Yelp names Cleveland-area deli among Top 15 restaurants in U.S.
**Related Video Above: New Day Cleveland spoke with Express Deli owners in 2019.**
BROOK PARK, Ohio (WJW) — It’s the home of the locally-beloved Reuben wrap. And now Express Deli in Brook Park is being recognized as one of the best food spots in all of America.
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The family-owned business has recently made Yelp’s Top 100 US Restaurants 2024 list, coming in at No. 13. In 2018, Express Deli also took the 41st spot on the annual list.
This year’s rankings were compiled based on a complex analysis of user submissions and Yelp community managers’ opinions.
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Here’s what Yelp had to say about the food stop:
Corned beef gets the royal treatment at this Cleveland-area deli. Pierre Aboukhaled, who owns the shop with his wife, Maha, rises extra early to make their top-selling meat, which is chilled overnight and sliced cold the next day. “That keeps in the moisture,” says their son, Micho, who joined the business in 2015. The TLC this family lavishes on the city’s favorite cold cut has earned them a loyal following for the past 25 years. “I’ve been coming to this deli since I was a little girl,” says Yelper K.H. “This place is a true Cleveland-[area] staple. Cleveland natives know corned beef, and [this deli] has the best Reuben money can buy!”
Not messing with success, Express serves a classic corned beef sandwich with Swiss and mustard on rye, but gave the Reuben a special touch. “We didn’t like sauerkraut, but everyone told us a Reuben had to have it,” says Micho. “So we dried it, seasoned it, and tightly rolled it in a pita with a bit of house-made garlic mayo for a ‘Lebanese touch.’ ” Other popular wraps: Turkey and Pepperoni, with garlic mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, provolone cheese, and a zesty house dressing made by Maha; and Beirut Chicken, with garlic mayo, pickled turnips, coleslaw, and Sriracha, which Micho says reminds him of Lebanese street food.
Kung Fu Noodle in Kettering, Ohio, just outside of Dayton, also represented the state on the list, coming in at No. 92. Find out more about the Express Deli, located at 5185 Smith Road, right here.
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