This was the first time that I went to Once Upon a Deli.  It's located in a strip mall just 2 stores to the left of Dairy Queen, which I had patronized many times over the years.  Somehow I had never noticed OUAD.  I am so happy that I finally found it! Today's visit to QUAD served 2 purposes.  As my AA miles were about to expire, I went on the AAdvantage Dining website to find a restaurant that is affiliated with the program, so that I could spend some money there so as to earn some miles before the deadline, in order to prevent my hard-earned miles from expiring.  That's the main purpose of me going to Once Upon a Deli! Of course, I went there also because of the food!  The deli was clean, and seemed very well-stocked and carried a great variety of deli food and ingredients.  The staff were very friendly and helpful.  I ordered the food to-go.  It was in the early afternoon, and I was delighted that they still happily made me an All American Breakfast Sandwich. You can pick any ways for the eggs to be cooked, and the kind of meat and cheese.  I had sunny-side-up eggs, sausage, and Swiss cheese (they ran out of Mozzarella cheese as it was already after one O'clock) on an all season bagel. There was so much yummy food!  The staff told me that they left the sandwich opened in 2 halves because the eggs were not fully cooked. That was pretty thoughtful of them.  I also ordered a raisin bagel with strawberry cream cheese. It was toasted to perfection, with a nice crispiness on the outside, and the right kind of chewiness inside. That's what a perfect bagel should be!  It had a slight sweetness because of my fruity choices.  The bagel was big and was packaged very well. I read that people had driven long distance to OUAD for their bagels.  We are so lucky that it's only a 5-to-6-minute drive from home.  I will definitely come back for more bagels.  We will try more different items from their vast menu too!  Next time, it will just be for good food, and won't be for AA miles! read more

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The sandwiches were just okay. Pretty expensive, but every place is these days. For me, I would take a pass.

Once Upon a Deli is just a couple doors down from Once Upon a Grill, so when you place your order pay attention. Luckily they're literally on either side of the Dairy Queen. My experience with this location was not good. We placed an order online. It was placed a little over an hour before the scheduled pickup time since I was heading to the suburbs for an errand and would pick it up on the way back home; pickup time was 8:30. My errand took a bit longer so but I arrived around 8:40 for pickup (at Once Upon a Grill; they must get it a lot because they pointed me to the Deli). When I got to the Deli and let them know I was picking up an order I placed the man looked confused, asked if I placed an order, then walked down and looked at something and said to give him a few minutes, during which they cooked my order. So the order placed an hour before pickup was 20 minutes late because they don't check their system. I learned later that they open at 8-about 40 minutes after the order was placed--but whatever system they use has controls for when to take orders and when to stop online order taking. If they're going to allow folks to place orders before the shop opens for pickup after, they need to either update the schedule for the online ordering system to not accept orders before opening, or they need to look and see what if anything has come in. Really disappointing because this made me running late for work. And it wasn't helped at all by the attitude of the folks working there. Not a sorry, not an excuse or explanation, nothing. And even with that indifference I was going to buy a dozen bagels and some cream cheese, but the guy just tossed my order on the counter when it was done without a word. So, I left. There are better bagels elsewhere anyway. read more

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the two men behind the counter, one may be an owner? were so rude!! I had a coupon that they would not honor, they said that it went out by mistake and they were going to talk to the people who sent it? the coupon said spend 100.00 and receive a 25.00 gift card, they would not honor it and were very rude about it, I would never give people like this my business, they do not appreciate their customers, too many other places in the immediate area that are just as good to deal with rude owners/emplyees read more

Is this Heaven? No, it's the Jewish suburbs! Jewish suburbs? I could have sworn this was Heaven. -------- Some of you will get that reference. Simply put, these are the best bagels I've ever had...anywhere! They're perfect. The right chewiness. The right seasoning. The right crispness. I couldn't even wait to get home and had to eat one like an animal while sitting in traffic on the highway. It was glorious and well worth the mess of crumbs I created. The corned beef sandwich on rye was also delightful. Lean meat, soft rye, and the right amount of deli mustard hit the spot. The poultry sandwich, which is turkey salad, was just ok and I wouldn't order that again. The challah was fantastic. I don't live in the area, but I'm willing to go out of my way for these bagels and am considering giving these away as gifts for the foreseeable future. read more

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I love this smoked salmon omelet with scallions. They always ask if you want the cream cheese mixed in or on the side, I always just get it on the side. I also like that it comes with a bagel as well, you definitely get a good amount of food for the price that you pay. read more

Once Upon a Deli - Smoked salmon omelet with scallions & everything bagel - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

Great service for dining in, carry out is always the best. Bakery items are really good too!

I recently hosted a breakfast for the staff at the three District 27 schools. We ordered bagel trays and breakfast combo trays (muffins, donuts, coffee cake and cookies) and coffee. We had 15 people at one location, 90 at another and about 115 at the third. The people at Once Upon went above and beyond to make sure the trays arrived on time at all 3 locations and the spread was beautiful! Everybody enjoyed the delicious food. I was very impressed that the bagel trays came with three different cream cheeses as well as fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. The bagels were also pre-sliced which was very helpful! If you need a nice breakfast for a large (or small) group, I HIGHLY recommend Once Upon a Grill and Once Upon a Deli! read more

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I love going here! All their food is delicious! Love the vibe! Great place! From eggs and bagels to Mexican food...it's all top notch!

Every time I have come here, service has been excellent, food is always fresh, and the deli is always very clean. For such a small Deli, they have a great range of meats, fish, egg salad, tuna salad, cream cheeses, Etc soups and salads are always fresh. The fridge has a nice selection of Dr. Brown's sodas and other drinks. I love that they still have hard salami is hanging from the ceiling to dry out a little bit more... Yum! They do sell halvah too. Once Upon a Deli has absolutely outstanding egg salad!! The fresh coffee leaves a lot to be desired, though. They do need to step up their game on coffee here. I like that you can walk through the open doorway to the bakery next door which is part of the same company. Although cash registers are separate. Prices are reasonable, not too high but not exactly cheap. read more

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Great sandwiches! Pricy, but we'll worth it! These sandwiches are LOADED with meat, if you order the "New York Style" corned beef or Reuben. The potato salad is excellent too. Nice selection of meats, cheeses, and salads in the deli case. Dr. Brown's soda in the refrigerated case. Highly recommend! read more

Best fried salami sandwich. Always a line but worth the wait. Both breakfast and lunch items. Take out is a breeze. Order to eat there it take it home. They have great hours so stop by. The kids love the food too. Family friendly read more

Love their food! Corned beef and turkey pastrami are still my favorite! Love their bialys and bagels. Been eating here since I can't remember way over 20+ years now. The food never disappoints and they have just about everything on their menu so even the pickiest person can always find something yummy too. read more

Great food and prepared well! Food is fresh and the staff is friendly! Highly recommend

Way Too much stuff on the menu cannot perform efficiently with that large of a menu. Cannot put out the food fast enough

Tried this location for take out as we were going to be driving past. The bagels, donuts and muffins were awesome as usual! If you have a chance to try their cranberry or blueberry muffins, do it! They are so moist and full of fruit! So flavorful and big! read more

So very disappointed! Purchased 2 chocolate chip coffee cakes today & I was hoping they were going to be the Leonard's bakery famous quality.Not only were they not Leonard's recipe , the inside was not baked , it was tasteless & possibly old product. When cut, the outside crumbled & the majority of cake was raw. Beware...definitely not the Leonard's bakery chocolate chip coffee cake...it's a very poor substitute with a lack of quality & taste. read more

Once Upon a Deli - Chocolate chip coffee cake - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

They do wonderful catering with seamless delivery! We tend to order a breakfast order and a lunch order when we hold meetings. They are very helpful when figuring out what and how much to order when you call. read more

Only three doors down from Once Upon a Grill (yes, same owners), this deli serves great sandwiches, cold cuts and soups. I've ordered salads from here before, they're made to order. But the made-to-order salads aren't what keeps me coming back for more. It's the egg-white salad. One bite and you're hooked. It has just enough salt to make it interesting, mixed in with a very light mayo (almost undetectable), scallions and some secret ingredient. They don't actually claim there is a secret ingredient, but it can't be that good without it. I order the salad by the pound ($10/lb), to go. It looks o.k., but trust me, it tastes far better than it looks. Best part? It not only tastes great, it is good for you. Tons of protein, no sugar, few calories. The perfect food. read more

Once Upon a Deli - Egg-white salad - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

Had four sandwiches with corned beef on rye. Disappointed would be an understatement. This was a special dinner for my mom who is 100 and loves a good corned beef. The meat was very dry very little of it and tough to boot. So tough my mom could not chew it all which was sad considering how much we were looking forward to it In addition we had matzo ball soup that was over salted lacked flavor but matzo ball was decent. Hope management addresses this read more

I've been coming here on and off for many years. The place has not changed, which is nice in today's world where places feel they need to redesign or update. It has that old deli feeling!! Pricing is very good for the area that this business is in. Very fresh bagels(many options) and potato salad, my go-to here. Staff is friendly and very detailed, repeating your order back to you, something lost in today's society of restaurants. They have some seats in here, not really made for dining in, but right next door there are some tables and chairs that are for the entire strip mall. Parking when it's peak times can be a challenge. read more

I ordered a sandwich that ended up costing $15, it was terrible. It was on what tastes like the cheapest slice of wonder bread. The cheese tasted like Kraft singles. I would not recommend unless you want a sandwich that could be made by a five year old for 15 dollars. The pickle was also dry some how i don't know how a pickle can be dry but once upon a deli makes it happen. read more

Yelpers crying again! Ok to make a sandwich it takes some time! I ordered a Bialy & lox. Was it slow? Yes. Was I concerned or impatient? No. Why? Cause its a deli. Takes time to slice lox & toast a Bialy. Was I entirely happy ? No! Did they slightly singe my Bialy? Yes. But the lox sandwich was very good and the place is worth stopping. Plenty of choices. Everything fresh. Do stop & visit Leonard's bakery which is attached and very good! This world is way too impatient. Everybody should chill just a bit! read more

It was our first time at this fast casual deli. Unfortunately the menu is a little hard to read as there are lots of items on the counter in front of it so you should get a carry out menu and study before hand so that you have enough time to order. We had the chialquiles with red sauce and two over-medium eggs. It was tasty but it had way too much Spanish rice and refried beans. Would have preferred a larger portion of the tortilla chips with sauce and less of the other two sides. A cup of chicken matzoh ball soup was tasty, but not as rich as others and the matzo ball needed more egg flavor. Chicken fingers and fries were tasty - they were flattened pieces of chicken breast as opposed to thicker ones we are used to. The grilled cheese was virtually tasteless had it not been for the margarine and hallah bread. The American cheese used had no flavor at all. We'll be back for reubens and corned beef. read more

Voy a dejar esto como una alerta, una vez más porque de ello depende la salud de todos aquellos que compran en este lugar, mi esposo compro el día miércoles 18 del presente mes , 1/2 libra de hígado de pollo,y otras cosas más , como , corn beef, egg salad, él a menudo va a ese lugar y en varias ocasiones le han vendido cosas que no están frescas y que además lo que han hecho es mezclar por ejemplo el egg salad fresco con otra ensalada de la misma pero no tan fresca y cuando mi esposo trajo la ensalada de huevo y el hígado de pollo al destaparla olía rancia y sabia muy mal y tenía un color raro, lo mismo con la ensalada de huevo, en verdad da miedo comprar ya ahí en ese lugar, no todo lo que venden alli es fresco ,así que si pudiera dar cero Estrellas lo haría con gusto. Aquí les enseño la Foto de un postre que hacen allí con Moho, o Mold menos mal mi hija observo a tiempo y no se lo alcanzó a comer todo, y tbn el hígado de pollo con un color y olor muy feo. read more

Once Upon a Deli - Mold in the dessert - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

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Not sure what's up with the 1 star reviews for this place. I am not a regular, but have been here a few times and have never had an issue with the employees. Every one has been fairly friendly. As for the food, the corned beef and pastrami aren't bad. The turkey is fine. They have good bagels and other typical deli stuff. They carry Dr. Browns and have good pickels, sour and fresh. I'm happy to eat here, the food is fine. The prices are acceptable for the quantity of food you get. I will go back when i'm nearby. read more

They have the best bagels and I drive a half Hour to get them as often as I can. Cream cheese, tuna and all their fish is excellent. The food is always consistent and employees are very friendly! read more

The Reuben is outstanding as is Grandma's tuna salad. Carry out from here is a staple for us.

A gentile in a Jewish deli. If that doesn't sound like the start of a bad joke, I don't know what would. I usually order the turkey on rye. They steam the meat for a warm juicy sandwich. I pick it up for lunch and split it with a friend. We both love the taste and are filled. The staff is prompt, polite, friendly and make me feel welcome every time I walk through the doors. What more can one ask for. I have also had the pastrami, corned beef, chicken, smoked salmon, and tuna. All have been great. I honesty can't think of one bad experience that I've had in this place. I must have gotten 40 or more sandwiches from this place and I plan to go for forty more. If your looking for a fresh deli, this is your place. read more

My hot NY style (1/2 pound) corn beef sandwich was absolutely off the charts delicious. The warm corn beef was tender and juicy. The meat was lean with the most delicate balance of flavor and texture. The rye bread was freshly baked with a crust that was a satisfying chew. I washed it down with Browns black cherry soda. The side yellow potato salad looked and tasted amazingly good. ****10 out of 10**** Total joy!!!!! read more

The Once Upon monopoly has now expanded right next to it's grill with the installation of a deli in the same plaza. I like that you can pop in here when Once Upon a Grill gets jammed up, as it almost always doesn't during lunch hours. They basically offer everything that Once Upon A Grill does except....you guessed it, food that comes from the use of a grill. SO, as crazy as my appetite can be, I def come to the deli for salads and cold wraps. I do eat healthy....most of the time :) They also have take out for lunch meats, cold salads, bagels, cream cheese, etc. If you like Once Upon a Grill or Bagel, you're bound to like it at the Deli as well. read more

For my money this is the best deli in this swath of the burbs. You can smell the authenticity the second you walk in the door. This is the place to go if you want pastrami, hard salamis, corned beef or the other deli type meats I wouldn't touch at one of the big box stores/chains. But they also have outstanding turkey and other of your more standard options. The big soft pretzels are super good, and I've heard good things about he matzo ball soup, though I have not had it. The only thing that prevents this from 5 stars is the lack of seating (basically none, just one table and a few stools) and the surly staff (they are plenty attentive, just not friendly). read more

Love this place, but I'm not a fan of the daytime TV playing aloud while I'm quietly waiting for a sandwich. Annoying, distracting, useless. Big turn off. I'll get lunch elsewhere for a bit. read more

Let me start off by saying I loved once upon a bagel in Highland Park and Once Upon a grill next door to this one. Today I was in a rush, so I stopped in to Once Upon A Deli to get a quick bagel with cream cheese. After order and saying " can I get a ALL SEASON bagel with chive cream cheese". The worker repeated my order to me and then still messed it up. After paying and getting to my car, I noticed it was not the same. Since I was in a rush, I could not go back and get my order fixed. After opening the bagel, it was tiny, it was about the same size as my side of cream cheese container. In once upon a grill, the bagels are a great size. The bagel was also ice cold 2 mins after getting it. The workers at this restaurant where incompetent. Next time I am in a rush, I will consider upper crust bagels down the street. Or any other Once Upon location. Very disappointed! read more

Once Upon a Deli - The bagel I recived was tiny. - Delis Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

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I got a pastrami sandwich and a potato pancake to go (I could see only 1 table). The pancake was still warm when I ate 30 minutes later and I liked the chunky apple sauce that accompanied it. The sandwich was tasty although I am not a pastrami aficionado. If the place was nearer to my home, I be buying stuff regularly. I thought the staff was friendly enough. read more

Great bagels in a New York deli style atmosphere. Also, the bakery next door offers great kosher options. I'm a huge fan of all of the Once Upon restaurants! read more

The corned beef and pastrami that I picked up today for dinner were both tough as nails! Nothing like the melt in your mouth sandwiches in NYC or South Florida. Very disappointing. The split pea soup would please a vegan with lots of other vegs. Good rye bread next door. read more

Absolutely awful crumbly bialys. they don't even come close to the bagel shop in downtown Deerfield, or New York Bagel and Bialy. I would never buy these again matter how desperate. read more

Baked goods--Fresh, delicious, for-real coffee cakes, tidy, and efficient.

I wanted to give it 5 stars,the corned beef, brisket,chilli Turkey sandwiches are great but..service can be fast or intolerably slow..depending on who waits on you...and I do hate navigating the parking lot Food is a bit procey but worth it read more