Why it belongs in ORBIS
Manny's has served hand-carved corned beef and cafeteria-style Jewish deli fare from the same Chicago address since 1942. Mayors, US presidents and generations of local families have eaten here.
Manny's has operated from the same Chicago address since 1942, and describes itself as the oldest cafeteria-style Jewish deli still running in the country. The format is part of the draw: instead of table service, customers move down a line, watch sandwiches get hand-carved to order, and pick sides cafeteria-style before finding a seat — a structure that hasn't changed across roughly 85 years of the same family's ownership.
Corned beef, hand-carved rather than machine-sliced, is the signature order, alongside bagels with lox, house-made soups and standard deli sides. The self-service cafeteria format keeps throughput high without sacrificing the made-to-order carving that distinguishes it from a pre-packaged deli counter.
Located at 1141 South Jefferson Street, Manny's has built a reputation as a genuine cross-section of Chicago rather than a tourist stop: the restaurant's own account of its clientele includes mayors, "icons," and — by its own description — visiting U.S. presidents, alongside generations of the same local families returning for lunch. Almost 90 years into operation, that continuity of ownership and format, more than any single dish, is what the place is known for.