Jake’s Deli

Downgrading one star. Ive noticed Jakes is inconsistent.
Sometimes its perfect, sometimes it is DRY, and today, it was rubber. Additionally they dont charge me the same price fornthe same thing everytime, $ 3 diderence depending on who it is.
All it takes is a new customer a visit when ita dry or rubber to think thats what it always is
Get your ceap together Jakes

Was looking for something to eat in the food court. I chose Jake’s because it had the shortest line honestly. Was pretty decent though. God sandwich. Not like it is in Chicago or NY but not bad either. WIll definitely try the one on North ave based on the overall glowingly positive reviews.

The most fatty overlooked corned beef sandwich I have ever had. Even Arby’s has a better Rueben. I have gone to the original location in the past and stopped because of the rough hood and employee attitudes.
How to ruin a great brand

A lunch time staple for anyone who works within walking distance of the grand avenue mall. Fresh made pastrami and other smoked and braised meats. My personal favorite is the pastrami dip which comes on a pretzel bun and a cup of au jour to dip the whole sandwich on. This sandwich is a bit on the small side and seems to have a premium price, even though it’s smaller than their typical fare.

Do yourself a favor and drive a little further to the original Jake’s location on North Ave. You’ll have a much better experience and the food is so much better in quality. The only reason I came to this location is because I was desperate for a pastrami sandwich and chicken noodle soup but the original location is closed on Sundays. I definitely learned my lesson — always go to the main location. It’s not that the food is bad here, it just isn’t as good as I’ve come to expect from Jake’s.

I went to your Grand Ave location today prior to the lunch rush. The service was GREAT! However, the sandwich was HORRIBLE, not at ALL like countless sandwiches I’ve had before. It felt like I was chewing an undercooked point-​cut brisket, and had I not been at my desk TRYING to eat this sliced rubber sandwich I certainly would’ve given the sandwich back after the first bite! I didn’t even make it halfway through before I tossed it! I WILL be calling later this afternoon, that sandwich was HORRIBLE.

Amazing sandwiches and high quality meat… I’m not sure what they put in their potato salad, but I’m obsessed with it. I love when you order, you get a pickle. Any place that gives you a pickle with your sandwich, is okay with me. My only serious criticism… If you say you have homemade chips, then have them. Lays brand does not constitute for homemade.

Went to go with a friend to try the «Big Momma Challenge» but they only do it at their North Ave location and they recommend calling in advance to set it up. So we didn’t get to try it but I did get to try the PHILLY CORNED BEEF and it was good. Not knock my socks off good and was very salty. But I will say they piled so much meat into that bun it was enough for two meals. I will defiantly try it again but maybe something without corned beef.

Stop in for a sandwich here if you’re in the downtown area. It will definitely be worth your while! Try the Reuben or the pastrami dip. Yum.

I’ll try anything once for a Unilocal review :)
I didn’t pack a lunch today so figured I’d try Jakes as I have been wanting to check them out for awhile. They add a diverse lunch option to the mall food court which is cool, instead of all these chain places. I inquired about the lunch special ($ 6.99 for ½ sandwich, chips, drink) and was told it was discontinued. Dang. I could still do a combo, but (of course!) its more expensive now — close to $ 9. Ok — fine, I really wanted to try their Reuben. I should have asked for extra lean, but figured to order it ‘straight up’ for the full effect. The sandwich (lite size) came on two small rye rounds that you would have find at the end of your bread aka the heels. I selected ¼ lb potato salad and then a drink. As far as taste goes, the meat was amazing — juicy, seasoned and quite tasty. Again — if you do not like fat, order extra lean. I ended up picking apart my sandwich a bit. It was gone in 4 bites — so do not expect a big portion if you go with a small (lite) size. The potato salad was missing something. It almost seemed too watery, as if they did this on purpose for weight/​portions to stretch the food further. More mustard or onion, please. Tasted like something I’d get at a generic grocery store or food service bulk packi, not a real deli. I enjoyed the meal, and I understand the cuts of meat are expensive, prepared kosher /​special — but I feel for the price, I should get a little better value for the money. I would be willing to check them out for another menu offering, but would have to be in the mood — definitely not a weekly trip type of place for me.

One word: delicious! I had the grilled corn beef sandwich. It was grilled to prefection! The corn beef was cooked perfect!
My only issue is there really isn’t a affordable combo meal. Although the sandwich is worth the price.

Deli deli deli DELI! After a friend sent me a great video about the origin of New York style deli restaurants, I had a hankering for some corned beef or some pastrami or maybe, if I was truly lucky, a proper Reuben sandwich. So here’s Jake’s to the rescue.
Get past the fact that they’re in a mall food court and it’s not that great a mall. These sandwiches are made to order and the meat is sliced seconds before it’s put on your grilled sourdough, spread with Russian dressing, shmeared with kraut and then wrapped up to go.
Do yourself a favor and skip the regular fountain drinks. Get yourself a Doctor Browns. It’s the right way to roll.

Pastrami dog. Even though it felt like my heart was stopping, it was in passiony meat overload. This is an indulger“s wet dream

Good News! Jake’s has moved in to the Villa Pizza location in the food court. How does this affect you, you ask?
Along with the move, they’ve also upgraded to the full menu! So you can get your pastrami, your extra lean corned beef, the Jake Special, the Reuben? Anything your corned beef loving heart desires. And now that summer has –FINALLY– arrived, take your sammich out onto the deck and enjoy the view looking down 3^rd toward the Old German Beer Hall…(Mmmm Beeeeeer Halll)
The extra space means more employess, and quicker service! Get your Jake’s fix ON — any day of the week. I just hope your boss doesn’t mind if you show up from lunch with sauerkraut on your shirt.

This is Jake’s second location. It is on the second floor of The Shops of Grand Avenue. It is a walk-​up counter. There are a few tables and benches right in front of the storefront. I’m sure there is plenty of seating elsewhere in the «mall.»
I wanted a Reuben sandwich. I was told that the Reuben is not on the menu because they did not have a grill. That’s a little strange to me – why don’t you have a grill? But they very nicely offered to make me a Reuben sandwich with non-​grilled bread. The corned beef is crazy good. It was tender and had great flavor and texture. It was also quite fatty. The menu online (for the original location) indicates that there is an «extra-​lean» corned beef option. I don’t remember seeing that here at the second location (but I may have missed it). The sauerkraut had a good flavor – not overpowering. The cheese was fine – I wish the sandwich had been grilled so the cheese was melted. They use a hefty, but not obscene, amount of corned beef. The bread was torn up by the time I was half-​way through the sandwich. The bread would have been able to handle the contents of the sandwich better had it been grilled. I also got a side of potato salad; it was fine, nothing out of the ordinary. I paid about $ 11 for the sandwich (which comes with a pickle) and the potato salad – a little more than I was expecting to spend.
I would go back (probably to the original location) for the corned beef; it is among the best I’ve ever had.

I went on a long walk today during my lunch hour with the intent of only getting some items from the Walgreen’s at Grand Avenue since it is cold and snowy. However, since I had not been in the mall since 2006, I decided to take a look around. As soon as I made a right turn out of the drug store, my face lit up and I got all giddy inside because I saw the name Jakes! Was it fate? I think so because I was mighty hungry, and it would have been a waste of a walk if I did not at least get something to eat.
I hopped on the escalator, and rode it to the second floor. Once I walked in front of the counter, I noticed the menu was smaller than the North Avenue location. That was not a problem for me. all I wanted was Turkey Pastrami! I ordered the Turkey Pastrami with brown mustard and a bag of chips. I left and walked back to work to savor my sandwich. Then it hit me. I forgot the damn cheese! Either way, the sandwich hit the spot. Jake’s is an institution in Milwaukee. The preparation of all meats is done well regardless of location. If you work downtown and need a good sandwich, go here.
So…this means I have to walk back there on Monday! Ha!

I wanted to LOVE this place because I’ve been to the original Jake’s on North and loved it… since I work downtown it’s within walking distance. I got a turkey sandwich and my co-​worker got a corned beef and we split them. The turkey was good, actual shaved turkey breast, but nothing amazing. The corned beef was SUPER fatty — I know that’s where the flavor comes from, but, there were literal chunks of fat… made me a little sick too eat. I’ll give it another try, but at a little over $ 8 for just a sandwich, the next time better be better!!!

Somewhere out there someone had the idea of adding another food venture to this mall. Out of all the new places to go in this one may be up there in terms of the best. But let’s be honest Grand Ave has a long way to go.
Don’t be confused as this eatery is not on the third floor with the other eateries. This is located on the second floor closer to Boston Store and Payless (at the time of this review).
The menu is smaller and consists of the usual fare (Corned Beef, Pastrami). The corned beef was good. It was cooked well and was thick. what do you want me to say? It’s a corned beef sandwich.
The place is smaller in size and a wait will usually develop as they seem to be staffed rather thin. In a rush? Don’t go at peak hours. Actually it’s rather easy to tell if you are in a rush because of the odd location. You will see people crowded in the area as there is no real wait place and the line will jam up the walkways.
In the mall this is one of the better options to eat.

So, the kitchen here can’t be strictly-​speaking kosher and the mall can only provide so much ambiance. But damn if the food doesn’t hit the spot.
The menu at Grand Ave location is the limited to the favorites: pastrami, salami, corned beef, and a couple variations. Any of these classics is a huge leap above what you’ll get at the food court one floor up. There’s not much on the menu above $ 10, and you’re sure to find it worth every penny.
I used to confine my trip to Grand Ave to when a blizzard would hit and the covered skywalks made it the only option, but there’s finally a reason to walk to Grand Ave anytime. If you work around here go get your butt over to Jake’s already.