot behind the building you could enter directly into the deli from the outside.
We went on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and it wasn’t very busy. The menu text posted on the wall is SO tiny I don’t know how the average person reads it and I have slightly better than ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision. We ordered from the paper to-​go menu’s and placed our order. Almost $ 20 for two of us… at a deli!?! Surprise #1
I had the Turkey Ruben. Despite the fact that it’s not listed in the open face deli favorites section on their menu, it was served open faced. Surprise #2. The Ruben was a huge disappointment. Served on a big slice of marble rye bread there was a fair amount of turkey but even MORE sauerkraut. And this sauerkraut wasn’t fresh or seasoned or anything really. It literally tasted like it was taken straight from a can and slopped on top. Surprise #3. For a $ 9.50 sammy I was expecting much more than a slice of bread topped with some meat and a can of soggy sauerkraut on top. The hubby’s BBQ chicken sandwich wasn’t any more exciting than BBQ on chicken between the buns.
Pricey & bland, blah food.

I am a Fan of Belden Deli.
For a few reasons.
Great Customer Service, Great Food,
A great Corned Beef Sandwich which is what I came in for.
And. a phenominal, huge sandwich it was, piled high
between 2 pieces of rye bread.:)
I was just going to leave with that but then I saw they had
potato pancakes and I did get one of those.
And. okay. I also left with this upside down Chocolate
Marshmallow Cupcake.
And. all my friends and family know I love my Marshmallows
however I can get them.:)
But. this place. I love it!
It looks like a deli, but. we are in Lincoln Park so it
is a Trendy/​Hip Place.
They have a great menu with many different options.
Bagels, Sandwiches, Soups and other various deli like items.
I saw a sign on the counter which said after 5pm bagels were/​are
half price. nice concept. I like this!
Prices are comparable to other trendy spots in Lincoln Park.
.
Boy, I’m so glad I came in here today, I was out at the zoo seeing my
favorite animals, except. I could’nt find my favorite polar bears.
And. okay. that bummed me out. And then that damn Air and Water Show
is going on out at the lake this week-​end and those damn pilots were
showing off flipping their planes above my head.
And. I do apologize to the world famous Blue Angels
for the diss.:)
So. I ran into Belden Deli to get away from the noise those
showoffs were making up in the sky.
Really glad I came in here.
Got my Corned Beef Sandwich Fix.
But. more importantly. got my Marshmallow fix.:)
It’s been a good day.:)
Belden Deli, Thank You.
You’ve got a friend in me.:)

Good value for your $$.
Jerry Reinsdorf aka «The Chairman» — the open knish is shockingly good when I am used to a small piece from a NY push cart. Generous portions of corn beef with great meat marbling and heated on the grill just right. The perfect drizzle of mustard brings out the flavor. For $ 8.95, the dish is good for 2.
Potato Pancake — my first where I find it flavorful. No apple sauce needed.
Hopel Poppel — generous chunks of salami that is appreciated by a non-​salami eater. Green Peppers were nicely substituted by mushrooms.

This place is amazing!!! Finally a real New York style deli in Chicago. Delicious. My husband and I tried it out the other night and we were blown away by both sandwiches we had — the John Kass and the roasted turkey. I hope more people find this little hidden gem because it is such a gift to the neighborhood.
I haven’t been this excited about a new place in awhile! YUM

Ok, just as many of the «true» posts on the Belden Deli Unilocal site claim, I went back. This time however my wife went into the restaurant for me while I sat outside and observed a random act of kindness from a stranger helping out a homeless lady across the street. Very nice.
Unfortunately the plain everything bagel toasted with chive cream cheese took about 20 – 25 minutes, but it was good.
Does it seem odd to you that the reviews are completely binary for the Belden Deli? Some say how the sandiches are piled high with meat, others say the sandwiches are a joke. Go there and provide your honest feedback here.

Visit today for a late lunch was a success. My friend had a pastrami sandwich stacked high with meat, which he pronounced «just fine.» My cobb salad was more than I could eat, and the extra dressing I requested was brought super quick. Split pea soup was old-​fashioned style wallpaper-​paste thick, just the way I like it; wish it had some ham in it, but this is a Jewish deli after all. At 3.95 the generous serving of soup seemed reasonably priced. Our lunch for two was $ 20 (no purchased beverages), not cheap for lunch, but about right for this type of food. My one service related suggestion is to have staff rove the dining room a bit. I had to go hunt somebody down to get a box to take home my extra salad. Delivery to the neighborhood would be nice.

Yummy. Delicious. So Good. And the bagels are new york bagels. Not only does your mouth water at all the menu items but the place is simple. I wasn’t expecting a counter deli style, but I actually enjoyed it.
I got a bagel with lox. You have 2 options, nova or regular. The nova lox is fabulous. You get everything lox has to offer accept the salt. My sister got lox and eggs, one of her friends got Challah french toast, and her other friend got an egg, cheese, and bagel sandwich. Everything was great and I can’t wait to go back.
The staff is super friendly and the restaurant is clean/​spotless.
I look forward to trying all the soups once summer is over.

Great spot! Amazing food, new York deli bagels. Clean nice spot for breakfast or lunch. Nom Nom. And the people who work there are nice! When I went there the place was practically empty so if you are looking for the busy sunday chicago brunch ambiance this might not be it but if you want a quiet clean and delicious place to eat you’ve found your spot.

My friend and I were not too impressed with the Belden Deli. For me, I found two weaknesses — one with the food and the second with the service. First the food, to me, was bland. I had ordered the corned beef with mustard on an open knish with grilled onions thinking mmmm good taste. But I had to get salt and pepper to help.
Second — Is that a robot behind the counter taking orders? And we were practically the only customers there, yet our orders didn’t come in a timely manner. It must be «growing pains». However there is a GREAT Jewish deli in town located near Columbia College. I think I’ll make the trip there next time.

They sell frosted cookies topped with frowny faces! I felt like buying one for the owners, ‘cuz that’s how I felt as I left this time.
After my first visit, I posted a picture of the skimpy «Ernie Banks» sandwich they gave me. That sandwich was a true embarrassment. My pic of the sandwich was taken down by Unilocal for being «outside the content guidelines.» How can a truthful picture of a nearly meatless sandwich be offensive… unless you’re the guy who paid for it?
But when I saw a $ 5 off $ 10+ Unilocal check-​in offer, I decided to give Belden another whirl. I walked in and ordered the exact same thing. And the sandwich was much different.
It was *loaded* with corned beef AND pastrami, just like it’s supposed to be. The meats on my second visit were tasty, fresh, and great all around. In retrospect, I’m certain that my first visit’s sandwich had no pastrami – and it barely had any corned beef.
After that much-​improved experience, I went back a bunch of times in the course of a week and things were going great… Until today, when BD introduced a «new menu» (uh…you’ve only been open 5 weeks!) that eliminates their «large» sandwich option. So, now, the skimpy sandwich I was served originally has once again become the norm.
Taking advantage of the Unilocal!offer ($ 5 off $ 10 or more) brings their prices to a reasonable level, but do NOT pay full price here. Ever.
So…Three Stars with the Unilocal discount. But only one star without.

I, like many others in the neighborhood, waited for Belden Deli’s opening day with anticipation. A deli open for breakfast right around the corner from my condo? On MY side of Clark St. Sign me UP!
And then I stopped in. *insert scratching vinyl sound here*
Visit #1 (opening week): The long line was moving slowly so I thought, meh, no worries — I’d come back in a couple of weeks and try again when the hooplah died down.
Visit #2 (last night after 11 hours at work): The line wasn’t nearly as long so I decided to stay.
My order: Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwich (low fat)
The Price: Just a few pennies shy of $ 11
$ 11??? For a sandwich? True story, my friends. I made the «huh?» face but thought «oh well, maybe it comes with chips and a small fountain soda or something. So I seated myself and waited for my food to arrive. And when it did? Huh. This was a cold sandwich with a pickle spear and a plastic ramiken of cole slaw that I didn’t eat. The chicken salad *was* tasty but come on, it’s chicken salad! Not worth $ 11. That was, at best, a $ 6 sandwich.
Something that ticked me off in retrospect: at the entrance, there are framed menus from The Stage and Carnegie’s (two very popular delis in NYC if you’ve never been). I’ve been to Carnegie’s. The Stage was one of my favourite delis in the ‘80s. Belden Deli, don’t put up that kind of wall art unless you can deliver… and you’ve got a long way to go.
I’ll probably go back in a couple of weeks to see if their $ 5.75 2 egg breakfast is any better. But I promise you, if they have the audacity to charge $ 5.75 for nothing but 2 eggs, I’ll be sure to let everyone know.

Eh, I’ll try it again in a couple of weeks once the kinks are hopefully worked out.
Overpriced for the most part. My sandwich was bare-​bones and dull, and my friend’s order came out 15 minutes after mine because, admittedly, the staff was new and they allegedly messed it up the first time.
Went back this AM for some bagels and was repeatedly asked simple questions like «toasted?» «wait, for here?» «I’m sorry, what spread did you want on them again?:» I get they’re new, but come on. Bagels? I should have stopped at Panera or Einsteins.
This old commercial spot is tough. You have to make people WANT to go here since its nondescript, off the path, and decidedly uninviting based on the appointment of the retail space itself. So hopefully the kinks work out.
I’ll try again in a couple of weeks. Hopefully things are streamlined by then, and I’ll revise appropriately.