Andy's Deli Burns to the Ground

There was a massive fire last night at Andy's Deli. The building is a total loss. The future of Andy's is unknown at this time.

Andy's Deli (Closed)
5442 N.Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
773-631-7304

That's very unfortunate. From Chicago Breaking News: "Extra-alarm fire hits NW side grocery store"

A real loss; I always found the place a treasure and hope that they recover quickly. Wish them all the best.

Very sad. I so miss it's presence on Division St replaced by a yuppie taqueria. Seems like a perfect time to commiserate with some Bigos @ Podhalanka. Will post in events shortly.

Jeez, I was just at Andy's the weekend before Superbowl, loading up on Polish delicacies and Polish beer to take back to Wisconsin. Purchased 10 #'s of Polish, lunch meats, pate's(liver sausage), deli cooked items and various other things. They had a lunch meat made from pork hocks that i had found nowhere else.
A real loss because they had also had a very nice Deli for take out and being on the North Side easier for me to get to than Bobak's.
So where do I go now, any recommendation's?-Dick

WOW this is like a stab through the heart! There are other delis but nothing like Andy's!

And they will not get back in business in time for Polish Easter. Time to make a different plan.

I hope ANdy's comes back stronger than ever. I hope they had the recipe book stored "in the cloud"!

--Joy

Wow, what a shame! Just horrible news.

budrichard wrote:So where do I go now, any recommendation's?-Dick

Though it's not as good as Andy's IMO, you might with try try Kurowski's

=R=

Kurowski's Sausage Shop
2976 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618-7345
(773) 645-1692

Joy wrote:And they will not get back in business in time for Polish Easter. Time to make a different plan.

On the news this evening, they said Andy's hopes to open by Easter.

Considering all the vacant properties and dropping rents, they just may be able to reopen.

Whatever happens, I wish them the best.

Regards,

ronnie_suburban wrote:Wow, what a shame! Just horrible news.

budrichard wrote:So where do I go now, any recommendation's?-Dick

Though it's not as good as Andy's IMO, you might with try try Kurowski's

=R=

Kurowski's Sausage Shop
2976 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618-7345
(773) 645-1692

I think Kurowski is better than Andy's, but it's a matter of opinion. No alcohol at Kurowski.

Uncle Matt wrote:I think Kurowski is better than Andy's, but it's a matter of opinion.

Of course but still, that's very interesting and I'm really glad to hear it. I've always felt like a lot of the goods at Kurowski's -- especially the cured sausages -- were milder than at Andy's, which is why I personally have given the nod to Andy's. I certainly wasn't making a comment on quality, though. I think the quality at Kurowski's is plenty high.

=R=

We drove by this afternoon and it didn't burn to the ground. The building is intact, the front glass is still there, even the flags on top are still flying. I'm sure this is substantial damage inside but I hope that they will be able to renovate and reopen.

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have purchased sausages at Kurowski's many time over the years and the quality is very good but Kurowski's simply does not have extensive line of Polish items including beer available at Andy's or Bobak's. A good Polish store is one in which there are wood barrels of pickles, herring and kraut. Bobak's certainly meets that definition and Andy's is close. Most fresh Polish made to day is very lean due to the pork and not a lot of garlic and spice. I think I am going to have to order a custom batch from Bobak's. My buddy's brother had a person he sponsored from Poland making Polish in the basement and we wouldpick up a cooler full. the whole car smelled like garlic on the way home. Best Polish I ever had.
Andy's website says they will rebuild so for Polish it will be Kurowski's on the Northside (easier for me to get to) but for an extensive array of times, Bobak's.
BTW Bobak's no longer sells beer.-Dick

Octarine wrote:We drove by this afternoon and it didn't burn to the ground. The building is intact, the front glass is still there, even the flags on top are still flying. I'm sure this is substantial damage inside but I hope that they will be able to renovate and reopen.

We were surprised to see the flags still flying, too. It was too late to stop to take a photo, but on the boarded up windows were spray painted in big black letters: "UNDER RENOVATION " (their emoticon, not mine).

Octarine wrote:We drove by this afternoon and it didn't burn to the ground. The building is intact, the front glass is still there, even the flags on top are still flying. I'm sure this is substantial damage inside but I hope that they will be able to renovate and reopen.

You certainly are literal, aren't you. Unfortunately, the building is a total loss. I'm glad to hear they are planning on reopening, though.

It's a shame that Andy's burnt, even if not to the ground. I wish them a speedy recovery.

I've found Andy's to be right up there in the top catagory of Polish markets. Luckily, I think Chicagoland is very long in very good Polish markets. Now, I would not put Bobak's in the same slot as Andy's, but I would put Avenues at Oak Park Ave and Belmont at the same level. And while it's not a grocery, no liquor and very limited produce, I think the deli, breads and prepared foods at Kolatek's (across from the new Caputo's at Harlem and Grand) are as good as any Polish place around town.

OK, smart LTH-ers, can you help me figure something out?

Is there another Andy's Deli also on Milwaukee Ave say south of Belmont? A second store?

I heard about this from a friend -- who then got on a plane and went to Europe that afternoon so I can't follow up with him. I can't find anything on the Interwebs. I am pretty certain he said it was across the street from Kurowski's. Can anyone confirm this?

And if this legendary second Andy's Deli exists, is it related to the big one on the 5400 block of Milwaukee Ave.? Does it have a similar spread of merchandise? Do they share ownership (or are we getting into one of those Caputo's sort of deals where different family members own different variations of stores?)?

Thanks in advance for any info! It is much appreciated. --Joy

HI,

Maybe he was referring to this place?

Andy's Deli & Bakery/Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop
3121 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-486-8160

I also saw this same address listed as:

Red Apple Restaurant
3121 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 588-5781

I suggest calling to check before going out the door.

Regards,

Joy wrote:Is there another Andy's Deli also on Milwaukee Ave say south of Belmont? A second store?

I believe you're referring to Endy's Deli (formerly known as Andy's Deli). I don't think it's related to Andy's Deli farther north on Milwaukee (it may have been at one time).

Endy's Deli
3055 N Milwaukee Av
Chicago
773-486-8160

Cathy2 wrote:Andy's Deli & Bakery/Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop
3121 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The deli that shared an entrance with Red Apple has been closed for years. I think it's a cleaners now.

Vital Information wrote:Now, I would not put Bobak's in the same slot as Andy's

Me neither. Not even close.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Vital Information wrote:Now, I would not put Bobak's in the same slot as Andy's

Me neither. Not even close.

I'm no fan of Bobak's either. I always thought of them as quantity over quality. So I was a little surprised to read that Andy's claims to be bigger than Bobak's.

Andy's website wrote:Now we are the largest producer of a wide variety of authentic Polish sausages in the Chicago land area. We are selling over 150 types of products to several hundred stores all over the United States.

Who knew our little neighborhood deli has a significant national presence?

I spoke with someone at Andy's who said the Milwaukee Avenue store will rise from the ashes, phoenix-like, and might be open in a month. Meanwhile they plan to open a temporary retail shop next to their factory on Kinzie in a week or two. Check their website for details.

Andy's Deli (factory)
4021 W Kinzie St
Chicago
773-722-1000
http://www.andysdeli.net/

Rene G wrote:

Joy wrote:Is there another Andy's Deli also on Milwaukee Ave say south of Belmont? A second store?

I believe you're referring to Endy's Deli (formerly known as Andy's Deli). I don't think it's related to Andy's Deli farther north on Milwaukee (it may have been at one time).

Endy's Deli
3055 N Milwaukee Av
Chicago
773-486-8160

Endy's is quite a nice little store. The name always reminds me on Mendy's, where Jerry Seinfeld took his comedian colleague Banya for a meal. (in return for an Armani suit) Banya only ordered soup and insisted that Jerry still owed him a meal.

I just discovered products from Andy's Deli. Great stuff. I'd hate to lose it so soon. I hope they get lots of help from the community, so they can be back up and running soon. I'll check the store where I found their products, and see if I can't help by buying stuff.

I have not been on that stretch of Milwaukee for a while, but some time back IIRC Endy's had a mismatching E plastered over the first letter on the sign. It looked like an economy job on a sign that probably formerly said Andy's.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Vital Information wrote:Now, I would not put Bobak's in the same slot as Andy's

Me neither. Not even close.

=R=

I don't think Bobak's is bad (and I haven't seen anyone make that comment) however, I think it lost "something" in the family squabble.

When I'm in that area, I stop at Dunajec (spelling?) which is a few doors west of Gilmart. They have excellent kielbasa, as well as other products.

Uncle Matt,

What do you think of Gilmart?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Uncle Matt,

What do you think of Gilmart?

Regards,

Gilmart is certainly Polish!!! Nothing stands out at Gilmart as being exceptionally delicious. I have purchased kielbasa from Gilmart that tasted like it was sold a day late.

Around five or six years, I had a kielbasa tasting contest at home. I hosted around 50 people and I had kielbasa from around a dozen stores. I had everything from Piatak's, P.J's, Maruszak's, Boniek's (Foster & Harlem, now closed), Krakus Deli, Kurowski, Andy's, Gilmart, Donajec, Gilmart, Bobak's and Gene's. It was just family and friends (non-traditional Wigilia). Each person had one ballot, with each sausage listed from A through M or N. Pick the one that tasted best. Donajec won going away. I think they received 20 votes.

Dunajec
5060 S. Archer
Chicago, IL 60632
773-585-9611

Uncle Matt,

I'm glad I asked, I will certainly buy their kielbasa the next time I am near.

Thanks!

Regards,

Thanks to Rene G, Ronnie, ekreider, Cathy2 for straightening me out about Andy's v. Endy's! You can imagine the phone conversation between my friend and me, can't you?

"Endy's Deli burned down? You mean the one on Milwaukee?"

"Yes! Andy's Deli on Milwaukee. Near the Red Apple Restaurant."

"Across from Kurowski's?"

"Um... I'm not sure. Near the cemeteries."

..and so on. I got suspicious that we were talking about two different places when he said he would always go to Andy's and then go across the street to Kurowskis to buy polish sausage. Why would he go somewhere else to buy polish sausage if he was at Andy's, I wondered. ha ha ha Not as funny as "Who's on first" but in that same one-mistep-after-another style.

Thanks, all!
--Joy

They certainly have a presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is a small shop in Palo Alto, CA that carries Andy's sausages. This was a wonderful find for a Chicago transplant hungry for Andy's product.

stevez wrote:You certainly are literal, aren't you. Unfortunately, the building is a total loss. I'm glad to hear they are planning on reopening, though.

Since the rolleyes of snark are being tossed around, may I inquire as to the State in which you are a licensed Professional Engineer?

Andy's Deli has reopened.
http://www.andysdeli.net/