Cecils

I was introduced to Cecil’s in the 1950’s when our friends, the Salutes, would bring bagel and onion rolls to us in our little town in Wisconsin.
I always loved them and continue to like them now. Today I was in the Twin Cities and took a daughter and two grandsons for lunch. We spit delicious Reuben and pastrami sandwiches. The horseradish on the side was fresh and pungent.
The boys really liked the hamentaschen that they ordered as dessert cookies.
The food is great with the best water bagel and onion rolls in the Twin Cities.
You won’t go wrong here. A great menu, as well as bakery and deli case.

this kosher-​style deli has great soups, sandwiches and burgers! Their homemade matzo ball soup will make you feel like you’re at your Jewish grandmother’s house for the holidays (or just happy, if you don’t have a Jewish grandmother.) Cecil’s also offers plain chicken soup, homemade chili and borscht. Their soups pair well with one of their delicious sandwiches that come in three sizes. They offer a variety of reubens (even a vegetarian one), and hot sandwiches such as tuna melts, pastrami, smoked turkey and roast beef sandwiches. If you really want to indulge in some classic Jewish delicatessen foods, Cecil’s offers homemade potato latkes and blintzes (crepes filled with sweet ricotta cheese). The front of the deli operates as a grocery store and sells homemade hamantaschen cookies year round! While it’s not the same as grandma’s house or a New York deli, Cecil’s comes pretty close.

We started off on the wrong note at Cecil’s. We waited in line with a screaming baby and his rude parents. The place was packed when we finally got in. It was loud and the service was really really slow. The staff member we interacted with was also a little bit mean. When I asked her if there were grilled cheese available she snapped at me and said «I’m not your waitress».
However, the food was spectacular! My wife had the pastrami with fried egg on top. I don’t remember what that thing was called but it was damn good. I had a hotdog that was actually I think real beef hot dog. The food was at 5 the service was at 3 giving this place a solid 4. The checks are yellow for some reason I don’t know why but I liked those as well.

Me and my fiancée were out for a walk when we came across this place. From the moment we walked in we were treated like family. The wait staff was amazing, the food was delicious, the portions are huge. Its nice to see a place that doesn’t cut corners to save money.

Classic deli feel. Very homey, lots of returning guests and just a very relaxing environment. I ordered the M&M Chicken Sandwich which has mushrooms and muenster cheese over a grilled chicken breast. I had their potato salad for the side. Everything was delicious. The food came out super fast and my bill was about $ 10 with tip.
I’ll definitely be back for some soup and sandwiches next time!

A NY style Jewish deli in MN. Heaven! After multiple visits, I can highly recommend for every meal. Everything is wonderful. The service, the food, the larger than life personalities. You really can’t miss with the Ruben (turkey, Russian, Etc) the blintz, the matzo ball soup etc. try a chocolate egg cream for a treat!

I am appalled at the high reviews here, the first time I’ve ever been led wrong by Unilocal reviews. I would’ve liked to have eaten here but I suppose that wasn’t meant to happen today.
First off, this place is highly disorganized. The deli area in the front is a mess. Everybody is standing around looking lost. The cashier taking forever to ring everybody up or is missing, somewhere in the back doing whatever while lines of customers are piling up (people waiting to pay for their meal & people waiting to be seated in the restaurant area).
At first we wanted to do carryout sandwiches but we waited over 15 minutes to place an order at the counter before it started looking like there was no hope so we decided to be seated in the restaurant to sit in for sandwiches.
Ok so once we were seated, we had to wait at least about 15 – 20 minutes before the waitress even came to take our order. She didn’t even get us something to drink! One of the bus boys had to get us some waters. After we placed our order, 20 minutes passed and our food (two simple sandwiches!) Never showed up so we just walked out!
I try not to play the race card but I can’t help but to feel there was some racism in our treatment. I didn’t mind that we were the ONLY black couple in there (I tried not to let the constant staring from older white men bother me) but my wife noticed that white couples who came in after us received their food before us. If you’re black, don’t come here unless you don’t mind being treated like you’re in the 60s.

There is some fantastic food going on here! My go to is the Sasha. When I lived outside of MN, I would crave it all the time. When I’d fly back home, I’d almost always made a trip to Cecil’s to get one. The blintzes are another fantastic choice!

Excellent atmosphere, wonderful food in a relaxed and folksy kind of place. Eat here as often as you can.

What a gem! I came here today with my roommate, and a craving for pastrami. I had the pastrami and schmere sandwich, which was the stuff dreams are made of. The restaurant itself is quaint and charming. The menu is huge and full of steaming hot comfort foods (I’m getting the matzo ball soup on my next visit!) the deli part of the store had tons of great goodies as well. Meats, condiments, and baked goods (they make all the bread used for their sandwiches).
Bottom line, My first Cecil’s experience was great. I will definitely return soon for another pastrami and schmere!

OMG… I’ve been coming here for years. The food and service is outstanding. Pastrami. Corned Beef, potato pancakes, Matzo ball soup, and their creamy Cole slaw are some of my favorite options. The Just Like New York… hot pastrami, Cole slaw on an onion roll is my frequent go to choice. My dad loves the blueberry cobbler… served warm with vanilla ice cream… Yum! Rumor has it Bob Dylan’s mom used to stop in frequently when she lived in the area. Highland Park has so many dining options that are good. This is one you shouldn’t miss. There aren’t too many Jewish delis left… this is one of the best! They also have Henry Weinhart’s root beer… Yes!

Five of us had lunch today at Cecil’s during the NFC championship football game. We were seated right away as few people were in the restaurant. Order consisted of three reubens, one salad, one omelet.
The food was delivered to our table after a short wait. The food was very average — the Reubens were not juicy and tasty but average compared to other visits to Cecils. The salad was average as was the omelet. The restaurant was extremely cold despite the fact that the deli in front was warm. Two persons in our group had to wear their winter jackets while eating which has never happened before. My husband had to ask for a coffee refill as no one came to offer a refill. We have enjoyed good meals in the past at this restaurant so not sure what happened but this meal was below average and not likely that we will return.

Really great place for lunch. It’s ½ old school market, ½ restaurant. I got the Stella sandwich and the French fries. Don’t bother getting the fries. Good, but nothing to write home about. Save $ 1 on the upgrade and get one of the other sides. Sandwiches are good portions.

Man, I was bummed to discover that this place was only a 2 – 3 star. Mind you, unlike the other reviewers, I’m actually from NY — not Minnesota — and can say that this is NOT like a NY-​deli, sorry.
Overall, the food was meh. I don’t need to go back. It’s no comparison to a true NY deli, although the food was decent if you’re hungry. (I’d rather eat at Punch across the street.) The pastrami was dry. You shouldn’t have to add on extra condiments (e.g., smear it in mustard) to make it juicy.
Sorry — no go for me.

Came her for lunch and ordered a really fantastic pastrami sandwich (chicago hot style) with a Good clam chowda soup! Come with a big appetite as my half sandwich was essentially a full sandwich and the full was like 2 sandwiches!
Service was good, seating was a bit cramped, but overall a great place for lunch!

As a begrudging vegetarian I was a little concerned about eating here. I had no problems finding tasty options.
I had an egg salad sandwich which was delicious.
They also had latkes and a couple other vegetarian items to pick from.
The brownies are also superb.
I would recommend skipping the fries and going for the pasta salad, fries, fruit, or cottage cheese .
My meat eating dining party LOVED the food, in particular the pastrami.
The location is great because after stuffing your face you can go walk around the nearby shops.

One of the most wonderful places you will find to eat. Lots of great dishes — absolutely, try the blintzes. My favorite is the veggie Reuben — vegetables, cheese, dark rye bread — absolutely the best. A small restaurant with limited seating and very busy much of the time. Well worth the wait. My family has eaten here for decades and enjoyed a wide range of dishes, always with great service.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh my gooooooooooooood, where has this place and its sandwiches been ALL MY LIFE?
Okay, let me calm down a little here. No, screw that. I just had a corned beef with swiss cheese on caraway rye and oh maaaaaaaaaaan. I am just the happiest. The. Happiest. It was so moist and tasty and just so much yes. The potato salad for a side was creamy goodness, too.
When you order, be prepared for options. All the options! Meat, the amount of meat, a long list of bread, an even longer list of cheeses, and hot or cold. My strategy, when overwhelmed by options, is to just make the person taking my order do the choosing, which worked perfectly in this joint. The people that work here know their stuff.
The service is also really good. I was checked on three times while lingering in the deli waiting for my sandwich, and then they apologized when they brought my sandwich out about 15 – 20 minutes later. I’ll definitely call ahead next time, just because it seemed awkward to stare at the coolers for that long while staking out future purchases (the sauerkraut they have looks fantastic!)
The diner section (in the back) was busy, but not overcrowded. I saw them bringing out a lot of malts or milkshakes, so clearly those must be a thing and I already want to try one.
The meats on offer in the deli proper all look fantastic, and I was so hungry it took some real restraint to not buy all the bread and meat the they had to offer. There’s a lot of kosher options available for purchase in the deli, and the day-​old bread is pretty fairly priced.
I already want to go back, except I’m so full. So full and happy. I have a new sandwich joint, that’s for sure. Mmm, sandwiches.

Unbelievable. I’m still trying to figure out how I haven’t been here before, let alone even heard of it.
I walk in and am greeted warmly as if it was my regular hangout and I was just stopping by to meet the gang for lunch. The waiter stops by quickly with a menu and asks if I need it or was I just ready to order. I felt a little embarrassed that I didn’t already know but coolly told him I’d peruse the menu quickly to see if anything had changed. Wink wink, nudge nudge. I was trying to act like I belonged.
I settled on the rueben because apparently it’s the right thing to do. I knew it would be good. I wasn’t ready for it to be the best goddamn sammich I ever had. I felt like Meg Ryan sitting in the booth in «When Harry met Sally». People were looking, oh they were looking. Then I tried the coleslaw. I wept. I’m not afraid to admit it. Stunningly good.
I checked out the menu again as I was leaving. There are so many items. They all sounded amazing. it’s gonna take me years to get through all of them. But I’m gonna try.

Their veggie Reuben is the bomb, diggity! I’ve never had as good a veggie Reuben as I had here. In my life. Ever. If you’re thinking about whether or not to try it, then I’d say «go for it!» It’ll make you ponder what you’ve been doing with your life and the decisions you’ve made and why they are not all as good as this sandwich. You’re welcome.

No clue how we got here today. I was on the other side of town. Was it worth the trip? I think so.
I am not a Reuben fan. Probably had a too many bad Rubens when I was a kid. The restaurant I worked at in High School did them no favor either.
Lately though I have been branching out and today was no exception. The Spicy Reuben caught my eye. A nice dark rye (pumpernickel?) with plenty of pastrami and sauerkraut. It was good to the last bite. Spicy, but not overpowering all the ingredients in good proportion.
I had the potato salad as a side. Exactly the kind I like with the mayo/​mustard blend with little crispy green bits. Instead of a sloppy mess, it was a well behaved companion to my sandwich. Again good proportion on all the ingredients.
My wife had the pastrami and schmear. It was served on a lighter rye. She got the coleslaw. The coleslaw was sweet vinegar based, but if anything understated.
Overall, nice sandwiches. And apparently Sunday afternoon is a good time to come as they were not too crowded.
There is also a store/​deli up front for those tasty bits you cant find elsewhere.
Enjoy.

Great selection on the menu food was great with friendly fast service. We will be back!

I’ve been here a number of times, the last one being 4 years ago.
My favorite thing about neighborhood places like this is that it’s exactly how I remember it. They have a good thing going and there is no need to change it!
As soon as I walked in my nose filled with the scent of caraway rye and I was in heaven.
I had the Reuben and my dining partner had the turkey Reuben. Amazing corned beef and perfectly grilled pumpernickel.
Four years was too long to be away. Cecil’s is back in my dining rotation.

This review is for the Deli. Fast and friendly service. Stopped in for coleslaw, potato salad and Vienna beef poppyseed buns (because there is no substitute for a proper Chicago style hot dog while watching the Cubbies). While waiting for the containers of slaw and tater salad to be filled, the pastries caught my eye. «Would you like anything else?». Why yes, yes I would. One baby strudel, because, well. I have to.
The coleslaw is honestly some of the best I’ve ever had, no joke. Light and creamy and well, perfect. The potato salad is solid, definitely good stuff but a little dense. The strudel was a flaky, moist, mind blowing blend of apple and cherry amazingness. Do yourself a favor and indulge in one of those babies. Literally.
I will be back soon. Next time to sit down and enjoy a meal, perhaps a reuben (and leave with a strudel in tow).

Awesome! I had never had Matzo ball soup before but after having theirs it’s all I want! Everyone in our group was in love. We had a wide variety of sandwiches all of which were great too. I can’t say enough about how good it was. The service was awesome as well, the staff was very friendly and for a table with two toddlers they were extremely helpful. I was also delighted to that they have Dr. Brown soda, after falling in love with it in New York and then moving to fargo it made me especially excited to come back again!
Also the bakery is awesome! Don’t leave without checking it out!

Had the Schmere, Borste, rueben, fries and potato salad.
Everything was amazing except for the fries which tasted like they came frozen out of a bag, very cool neighborhood place.

Ah-​mah-​zing! Great food, great neighborhood, great service, great ambiance, worth every penny… can’t say enough good things about Cecil’s!
Also the connected kosher butcher shop and bakery is amazing!

Cecils is like that trusty analog TV in your parent’s basement. It’s familiar, reliable, and leaves you feeling satisfied after you bask in its blue glow for a few hours, but it will never be your wi-​fi, bluetoothed, super HD TV that’s smarter than your entire family. And that’s okay because sometimes you just want to veg out to re-​runs that fill the entire screen.
In case I lost you with that analogy, I’m trying to say that Cecils is a classic and that is perfect. There is no need to improve on their delicious Reubens, malts, and egg bagels. You can get a Reuben, or some other unique variation, the size of your head for under $ 10 and you will not regret a single bite. The sides are a smidge lacking; they have standard freezer bag fries and chunks of melon with grapes, but you probably won’t even get to the sides so who cares?
The service is good. Nothing fancy, never bad (like the old reliable TV). The atmosphere is very casual in nature with wooden booths that remind me of Subway and various photographs lining the wall.
No review can truly do Cecils’ brunch and lunch justice so just drop in already.

Cecils is great. The restaurant is not super fancy but has just the right atmosphere for a casual meal with friends and family. The food is great and hits just the right spot. I would highly recommend the Russian Reuben, Matzo ball soup, and potato salad. If you’re not in the mood for a sit down meal the take out is always pretty prompt.
Cecils’ deli is great and has amazing bread (russian and caraway rye are my favorites), potato salad, cucumber salad, meats, coleslaw, sourkraut, and cheese. Another fun fact — they sell almost 40 kinds of mustard. I got the applewood smoked bacon mustard and love it.

Ok, this was really good. I am not usually a sandwich kind of person but all the high stars on Unilocal plus the fact that it was $ 2 off ruebens all week led me in.
It’s like a deli in the front and in the back is the restaurant. I was confused about if I was supposed to seat myself or what and an employee saw me wandering and sat me down, brought me a menu and water. My server came over and she was great, you could tell she had been working there for ages, she knew half of the customers and all about their orders and everything.
I ordered the turkey reuben with the sauce on the side, with the sweet and sour coleslaw. It came out in about 5 minutes and was delicious. I honestly think it was my first reuben and it was great. The coleslaw was okay also. She brought my check at the same time as she brought my food and never came back so I didn’t know if she was supposed to take my credit card or if I was supposed to go pay in the deli or what. Te kid who sat me ended up coming over and taking my card for me.
On my way out I lingered in the deli for a moment. There was a lady ordering 6 hamentashins so I was intruigued. She said they are delicious and that she craves them. While I was deciding, the guy working behind the counter brought out an apple one and broke it up for me to taste it. I love samples. Sold. I bought an almond one. It was delightful. I LOVE almond flavor. And trying new things. Overaell a delightful inexpensive place.

If you looked at my picture, you can tell that I’m of Asian descent. However, I could easily be called Louise Rubenstein as I really adore Jewish culture, especially the food.
Well the half Jewish treasure I love is my little niece. Because of her, I fully embrace helping my sister and my brother in law to raise her as a culturally balanced little girl with all the cool heritages she has in her backgrounds. She’s already growing to be a little food lover in her young age. When she comes visiting me here, I’m taking her to Cecils.
Fuck Kosher stuff though, I guess I don’t adore it that much. I mean I like Kosher stuff just don’t expect my kitchen to be it. Everything is intermingled in my kitchen. Dairy and fish? Nom nom. However, what’s not to like otherwise?
So glad Dita D told me about this place and what a perfect place for lunch! It looked like what I expected. It didn’t look all that much different than Schmaltz or Manny’s in Chicago. Cafetaria style, Dita said. They had a huge menu but just looked at the center and you would find the Reuben and the Pastrami or they call it Russian Reuben here. Pretty easy decision. Reuben and a cup of Matza Ball soup. Perfect.
The owner took every order and he got an army of runners and bussers just circling the place. There’s definitely an efficient system to get everyone served and turned over.
The Reubens came in lightning speed. The dark rye bread was toasty and glistening with butter. It was hot, beautiful, with crispy swiss cheese melted on the crust of the bread. The corned beef was tender with just enough fat, not too salty, and it tasted like heaven with the kraut. I would have loved a little more sauce; however, it was damn near perfect.
The Matza Ball was great! I had to have a cup. My bro in law would love this kind as it was more denser than the fluffy variety I make at home. The soup was super savory garnished with lots of shredded chicken and sweet carrots. It almost made me wish that I was sick with cold as nothing taste better than Matza Ball soup when you’re sick.
I can never pass anything cobbler in the menu. We ordered blueberry cobbler. I must say it wasn’t good and wasn’t a cobbler I’m used to. However it was huge and beautiful with gigantic scoop of vanilla ice cream, the yellow kind of course.
However, a stop at the deli to get stuff for to go really remedied my dessert. One word — Hamantaschen. Oh my lord! It was soooo good!!! I am usually a Rugelach girl but their Hamantaschen knocked my socks off. I want to come back now and get a dozen. I only bought one! The Rugelach was good also but I’m used to Schmaltz’s Rugelach when I was living in Chicago and that was hard to beat. I didn’t usually love Hamantaschen because of the story of Purim and Haman was an asshole to the Jewish people. However, I will try to see the moral of the story if the pastry inspired by it would be this good.
Dita kept spewing recommendations for me to get this and get that. I ended up buying almost everything she told me to buy. I didn’t have a single regret! Especially no regret for buying the Hamantaschen! Lunch went by so quick but we had fun as usual!
I am looking forward tomorrow to egg bagel for breakfast. They were calling my name now but I’d be patient and wait. This is a cool find for me. It has to be the best deli in the Twin Cities.
Hamantaschen. Love saying it. Love eating it. Buy it!