Trying to avoid a chain restaurant, and craving a deli experience, this was such a wonderful visit in Saint Paul. Thanks to the staff at Patina for the recommendation! Old school all the way. There's a restaurant in the back, and a full-scale deli counter in the front. It is such a good stop. They have their own private parking lot too. Wood paneling, and a bunch of local reviews all over the walls. Clean, normal sound. Simple, with excellent customer service, and a huge menu that will have something that you like. Packed the midweek afternoon we visited, and we did not wait for a table. Loved my bowl of Matzo Soup, superb broth and the Matzo was delicious. Enjoyed my BLT on whole wheat and the homemade potato salad was amazing! Had a cherry cobbler for dessert that was incredible. Restaurant has been open for over 70 years, and I met the owner/manager, Cecil, afterward, and he just oozes customer service being a priority. It's a must-visit place. read more

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Stopped in to grab a sandwich to go on a beautiful spring day. The line was decently long but moved quick and my sandwich was ready very quickly. The line for baked goods was also busy but moved quick and wow - I regret not getting any of the baked goods. They looked phenomenal. I had the Leonard Da Vinci which was outstanding. The gardiniera was the perfect level of spice and the sandwich was jam packed with salami and turkey. The Cole slaw was also delicious. The vibe inside is very Eastern European deli authentic which is so fun. They had tons of to go items for sale as well and a huge grab and go beverage selection. The seating area was spacious and packed on a warm spring day. read more

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It's been about seven years since I reviewed Cecils and it's time to give them another shout-out. Since my last review, I have been here at least half a dozen to a dozen times and am happy to report that they remain consistently excellent. The Minneapolis/St. Paul dining scene has exploded in terms of diversity and quality since I moved here in 1979. Therefore it amazes me that there are more Ethiopian restaurants (14) than Jewish Deli restaurants (2), which would be Brothers Restaurant in the Minneapolis skyway and Cecil's in St. Paul. (Even the very good Cross Roads Deli is not a true Jewish restaurant (i.e., they serve ham sandwiches!). In fact, there are LESS Jewish Delis than there were in 1979 (Lincoln Del closed in 2000). None of this would matter if Cecils did not have good food. However, the quality and variety has remained high, with all of the classics including, of course, pastrami, corned beef, great roast beef, and addictive potato salad, all served with a legit sour dill pickle. Excellent caraway rye bread is sold up front, as well as the usual variety of meats, etc. In this way, you can enjoy the deli counter, the restaurant, or take-out. Way to go, Cecil's! I just wish they would open another place west of the Mississippi river. read more

I feel like a complete dolt for not coming in here sooner. This is a proper deli restaurant like I imagine is within a block of any New York City residence. The front section is a big serviced counter with meats, cheeses, and cold cuts. The back is a full service restaurant with a dazzling variety of hot and cold sandwiches. I've been in twice and I'm literally returning there for dinner tonight because I get hungry every time I think about this food. I'm told the Matzo Ball soup is amazing so I'll try that next, but the Deli Boy and the Russian Reuben were both fantastic. The fries they both came with were fine, nothing special, but those sandwiches, I can't get them out of my head and I don't want to. I also have gotten a sweet bakery item on my way out each time and I loved them both. Why have I wasted so many years not trying this place? read more

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Had this place on my radar for so long, and today's the day we darkened their doorway! This place is totally worth the drive. Walking in you are greeted with the deli and a small market. In the back you will find the restaurant. The menu is Chuck full of classic deli, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, soups, and a number of sides. Quite honestly I could have eaten any of their sandwich offerings. We opted to go with the Russia Ruben which was me to eat. In fact, spread the Savage and we were plenty full. I have to say the the best thing on the menu for this visit at least, were the potato kenishes. Two served on a plane, these are perfect for sharing. I don't know but they put in the mashed potatoes but they were quite amazing. Hasn't after thought I would have ordered some sour cream on the side or some horseradish., but that's just me. If you're than neighborhood, I highly recommend stopping into this place. I would also make sure that you put your patience hat on, we got there a little before 11:00 and by the time we got our beverages the place was filled and a waiting line. I would even go as far as say. Even if you're not in the neighborhood, go out your way and hit this place up it's completely worth it read more

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Visited 8/13/25. First visit at Cecil's and loved it! Very busy and took a bit to get a table because of this but the staff does an amazing job at turning over tables quickly and efficiently. It has a deli style vibe so you order and eat and then bring your receipt to a counter after eating but some people also choose to get their sandwiches to go. Something that's super fun is that they have is a huge variety of vintage sodas and drinks. I got one of these and it was delicious. I ordered the Sheila's Best sandwich and it was delicious. Maybe best kaiser roll I've ever had because usually I don't love these. It was the perfect slightly harder exterior with a super pillowy inside. I got a side of pasta salad with this (would definitely recommend-definitely more of an Italian dressing base vs a mayo based sauce which I prefer). My sister got a veg sandwich and my mom got half a Reuben sandwich. We all loved our food and can't wait to come back for soups in the winter. read more

Cecils - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Went out for lunch today and decided to go for a ride. Drove into St. Paul to a little place called Cecils. If you have not... Get a move on. I had the Russian Rueban with chips. They have just about everything you could want on their menu. The place was packed, and if you go to eat / shop eat in / take out like I said they have it all. Friendly, great service , Excellent food. To bad the stars only go to 5. I give this place 10 stars Well done WELL DONE! read more

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We ordered box lunches on St Patrick's Day with corned beef sandwiches to go. They were delicious. The food was easy to pick up. Love the boxed lunches with the potato salad, chips, pickle and the brownie is especially delicious. The price is a bit steep (around $20) so it's a rare treat. read more

I love a Jewish-style deli, and so does St. Paul apparently. Cecil's is a popular joint and I can see why. It has that classic storefront that you'd expect in an old-school deli with the back room restaurant filled with family and business memories. Too many choices but I ordered the Russian Reuben, basically a traditional Reuben but with pastrami instead. I enjoyed the taste of the sauerkraut and pastrami however for that price point it was a bit thin on the pastrami. I wish there was a bit more meat on that like other Jewish-type delis do. That side of potato salad though puts store bought potato salads to shame! I also ordered blintzes for "dessert", basically crepes filled with ricotta. The sour cream was not my thing but I thought their jam really paired well. read more

Cecils - Russian Reuben and Blintzes - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

A+ for Effort - I'm from New York - So I'm used to the best. Nevertheless - Staff are extremely helpful, kind and patient. Everyone takes pride in this restaurant. They are proud of the product. I feel terrible, I forgot my Waiter's name - But, he was extremely kind and helpful and answered all my questions. Sadly, they are unable to stock Kosher meats - due to the unsophisticated crowd that they serve. Why say something negative? Bread was great! Was a bit taken back by the preparation of the meat. No Steam Box - Whatever they do, it works. Would have tried the Matzah Ball Soup and the Latkas but it was just to bloody hot. A must visit if you are in town. Yes - its well worth it. Come out and support this Jewish Style Deli - Let's keep these guys around for another 100 Years! Mazel Tov! Menu is insanely huge. I like how they have various sizes - depending on your appetite. read more

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Want to be transported to a different time, when things were simpler? Well look no further! This mom and pop shop is nothing fancy and it doesn't need to be! There is plenty of street parking! When you first walk in, go to the back of the mini mart area and there is a sit down area. No time? Not a problem, get your items to go! The service was quick and well done! The Ruben's were absolutely delish and well deserving of all the awards on the wall! Definitely give this place a try!! read more

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Been wanting to try this highland park staple forever and was finally able to! The wait looked long but the line actually moved pretty quickly. Place was packed on a Sunday afternoon but our sandwiches came quickly and they were delicious! You can order at the cash register a to go order or there is a lot more seating on the inside for how small the place looks from the outside. Waitress took our order and another server brought it out to us. They were all working very hard so we didn't get a ton of attention but it wasn't needed anyhow. Our waitress dropped off our check at the table and we paid at the register. They were running like a well oiled machine! Place isn't fancy but they have a large menu, deli and bakery. read more

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We've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally went today. We went for a later lunch today thinking May not be so busy we'll it was still pretty busy. We only had to wait a couple of minutes to get a table. I was surprised the size of the restaurant part. Quite a few people in there. There is also a walk up deli counter you can order sandwiches to go at and of course the deli counter meats and cheeses. I ordered the Rueben sandwich, one they are famous for. It was very good. Highly recommend. My husband got the Russian Rueben used pastrami instead of the corn beef. He liked it also. We got chips with our sandwiches. Good service lots of people working. Just a heads up the restrooms are down a full flight of stairs. Highly recommend. We'll worth the drive for us. Want to go back and try another sandwich. read more

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I went to Cecil's during the pandemic and was actually quite disappointed. The way I remembered it was a small menu and the food was fine. That was not the case this time around (March 2025). Both the food and menu met or exceeded expectations. FOOD: I got a classic - the pastrami sandwich. It was a very satisfying sandwich and just perfectly simple. I highly recommend. Also, their menu is anything but small and I loved all the options presented. SERVICE: fast, accommodating, and friendly. PARKING: not sure if there is a lot, but I parked on the street, which had easy to find parking AMBIANCE: classic deli, no complaints. Note: the bathroom is down stairs so those with movement issues might have difficultly getting there. Also-- I love the shop and bakery items. I bought a cinnamon babka (I know, the "lesser babka" by Seinfeld's standards) but it was quite good! And because it was frozen I could save it for the perfect opportunity and it kept very well. read more

Cecils - Pastrami half sandwich - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

The food was so great! I got the Deli Boy and it was a great amount of food and meat inside the sandwich! The service was amazing for how busy it was, the menu was huge so we needed some extra time and help explaining things! The place itself felt like I stepped back in time to an old diner! read more

Cecils - Deli Boy - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

The bakery looks amazing, definitely coming back when I want some Challah bread! The rueben , their self proclaimed speciality, was good but not better than any other place. ( Katz deli in New York this place definitely is not for that.) The pickle tasted like a store bought one. read more

Plenty of parking, very casual, and all of the staff were wonderful and we got our food super quick given how busy the place was. My partner got the Sasha (pastrami & egg) with potatoe salad and I got the Shayna (turkey & salami) with fries. I didn't like my sandwich as much as the bread fell apart and my fries weren't salty enough and a bit soggy, but I really liked the Sasha and the toasted bread. It was a great combo with the fried egg and potato salad. Overall, great experience and I want to come back to try something different. read more

Cecils - Sasha - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Ambiance -this place hits the nail on the head. It's an old school deli in the front and a small little restaurant in the back. Nothing fancy. All old school. White subway tiles, glass cases full of sweets and bread, and small aisles of canned goods. I even grabbed a rice krispy bar on my way out which was good! It was probably 2-2.5 inches thick and as big as my head. Service Fast. Friendly. Attentive. Overall great service Food This was my first time and I was disappointed. I got the deli boy sandwich with potato salad and an order of their latkes. I was excited for the latkes and I was let down. They were not crispy on the outside. They were soggy on the bottom which tells me they fried them in too much oil and they did not let them sit properly on a wire rack because they were greasy and oily on the bottom. The applesauce and sour cream did add moisture; without it they were dry. They were heavily breaded tasting and I could barely taste potato or onion in them. The sandwich wasn't bad and I would not get it again. The Deli Boy had smoked sliced turkey, salami, Swiss cheese, and their honey mustard. The bread was a wheat bread that was good and you could tell it was homemade. The sandwhich did not have a good balance of turkey and salami, it had more salami on it. The honey mustard was good, gave it a little sweetness. The potato salad had nice big chunks of potato in it and was mustard forward. A nice mix of yellow and stoneground mustard. I will give this place a 2nd chance as the nostalgia and history of the place is its saving grace. read more

Cecils - Latkes with sour cream and apple sauce - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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What a wonderful classic diner experience. You walk into the smell of fresh baked bread. Then you walk to the back of the store where you greeted from what feels like an uncle you haven't seen since the last holiday. From there the staff seat you with a smile and take your order. Sorry no pictures this time but they were most accommodating with my order. I had hot pastrami on half and hot corned beef on the other dark rye with deli mustard. Got the largest one so brought home probably about a half pound of meat. Lol Was amazing. Also had the potato salad, and Matzah all soup. Drove from Wisconsin for this! Washed it down with a Strawberry shake side of water. Kid had the bagel hotdog with potato salad. Thank you to the staff for service always with a smile and accommodative. To the cooks for the delicious wonderful food you send out with perfect timing, and lastly to the owners for keeping a wonderful part of history open and keeping it as classic as possible! Told my daughter the only thing this place is missing is the old metal ashtray's in the table. After an amazing meal like that I just want a cigarette. See you again soon! read more

Cecil's is a Twin Cities gem. Kosher for the kosher crowd, excellent food for everyone else. Whenever I mention going to Cecil's to anyone, if they've been there, they inevitably answer, "Oh, they have the best Reuben I've ever had!" I reply, "Try the Rifka then. Or Sheila's best." Unbelievable! Best bagels in a counter full of bakery wonders and a perfect Chicken Motzo ball soup. This delightful deli is a little slice of Brooklyn right here in St. Paul. Family-owned, family-run! Wonderful experience! read more

Great offerings both in the soup and sandwich category... one party had beet borscht soup .. tasty; another had the Sasha sandwich, unique & also tasty; other party had the Taam sandwich also devoured deliciously. Service was attentive to our needs and had hustle. The host / cashier did a great job of cashing people out, answering questions from our group and overall entertaining. The downside was the temperature a bit on the warm side yet to be expected in a small space with capacity crowd. Expect a line during the 11 - 1:00 hour. Sorry no pics because we dove in & enjoyed right away. read more

I wanted to love Cecil's, but not everything hit the mark for me. Most notable is the price - holy moly is this place expensive! $16 for a pretty basic deli sandwich! My husband got the Russian rueben which at least required some cooking (and he said was 'fine' - but there's usually no impressing this guy). However. The borscht. HOLY MOLY this was delicious!!! They described it as "sweet and sour" - which it was. And so rich and delicious. Still pricey at $8/bowl, but I can overlook that for the taste. Where this place shines the most, imo, is the bakery/deli. I have purchased loaves of bread that I thought were a great price and very tasty (baked in house, I believe) and the sweets Ive bought have been good. I would give them another shot but now that I know what to expect I think I could order differently and be happy. read more

I wish I've discovered about this place 3 years ago when my family came in the town to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, and we couldn't find matzo meal mix at the available stores nearby around our home.. we could have stocked up on them easily if we knew about this place! I'm impressed with the stock of food they have!! I loved the busy small restaurant in the back, it was a bit packed with people but that shows how good the food and service is!! I'll be coming back to try the desserts, was too full to do so at the last visit! read more

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Always on the hunt for a great American deli. This one wasn't it for us. We had the Leonardo (cold) and the pastrami (hot). Coming from NYC we should've known better than to have pastrami... My biggest beef (pun intended) is that the samdwiches were not made well- just kinda thrown together haphazardly. The Lenoardo was better than the pastrami. Anywho, opinions vary. It wasn't for us. Check them out and judge for yourself. read more

Sonia on top of it! Great service with my complicated order, which came out correct! Such a satisfying lunch after 5 hours in the sun weeding. Wish I had enough energy to purchase from their meat and cheese counter along with many pre-packaged goodies to take home. I'll be back. Often. read more

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First time doing a takeaway order and damn was the guy on the phone so nice! So simple but it was very much appreciated how easy it was to place an order. When we went to pickup our order all the staff were helpful and friendly. Of course we had to snagged some baked goods for the morning. Excellent service and even better sandwiches. Best Reubens in town! read more

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Old-school deli serving classic and creative sandwiches, soups, and more since 1949. The menu is huge and several items are named after the owner's family members The service is friendly and quick. The food is high quality and fresh. The bake their own bread and rolls and make several other dishes from scratch. Highly recommend supporting this local institution when you're in the Twin Cities area. As their website states, "Cecils is the last of the true established delis in Minnesota, and we look forward to serving our customers the best, for generations to come." read more

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This was my first time at Cecil's after hearing such great things. It was super busy, so we had a short wait for a table, which was fine. The entire place feels like an old diner out of the 50s/60s, it has such a classic feel. Once we were sat, a few different folks came by to grab us waters, take a drink order, etc. Once we ordered our food, it did take a while to arrive, but not a huge deal (especially with how busy it was). Most of the folks who helped us were super friendly & that was great! I got the Hashwich, which was pretty tasty but a little more boring than I was hoping for. The zesty sauce was really good, but getting a bite without sauce was bland. I did love having fruit on the side as sort of a counterbalance for the heavy, greasy sandwich. In all, I definitely want to come back for their store area & to try more sandwiches! read more

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You won't leave hungry. The food is amazing. The restaurant, the bakery, the deli. The portions are filling. The prices can't be beat. Cute whole-in-a-wall location. The service is fantastic as well. Easy parking in lot round the corner. Recommend and would return. read more

Cecils - Bagel sandwich - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Cecil is always amazing. The Reuben is the best in the Twin Cities by far! The other sandwich that I like to get there, I can't think of the name of it, but it has the birdie sauce. It's like a Russian style Reuben or something like that. So so good! Also, don't sleep on the Hamentash or other desserts in the deli area! read more

Fun place for lunch. Good four, great service and fun lunch location. I would recommend lunch or brunch there and visit the deli also. read more

Cecil's is a historic gem of a Jewish deli. The matzo ball soup, sandwiches (especially if you're a turkey pastrami fan), and potato salad are good, hearty food executed perfectly. Service is no-nonsense and typically quick. Don't forget to pick a treat out from the deli counter when you check out! read more

Cecils - Monte Cristo sandwich with potato salad - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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We went on July 4th before noon. We were seated right away but there was a long line when we left. It was loud and chaotic. All of the employees were polite and helpful. The food was great. I loved my Reuben. It took a while to come out so don't come on a holiday if you are in a hurry. Well worth going to, it's a classic. If you have a sound sensitive family member don't forget the noise canceling headphones. No time for desert, but some great options. read more

Cecils - Reuben - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Cecils-you can take me out of St Paul but there is no way you can take me away from Cecils. It started for me when I was about 5....grandparents would come over for Sunday lunch. Always a double rye with corn beef and pastrami. This went on for years. As I got older I happened upon a Cecils Rubin sandwich. What a show stopper. Don't tell anyone that because my grandpa was a ketchup lover that I still sneak ketchup into my sandwich....I am now 66 with two more generations of my own all knowing about Cecils. Highland Drug store, Blue Bird fast food, and Dolls Kitchen are long gone. But thank goodness Cecils still is cranking out the best Rubin in MN!!!! I travel 45 mns from my house just to grab a warm slice of rye bread.....keep it going Cecils!!!! I will forever be a fan!!! read more

Food was great and felt like an old time diner! Meat was a little salty if you tried it on its own but in the sandwich the salt was balanced out. Went on a Saturday afternoon around 2pm and it was still very busy. Service was a little slow but understandable for how busy it was. Felt laid back, casual and family friendly. I loved the decor with all the newspaper articles detailing the story of Cecil's. read more

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I go here with my family a lot, only have gotten the breakfast special from the restaurant and sometimes some root beer from the front. Only disappointed once when my pancakes were sour... idk why... but every other time has been very good. Lots of pictures on the wall and I like that. You don't really think about the service there. They do their job well and fast without adding any sort of personality to it, I don't mind that when they're good at their job tho read more

DELICIOUS!!! I was trying to find somewhere close to the airport and not too far of a drive to Woodbury afterwards and this place was perfect! Less than 10 mins away from the airport and 20 mins to Woodbury. They ONLY have street parking so don't let the lot next to them confuse you. The lot is for Talbots across the street. Even though it's street parking, there is still plenty of parking space. You walk in and it's like a little store up front selling deli meats, drinks, snacks and other things. Walk further in and that's where the restaurant is! Service was really quick and the servers talk really fast. Food came out and I felt like they were yelling at us trying to figure out who ordered what. But i don't blame them because they're BUSY so I'm sure they were just rushing to go back to the kitchen. The place is quite small and tables are close together but people are courteous of eating and leaving right away to free up table for the next party. Definitely recommend and will be going back for sure! read more

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I agree it's disappointing the Twin Cities has only three authentic Jewish delis...Brothers (Downtown Mpls), Cecil's (Highland Park), and Crosstown Deli (Minnetonka). The days of old included the authentic Bernie's Deli and Lincoln Dels, since closed. We reside in the south metro. Closest to Cecil's but we enjoy Crosstown when traveling the west metro (larger dining area than Cecil's). Twin Cities has too few authentic Jewish delis, but the choices have quality house-made products for dine in or take out. read more

Ordered Sheila's Best and my partner ordered the Sophia. It was a bit pricier than I was expecting, but both were fresh and very tasty! Especially the Sheila's sauce, would definitely get again. Our cost was $44 for two sandwiches & fries upgrade, with two iced teas. If you want to sit outside you need to bus your own tables just in case! I would like to note through bathrooms are downstairs, which might pose some accessibility issue as you have to go through the kitchen downstairs. Staff was very friendly and were pretty quick to our needs (refills). I would go again and try a dessert next time! read more

For flavorful pastrami I'm giving Cecil's a 10 out 10. The place is hectic and confusing for our very first visit but I'm betting that repeat customers think nothing of it. I felt rushed into ordering and I actually missed getting a perfect pastrami grinder because I didn't find it on the menu until I got home. If you look under the heading "Our Favorite Sandwiches" you find many options including 1/4, 1/2 or 3/4 pound of pastrami and your choice of bread, including a kaiser role. The pastrami was delicious even though it tasted a little too salty. The servers were attentive. In the Deli area it was also hectic and their bread slicer was ten times louder than I've ever imagined a slicer could be. There isn't any need for me too look any further for a good pastrami sandwich but I'm sure I will. read more

Cecils - Russian Reuben (Pastrami, Sauerkraut and Thousand Island on Pumpernickel) with potatoe salad and dill pickle. - Delis Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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