Max and Benny’s

I used to go to the Bagel at Old Orchard all the time. I believe I have found my replacement. There’s plenty of parking and it’s closer to me. We had nice and hot matza ball soups, plenty of meat in the roast beef sandwich and the the Grecian chicken was juicy and tender. We’ll be back!

Although our first visit was a weekday at noon, a very high volume time for M&B’s, it did not deter Janet I, our waitress, from being very courteous and attentive as well as extremely efficient. Actually we noticed these attributes from all the staff! The food? What can we say but absolutely delicious! The corned beef? The best! The chicken broth? Outstanding! The potato pancakes? Scrumptious! The reviews are right. this is THE go restaurant for the best Jewish deli (and lots of other offerings) food. Oh, mentioning «deli», they also have cases full of wonderful deli food stuffs to take home. On our next visit, the coconut cream pie looks mighty good!

Very good variety of foods to choose from regardless of the time of day. Perfectly located with easy local and/​or highway access. We live in Chicago’s Gold Coast/​Near North area and it’s an easy place to meet up with our family and north suburban friends. Always plenty of free parking.

The best Deli in the Chicago land area. Food is always great The Bakery is to kill for and I can’t even tell you how great their rolls are. Whenever I want to take someone special out I always go to Max and Benny’s

Reviewing for their catering breakfast service: I was hosting clients nearby and wanted to have breakfast delivered to the client’s office for the event. John and the team at Max and Benny’s helped me pick an assortment of items that were delivered exactly on-​time. The food was excellent — mini bagels, muffins, pastries and fresh fruit. The coffee was still hot an hour later. Even the presentation of the food was perfect.
Just wanted to thank everyone at Max and Benny’s for a great experience. I would definitely use your catering services again.

White fish salad was tasteless. Service was only adequate despite the restaurant being empty. I was advised to come here by a friend ws said this place was the best but they had not been here in 15 years. I guess that it’s just gone down hill and trying to live on the past reputation.

The BEST fried matzah with salami ever! I live close by and stupidly overlooked it for years and then a friend asked to meet there. BAM! It’s now my favorite place for any meal of the day! The soups are all delicious and the sandwiches piled high. I love going to the take out deli before i leave to stock up things for home! A really great value too!

Best deli, breads, chopped liver, soups and bakery in the Chicago area. I purchase Max & Benny’s salami, corned beef, soups, potato pancakes, bagels, cookies and so many other wonderful offerings every two weeks to take to relatives out of state. Their food and service really are great. Thanks you all.

Great deli food on the N Shore. Corn beef, matzah ball soup, bagels, omelettes, all really good. It can get crowded at times, but usually just a short wait.

It is not close to my house but when we are in the area we make it a point to stop by they have the best corn beef sandwiches by far the only place that I could think that would be just as good would be Perry’s deli downtown Chicago.
They also have a excellent cheesecake
Not cheap but you get your money’s worth.

We’ve been dining and carrying out since they opened. The food is very good both deli and non-​deli with lots of specials. The wait staff is generally very efficient but the kitchen can goof once in a while, like most kitchens.
Their breads are made right there and are usually very fresh. I love the onion rolls. If I have any complaints, it would be about the kreplach. Dough is too hard and too heavy and there’s much more dough than meat. My wife would be happy to teach them as light as wonton.

Tried it tonight. The waitress was unkempt with greasy looking hair hanging in her face (yuck!). I had a Rueben. The corn beef was very fatty. Left most of it over. My husband had the brisket. Also very fatty. It’s back to The Bagel in Skokie.

Eat and cater from here often. Also top notch food and service. A staple in the area and a can’t miss for Kosher Style food.

I cannot remember a time before Max & Benny’s existed. It is a staple with my family, and one we never will change. Their soups are outstanding, and while they have a large menu, you will NOT find a bad dish here.

I love Max and Benny’s! It is one of the North Shore’s comfort food hubs! I seriously live for the brisket sandwich on challah! It is SO good! Their soups are also amazing. Kreplach? Matzah ball? You name it. It is phenomenal.

it makes me very sad to see so many one-​star ratings for this place — to me, it is a dream!
I live in Austin Texas (now) and am from San Francisco CA (then) but was born in Illinois and love all things deli. whenever we visit family (who thankfully live in the norther suburbs because of proximity to Max and Benny’s) we have brunch/​lunch there. we’re often a huge group, so service can be spotty, but who the heck cares about service when the food is so good?
my eyes are always bigger than my stomach, but between the corned beef on rye (why would you ever get anything else??) and the smoked fish plates, it’s just heaven. the kreplach soup? divine.
I love M and B’s so that I bought a mug the last time I was in. the kosher salami and breads? to die for.

I seriously do not understand how this place can mess up a simple Cobb salad every.single.time. I ask for no bacon, the salad comes out with bacon. I ask for tuna instead of chicken, the salad comes out with chicken. Not even kidding, I have been here 5 times, and have asked for the same salad (no bacon), every single time, and each time my salad comes out with bacon because the waiter/​waitress fails to check the orders.
That being said, once the correct food comes out, the salads are always delicious and fresh. The bread is to die for, and the bakery is a must on your way out. Service can be a little slow at times, but this place is always packed.

As usual, a fresh and delicious experience here. This time, we decided to stay and eat in the dining room. I am so glad we did. First of all, this place is spotless. The kitchen is clean and the food is so fresh every time we come here. Our server was Diane. She was very helpful and came back several times to give us more coffee and ask how the food was. Honestly, this place is our favorite and I look forward to visiting each and every time we are in town. The matzo ball soup is fantastic. I had a tuna salad sandwich which was easily the best and freshest I have ever had. My husband had the corned beef hash, a bagel, and their delicious chive cream cheese. Overall this is an excellent place to enjoy a meal. It is extremely clean, has excellent servers, and is consistently fresh and super delicious.
I cannot say enough good things about Max and Benny’s!

EXCELLENT! What a great find. We were visiting from out of town and friend took us Max and Bennys. The food was delish! I ordered the Corned Beef Ruben and this is probably the best Ruben I’ve ever had. I even forgot to add the sauce till half way through, it was so good I didn’t even know it was missing. The breads in the bread basket ate all wonderful. We had the carrot cake for dessert and it was perfect! On the way out we just had to stop by the bakery and deli for to-​go items. The Cheese Strudel was like nothing I’ve ever had before, it was to die for. The key lime pie was very good. The meat knish was fabulous. And of course the bagels were perfect! Love, love, love Max and Benny’s, we will definately be back next time we are in town

Tucked away in an odd corner just above the Tri State Tollway, is an old strip mall that should have been closed or bulldozed and rebuilt if it wasn’t for Max and Benny’s. Almost like Field of Dreams… if you build it they will come. For many Northbrookites or is it Northbrookians… their food is no secret.
I remember Saturday’s and Sunday’s are equivalent to driving in Chicago’s heavy, congested traffic. So try to maneuver in during off peak hours.
If their was a Matzo ball soup competition, M&B would have won the blue ribbon every time. The soup base is not to salty but just enough flavor. The fluff: density ratio in the Matzo is perfect.
Also, if you like smoked salmon, you MUST TRY their Loxs and Bialys. Add the cream cheese with a tomato and onion. Mmmmm. They get right every time. Consistency.
This is how you run a great breakfast place. What’s absent here are the trendy designed interior, hipster waiters, illustrious culinary presentation. I’m not opposed to all this, but what’s missing in many of the downtown brunch spots are the emphasis on the quality and consistency of food. In fact, isn’t everything else a mirage or a hustle if you can’t get that right?

This would be my first ever 1-​star review, but in the event that the management of this restaurant got wind of my comments, perhaps they might look into both service and quality. I have eaten here before, and while it wouldn’t be at the top of my «diner» faves list, it was never this deplorable. Let’s be real here, we don’ expect 4 star Michelin food & service. This s is a coffee shop/​deli, not a white tablecloth destination.
This past Memorial Day I stopped in around 1 PM. From the poorly wiped tabletop to the crumbs on the booth seating, the restaurant looked like the aftermath of an ISIS attack. I ordered a veggie omelet with egg whites, «well done» rye toast, and «crispy“hash browns. What arrived was «incinerated”(as in carbonized) toast, sliced pieces of baked potato (that never saw a flat top or frying pan), and the egg white veggie omelet. (Fortunately, the omelet was made with fresh mushrooms, broccoli florets [not stems], onions, & zucchini.)
So I ask you, if you were a server, and the kitchen gave you 2 slices of incinerated bread to serve to a customer, what would you do? Ding, ding, ding, ding. You got it right!!! You would ask the kitchen to re-​toast the bread until it was «toasted» (as in «brown»). Not my server. She served me the hot mess of cremated rye, and then blamed the cook! When I asked her if she could have the kitchen put the potatoes back on the flat top or in a sauté pan to brown, she had to bring the manager to my table. According to him, the best they could do (without me having to wait at least 15 minutes) was to deep-​fry the potatoes !!! Somehow an omelet with deep fried, thick potato slices didn’t appeal to me. I finished the eggs, and requested my check.
Top add insult to injury, the two cashiers were in the midst of a steamy «gossip-​like» chat, and couldn’t tear themselves away to take my credit card. Finally, out of the corner of her eye, one cashier (without even looking up), ran my credit card and deposited it, with a pen, for me to sign. Without even a thank-​you, she grabbed the signed copy.
Whether its high tea at The Drake or an omelet at your favorite diner, dining out is a «hospitality» industry. Any restaurant can have a glitch with the kitchen, but when it has uncaring servers, poor quality food, and inconsiderate front of the house staff, its a sign of poor management. If you are in the area of Max & Benny’s check the Unilocal reviews, and head elsewhere.

I am in love with your matzo ball soup.
I am in love with your corned beef hash breakfast skillet.
I am in love with the smell.
I am in love with the lack of pretentious people
I am in love with blunt waiters
I am in love with a whole pot of chicken soup for less then $ 12
I am in love with how easy you are
I am in love with your menu because its calling my name
I will give you all of my calories and $$