barooo wrote:
This is take out only, and not for the squeamish, but walk in, ignore the 30 year old jars of jelly and syrup and what have you that no one buys, don't pass out from the oppressive heat, skip the coolers and cases and head directly to the deli counter in the back... The schnitzel at Olga's Deli on Irving Park just west of Albany is completely ridiculous. It's like 30 pieces of thin schnitzel piled high on rye bread (and she started my sandwich and decided the bread was too close to the ends of the loaf ("too small") so she went in the back for a new loaf). Don't go if you're in a hurry, I waited about 25 minutes for literally 2 people in front of me, Olga is not fast by any means. The schnitzel is the classic, but selection varies day to day and my favorite is the pork tenderloin (really more of a fried pork chop), which is sort of greasy/soggy instead of crisp, but also incredibly tender and flavorful so it all works out just fine, with the amazing homemeade kraut and brown mustard and grilled onions. Since I can eat like a rabid wolverine I'm able to finish it, but it would feed two hungry fat people. They also have fried perch, burgers I hear good things about, and corned beef that looked outstanding.
Anyway, tasty and cheap ($5!!!), but slow.
I'll second this BTW - tasty, cheap, and slowish
Made it here at 11am-ish a couple weeks ago... and, unlike Cathy2, found it open! It was early, only 1 other person is line before me - and not everything was ready yet (the normal weiner-schnitzel wasnt even ready, but a chicken-schnitzel was). Thats what I went with, and it was excellent. As stated above, a very big sandwich - lots and lots and lots of slices of schnitzel go into it. And very good indeed - very flavorful, fresh, extremely tasty - she made it right there, and took her time piling a massive quantity of very good schnitzel onto it. And only about 5.50 IIRC (maybe 6 with tax)? The weiner schnitzel is apparently freshly made and ready by noonish every day too - I will certainly be back for that sooner rather than later (and if it isnt ready, the Chicken Schnitzel is pretty damn terrific too)!
Another in a long line of Chicago places which may not be much to look at from the outside, seem to be just ordinary grocery stores (and not very well stocked ones at that).. but serve terrific food out the back. Just like Tierra Caliente and Bari among others, Olga's serves a sandwich very much worth stopping in for as well.
c8w
Olga's Delicatessen
3209 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60618
773-539-8038
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