Today:
An updated version of the Downtown classic, Shapiro's offers the same great deli cuisine in a fancier environment.
It still has a lot of charm even though it isn't the original location. We had great service from the guy making our corned beef sandwich and from the on-top-of-it cashier. The corned beef, desserts, and matzoh ball soup are classics.
My god this place is decent but damn it's ridiculously expensive. A sandwich will cost you $10 and that's just for the sandwich. It's not even very big. You want any sides that'll set you back a few more dollars a piece than you can buy a $2 drink with no refills. For how people talk about it and the prices you'd think this place would be the greatest restaurant known to man but it's far from it.
Best (and only?) Jewish Deli in town
Before the Carmel Shapiro's opened, I was willing to drive to the downtown location for the corned beef on rye. I'd pick up a couple bags of bagels, some cookies, and a challah as well. Thank goodness for the north side location, it's every bit as good and a fair bit fancier than downtown. The corned beef is flavorful and tender; the rye bread is freshly made, soft with a crisp crust. The hot food offerings are also worth a try, especially the over-sized potato pancake. The bakery is also worth a trip, with some of the best carrot cake in town.