Audio Slideshow: An Ode to the Millburn Deli

Delicious. Amazing. Incredible. Historic. The Soprano. The Godfather. The Gobbler.

These are a few words that come to mind when Millburn Delicatesin aficionados describe their love of this local sandwich shop that has attained near-cult status around town.

Although the Deli has been a favorite for over six decades, it has further solidified its place in the Sandwich Hall of Fame with such accolades as the 2010 critics' and reader's choice for best Kosher Style Deli in "New Jersey Monthly Magazine."  The deli also boasts four Facebook groups dedicated to singing its praises. The largest group (There is a Heaven… And It's Called the Millburn Deli) currently has 1,787 members.

As a native Millburnite myself, I am not immune to the lure of the Millburn Deli. I was part of the traditional throng of Millburn High School seniors waiting in a long, yet lightning-fast, line during fifth period lunch. As a college student in middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania, I used to crave my usual (honey maple turkey, lettuce, tomato and mayo on rye) during late study nights in the library. As I pored over notes into the wee hours of the morning, I could almost catch a whiff of coleslaw and Russian dressing in the air. Although there were dozens of inexpensive, free-delivery eateries in town, the sandwiches were disappointing and were never preceded by a bike horn or cowbell. 

So for many locals, myself included, the Millburn Deli is a lunch oasis on a warm, sunny day. And as we unofficially kick off summer, I offer a humble ode to the sandwich shop that has touched the hearts and filled the stomachs of so many over the years.

Bon appetit.

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