Fat Dan's Deli

I'm a little torn on my Fat Dan's review.  I've been to the new location three times and had three different experiences.  Despite the bad, I keep going back, so they're definitely doing something right!  The first time in was more or less a disaster at the start.  Next door was a 45-minute wait...on a Tuesday night...no thanks.

The food took forever once ordered.  After about 25 minutes, I started to get worried they forgot about us, I mean, how long does two burgers and some fries take when there are less than 15 other people in there?  The guy I believe to have been the manager stopped by and apologized for the delay, telling us the food would be out shortly.  Apparently we have different definitions of "shortly" because it was at least 10 more minutes before we saw any grub.  Obviously not a good start, but the food was great and he offered me a free pint to make up for it.  If I had been bitching, the pint wouldn't have meant as much, but doing it on his own meant a lot.  That's taking care of the customer, IMO.  Wells St. FatBurger was amazing as were the fries (which are all shapes and sizes, showing they actually cut up potatoes to make them).

Second time in, I had the opposite.  Great service, food left much to be desired.  Wells St. was ordered medium and came out something between cold and rare.  Couldn't even finish it.  Had a couple bites of my friend's brisket, which was OK.  Definitely tender and showed they'd taken their time with it, but lacked any real smoke flavor or seasoning.  Some might chalk this up to regional preferences (lived in TX for a while) but to me it tasked more like a really good pot roast than brisket.

Third time was the best of both worlds.  The Wife and I both ordered a simple hot dog with a basket of tots.  I was worried I'd still be hungry, but this isn't a cheap hot dog from "dime a dog" night.  Vienna beef frank really hit the spot and we both left satisfied (insert joke here). In addition to the food, they have Old Style for those who miss the Wrigley outfield bleachers, along with several rotating guest taps.

Like I said, three visits, three different experiences. While Fat Dan's probably won't turn into my favorite place in town, they've kept me coming back, which is what any restaurants should aim to do.

Great addition to the 'hood. The smoker is the key.  Get smoked meat and you won't be disappointed.

Fantastic!  The food was truly authentic chi-town delicious!  The service was fantastic and friendly and exactly what you would want from a neighborhood lunch spot.  So far, I've ordered the beef, pastrami, and the ruben. All were amazing.  A real taste of home.... no ketchup!