25 Best Restaurants: Slyman's Restaurant

Slyman’s is a towering, tasty example of the American dream.

After Rafic Slyman emigrated from Lebanon in the early 1960s, he opened a restaurant with the goal of feeding his seven brothers and sisters. Over the years, it has evolved into the iconic St. Clair Avenue shop we know today for ginormous deli sandwiches stuffed with roast beef, pastrami, turkey or ham — the size of which you can thank Slyman’s brother, Joseph, for.

“My dad’s hands made the big sandwiches,” says current owner Freddie Slyman. “He always said, ‘This will keep the people coming back. Give them a good sandwich.’ ”

The 54-year-old deli lives by that credo with hearty, gut-busting handhelds that feed our blue-collar, can-do appetites. Nothing says more about our hardworking Rust Belt personalities — besides the fact that we’ll wait in the line spilling out the door for a bite — than the corned beef sandwich ($15).

With 12 to 14 ounces of beef cooked daily starting at 3 a.m., the sandwich that’s humbly served on rye is a living, breathing and edible testament to family, tradition and generosity.

“Someone asked my dad why he makes the sandwiches so big and he said, ‘To thank America for my freedom,’ ” says Slyman.

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The lunch crush may seem daunting with a line usually out the door. But Slyman says not to stress. “We’re so fast, everybody’s ready to cut and ready to sell,” he says. “It’s just 10 minutes to get in and get out.” 3106 St. Clair Ave. NE, Cleveland, 216-621-3760, slymans.com