Falls Deli
 Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio    Date of Visit  01/17/14     http://www.cuyahogafallsdeli.com/

This place is really close to where we’re working but every time I’ve mentioned it as a possibility Steph makes a face and then suggests somewhere else. The face seems that of someone with malaria who just swallowed a bug. She explained she had been there once. Description included cramped, slow, bad, dirty, under friendly, and so on. Apparently she figured going would shut me up about it so we were headed to lunch.
 

My Back Is Literally Against The Wall
 

We walked in the door, saw different furniture (not a bunch but new) and the two folks (couple?) working and Steph instantly said things had changed. We later learned they had just taken the place over in November and seemed excited to see new customers…I wonder if the previous regime had a reputation that extended far beyond Steph. I can also attest the kitchen is pretty clean at a cursory glance as I snuck a gander around the corner while looking at the beverage cooler.

It’s still cramped inside, way cramped and its close even with just the two of us eating and the owners behind the little counter, it’s close, but they didn’t stare. We looked over the menu, thought about ordering too much, heard from the owner they have had a lot of positive feedback about their corned beef and cheesesteak, and then ordered too much…making sure we had a Reuben and cheesesteak in the mix.
 

We told her we would be taking some home with us for dinner and she wanted to know which…since we take pictures while the stuff is fresh when we can we told her we didn’t know…she gave us a look we are now familiar with and brought everything wrapped to go. I don’t know if it would be any different if we got everything to stay…they are not really set up for more than six eat-iners.

We got two foamy plastic cups of soup. The loaded potato soup was pretty average but well seasoned and not so thick you’d need a knife to extricate some. The chili was a little above average, tame, with just a few beans (almost real chili) and was served with little serving cups of cheddar and sour cream. I wouldn’t go back for the soups alone but they were functional.
 

Steph ordered the harvest salad, which comes with apples, dried cranberries, glazed walnuts and bleu cheese. Everything from the lettuce to the apples was sliced to order (also caught that with a peek around the corner) kind of hysterically to me with a Rachel Ray orange blade. The salad came with an other worldly mauveish-pink raspberry vinaigrette dressing which was more viscous than the green slime stuff we used to buy in the plastic garbage cans when we were kids. The salad was fresh and SWEET. Really sweet, the cheese tried to offset it but never had a chance.  Not my kinda thing but nothing wrong with it.
 

We were initially going to try the gyro and the pulled pork sandwiches. After suggesting the two beef based options she had described the gyro and pork as okay we passed on the pork, got the gyro, the Reuben and the cheesesteak. Describing the gyro as okay was generous. We went with the original with gyro meat, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce on the side. It turned out to be dry (even after the sauce) and lacking anything that could substantially be described as flavor. It was a definite don’t. Average soups, too sweet salad, sub standard gyro, if that was all we had ordered I would be suggesting you write this place off and go on your way. We did have a couple of suggestions from one of the owners…they didn’t enhance the gyro or balance the salad but they did improve my experience.
 

The Reuben had a thin layer of kraut and slices of cheese on a substantial mound of lean, tender and thinly sliced corned beef. It was so much better than I had expected. Primo’s? Slyman’s? Carnegie Deli? Not quite but it was better than most we have had. The cheesesteak was also way way better than expected. Thinly sliced and tender steak with onions, peppers and shrooms on an absorbent roll, barley protected from saturation by a thin schmear of mayo and enough cheese to make opening the thing dangerous. Is it Pat’s, not quite but still better than 90% of the versions attempted so far. The Falls Deli seems to be owned by nice, clean and motivated folk. Not everything they churn out is my thing. The things they are selling a bunch of are. Yes, you can find superior versions…if you want to travel…if you are in town and are okay with above average, this little place will even bring it to your door. Done.