Food & Drink

Express Deli Grants Our Wildest Sammie Wishes

With its own Lebanese twist, the deli serve up classics like reubens and gyros in warm pita bread.

by James Bigley II | Jul. 24, 2018 | 1:00 PM

Hannah Finotti

Hannah Finotti

Everything is not what it seems at Express Deli.

Sure, you’ll find convenience store staples such as cigarettes, lotto tickets and a beer cooler labeled “Grandpa’s Medicine.” But the real kicker is the deli tucked away at the back of the shop.

Micho Aboukhaled slices, dices and serves up more than 30 gourmet deli sandwiches with a Lebanese twist. Like his parents, Pierre and Maha, who opened the joint more than 20 years ago, he keeps everything excitingly fresh.

The Reuben wrap ($8.50) is a gold mine of flavor with thin, tender slices of corned beef loaded inside pita bread with garlic aioli, Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut that’s been tossed with more than 20 spices such as cinnamon, chili powder and coriander.

Even the chicken gyro ($7.95) is kicked up a notch with lettuce, tomato, garlic and a house-made herbal honey mustard sauce.

But if you’re overwhelmed by the options, Express Deli has you covered with a complimentary tasting tray for first-timers that highlights what it does best — feed you on the fly. 5185 Smith Road, Brook Park, 216-267-7878, facebook.com/expressdeli216

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