Slyman’s Restaurant

Review by Joel Kirk

3106 St. Clair Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 621-3760

The Atmosphere

Slyman’s is everything you think of when you think of Cleveland. Blue collar, hard working, no frills and good food. Located on the East Side of downtown, it’s a straight shot down St. Clair. Slyman’s is a POPULAR lunch place. They are open from 6am-2:30pm Monday thru Friday. That’s right, they are CLOSED on the weekends so you’ve got to get here during the week. You had try to get there before the 12 o’clock hour if possible as the wait can be out the door at times. There’s parking in the back (if you can find a spot) or you can park along St. Clair and other neighboring streets. At Slyman’s, you can take your lunch to go or you can wait for a table. We waited a while for a table but the food itself makes up for it all.

As soon as you walk into Slyman’s, you are hit with the overwhelming and amazing aroma of Corned Beef. This is what they are known for. They have some of the best Corned Beef I personally have ever had. You’re greeted by a waitress who asks if you’re wanting take-out or a table. She greets you promptly upon entering and that’s nice. You’re also greeted by “The Slicer” as a reminder that you better tip your waitress!

It’s the type of place that even though there is a wait for a table, it seems people don’t really mind waiting for the table. You know you’re about to pound one of the best sandwiches out there and because it’s deli-style it doesn’t take too long to get tables “burned and turned, ready for the next customers. It’s a no-frills place. Plain walls, plain lighting, plain floors, everything. Nothing fancy. There’s not a LOT of tables and the ones thy do have are all pretty close to one another to conserve space. So, you might get to know your lunch neighbor a little bit more than you had expected…but hey, that can be fun too! Nothing extraordinary…except the food. That’s what makes Slyman’s a place you can’t miss out on.

The Menu

The menu is printed above their deli counter but you can also check out their menu on their website. While on their website, you can learn their lingo as well which makes ordering at Slyman’s easier and even more fun! (http://www.slymans.com/lingo.html)

It’s a straight forward menu with good descriptions for what its worth. The servers are nice and took the time to tell me one of her favorite side dishes was the potato salad. They are the types of servers that seem like they’ve been there for years and know what to recommend and what to eat it with. We weren’t told about the soup specials but they were posted on signs throughout the deli. All in all, good service considering they were slammed. We got our food fast and got out pretty quickly. They do take Visa and Mastercard which is nice so you don’t have to worry about taking cash.

The FOOD

This is what Slyman’s is all about. Corned Beef piled high, served with kraut on Rye with Thousand Island. That’s really enough said. Because this is what they are known for, it’s what we ordered. We decided to just go for the gusto and throw caution to the wind. I had the Special K Ruben ($10.25). Everything you know about a Ruben, minus the kraut (I’m really picky about kraut). Freaking amazing. From the first bite to the last (which takes a while) the beef is hot and tasty. These sandwiches are not for the faint of heart. Thickest sandwich I’ve ever eaten. I have a pretty large mouth and I couldn’t wrap my lips around one of these bad boys. The side I got (for an extra $1.95) was the potato salad (at our servers recommendation) and I’m glad I did. Creamy, with large potato chunks…it reminds you of what your Grandma used to have prepared for you at the Church picnic on Sunday’s. Fantastic!

Chris got the Regular Ruben with kraut and all the works. He got the thousand island dressing on the side. Chris says it’s the “ best Ruben I’ve ever had”. Coming from an Irishman, that’s a huge compliment. He’s eaten his fair share of corn beef sandwiches. Every sandwich comes with a pickle as a side.

Our innocent bystander also got a Ruben…turkey style ($9.50). Said it was some of the juiciest deli turkey he’s ever had and devoured the thing in about 4 bites. Seeing someone do that was quite impressive and I hope I run into him again.

Now, it’s probably the gigantic-ness of the sandwiches but an hour later I was having some tummy rumbles. It also could’ve been the creamy potato salad. Nothing too bad.

Departing

Will we come back? Yes. Would I send my best friend there? In a heartbeat. This is the type of diamond in the rough you love to find. A place that has amazing sandwiches that have stood the test of time. I noticed they are also open and serve breakfast until 11:00 AM so that could be fun to try one day before work. All in all, you had better get out to Slyman’s one day for one of their amazing sandwiches. If it’s good enough for George W. Bush (http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/07/bush_buy_some_sandwiches.html) , it’s good enough for me!

Comments

Add New

Find Lunch