Chef’s Café

Cincinnati, United States

4.4

Open now

14 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 513-779-2323
Website:
www.chefscafe.net
Address:
7250 Fields Ertel Rd, Cincinnati, OH, 45241
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Divey, Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
No
Caters
Yes
Bike Parking
Yes
Ambience
Divey

Today

Today 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Cincinnati) 12:14 PM Thursday, June 26, 2025

Business hours

Monday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Wednesday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Thursday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Chef’s café is known for The World Famous Chicken Salad. Now serving more than 166,000 pounds (that’s 83 tons) our Chicken Salad can be found in Bigg’s, Jungle Jims and here in our restaurant. We have a 60 seat restaurant for dine-​in, carry out, catering and now we ship. We also serve other deli foods. Subs, Ruebens, Salads, Etc. Please come check us out!

History

Established in 1993.

Jay Bettman along with his wife Mary took their culinary and hospitality managment education and turned it into a successful business serving the lunch crowd in the north side of Cincinnati. Chef’s Café was opened 17 years ago in a business strip center on Fields-​Ertel Road.

Meet the Business Owner

Jay B.

Business Owner

From Dayton Ohio, Jay came to Cincinnati in the early 80’s. He graduated from Cincinnati State with a degree in Chef Technology and a degree in Hotel Restaurant Managment. Jay worked at places like Holiday Inn north, Vernon Manor and the Waterfront restaurant. He then landed a position with Goodwill Industries for five years where Jay trained mentally, emotionally and physically disabled adults in food service. It was this experience that led Jay and Mary to want to open their own restaurant that enabled them to keep the same Monday Thru Friday hours that Jay enjoyed with Goodwill. In short that means you serve really good sandwiches to the working crowd. Although Chef’s Café certainly serves more than just the working crowd, the original formula seems to have worked.

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14 reviews of Chef’s Café

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
LOVE their chicken salad and pasta salad! I have been going here for years and have never eaten a bad lunch from here. I’ve actually purchased their chicken salad and have used it for dishes at family events and gatherings and it always seems to be a hit. Highly recommend!
Place rating: 4
Cincinnati, OH
Just picked up lunch here today. I’ve been looking forward to it all week and no way the snow was stopping me. I got the Italian Sub and it is wonderful. The hoagie bun is nice and soft. Lots of meat and condiments — no skimping here. I got the pasta salad with it and it is also quite tasty. I sampled the chicken salad and yep, I’m a fan of that too. I bought a pound of it to take home. My sister also tasted the tuna salad and said it was really really good. Seems like you can’t go wrong here! Looking forward to going again soon.
Place rating: 5
Aurora, IL
Since moving to Chicago I’ve been craving this place. Seriously, they turned me into a chicken salad fan. I think for me the texture of their chicken salad is what makes it so good, although tasting amazing doesn’t hurt either. I’ve always hated having to much crunch mixed in– they have just the right amount. Did I mention that it’s consistently tasty and well textured? That’s key to having good chicken salad.
I’ve tried some of their deli sandwiches in the past and they’ve all been good. But nowadays whenever I’m visiting the area I always stop in to pick up a tub of their chicken salad to take back with me. Hope this place sticks around.
Place rating: 4
Fairfield, OH
I was introduced to this mom-​shop by some co-​workers, hailing their «world famous chicken salad.» I couldn’t pass it up.
The place is small. Seating maybe 20 – 25 people at a time, and most seemed to get their meal to go. The staff were friendly, forthright and prompt.
The menu is scratched on chalkboard behind the counter which houses meats for this deli-​style shop. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich on a croissant as suggested by the staff along with a side of potato salad and a craft root-​beer.
TASTY!
I don’t know if it’s the world’s best chicken salad, but it was very good. Too bad this place is only open for lunch. I’d love to check them out again, but their a fair distance from the office and I’m not one to venture that way on the weekend.
That shouldn’t stop you if you’re in the area though. Definitely give it a go.
Place rating: 4
Mason, OH
Only my neighbor’s homemade chicken salad is better than this. I tend to like lighter chicken salad, which is why I prefer my neighbor’s. I had the chicken salad on the pretzel roll with the chunky applesauce ($ 6.99 lunch is hard to beat!) and some complimentary popcorn that I mixed up myself. Atmosphere is very hole in the wall with friendly service. You walk up to the counter to order, grab your food, and find a seat.
Place rating: 4
Delaware, OH
I decided to come here for the famous chicken salad on Friday for lunch. I arrived around 1230 and it was a steady crowd. As other reviewers have noted it is a real deli with slicers and sandwiches etc. I decided on the chicken salad on a pretzel bun with potato salad and a lemonade.
My total cost was around 9.50 for everything and that is a little more than I would spend on a lunch, but it was my first time there had to splurge next time I will get the chicken salad on regular bread and save the dollar for the pretzel bun and bring my own water.
The chicken salad was good, but I don’t think it’s the best I have tried.
I would go back and try a sandwich.
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
I am very picky about chicken salad — and most foods. I prefer the good old fashioned chicken salad over the newer gourmet styles with grapes, etc. Chef’s has some of the best chicken salad I have ever tasted! Be aware that they are only open limited hours, because I didn’t occur to me that they’d close early. I pulled up at 2:55pm jus as the were getting ready to close at 3:00pm. I rushed in after having done a search on Unilocal to find recommended chicken salad., and they weren’t phased that it was time to close or anything. They were super friendly and very gracious! I purchased a pound of chicken salad and went home. You can get a table and eat there if you prefer. I would never do that to restaurant/​deli employees that were ready to go home! I took my prized chicken salad home and even chuckled that this little tiny deli claimed to have «world famous chicken salad». I prepared a croissant with chicken salad on it and could not believe how delicious it was!!! I was skeptical before eating it! My boyfriend came home and I told him about it and we both laughed about the «world famous» title, but after he ate it, h was just as impressed as I was! Now, I doubt that this little place in front of a trailer park on a road in a small town is truly world famous, but it should be! It’s delicious! I can tell you that I will be picking it up regularly! Delicious!!! Thanks for the great reviews tat sent me there! It certainly took care of my craving!
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
How does this restaurant not have more reviews?!?
Best chicken salad ever… no joke — tasting is believing. This is a whole in the wall in a dumpy strip mall next to a trailer park… this very well could add to it’s awesomeness! But seriously, how good is that chicken salad?! The stuff is like crack! Jay and Mary are always there with a smile on their face and always happy to see you.
If you want to try this place in the comfort of your own home, they now sell it out at Jungle Jim’s!
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
We drive by this place alot and decided to try it on friday. Its cheap and extra tasty!
they are known for there chicken salad sandwich. We had the chicken salad with pretzel bread, YUM! WOW an amazing sandwich with a variety of breads to choose from. They are also a full deli with a nice selection of meats and cheeses.
We had a conversation with the owner after our meal, he was a great person to just carry a conversation with. His wife is a baker and sells whatever she made for that day. We just missed the banana cake. She just makes one desert a day, and everyone in the restaurant raved about her cooking. They also have free popcorn for desert.
Parking is ok, its located in a strip mall. Sandwiches are fresh, seating was very informal. Also make sure you grab your drink when you walk in the door :)
for those not in the know, they also make some special chicken salad varieties that aren’t on the menu. Ask for the Hawaiian!
Place rating: 4
Liberty Township, OH
Not much to look at, but then again, the best delis I’ve been to usually aren’t aesthetically pleasing. The chicken salad lives up to it’s billing. It’s the best I’ve ever eaten. They have a different soup for each day of the week, but Thursday’s Chicken’n Dumpling soup is amazing. I love soups, and this one is one of my top 5. The sandwiches are just the right size (packed, but not redicously big). The prices are very reasonable.
Place rating: 4
Cincinnati, OH
Chef’s is one of those unique little places that all the locals know about but get missed by so many others. It’s truly a deli/​sandwich shop.
The claim to fame is the chicken salad, and it’s indeed excellent. Get it on a croissant! TASTY!
All of the food here is good actually, and the sandwiches are very fresh.
The Joe’s Royal is a good homegrown alternative to LaRosa’s Baked Buddy. It’s awesome.
The soups are fantastic and I don’t think you could find a fresher packaged salad.
But the most unique thing of all about Chef’s?
I have never, ever been to a restaurant where a straight up, peeled, chilled hard boiled egg was a side option.
ROCK ON!
Now the best part?
One time I was in there when the Hamilton County Health Inspector stopped by a for a friendly peek under the skirt.
When he was done, he went through the line and ordered a sandwich.
That speaks volumes.
The owners are great people and the staff of regulars have been there for years. They have a good system and move a lot of people through quick. You’d never know where this place was though, nestled in the tiny strip mall on the residential side of Fields-​Ertel between 71 and Reed-​Hartman.
Place rating: 4
Cincinnati, OH
I came here to try the ‘World Famous’ brand Chicken Salad that I’ve heard so much about.
I didn’t realize that Chef’s Café is actually a deli with typical deli fare — potato salad, subs, soup, pasta salad, corned beef, pastrami.
I got a ½ pound of chicken salad to go… They sell it by the pound, in any increment, for $ 7.99/lb. ½ pound is more than enough for 2 sandwiches. The chicken salad can also be purchased at places like Jungle Jim’s and Biggs under the ‘World Famous’ brand.
The chicken salad itself is pretty mayonnaise-​y. It’s not the sweet kind, nor the curried kind… mostly just mayo. I liked it, but liked it even better when I made my own sandwich with whole grain bread and paired it with arugula.
Now that I know there are catering options, daily specials, etc at Chef’s Café I will likely go back to try them out.
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
From an unassuming place on Fields Ertel is one of the great Deli’s in the city. Cheap and Tasty. Make sure to try the chicken salad. Sadly only open for lunch
Place rating: 4
Savannah, GA
As a self-​proclaimed chicken salad connoisseur, Chef’s Café World Famous Chicken Salad ranks in my top five (my grandma’s gets the top spot). I buy this brand every time I go to Jungle Jim’s and it is usually one of the first items I eat when I get home (which say a lot considering the delicacies I pick up at foodie wonderland). Their website boasts that they’ve sold over 106,000 pounds of chicken salad, so I guess I’m not the only one devouring the creamy treat.
Chef’s Café’s salad is rich and simply seasoned without too much mayo or onions. The real star of the spread is the tender chicken breast. With so many exotic varieties of chicken salad on the market, Chef’s Café sticks to a classic, no-​frills recipes and nails it.
Though I’ve never eaten at Fields-​Ertel delicatessen, I’d definitely give it a try when I’m in the area. Until then, I’ll keep stocking up at Jungle Jim’s.