This Historic Ohio Deli Hasn’t Changed Its Famous Recipe In More Than 120 Years
If you have ever wondered what it feels like to order lunch almost exactly the way Cincinnati diners did more than a century ago, this Ohio deli comes surprisingly close.
The recipe has survived generations without being dressed up for modern tastes, and that is part of the appeal. You sit down, take that first bite, and realize some foods really do not need improving.
For anyone who loves restaurants with history you can actually taste, this is the kind of place that makes an ordinary lunch feel a little more memorable.
A Century-Old Counter On Elm Street
My first visit began with a short walk from Piatt Park, where the trees give way to a modest downtown storefront with big windows and a hand-lettered feel.
Izzy’s has been feeding Cincinnati since 1901, when a Jewish immigrant family started selling corned beef sandwiches and potato pancakes to hungry workers.
More than 120 years later, the core recipes have barely budged. The corned beef still gets piled high, the rye still comes soft, and the potato pancake still arrives waffle-cut and golden.
What surprised me most was how unfussy the place feels. No white tablecloths, no long wine list, no theatrical presentation.
You order, you sit yourself down at a clean table, and lunch appears fast. On one visit my food hit the table in under five minutes.
I keep thinking about how rare that combination is now, a menu older than airplanes served with zero pretension.
If you want to try it for yourself, the Elm Street location sits at 800 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202, right across from Piatt Park in the heart of downtown.
Parking nearby is manageable, especially outside the noon rush.
The Reuben That Built The Reputation
Let me be direct about the main attraction. The Reuben is the reason people cross the river for lunch here.
Corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese, and dressing get layered onto rye that manages to stay soft rather than shattering with every bite.
My first one arrived warm, the meat tender and well seasoned, the sauerkraut tangy without taking over the whole sandwich.
I have had Reubens that fight back. This one cooperated.
Reviews mention this sandwich constantly, with roughly sixty separate nods to the Reuben alone, and I understand the enthusiasm.
Price matters too. A sandwich in this range costs a fraction of what similar delis charge in bigger cities, and the portion is filling enough that some people split one.
A word of honest advice from my own experience. Eat it there rather than carrying it several blocks back to a hotel.
The dressing and warm bread do not travel well, and a soggy Reuben is a sad thing.
Ask for it grilled if you like a firmer bite, and confirm that request when you order so nothing gets lost in a busy lunch shuffle.
Potato Pancakes With A Waffle Cut Twist
Here is the item nobody warns you about properly. The potato pancake is not a side dish, it is a co-star.
Mine came waffle-cut, crisp along the edges and tender in the middle, with enough potato flavor to eat plain.
Guests mention this one item nearly a hundred times in reviews, which tells you everything about its local status.
Regulars often order an extra cake, and after one visit I fully understood the impulse.
I will be fair, though. Consistency can wobble.
Some visitors have found the pancake too hard or greasy depending on the day and the timing, so I recommend going during a busier stretch when the fryer is turning out fresh batches rather than late in a slow afternoon.
My best pancake came right around the start of the lunch hour.
Eat it while it is hot. Crispness fades fast, and a cooled potato cake loses the very thing that makes it special.
A little mustard on the side works nicely if you want something sharp to cut the richness.
Free Pickles In A Crock
Complimentary pickles greeted me before I had even decided what to order, which is my favorite kind of welcome.
They arrive from a crock, and you help yourself while your sandwich cooks.
Mine were on the milder side, more crunch than pucker, which I actually preferred alongside a rich sandwich.
If you like an aggressive brine, adjust your expectations, but do not skip them.
Small traditions like this are what separate an old deli from a generic sandwich shop, and I appreciate that nobody has decided to charge for them.
Sauerkraut deserves a mention in the same breath. It shows up in the Reuben family of sandwiches and gets called out by name in plenty of customer comments.
My tip is to grab a pickle or two before your food arrives, then save one for after the last bite of your sandwich.
It resets your mouth better than anything else on the table.
I also noticed the crock keeps kids and impatient adults happily occupied during a wait, which is a quiet public service in a busy downtown lunch spot.
Reuben Variations Worth Exploring
Loyalty to the classic is fine, but this kitchen has spent decades remixing its own hit.
Roast beef dressed up like a Reuben caught my eye first, and it delivered exactly the meaty punch I hoped for.
The Rubenator is another name locals throw around, a larger take for anyone arriving with a serious appetite.
There is also a fish sandwich known as the Codfather, which earns points from me for the name alone.
Turkey clubs, house salads, and chicken noodle soup fill out the board for anyone who wants something lighter.
One small caution based on visitor feedback. If you order a club toasted, say toasted clearly, since grilled and toasted are different things here and grilled comes out richer.
My advice for a first visit is simple. Order the classic corned beef Reuben, then plan a second trip for the variations.
You cannot judge a 120-year-old recipe by its cousins.
Extra meat and extra cheese are both available if you want to build something taller, and the price still lands lower than comparable big-city delis.
Friday Only Matzo Ball Soup
Mark your calendar for this one. Matzo ball soup shows up on Fridays and only Fridays.
Families have built weekly traditions around that single rule, treating the end of the workweek as soup day downtown.
I love that the kitchen has not caved and made it an everyday item just because people ask.
Scarcity keeps it special, and the broth tastes like something made with patience rather than a switch.
Chicken noodle soup handles the rest of the week, and it earns quiet praise from regulars who want something warm without the wait for Friday.
Carrot cake also gets mentioned often, and I would call it a genuinely good closer if you still have room after a sandwich and a potato cake.
Seasonal desserts rotate through too, so ask what is out that day.
My practical suggestion is to arrive on a Friday slightly before noon if soup is your goal.
Popular items on limited schedules can vanish easily, and nobody wants to hear that the last bowl just went out the door.
Weekday Hours And Smart Timing
Plan carefully, because this location keeps banker-style hours in the best sense.
Doors open at 10 AM and close at 8 PM Monday through Thursday, while Friday currently runs from 10 AM to 5 PM. Saturday and Sunday are completely closed.
That weekend closure caught me off guard on an early trip, so learn from my mistake and save your visit for a weekday.
The lunch rush brings a crowd of takeout customers, and the small dining area can feel tight while orders pile up at the counter.
My favorite window is mid-afternoon, somewhere between two and four, when tables are free and the food still comes out fresh.
If you only have a lunch break, calling ahead at 513-721-4241 saves real time.
Seating is self-serve for dine-in guests, so grab a table and settle in without waiting for a host.
One more note from experience. Delivery apps carry the menu, but a warm Reuben and a crisp potato pancake are both at their peak minutes after leaving the kitchen.
Eat in if you possibly can. The charm is part of the recipe.
Why Locals Keep Coming Back
Ask anyone who grew up in this Ohio city about deli food and the same name comes up within seconds.
Multi-generational families treat lunch here as a standing appointment, and some skip newer spots downtown entirely.
I met that energy the moment I sat down, a room full of people who clearly knew their order before walking through the door.
Visitors from New York have said it reminds them of home, which is high praise for a Midwestern counter charging half the price.
Not every plate lands perfectly, and I would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. Portion sizes and consistency draw occasional complaints, and management responds publicly to feedback rather than ignoring it.
Still, a great rating across numerous reviews says the hits far outnumber the misses.
What sticks with me is the staying power of a recipe that has outlasted more than a century of food trends.
Sandwiches come and go. Corned beef, rye, and a waffle-cut potato pancake apparently do not.
Bring an appetite, come on a weekday, and taste a little Cincinnati history for yourself.