Restaurant Review of Rye Deli in Minneapolis

I popped in for a quick bite to eat with a friend on Tuesday at Rye Deli in Uptown Minneapolis. We arrived during happy hour to enjoy a few entrees, appetizers and local brews. I was struck by the nice, simple décor and interesting juxtaposition between the sports bar setting in back and the family oriented restaurant up front. The menu had a similar breakdown, everything from traditional deli dishes to burgers and fries.

 Speaking of which, the ketchup and fries were fantastic! The fries had that great home-style look, smell and taste. They were reminiscent of Convention Grill’s fries, which is just about the highest compliment I could give. They also came with sweet, homemade ketchup that I’d gladly buy and take home. Fries are the ultimate casual restaurant test for me, if they are anything but wonderful there’s no real reason to go back.

 For the main course I ordered a grilled salami sandwich and bowl of chicken noodle soup. I loved the bread and the spicy mustard, but the meat was a little heftier and chewier than expected. Still, the flavors were all there. The chicken noodle soup was nothing special, with more broth than was necessary. Word to the wise: if you’re going to serve a soup with that much broth, it should come with delicious bread.

 My friend ordered the corned beef sandwich. Open-faced with a great balance of ingredients, he gave it an 8 out of 10. He’s a bit of a corned beef snob though, so I’m sure the average joe would rank it higher. He wasn’t a fan of the pickles, hoping for a stronger vinegar taste.

In the end, I’d rather go to Rye Deli for happy hour than dinner. If you couldn’t tell, I loved the fries and I’m sure the other appetizers would be worth trying, too. They had a great wine and beer list, nice happy hour prices, free parking AND it’s on my way home. Win, win, win, win.

If you haven’t been there, give it a try.

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If you have been there and didn’t order the fries, go back.