After being gone for 75+ years, The Milwaukee Deli is back and better than ever

The Milwaukee Delicatessen Company… where do I begin? A). It’s darling. B). It’s what the north edge of downtown has been missing. C). It’s delicioso.

Located in the historic Cosby Hotel on the corner of 9th and Baltimore, this little joint is a homage to the original Milwaukee Delicatessen Company housed in the same location over 75 years ago. Speaking of – check out the image above. It depicts the first post-Prohibition beer delivery, complete with Clydesdales and wooden crates of Budweiser.

This place is done well. They preserved the architectural narrative of the historical building, jazzed up the bar and committed to making delicious food. Their menu boasts huge slices of pizza (in conjunction with the tasty Pizza 51), sandwiches and salads. And this stuff isn’t coming off a truck. They pickle, smoke and bake their own goods – and their sandwich bread comes from Sasha’s Baking Co. next door (more on them later!).

Meet a friend at The Milwaukee Delicatessen Company for lunch or happy hour and soak in the historic delights with a craft beer (they have a great list!).

Neighborhood:

  • Downtown

Best time of day to visit:

  • Lunch, happy hour or for an affordable and fun dinner with friends

Recommended dishes:

  • Side Garden Salad: Is it weird that this is at the top of the list? I don’t think so – it’s that good. This little salad has onions, green peppers, black olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and mozzarella – all for a few bucks. And you HAVE to get the house herb vinaigrette dressing (pass on the ranch this one time, trust me).
  • Pizza: I mentioned this is a Pizza 51 partnership, so you already know its good. The pizza is made with a thin-crust (perfect for folding in half), featuring slices that are as big as your face, cut into neat little pieces. They are available in a lot of fun varieties, or you can build your own. Check out the Veggie Delight below.
  • KC Corned Beef Sandwich: I haven’t actually tried this one, but my hubby swears by it. It features house-cured corned beef, swiss cheese, creamy coleslaw and russian dressing on rye bread. And it’s served with one of their scrumptious housemade pickles.

Milwaukee Deli Co. Pizza Milwaukee Deli Co. Pizza

Vibe:

  • Historic and laid-back with a fun atmosphere

Loves:

  • They’ve preserved the history of a Kansas City tradition while breathing new life into downtown
  • They’re open late – stop in for dinner and then stay for drinks

Watch out for:

  • They’re menu doesn’t feature much for appetizers (beyond breadsticks), so be prepared to go all in if you’re hungry
  • No dessert – can be an issue if you have a sweet tooth like me!

Vegetarian-friendly:

  • Yes

Vegan-friendly:

  • Yes

Tips:

  • Their neighbor, Sasha’s Baking Co. specializes in made-from-scratch baked goods. Featuring fresh-baked bread and unique desserts, all baked with European tradition, you have to stop by if you visit MDCO for lunch.

Go there now:
Milwaukee Deli
101 West Ninth Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
816.471.6900
http://www.milwaukeedelikc.com