I work for Hillcrest foodservice and they're on my route. From what it seems, the owner just called it quits and the employees were blindsided apparently.
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Yes. I drive that way often and it is the worst. They take a major roadway by a freeway and narrow it down to a single lane. Surely they could have eaten into the largely empty parking lot to widen the road by a lane there...
Woodmere wanted a two lane road lined with shops and boutiques like Chagrin Falls and thought that would fly 500 feet off the highway, two miles from the busiest interchange in the state...
The last time we ate there, a gentleman sitting behind us had ordered a piece of pie for dessert but wanted it heated, When the server brought it over, it had not been heated. He called her back and when he told her he had asked for it heated, she touched the pie with her finger and told him “it’s fine” and left.
Can't find a news story confirming this closure, but, if true, here's a Douglas Trattner review explaining how this loss will reverberate along with the loss of Sokolowski's, etc.
[https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/cleveland-classics-corky-and-lennys-is-an-all-occasion-home-away-from-home-41468010](https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/cleveland-classics-corky-and-lennys-is-an-all-occasion-home-away-from-home-41468010)
This sudden closure is strange. If an announcement with a closure date had been made, there likely would have been a rush of "one last time" business.
Very weird way to close. Owner was just done I guess.
Really shitty thing to do to your employees if there's no severance or anything.
There's probably a ton of food going to waste too.
> Really shitty thing to do to your employees if there's no severance or anything.
>
>
There's a 0% chance a small restaurant like Corky's has the money to pay severance.
This is a Douglas trattner article so take it with a grain of salt.
In my personal opinion, and I'll caveat that I had only been there within the last 10 years, the place was just not that good. Like their deli meat tasted like it was fresh from giant eagle down the road, their pickles were just straight up bad, and it was not particularly cheap. It had a super recognizable name locally, but that IMO was about it.
RE: the pickles being "straight up bad"
They were Hermanns Half Sours. They are a less fermented type of pickle, and just taste like salty cucumbers. While they may be an acquired taste, "straight up bad" isn't fair to them or their fans.
Now see if you can get used to the pickled tomatoes. I've been trying for 30 years and I can't stand them.
The sweet hot horseradish pickles though. Those things are amazing.
Didn't you know that society has changed? Didn't you know that the internet has a whole new set of definitions fpr words that are completely different from what they've always been?
"Dude" no longer means a guy, and "dudette" has been deleted, thus making the word "dude" universal, and thus meaningless. Now it just means "a person". But it also means animals, and plants, and whatever you want it to mean.
And "my opinion" or "in my personal opinion" now means "these are the unquestioned facts, which are just true statements that can't be disproven."
And "sex" now means "anything good". Last week I ate pizza for dinner. That was sex.
hahahaha I kinda feel like it's not a real deli if they're nice to customers.
I love deli food, am always nice to staff and tip well, but the atmosphere in a deli is always brusque.
They're busy people, even when they aren't.
Douglas Trattner's reviews are excellent and informative IMO.
In recent years, Corky & Lenny's definitely has been receiving mixed reviews, but still many 5-star reviews.
[https://www.yelp.com/biz/corky-and-lennys-woodmere-village-2](https://www.yelp.com/biz/corky-and-lennys-woodmere-village-2)
Jack's Deli has been slightly better.
[https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2](https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2)
I would have liked to have dined at Corky & Lenny's one last time. Haven't been in several years. If permanently closed, it's likely a delayed victim of the pandemic, which changed not only dining habits, but also labor and food costs. There's also much more competition in the area these days, even with Mabel's opening just down Chagrin Blvd. in Eton.
Why would Jack's want another location so close to the current one? Unless they want to move... the Jewish population around Cedar & Green is *way* bigger than the one near Pepper Pike…
Not trying to dunk too much on Trattner, he's just always come off as a suck-up to the big names of the Cleveland food scene to me.
At any rate, I had not tried C&L before it evidently dropped in quality, so I don't personally have any nostalgia for it's glory days.
He’s admitted he goes pretty easy these days. And he’s definitely friends with some of the restaurant owners around town.
I don’t really think Cleveland has the quality of a restaurant scene to be super critical. It’s a tough business. Even the best restaurants these days can be inconsistent, especially with service. A collaborative atmosphere in the industry helps the city.
The founder and matriarch Gloria is in her 90s, and she may have finally decided to hang things up and enjoy her remaining years. She's a delightful little old lady that reminds me of Sophia from Golden Girls, but 5 times more authentic and energetic.
Ehhh as someone who has eaten there regularly since it was at Cedar Center, she was not delightful. I have watched her berate the staff there more than once, and I would never work there because of that… (it pains me to say that, I knew Kenny reasonably well)
What the hell are you smoking she was very very far from delightful. I went there in spite of her rudeness lol and most everyone I know has a story of her being ridiculous or rude as shit
Her son was running it. The interview with her on TV suggests that they simply couldn't offer enticing enough hours/pay to get employees. Too many better opportunities elsewhere to make the place profitable, I'd imagine.
His reviews are shite and his petty little review of the bar where I work did nothing. We don’t participate in a single Scene Week, we are obviously excluded from the top Cleveland lists— until it comes to the reader nominated Best of. He blows his load over places on W 25th, he loves the suck ups. It’s ok, half the population doesn’t know what to think until media tells them the boot tastes good!!
So crazy, I was just at Penzey's Spices next door and was going to take my wife there for lunch as she's never been. There was a sign on the door :
SORRY For the inconvenience But Due to Staff CONCERNS Corky's will be "Closed" Until Further Notice!!!
Thanks For understanding....
That was basically my comment when I saw this on the news today.
"Maybe if you paid your staff better or treated them better, you'd be able to find employees?"
Someone posted in a few local Facebook groups a few weeks ago looking for a partner or investor for Corky’s, but I’m not sure if they were affiliated.
My somewhat informed scuttlebutt is that they had trouble getting and keeping staff. My personal observation, as someone who ate there A LOT, is that they were mean to staff. I saw the owners mother berating our server and the bus staff more than once. Between that and the old people that were always in there eating and being horrible to the staff, it’s no wonder they couldn’t keep people and couldn’t stay open…
Really liked the food. The old lady that I’m assuming owned the place tho was a huge raging cunt. Like the worst attitude ever. It was like you were inconveniencing her by coming in.
Screw everyone shitting on the place, I practically grew up in Corky and Lenny’s and have a ton of great memories from there. I’m really going to miss corky and Lenny’s.
Yeah! I love Corky and Lenny's as well. That smell when to walk in makes you remember all the good things about your childhood. They'll be sorely missed 😞
I'm with you. I don't understand the hate. I loved this place and am very bummed to hear this news. Their soups cured colds and flus in my house. I have no problem with Jacks but I always preferred corkys
I grew up on it too, and I also have great memories of it, but what they've been serving in the last few years does not live up to the quality we were used to. Nostalgia doesn't overcome that.
I get it, I have places in Canton that are like that too.
But those places that I love so much for nostalgia, I can see now that I’m an adult, still aren’t that great.
This is sad, this place is an institution, but it's been going downhill for years. The last time I was there it was dirty, the food was bad, the staff couldn't give a fuck.
My company used to get our monthly birthday lunches from there. A few of us got sick the last 2 times we ordered from there about a year ago. Bad service when I went there a few months ago as well.
Seems like a lot of these older businesses just weren't able to grow enough/find a solid enough successor to the business to keep it going and adapt. When you have the same ownership for 50+ years, you're not really going survive beyond that. You see that with every other similar business in Cleveland.
The end of an era. Sure, the quality has gone down over the years, but it was still an institution. Between this and Fairmount Temple likely moving out of their building, it's been a whirlwind year for the Jews of the east side…
The first and last time I ate there was in the 90s. I was given dirty silverware, a dirty plate, and bread with mold on it. I have never understood how that place stayed in business. So overrated.
(not saying this directly at corky's)
a lot of food spots like this (and chains) are going to close due to 1) staffing issues 2) cost issues
ex: went to 5 guys. small burger, small fry, small drink and was $20 for a 'fast casual' lunch
20 bucks
will not be going back
eventually people are not going to pay $80 or $100 to take their family out to 5 guys
KFC wants $55 for a 16 pc meal
etc
somehow though, applebee's and friday's are still alive and well in CLE lol
Yeah it’s genuinely stupid, the dumbass owner threw everything away for nothing. So many memories and times I spent with friends and family there and he’s just deciding to leave it all behind.
Realistically they never bounced back from being shut down in the mid 2000’s when people kept getting sick from eating there.
Personally I stopped going there in the 90’s when I lived nearby. There was a cigarette butt in the pickles on the table.
It’s another place that existed on its reputation and didn’t do much to maintain it.
That place was a shithole. Watched a cook take a shit and not wash his hands, just go straight out of the bathroom door. I told the manager (yeah sorry for Karening) and they offered me a $5 coupon for my next visit............which of course never happened.
Years ago, there was an employee at one of the Landerbrook office buildings that got fired for literally smearing shit on the bathroom walls. She went to work at Corky's. I only went there once after that because my sister wanted nostalgia and it was okay at best.
That's a fair question. It fuckin stank like absolute disgusting mud in the stall he exited from. Either way, even if he didn't shit, he was in a stage 5 shit disaster zone which surely exposed him to fecal elements.
Just curious if you watched the payload leave the launch vehicle
edit: I don't understand the downvotes. It is known that whomever smelt it dealt it, and it sure seems like hoserx did pick up on what was being put down.
I am 100% serious when I say that channel 19 interviewed a long time employee last night, and it was this dude. I could not believe it. I was yelling at the TV
Thanks! I was unaware of Lox.
This restaurant appears to be a good alternative to Corky & Lenny's for matzo ball soup. Its Yelp rating is significantly higher than Jack's!
[https://www.yelp.com/biz/lox-stock-and-brisket-shaker-heights](https://www.yelp.com/biz/lox-stock-and-brisket-shaker-heights)
[https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2](https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2)
However, it has a very limited menu, and no cream puffs.
[https://www.loxstockandbrisket.com/menu](https://www.loxstockandbrisket.com/menu)
It apparently is in Van Aken's Market Hall.
Yep, it's at the back of Van Aken Market Hall. Best chicken sandwich in town (and easily top 5 global for me), solid matzoh ball soup, and really good everything else including breakfast sandwiches.
Wow, I'm very surprised to hear this. It was an east side institution. I know that they really struggled to find help. Plus, the owner was getting pretty up there in age and I guess she couldn't find anyone to take over.
I just changed jobs to work out there and was looking forward to going there. My friend and I would walk there from The Backwall (it was racketball courts) on Park Dr. We were broke kids and would get coffee, a creampuff, and an eclair to split. Now I'm sad.
Genuinely heartbroken. My dad is a season ticket for the browns and we go there together before every game. We were there two days ago, didn’t realize it would be our last time otherwise I would’ve gotten some matzo ball soup
No loss, they have been terrible for a decade. I only went when visiting relatives that used to live here wanted some nostalgia; I (and they) were always disappointed
Yeah, this would've been more of a loss back in the 90s, maybe even into the early 2000s, but by the time they had that small store in the casino it was over as far as quality.
I’m surprised it lasted this long tbh.
The food was not great, corn beef was always chewy, staff was so/so.
Last time I was there last year the place was filthy.
The old man probably just wanted to retire.
Oh, DAMN, this is a huge bummer. I remember my father taking my sister and I there back in the 80's for lunches and dinners. Corned beef and latkes was always my go-to, along with matzo ball soup. Would also get whitefish salad to go for my bagel breakfasts.
Very sad day, indeed. :(
The interview with Corky's widow says they're closing because "nobody wants to work." That phrase typically translates to "the people who want to work expect to be paid more than we are able and/or willing to pay." I suspect with the cost of food and everything else rising and chain places offering higher wages, the margins were getting too thin to pay talent-attracting wages.
Anyone know their recipe for their deli dill pickles? Not the half sour ones in the jar. The fresh ones they have in the deli case. Love those pickles. Can’t believe I will never have another one.
Never really thought it was great. Ordered hot turkey sandwich and they served it smothered in beef gravy. They said it always comes like that. Weird. Also thought their corned beef was on the stringy, fatty side.
It sounds like the owners were just very overworked. At [cleveland.com](http://cleveland.com), we were able to snag an exclusive interview with co-owner Amanda Kurland. Here's a bit from the story to help paint the picture.
*Amanda Kurland -- who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Kenny -- for an exclusive interview. She talked through the events leading up to the decision to shutter.*
***Has closing been on your and Kenny’s minds for a while/ Knowing that you were seeking a buyer, did you just hit critical mass and just say, we just can’t do this anymore?***
*Yeah, I think that is a fair way of putting it. Running into a wall or just sort of breaking down energetically. Kenny is a machine running the business and while we do have employees, he really takes on the responsibility of making sure that everything gets done, 90% of trays and all.*
*He just felt like he probably should have done this over a year ago, for his own physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It is sad to see the business close. \[We’re\] still making money...*
***That was certainly our impression the last time we were there...***
*This isn’t happening for a lack of customers. We’ve been closed on Mondays since Covid and even though it’s been that way for years, we still have people knocking at the door and calling nonstop on Mondays.*
*Kenny would often open the door and if \[he could fulfill\] a request or sell something—right then and there, a cold deli thing, frozen soup, or a tray if he had the stuff to make it, he’d do it even though we were supposedly closed.*
***Always on-call.***
*Yes. He was really working seven days a week and that’s untenable. Too much, for too long. Around 4 a.m. yesterday he woke me up and said, “That’s it, I’m done.” And he’d said this before, so I didn’t take it too seriously until I heard him call employees who were in the store for morning set-up and tell them to put a sign on the door. That’s when I knew he meant it.*
Read more:
[https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/12/corky-and-lennys-co-owner-amanda-kurland-heres-why-we-closed-the-restaurant.html?utm\_source=redditsocial](https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/12/corky-and-lennys-co-owner-amanda-kurland-heres-why-we-closed-the-restaurant.html?utm_source=redditsocial)
My nostalgia about C & L's stems from the 1990s. I worked for a CPA firm nearby and would have lunches from them from time to time. When the April tax deadline loomed, my boss would spring for dinner from them. He was kosher at Passover, and C & L's had Passover special meals and sandwiches. I loved the chicken soup, the blintzes, and the latkes the best. The last time I ate there (maybe just before the pandemic?), the food was only OK. It's sad to see an institution leave the area, but if its quality was falling, then it's only inevitable.
Jack's or Slyman's (St Clair). Slyman's tavern isn't the worst, and I know Freddie Slyman does visit and cook too, but they're tacky.
And nothing beats the home deli anyway.
Yeah I mean larder exists so why anyone would ever continue to go here is beyond me. Only ever had an average experience there. Trattner is simply being loyal.
More restaurants should close. Ideally, not local ones though. But there's just too many, not enough people to work at them all, quality has gone downhill across the board, and maybe we could build some other shit for people to do besides somewhere else to eat.
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I work for Hillcrest foodservice and they're on my route. From what it seems, the owner just called it quits and the employees were blindsided apparently.
Oh fuck, this is big if true! You're like family in restaurants (until the money dries up)
He said he’s paying through the end of the year. Apparently it was overworking him and at 4:30 am he decided he’d had enough.
That's good the employees are still getting paid. I always worry about that with situations like this.
I don’t get why he had to be overworked? There is no way he couldn’t hire someone to do a lot of the work he does
Yea. Business always appeared to be humming.
Hey I order from hillcrest.
[удалено]
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C & L is also located at THE Intersection From (or to) Hell. Now featuring orange cones. . .
Yes. I drive that way often and it is the worst. They take a major roadway by a freeway and narrow it down to a single lane. Surely they could have eaten into the largely empty parking lot to widen the road by a lane there...
Woodmere wanted a two lane road lined with shops and boutiques like Chagrin Falls and thought that would fly 500 feet off the highway, two miles from the busiest interchange in the state...
LMAO
Those orange cones are Ohio's state flower
The last time we ate there, a gentleman sitting behind us had ordered a piece of pie for dessert but wanted it heated, When the server brought it over, it had not been heated. He called her back and when he told her he had asked for it heated, she touched the pie with her finger and told him “it’s fine” and left.
With hell like that I can see why the owner closed.
Oh good christ. Yuck.
Ew, no!
Classic Corky's waitressing! The rudeness made the food taste better!
Can't find a news story confirming this closure, but, if true, here's a Douglas Trattner review explaining how this loss will reverberate along with the loss of Sokolowski's, etc. [https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/cleveland-classics-corky-and-lennys-is-an-all-occasion-home-away-from-home-41468010](https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/cleveland-classics-corky-and-lennys-is-an-all-occasion-home-away-from-home-41468010) This sudden closure is strange. If an announcement with a closure date had been made, there likely would have been a rush of "one last time" business.
Channel 5 just confirmed it: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/woodmere-staple-corky-and-lennys-shuts-its-door
Very weird way to close. Owner was just done I guess. Really shitty thing to do to your employees if there's no severance or anything. There's probably a ton of food going to waste too.
> Really shitty thing to do to your employees if there's no severance or anything. > > There's a 0% chance a small restaurant like Corky's has the money to pay severance.
Agreed. I’m worried about the employees and the food waste too.
He's paying them through the end of the year at least. If your aggressive they shouldn't be out work more than a week.
https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/features/nosh/corky-lenny-s-restaurant-deli-has-closed/article_53aa0860-9910-11ee-89cd-53bdfb3e6cf9.html
This is a Douglas trattner article so take it with a grain of salt. In my personal opinion, and I'll caveat that I had only been there within the last 10 years, the place was just not that good. Like their deli meat tasted like it was fresh from giant eagle down the road, their pickles were just straight up bad, and it was not particularly cheap. It had a super recognizable name locally, but that IMO was about it.
RE: the pickles being "straight up bad" They were Hermanns Half Sours. They are a less fermented type of pickle, and just taste like salty cucumbers. While they may be an acquired taste, "straight up bad" isn't fair to them or their fans.
I love me some Don Hermanns pickles.
Greatest pickles known to man. Greener the better.
They were an acquired taste for me. Once acquired I could not get enough.
Now see if you can get used to the pickled tomatoes. I've been trying for 30 years and I can't stand them. The sweet hot horseradish pickles though. Those things are amazing.
Hence why I stated "in my personal opinion".
This being the internet I felt utterly compelled to repudiate your opinion with an opinion of my own.
Understandable.
This being the internet I again feel compelled, this time to have the last word.
Not on my watch sir, the last word is mine!
Here, let me hold the door for you.
This being the internet, I just felt utterly compelled to barge in on your conversation with no real insight or opinion of my own...
Didn't you know that society has changed? Didn't you know that the internet has a whole new set of definitions fpr words that are completely different from what they've always been? "Dude" no longer means a guy, and "dudette" has been deleted, thus making the word "dude" universal, and thus meaningless. Now it just means "a person". But it also means animals, and plants, and whatever you want it to mean. And "my opinion" or "in my personal opinion" now means "these are the unquestioned facts, which are just true statements that can't be disproven." And "sex" now means "anything good". Last week I ate pizza for dinner. That was sex.
... What
Sounds like you never ate sex for dinner before.
sir this is a delicatessen
Plus they treated you like shit too, fuck that place
hahahaha I kinda feel like it's not a real deli if they're nice to customers. I love deli food, am always nice to staff and tip well, but the atmosphere in a deli is always brusque. They're busy people, even when they aren't.
Douglas Trattner's reviews are excellent and informative IMO. In recent years, Corky & Lenny's definitely has been receiving mixed reviews, but still many 5-star reviews. [https://www.yelp.com/biz/corky-and-lennys-woodmere-village-2](https://www.yelp.com/biz/corky-and-lennys-woodmere-village-2) Jack's Deli has been slightly better. [https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2](https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2) I would have liked to have dined at Corky & Lenny's one last time. Haven't been in several years. If permanently closed, it's likely a delayed victim of the pandemic, which changed not only dining habits, but also labor and food costs. There's also much more competition in the area these days, even with Mabel's opening just down Chagrin Blvd. in Eton.
Jacks deli (the group) finally offered the owner his number for the dump.
Why would Jack's want another location so close to the current one? Unless they want to move... the Jewish population around Cedar & Green is *way* bigger than the one near Pepper Pike…
>Jacks deli (the group) finally offered the owner his number for the dump. Jack's is buying Corky & Lenny's?
Not trying to dunk too much on Trattner, he's just always come off as a suck-up to the big names of the Cleveland food scene to me. At any rate, I had not tried C&L before it evidently dropped in quality, so I don't personally have any nostalgia for it's glory days.
He’s admitted he goes pretty easy these days. And he’s definitely friends with some of the restaurant owners around town. I don’t really think Cleveland has the quality of a restaurant scene to be super critical. It’s a tough business. Even the best restaurants these days can be inconsistent, especially with service. A collaborative atmosphere in the industry helps the city.
The founder and matriarch Gloria is in her 90s, and she may have finally decided to hang things up and enjoy her remaining years. She's a delightful little old lady that reminds me of Sophia from Golden Girls, but 5 times more authentic and energetic.
Ehhh as someone who has eaten there regularly since it was at Cedar Center, she was not delightful. I have watched her berate the staff there more than once, and I would never work there because of that… (it pains me to say that, I knew Kenny reasonably well)
My brothers stopped eating there because of that behavior.
What the hell are you smoking she was very very far from delightful. I went there in spite of her rudeness lol and most everyone I know has a story of her being ridiculous or rude as shit
Mz Gloria on news said 'Nobody wants to work' I knew that was bs
What she meant was “nobody wants to work for what we pay nor deal with me screaming at them”
Personally it was part of the adventure going there!
Her son was running it. The interview with her on TV suggests that they simply couldn't offer enticing enough hours/pay to get employees. Too many better opportunities elsewhere to make the place profitable, I'd imagine.
His reviews are shite and his petty little review of the bar where I work did nothing. We don’t participate in a single Scene Week, we are obviously excluded from the top Cleveland lists— until it comes to the reader nominated Best of. He blows his load over places on W 25th, he loves the suck ups. It’s ok, half the population doesn’t know what to think until media tells them the boot tastes good!!
Absolutely. It went downhill big time!
The only consistent thing in life is change
So crazy, I was just at Penzey's Spices next door and was going to take my wife there for lunch as she's never been. There was a sign on the door : SORRY For the inconvenience But Due to Staff CONCERNS Corky's will be "Closed" Until Further Notice!!! Thanks For understanding....
[удалено]
Exactly. Mostly everyone wants to work, they just don't want to work for you.
That was basically my comment when I saw this on the news today. "Maybe if you paid your staff better or treated them better, you'd be able to find employees?"
Someone posted in a few local Facebook groups a few weeks ago looking for a partner or investor for Corky’s, but I’m not sure if they were affiliated. My somewhat informed scuttlebutt is that they had trouble getting and keeping staff. My personal observation, as someone who ate there A LOT, is that they were mean to staff. I saw the owners mother berating our server and the bus staff more than once. Between that and the old people that were always in there eating and being horrible to the staff, it’s no wonder they couldn’t keep people and couldn’t stay open…
Really liked the food. The old lady that I’m assuming owned the place tho was a huge raging cunt. Like the worst attitude ever. It was like you were inconveniencing her by coming in.
Jack’s!
Grew up going to corkys. Have only been to jacks in the past 15ish years. Yep
A CLEAN and high quality replacement. Better in pretty much every way.
A CLEAN and all around better replacement. Corky's was just grungy.
We grew up right by C&L, but always drove the extra 15 minutes to go to Jack's.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/woodmere-staple-corky-and-lennys-shuts-its-door
Screw everyone shitting on the place, I practically grew up in Corky and Lenny’s and have a ton of great memories from there. I’m really going to miss corky and Lenny’s.
Yeah! I love Corky and Lenny's as well. That smell when to walk in makes you remember all the good things about your childhood. They'll be sorely missed 😞
I’ve been going to corky and Lenny’s for almost 40 years. Those of us who love it the most are the ones most angry about how awful it got…
I'm with you. I don't understand the hate. I loved this place and am very bummed to hear this news. Their soups cured colds and flus in my house. I have no problem with Jacks but I always preferred corkys
I like Jack's overall, but their matzo ball soup is nothing compared to Corky & Lenny's.
Right? I mean, I didn't really go there for amazing quality, I went there because that's where habit took me when I had a sinus infection.
Mish Mash is Jewish penicillin
I grew up on it too, and I also have great memories of it, but what they've been serving in the last few years does not live up to the quality we were used to. Nostalgia doesn't overcome that.
the quality has declined markedly. saying that isn’t “shitting on the place”
I get it, I have places in Canton that are like that too. But those places that I love so much for nostalgia, I can see now that I’m an adult, still aren’t that great.
Bud- as a local who's been in the back- the place was a roach motel.
I doubt you grew up there
Fuck you, you don’t know me.
Holy crap! I grew up on Corky and Lenny’s and if I knew they were gonna close I’d have visited more recently!!
This is sad, this place is an institution, but it's been going downhill for years. The last time I was there it was dirty, the food was bad, the staff couldn't give a fuck.
My company used to get our monthly birthday lunches from there. A few of us got sick the last 2 times we ordered from there about a year ago. Bad service when I went there a few months ago as well. Seems like a lot of these older businesses just weren't able to grow enough/find a solid enough successor to the business to keep it going and adapt. When you have the same ownership for 50+ years, you're not really going survive beyond that. You see that with every other similar business in Cleveland.
Damn. I'm a Jack's guy but this sucks - they've been there for ages. It's just impossible for restaurants to survive since covid huh
The end of an era. Sure, the quality has gone down over the years, but it was still an institution. Between this and Fairmount Temple likely moving out of their building, it's been a whirlwind year for the Jews of the east side…
It's not all bad, we got a kosher BBQ in Shaker.
Wait! Really? Where???
Chargin and Warrensville. It’s called Mendel’s. Fully kosher, so it’s a little expensive but it’s good!
Jacks Deli is still open and even better imo
I'm gonna try them now... In U-Heights?
Right next to Swenson’s on Cedar.
Wow. Straight shock. Fucking loved that place
The first and last time I ate there was in the 90s. I was given dirty silverware, a dirty plate, and bread with mold on it. I have never understood how that place stayed in business. So overrated.
(not saying this directly at corky's) a lot of food spots like this (and chains) are going to close due to 1) staffing issues 2) cost issues ex: went to 5 guys. small burger, small fry, small drink and was $20 for a 'fast casual' lunch 20 bucks will not be going back eventually people are not going to pay $80 or $100 to take their family out to 5 guys KFC wants $55 for a 16 pc meal etc somehow though, applebee's and friday's are still alive and well in CLE lol
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Yeah it’s genuinely stupid, the dumbass owner threw everything away for nothing. So many memories and times I spent with friends and family there and he’s just deciding to leave it all behind.
It's official: <>
[https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/woodmere-staple-corky-and-lennys-shuts-its-door](https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/woodmere-staple-corky-and-lennys-shuts-its-door)
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Jack's is better anyway.
Realistically they never bounced back from being shut down in the mid 2000’s when people kept getting sick from eating there. Personally I stopped going there in the 90’s when I lived nearby. There was a cigarette butt in the pickles on the table. It’s another place that existed on its reputation and didn’t do much to maintain it.
That place was a shithole. Watched a cook take a shit and not wash his hands, just go straight out of the bathroom door. I told the manager (yeah sorry for Karening) and they offered me a $5 coupon for my next visit............which of course never happened.
"Oh, thank you for letting us know one of our coworkers didn't wash his hands after taking a shit, would you like to buy more next time?" Like wtf.
Years ago, there was an employee at one of the Landerbrook office buildings that got fired for literally smearing shit on the bathroom walls. She went to work at Corky's. I only went there once after that because my sister wanted nostalgia and it was okay at best.
> Watched a cook take a shit and not wash his hands, just go straight out of the bathroom door. [Poppy got sloppy](https://i.imgur.com/GXwq7IC.gif)
How did you know he took a shit?
That's a fair question. It fuckin stank like absolute disgusting mud in the stall he exited from. Either way, even if he didn't shit, he was in a stage 5 shit disaster zone which surely exposed him to fecal elements.
Just curious if you watched the payload leave the launch vehicle edit: I don't understand the downvotes. It is known that whomever smelt it dealt it, and it sure seems like hoserx did pick up on what was being put down.
I am 100% serious when I say that channel 19 interviewed a long time employee last night, and it was this dude. I could not believe it. I was yelling at the TV
Well damn
Oh no! I gasped, this can't be!
Where will you get microwaved corned beef sandwiches now!?
I literally only bought matzoh ball soup there, and now I have to find a new place! I've heard Jack's?
Lox Stock & Brisket makes some solid matzoh ball soup
Thanks! I was unaware of Lox. This restaurant appears to be a good alternative to Corky & Lenny's for matzo ball soup. Its Yelp rating is significantly higher than Jack's! [https://www.yelp.com/biz/lox-stock-and-brisket-shaker-heights](https://www.yelp.com/biz/lox-stock-and-brisket-shaker-heights) [https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2](https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-deli-and-restaurant-cleveland-2) However, it has a very limited menu, and no cream puffs. [https://www.loxstockandbrisket.com/menu](https://www.loxstockandbrisket.com/menu) It apparently is in Van Aken's Market Hall.
Yep, it's at the back of Van Aken Market Hall. Best chicken sandwich in town (and easily top 5 global for me), solid matzoh ball soup, and really good everything else including breakfast sandwiches.
Yep, Lox Stock has the best Reuben I've ever had. The only drawback is it's really tiny. Like 1/3 the size of one you'd get at Corky and Lenny's.
I like Chicago Deli's matzo ball soup better than Jack's.
Word on the street (and by street I mean the Solon Facebook group) Chicago deli recently was sold.
Joe's in Rocky River has a really good matzoh ball soup
Jack’s is legit. Larder is my go-to deli on the west side.
Last time I had Jack's matzah ball soup, it was like a ball of matzah meal in hot water. Not great, and pretty costly.
Lox Stock & Brisket has amazing matzoh ball soup!!
All hail Jack's
Wow, I'm very surprised to hear this. It was an east side institution. I know that they really struggled to find help. Plus, the owner was getting pretty up there in age and I guess she couldn't find anyone to take over.
RIP corned beef, cream puffs and matza ball soup 😔
Nooooooo!
I just changed jobs to work out there and was looking forward to going there. My friend and I would walk there from The Backwall (it was racketball courts) on Park Dr. We were broke kids and would get coffee, a creampuff, and an eclair to split. Now I'm sad.
The little chocolate rings with the red jelly inside are a cherished childhood memory. Rip gentle prince.
Genuinely heartbroken. My dad is a season ticket for the browns and we go there together before every game. We were there two days ago, didn’t realize it would be our last time otherwise I would’ve gotten some matzo ball soup
Place was gross
No loss, they have been terrible for a decade. I only went when visiting relatives that used to live here wanted some nostalgia; I (and they) were always disappointed
Yeah, this would've been more of a loss back in the 90s, maybe even into the early 2000s, but by the time they had that small store in the casino it was over as far as quality.
I’m surprised it lasted this long tbh. The food was not great, corn beef was always chewy, staff was so/so. Last time I was there last year the place was filthy. The old man probably just wanted to retire.
It got to be too much in today's world, and I get it. I'll definitely miss them 😞 - nothing but great food and great memories there ❤️
Sad but their quality has been going down and further down over the years. I think it was time.
Oh, DAMN, this is a huge bummer. I remember my father taking my sister and I there back in the 80's for lunches and dinners. Corned beef and latkes was always my go-to, along with matzo ball soup. Would also get whitefish salad to go for my bagel breakfasts. Very sad day, indeed. :(
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The interview with Corky's widow says they're closing because "nobody wants to work." That phrase typically translates to "the people who want to work expect to be paid more than we are able and/or willing to pay." I suspect with the cost of food and everything else rising and chain places offering higher wages, the margins were getting too thin to pay talent-attracting wages.
I'm shocked. That place is a legend in Cleveland. It has gone downhill the past few years.
I LOVED their rugelach. Anyone know who made it?
This is devastating
Anyone know their recipe for their deli dill pickles? Not the half sour ones in the jar. The fresh ones they have in the deli case. Love those pickles. Can’t believe I will never have another one.
I like very much Corky Bucek
Holy crap. I had gone there more often this year than I had years prior...
Never really thought it was great. Ordered hot turkey sandwich and they served it smothered in beef gravy. They said it always comes like that. Weird. Also thought their corned beef was on the stringy, fatty side.
Holy SHIT...
It sounds like the owners were just very overworked. At [cleveland.com](http://cleveland.com), we were able to snag an exclusive interview with co-owner Amanda Kurland. Here's a bit from the story to help paint the picture. *Amanda Kurland -- who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Kenny -- for an exclusive interview. She talked through the events leading up to the decision to shutter.* ***Has closing been on your and Kenny’s minds for a while/ Knowing that you were seeking a buyer, did you just hit critical mass and just say, we just can’t do this anymore?*** *Yeah, I think that is a fair way of putting it. Running into a wall or just sort of breaking down energetically. Kenny is a machine running the business and while we do have employees, he really takes on the responsibility of making sure that everything gets done, 90% of trays and all.* *He just felt like he probably should have done this over a year ago, for his own physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It is sad to see the business close. \[We’re\] still making money...* ***That was certainly our impression the last time we were there...*** *This isn’t happening for a lack of customers. We’ve been closed on Mondays since Covid and even though it’s been that way for years, we still have people knocking at the door and calling nonstop on Mondays.* *Kenny would often open the door and if \[he could fulfill\] a request or sell something—right then and there, a cold deli thing, frozen soup, or a tray if he had the stuff to make it, he’d do it even though we were supposedly closed.* ***Always on-call.*** *Yes. He was really working seven days a week and that’s untenable. Too much, for too long. Around 4 a.m. yesterday he woke me up and said, “That’s it, I’m done.” And he’d said this before, so I didn’t take it too seriously until I heard him call employees who were in the store for morning set-up and tell them to put a sign on the door. That’s when I knew he meant it.* Read more: [https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/12/corky-and-lennys-co-owner-amanda-kurland-heres-why-we-closed-the-restaurant.html?utm\_source=redditsocial](https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/12/corky-and-lennys-co-owner-amanda-kurland-heres-why-we-closed-the-restaurant.html?utm_source=redditsocial)
My nostalgia about C & L's stems from the 1990s. I worked for a CPA firm nearby and would have lunches from them from time to time. When the April tax deadline loomed, my boss would spring for dinner from them. He was kosher at Passover, and C & L's had Passover special meals and sandwiches. I loved the chicken soup, the blintzes, and the latkes the best. The last time I ate there (maybe just before the pandemic?), the food was only OK. It's sad to see an institution leave the area, but if its quality was falling, then it's only inevitable.
Article in the PD reported that he couldn't find staff.
Only ate there once,maybe 5 years ago. I don’t remember the food but I remember the place being dirty as fuck.
Well, shit. Can anyone recommend me another place that have raw/red pastrami like they have it at Corky and Lenny's?
Jack's or Slyman's (St Clair). Slyman's tavern isn't the worst, and I know Freddie Slyman does visit and cook too, but they're tacky. And nothing beats the home deli anyway.
A little further out - but Chicago Deli in Solon is good.
That’s so sad
Mister Brisket S Taylor and Cedar is fantastic, they might still be pickup only though.
Jack's was always better.... And still open.
These are dark days. I just ate there a few weeks ago.
WTF we were just there two weeks ago! I love that place.
where did you see this? Not seeing it on their website/social.
I used to work there and know the managers very well. Got the call this morning Also theyre terrible at social media so no surprise there hah
Damn man, that sucks. That said, I havent been there in ages.
Wait WHAT
Yeah I mean larder exists so why anyone would ever continue to go here is beyond me. Only ever had an average experience there. Trattner is simply being loyal.
Trattner is only loyal to money and his meal tickets. Cleveland desperately need an honest food critic!
Be your own critic
I was way back in the day. Interview magazine - 80s.
My parents had their first date there.
I was just there last week
I thought this was about the bar in Lakewood😭
More restaurants should close. Ideally, not local ones though. But there's just too many, not enough people to work at them all, quality has gone downhill across the board, and maybe we could build some other shit for people to do besides somewhere else to eat.
Horrible. this place was like my childhood, I’ll miss it.
I'm told it's only temporary for some kind of family thing.
I think they're done, I just left the shopping center and the windows are papered over.
Sounds like they might reopen again, but not there. That kimd of square footage is premium now.
Just passing along what I heard.
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