South Loop's 1942 Jewish Deli
Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen on Jefferson Street has been the South Loop's Jewish deli since 1942. The format is the proper cafeteria-line Jewish-American deli — corned beef sliced thick to order, matzo ball soup, the kind of unfussy lunch that has fed Chicago politicians, lawyers, and union men for eight decades.
The cooking is uncompromising Jewish-American deli. The corned beef is hand-cured and sliced to order; the matzo balls are properly fluffy; the latkes are griddled at the right temperature.
What to Order
Corned beef sandwich — the dish the room is built around, sliced thick. Matzo ball soup; latkes with apple sauce; the rotating special. The format is cafeteria-line; pick your tray, point to your dishes.
The Format
The cafeteria-line format is part of the institution's identity. The line moves quickly; the steam-tray staff are direct; the dining room is unfussy.
Best Occasion: Solo Dining
Manny's is one of Chicago's most natural solo-dining rooms. The format requires nothing of the diner; the cafeteria-line moves quickly; the price point sits in the bracket where lunch is genuinely a daily affordable affair.