Erik’s Deli & Catering

Stopped in for lunch. ordered the Turkey California sandwich and a cup of the barley soup. Both were good and I would definitely order those again. However, I’ll try something new next time as their menu is pretty extensive. They have breakfast and lunch options to choose from. There’s a modern cozy feel with plenty seating. If you’re looking to grab some lunch, check this place out!

I’m shocked at all the bad reviews. This place is 5 star in my opinion (and my husband and kids). The only bad thing about the homemade fries and chips are you have to decide which ones to have (or bargain with your family so you can all share!) I’ve never had a bad sandwich, but my favorite is the Mother Natures Choice. The onion bun and side of honey mustard are great and everything is always very fresh. My husband always tries different items and has liked everything he’s had. The kids menu is great. My kids love the chocolate chip pancake and French toast sticks. The staff is great about working around picky kids too, such as changing the bread choices, etc on the sandwiches. We’ve been coming here for years and love it. We go out of our way to eat here.
The inside is very nice and once again child friendly. You order at the counter but then they bring the food to you which is nice with the kids because you don’t have to balance all the items while directing the kids to a table. My kids love sitting along the long table by the window and watching the trains and busses go by in downtown Oak Park.

This is a Panera wannabe. Side of fruit wasn’t fresh. Tasted frozen. Turkey sandwich made with cheap store type bread. Beef barley soup made with small grains of hamburger with a small amount of tiny tiny vegetables. This wasn’t by the way a cheap place to eat as the single dollar sign shows. If you want similar food hit the Panera west on Lake st. where you can be pretty assured you’ll get quality food and servings.

I was in oak park for an appointment and i was about an hour early so I decided to get dinner.
It was reminiscent of a cafeteria in the ordering/​menu on the wall but it was just your basic restaurant with at the front order and sit down with a number to wait for your food.
I ordered a very basic burger and fries. The fries tasted made-​in-​house and were very good. The burger was just ok.
There was a loud group of families near me all eating together. I was slightly annoyed but it was no fault of Erik’s. Then, one of the kid yells out «CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKE!» to the server setting down their meals and I quickly looked over to the menu on the wall and realize this kid is a freaking genius. On the kid’s menu is a CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKE and this kid had one for dinner. He’s the Real MVP. I could not have been more jealous of anyone at any time.
I may be back next time I’m in oak park for the chocolate chip pancake.

Pretty disappointing lunch. First of all, the menu is either on the wall where it is tucked my several tables so awkward or in small print by the cash register where it is hard to read. Getting through that we ordered a veggie panini, veggie burrito and blt wrap. $ 30 for the three including drinks which is not cheap.
We then waited what seemed like a long, long time for the sandwiches.
I had the burrito which was only ok-​a bit soggy and it tasted more like a veggie wrap than burrito. I could not detect any real Mexican flavor and it was somewhat tasteless. The blt wrap was a bit better with lots of bacon but didn’t taste great. Finally the veggie panini was also fine but not special.
They claim the homemade chips are famous and that may be the case but not for either taste or crispness. The fries tasted good but we’re a bit limp and soggy.
I think we will head elsewhere on our next Oak Park visit.

I stopped in because of all the good reviews. I ordered a corn beef sandwich on rye with mustard. I was asked what veggie fillers I wanted. I said none. I simply wanted a good old corn beef sandwich. What I got were two thin pieces of corn beef in between two bulk side pieces of bread. I was so shocked I decided right then that I would never support this establishment again. Do they not know what constitutes a corn beef sandwich? Even if you go to any neighborhood diner they pile on the corn beef about 2 inches high. A corn beef sandwich does not include filler to achieve the 2 inch affect. I have never stepped foot in this establishment again. If they are serving these types of sandwiches, I don’t get how they stay open. You’re better off buying corn beef from your grocery store and making it yourself. The poorest sandwich making I’ve ever seen. Unless you want a salad included in your sandwich.

So this is right in our neighborhood and in over a year I’ve never been… Until last weekend. We gave it a shot, why not?
The sandwiches were really tasty, it was shockingly spacious inside and child-​friendly. They had several families there with the little ones and plenty of menu options to keep them happy.
I give them credit, the prices are way way affordable and like I said, It’s really yummy! It’s not fancy so I wouldn’t plan on it being much more than a very tasty lunch or dinner… They do breakfast but I don’t know much about that, it was a smaller menu.
Anyway, you’ll enjoy their menu items — fresh, delicious and affordable.

The taco salad had absolutely no taste. I don’t think chili beans should be in taco salad either. The bowl was bland and the rest of the salad was soggy and tasted horrible. #disappointed

I gave this deli the benefit of the doubt and returned today. I met up with a friend who had the day off since she works for the State of IL. This time I ordered the Chicken Panino sandwich with a choice of fries, fruit or chips. I opted for the fruit. The chicken sandwich was stuffed with red peppers and melted mozzarella cheese. It was overloaded with red peppers and not a lot of chicken breast. Although it was a big sandwich it was bland. Please season the chicken breast with something. My rating for the sandwich, 3-​stars. The fruit was out of season and wasn’t ripe enough, so I barely ate the mixed fruit. It came in a very tiny container. Fruit rating, 2 stars. Yes, it is «Panino» and not «Panini.» Panino means ONE sandwich and is the singular version whereas Panini is the plural (more than one sandwich).
This deli used to be excellent and serve high quality food. Maybe there is a new owner, so the quality here is 3-​stars. I also had a small cup of wild rice chicken soup. It wasn’t super salty but had a well-​balanced flavor. There were 5 or 6 pieces of real chicken breast, but no carrots or celery and barely any rice. The soup, 2-​stars. The restaurant was freezing cold (maybe they forgot to pay the heating bill) and I couldn’t wait to leave. Also, there were some 4 and 5 year-​old kids in the restaurant (school holiday) who were somewhat behaved until the last 15-​minutes that we were there. They started to get a bit bored, cranky and started screaming at some point. I like kids a lot and don’t mind kids in a restaurant, but once they start to misbehave, it is time for the parents to pull that child away in a private corner and have a talk with that child (or leave the restaurant all together).
At that point, I wanted to get the «F» out of there! I gave this place a second chance, but there will be no third chance or any other time for that matter. My total came to $ 11 and change. Parking is not easy in this area either. Make sure you have a roll of quarters with you, because two quarters will only give you 30-​minutes. Oak Park is behind the times when it comes to parking. Get rid of those freakin’ meters and have a «Pay to Park» box instead.

I am a life long Oak Parker, my family has been going to Erik’s since the 80s. To me, they can do no harm. I love salads and the French Chicken (not on the new menu but they will make it for you) is my favorite sandwich. I am a huge fan of fries but I get their homemade chips which are delicious! This is a great stop for residents and tourists alike!

The size of the Caesar salad was substantial and the to-​go container it was in was adequate (hate it when the lettuce falls out all over the place)…the split pea soup was pretty good too and service was quick.

Boo! Service sucks. The guy who took my order was rude and spewed out answers to my questions as if it was the most obvious thing. and is also super slow for takeout. Been waiting for 15 min and still no food.

I met a friend at Erik’s Deli to catch up for a bit. It is a very wide open space with plenty of seating. There was hardly anybody in there, so I was a bit nervous about eating at this place.
It was alright, nothing too special. I got the chicken panini, which was supposed to have garlic mayo. When I see the words «garlic mayo» on a menu, I’m expecting a strong flavor, however, I did not get any garlic taste in this sandwich. The chicken was good, all white breast meat, the roasted peppers were good too, but the peppers were really the only flavor I tasted in the entire sandwich. The chips I got as a side were pretty decent, made fresh and came with a side of sour cream for dipping, which I appreciated.
I would maybe give this place another chance since the food came out fairly quickly, but there needs to be more flavor in the sandwiches, or at least in the chicken panini.

Came here today and was pretty underwhelmed. Erik’s doesn’t have the best reputation in Oak Park, and I don’t believe I have been here since it changed management years ago. Thought I’d give it another try. Got the club croissant with a side of fries. The croissant wasn’t flakey or croissant like in anyway besides (kind of) the shape. The ingredients were sloppily put in, and not very fresh tasting. Pretty overpriced too. The fries were good. Not spectacular, but good. I will no longer wonder why there’s never a crowd here.

I’ve been wanting to try this place out for awhile since I moved into the area. My friends went there a week before I did and thought it was good — they had lots of options. My husband and I came here on a Friday evening for dinner. It wasn’t too busy. we strolled in after 630pm, but it started getting busy around 730pm. I guess that is dinner time for most people in this area.
They do have lots of options on their menu. I feel they are trying to be like Jason’s Deli. but Jason’s Deli is better than this place. I ordered the BBQ Chicken panini along with a bowl of clam chowder soup. My husband ordered their grilled steak burrito. Bad idea to order burrito at a deli place.
My BBQ chicken panini was really good. I enjoyed it. It came with fries, and both my husband and I really enjoyed the fries. My husband’s burrito was not good. you can tell by looking at it too. The shell was very thick. and it just didn’t taste like a good burrito. Go figure. The bowl of clam chowder soup was thick… doesnt seem homemade to me, but not going to complain.
Lots of seats. pretty cool place, decent food. An average deli place.

A decent no frills sandwich shop in oak park. Place is pretty big and well maintained — definitely tons of seating. There’s a lot of food items to choose from here and I decided on a pita that came with apples, chicken, greens, bacon and avocado. The menu didn’t say anything about my food coming with a side dish but I was given homemade chips at no charge. The bacon in my sandwich was crisp with little fat and my chicken was warm. The sauce was this thick garlic dip that was deemed Russian dressing. It definitely wasn’t like any Russian dressing I’ve had in the past. also wasn’t too sure what the apples were doing in the wrap. Solid sandwich though!

I grew up in Oak Park so I’ve been to Erik’s dozens of times growing up… after sports games, plays, and any other community event. This place was always packed after those types of events and during weekend brunch. The food was never 5-​star quality but it was always good comfort food and they had amazing homemade chips. But the décor definitely needed an update back in the 90’s — not that it really mattered. Business was great.
I moved back to Oak Park a few years ago and Erik’s is still here. It’s since changed owners. The décor has been updated to a more contemporary décor but it doesn’t work. The walls are way too dark and it looks a little dingy because of it. The menu is pretty much the same but the homemade chips are a little soggier in general and not nearly as good as before. For better or worse, the menu items taste the same and the few additions they have made to it aren’t doing anything to help.
Unlike in the past, this is not my go-​to place for good comfort food nor is it the community’s. I haven’t seen more than 10 people here at any given time the few times I have grabbed a bite here recently.

The soup here is amazing. Its a very Jason’s Deli like atmosphere (WITHOUT THE FREE ICE CREAM).
I was disappointed by the reuben. It was nothing to write home about, but other dishes are apparently well worth going for. I am going to give this place another shot in the future simply because of the soup.
Its filled with families/​strollers/​loud children on the weekend so if that bothers you, forget about this place.

Went to Erik’s for the first time in several years — in fact, probably a couple of decades. So it’s a few owners detached from the original and at least 2 remodels — one of which was fairly recent. Stopped in to pick up some lunch to go.
Ended up doing the build your own sandwich — a roast beef. It was OK, but nothing really special. One of the things that might have added some zip to it would have been something other than mayo on the sandwich — maybe a horseradish sauce or funky mustard instead. Not sure if they had those or not, but if they do, it’s not listed in that area of the menu.
They don’t really have a great process for to-​go items — you get a number and wait at a table as if you were going to eat there. Seems to me that if they plan on doing any kind of to-​go volume, they’d be best off coming up with a different wait strategy — just my 2 cents.
While I was sitting there, I also felt as if the place lacked something. The remodel looks nice and all, but the restaurant lacked energy or atmosphere.
All in all, it’s OK, but not enough setting it apart to make the 4 of 5 star level.

I returned to Erik’s a second time and got «The Pita.» It was really, really unique and yummy. I liked the combination of chicken strips, bacon, and crisp apple slices. What I didn’t like were pieces of chicken grissle that I had to pick out of my mouth (yuck!).
Besides that, the service was the same as before. Unenthusiastic employees weren’t very helpful in my menu selection. Furthermore, I now noticed that the menu is really annoying. It’s on the wall by some tables instead of behind the counter. I had to step away from the counter to determine what I wanted (the wall menu has descriptions whereas the small printed one by the register was only names and prices).
As a result, I’m keeping my rating the same. The Pita is really good though (just chew with care).