Constantly voted as one of Boston's best deli's, Michael's is located in Coolidge Corner across from Bank of America and Bruegger's Bagels. Michael's has a reputation for unfriendly service and most of the staff including the owner really live up to this. I disagree with anyone who accepts unfriendly service as part of the tradition of any establishment ( a la The Soup Nazi). There are a few new staff members that actually care about the customer however. The pastrami and Knish are good enough to forget about the service, but it is because of the service that I don't go more often. Portion sizes are huge and the price isn't unreasonable, especially for the amount of food you get.
Past experience has proven to me that Michael's has the best pastrami sandwich around. A whole sandwich is piled with nearly a pound of meat that is perfectly seasoned, warm throughout and moist. With enough bread to hold the sandwich together, the meat is the star even with any amount of condiments or toppings added. My standard is hot pastrami, spicy mustard, mayo and muenster cheese. The muenster is a perfect companion for the pastrami because you get the gooey consistency without the cheese overpowering the meat. If you are in the mood for a deli sandwich, look no further, Michael's is your answer.
Walking by a few weeks ago, I noticed that Michael's added steak and cheese subs to the menu. Based on the taste of the pastrami (Excellent), I thought I would give it a try. My over dramatic reaction is that the steak and cheese here is one of life's great disappointments. I had really high hopes and the sandwich was truly bad. The steak was flavorless chop meat, that resembled ground beef more than anything. My sandwich came with peppers, mushrooms, mayo, hots & cheese (my standard). Even with all those toppings, all I could taste was the bland meat (because like most of their sandwiches, the meat was plentiful). The sandwich was huge, but I didn't really want to waste the calories on it. Oh how I wish I ordered the pastrami! I asked the owner (Michael) when i arrived if the steak and cheese was any good; he replied by staring blankly at me. A truly asinine response! I guess if he didn't think it was good he wouldn't put it on the menu, but come one Michael; help a customer out! Michael really needs to lose the steak and cheese and gain some personality
I have tried all four styles of knishes Michael's imports from New York (they say daily). All four are very flavorful and a nice treat, I try to get them for my mother and sister who really enjoy them. They have pastrami, meat, potato and spinach varieties. You can reheat them in the oven (or the dreaded microwave), just be careful with the pastrami as it will dry out if its cooked too long.
Michael's is the best deli I have tried in the Boston area. The deli sandwiches, Knishes and different side salads are delicious. Bagels are imported from New York and are mediocre. No matter what you order, you will leave full. Michael's is a great place to grab a quick lunch, but don't expect good customer service while your there.
Ambiance: 8- Standard deli, not too much decoration but generally clean. Sign's are posted stating that no reading is permitted in the dining room, so expect to eat quick.
Service: 6-While service is always quick and accurate, there lack of customer service brings them down.
Overall Menu: 9- Good selection of traditional deli items. Steak & Cheese was a bad addition, but I will give them a few weeks to remove it from their menu
Presentation: 8- Nothing spacial, but it looks good enough to eat. Its a deli, not a 5 start restaurant
Order Accuracy: 9- Never had any issues with my order and I order my own combination every time
Overall taste: 8- was a solid 9 until they added the steak. Pastrami sandwich is as close to perfection as you can get.
Value: 10- Huge portions at a very reasonable price.
Flavor Complexity: 8- Their deli meats are seasoned perfectly and the knishes all have very distinct flavors.
Quality of Ingredients: 8- Top quality meats and cheeses (with the exception of the steak and cheese meat).
Accessibility:8- located in Coolidge corned their is street parking right in front and less than a block from the T.
Total: 82 If you are craving corn beef or pastrami, feed your craving here.
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