Pastrami Sandwiches

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: New School Pastrami Spots

There was a time when pastrami was mainly associated with New York City where places like Katz’s Deli have been serving it as long as anybody. It spread out from there as Jewish delis began to open elsewhere across the country but only recently has pastrami gone completely mainstream. Nowadays you’re as likely to find it at a bbq spot in Tulsa as you are at a deli in Boca. It’s even trending overseas in popular food cities like Paris and Rome. I’ve seen a big uptick on menus in Chicago too. So I’ve put together this little post on five places where you can find a good pastrami sandwich in the city.

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Schneider Deli

First we head to River North to check out this new school Jewish Deli in the parking lot of the Ohio House Motel. Schneider Deli opened in the spring of 2023 in the standalone building that’s an extension of the mid century landmark motel. Their Pastrami Sandwich sits on the top shelf of sandwiches in this city but it’s also near the top in taste ($25 with tip). You get 7 ounces of thick and hot pastrami on rye. No it’s not loaded up like some have come to expect a deli sandwich to be but it’s still got a pretty good meat to bread ratio. This is a splurge sandwich so to say - not the type of sandwich you eat weekly but a great choice when you want to treat yourself to a really good one.

Pastrami Sandwich at Schneider Deli 
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Bagel Miller 

Next stop takes us to Lincoln Square where the bagels at Bagel Miller have been a part of the neighborhood for more than a decade going back to when it was known as Baker Miller. They rebranded after the pandemic and all that came with it and are now a bagel deli slash sandwich shop known as Bagel Miller. They have a small menu of bagel sandwiches including the "Southsider" which mixes made in-house pastrami with giardiniera and cream cheese. Ask for extra napkins with this one.

The "Southsider" at Bagel Miller 
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Clinton Street Smoked Meats

Up next we'll head to the West Loop to check out a stall in the Chicago French Market. When Clinton Street Smoked Meats opened in 2022 it was welcomed with open arms by those who missed Fumare Meats & Deli. Fumare was known for their Montreal Smoked Meat which is similar to Pastrami as both are smoked dry-cured meats made from brisket (but it differs from there). Clinton Street Smoked Meats is owned by a former employee of Fumare and is doing similar things. I tried their smoked meat when they were just getting going and it was pretty good. I’d imagine it’s only gotten better since then.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Clinton Street Smoked Meats
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Green Street Smoked Meats 

We’ll stay in the West Loop and hit up Green Street Smoked Meats for our next stop. This nationally acclaimed Central Texas style bbq spot from Hogsalt Hospitality smokes some seriously good pastrami. The sandwich is simple and lets the thick slices of hand cut pastrami do most of the talking. It's piled into a room temp Potato Roll with a packet of mustard, a whole pickle, and some bright pink pickled red onions on the side. Adding those onions onto your sandwich takes it from good to great. 

Pastrami Sandwich at Green Street Smoked Meats
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Top Butcher Market

There’s good stuff going on in Montclare all the way west on Grand which is where you’ll find International Meat Company. They’ve been selling wholesale meats for more than 60 years. They supply nearby Johnnies Beef with their Italian Sausage. They decided to open Top Butcher Market, a butcher shop slash restaurant across the street and it’s been a smashing neighborhood success. Customers stop in regularly for butchered meats and prepared foods such as pastrami sandwiches. The pastrami is smoked on site and pulled as opposed to sliced. It comes with pickles and slaw at a very reasonable price ($12.99). Don’t sleep on the brisket sandwich either. I’m looking forward to returning for more including a made on site Italian Beef and a daily special deal on two slabs of smoked ribs for $30 (takeout only). I got to sample the latter and that’s a steal of a deal when restaurants are charging $40+ for a single slab. The daily specials are also intriguing, at one point they were serving a Cudighi sandwich which I’ve never seen offered outside of the Upper Peninsula. 

Pastrami Sandwich at Top Butcher Market
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See ya next time @chibbqking