JB's Deli

Not the first time I've been in, but it has been a while though.

Ordered a Reuben.

Now, I have a particular LOVE for a good REUBEN sandwich and I can't explain it. It's really NOT that complicated of a sandwich: Corned Beef on Rye with Sauerkraut, Swiss and either Thousand island or Russian Dressing. The issue is; ALL the ingredients have to be GREAT, pilled HIGH and griddled properly.

This is an OK Reuben.

On the PLUS: Good bread and the Corned Beef is very tender, good flavor, fairly lean and freshly sliced. Could be piled a bit HIGHER and a bit more generously for the price.

Swiss Cheese is fine.

Kraut can use more ZING (as well as more of) and the 1K dressing isn't all that inspiring nor seemingly homemade. Honestly, a GOOD Reuben should have RUSSIAN (pretty much the same as 1K, but add: horseradish, grated onion, Worcestershire sauce and paprika).

Cole slaw is overly sweet and I don't think it's entirely homemade either.

GOOD coffee though. Overall, very nice people.

Why not five stars? Because it is not the ideal of a Jewish deli (trust this Brooklyn-bred Jewish princess), and certainly not a kosher one.  Chicago could sure use a kosher deli like those of my youth (and which still abound in NYC), but I realize that with the city's mostly African-American, Latino, and Catholic-ethnic demographic it ain't gonna  happen (except perhaps in West Rogers/West Ridge). For something a bit more authentic, it's worth the drive up to Max's in the Crossroads strip mall on Skokie & Lake-Cook.  (There also used to be a glatt kosher deli next door to it--they catered my son's bris back when dinosaurs roamed the earth).*

But for those who want to keep it local, you can't do better than JB's unless you go to a Jewel with a kosher deli counter (like the one in the Howard-Kedzie strip mall). It is what it is, and it's a pretty good one of what it is. Having recently gone back on low-carb, I appreciate its meats & smoked fish even more. For those of you who can have starch, its breads & bagels are pretty authentic. To the reviewer who mentioned the potato knish having morphed into a meat knish that didn't taste like meat: are you sure it wasn't kasha (buckwheat)? I've never eaten there, just take the food home. Prices are on par with Jewish delis in Chicagoland.  For those not hung up on tradition and don't mind a melting-pot vibe, their gelato is killer.

Re the naming confusion: the place was "Gordon Pharmacy;" when we first lived in A'ville when Osco was the only other game in town it was our neighborhood drugstore.  Then it was sold and became "Ok Pharmacy" (with additional lettering in Korean, suggesting to me that was the name of the owner who was likely Korean); when the deli was added up front it acquired both the JB's name for the deli and "Gordono" for the drugstore.

* I understand the venerable Belden Deli has reopened in the basement of the building occupying its old Lincoln Park location. Worth checking out.

Yelpers weren't too far off on this one, and having experienced deli's from the Northeast and Florida, Chicago is not particularly the best with this stuff.  Though they still have a decent amount of good food and deli, it's just not good enough for a city in any capacity.  They do have a great location and could become a staple for many but start pricing better as well as providing Northeastern flavor.