LAZ wrote:Answering my own question:

The Bagel makes their own pickles or, more precisely, has a fresh batch made weekly to their specifications, supposedly a historic family recipe.

This makes sense to me, as The Bagel's pickles are my favorite pickles in the whole city, and different from everyone else's. I need to be able to tell that a pickle was a cucumber in a former life, and The Bagel's pickles are like that, yet wonderfully garlicky.

clogoodie wrote:Gramp's Gourmet has a stand at the French Market with a pretty wide selection of pickles. I haven't tried any of them yet though.

They're also at the Daley Plaza market. The sour dills with garlic are outstanding.

I saw a segment on a Food Network show (can't remember which) on McClure's Pickles and they looked pretty great. I thought they were based in Brooklyn, but it looks like they also produce pickles out of Detroit. I've seen their pickles at Pastoral on Lake but I haven't tried them yet. If I recall correctly, they only make garlic dill and a spicy varities.

danimalarkey wrote:I saw a segment on a Food Network show (can't remember which) on McClure's Pickles and they looked pretty great. I thought they were based in Brooklyn, but it looks like they also produce pickles out of Detroit. I've seen their pickles at Pastoral on Lake but I haven't tried them yet. If I recall correctly, they only make garlic dill and a spicy varities.

The French Market Pastoral sometimes has them as well. A few months ago, impulse (and perhaps the attractive red peppers floating in the brine) got me and I purchased a jar of the spicy. They were pretty damn delicious with a really nice heat level...but at $12 for the jar, I'm not in a rush to buy again. They might well be worth the money, but I need to try some other brands & options before making such a determination.

To that end, I tried a few samples of the spicy varieties at the The Gramps Gourmet stand yesterday. I wanted to a grab a jar of spears, but they only had slices...so...I'll check back next week.

clogoodie wrote:

danimalarkey wrote:I saw a segment on a Food Network show (can't remember which) on McClure's Pickles and they looked pretty great. I thought they were based in Brooklyn, but it looks like they also produce pickles out of Detroit. I've seen their pickles at Pastoral on Lake but I haven't tried them yet. If I recall correctly, they only make garlic dill and a spicy varities.

The French Market Pastoral sometimes has them as well. A few months ago, impulse (and perhaps the attractive red peppers floating in the brine) got me and I purchased a jar of the spicy. They were pretty damn delicious with a really nice heat level...but at $12 for the jar, I'm not in a rush to buy again. They might well be worth the money, but I need to try some other brands & options before making such a determination.

To that end, I tried a few samples of the spicy varieties at the The Gramps Gourmet stand yesterday. I wanted to a grab a jar of spears, but they only had slices...so...I'll check back next week.

McClure's are delicious and they are available from Fox & Obel for $10, in case that $2 is keeping you from picking them up again.

In my nearly six years in Chicago I have yet to come across a pickle as good as the Topor's Pickles I left behind in Detroit. Apparently, a Topor's truck makes a trip to Chicagoland periodically, as I have seen their old dills sporadically in a few Jewel stores in Jewish neighborhoods in Skokie and vicinity.

Although I am a regular and big fan of the Bagel, their pickle doesn't come close to Topor's.

mss60614 wrote:I have seen their old dills....

Ah, there's a piece of regional terminology, as well as what may be a regional taste.

I also grew up in Detroit, and learned to categorize kosher-style pickles as "old dills" and "new dills," according to how long they had fermented. (New Yorkers call these "full sours" and "half sours.") I've always preferred the fully fermented old dills. I love the really sour flavor and the way they sometimes sizzle when you bite into them.

Chicagoans as a group, however, seem to have a preference (perhaps taught them by Claussen's) for crunchier, milder pickles. Some of the pickles you get here just taste like salty cucumbers.

jesteinf wrote:

clogoodie wrote:Gramp's Gourmet has a stand at the French Market with a pretty wide selection of pickles. I haven't tried any of them yet though.

They're also at the Daley Plaza market. The sour dills with garlic are outstanding.

I've tried a few of the sour variety here, and every one has been amazing. It's impossible to keep the garlic dills in the house for more than a few days; Llama eats them and he doesn't even like pickles. They're really that good. The horseradish sour dill chips are amazing sandwich pickles, slightly bitter and sharp. For both of these, the brine is opaque with suspended garlic or horseradish. We got the plain old sour pickles once; pretty good, but nothing on the garlic or horseradish pickles. Dang, now I want a whole jar of garlic spears to myself!

Big Jones in Andersonville is also producing its own pickles, mostly Southern-style recipes used as garnishes and ingredients.

Binko wrote:

Evil Ronnie wrote:

Binko wrote:I had always just assumed the pickles that come in the pickle barrels were house-made. They sure as hell taste like homemade naturally fermented pickles to me. If they're not, does anyone know the source?

Which pickles and barrels are you referring to?

Like the pickles you get at Gilmart, Joe & Franks, or any of a number of Polish delis/grocery stores in the city.

I think many of them come from Stan-Mark, a southside pickler located near the old Amphitheater. I believe Gilmart's pickles are from Stan-Mark and those at many other stores are so similar I suspect they're from the same source.

Another local pickle maker with wide distribution is A-Z Sales on the northwest side. They used to have a retail store, International Deli at the same 3717 N Cicero location, but that closed in the last year or two. Their pickles and sauerkraut are available at stores such as A&G, Alef, Fresh Farms and Tony's. They make a sauerkraut with cranberries that's worth seeking out.

I wonder if there aren't still some small shops that make their own pickles. I know John's Deli (47th & Kedvale) used to but the owner retired a few years ago. At Dunajec (Archer & Kedvale) they said they make their own but there might have been a bit of a language barrier in that conversation.

Anybody know where Billy Goats gets their pickles?

I don't know the answer to that question.

But the best pickle I ever had was at Winberie's in Oak Park. I even asked the waiter where they got them and I have since forgotten.

The pickle was not overly flavored as so many pickles I have had are. It was crunchy and flavorful, but not so much that after a bite you have had enough.

Good pickle.

I'm not sure but I think Ada's deli on Wabash must make their own pickles, as they taste like no other I've tried. There's always a jar on the tables. I wish That Pickle Guy would use olive oil in his muffaletta and giardinara. The soy oil he uses is kind of gross, it's a shame, because other than that his product is very high quality.

Interesting thread. At first glance I thought it might be similar to playing "hide the cannoli".

I think a pickle store could thrive well in Chicago if it was designed cleverly. It could also sell a variety of canned goods and sauces. I was just looking for some corn relish and I could not find it. It could sell sauerkraut and kimchi out of barrels too. If I was younger I would start something up like that it sounds like it would be fun. I would have dill pickles, garlic pickles, new pickles and old pickles. Gardinera too. Also sauerkraut. Maybe kimchi if I could figure out how to make it well. There is a store in my town that sell nothing but olive oil. Always wondered how they stayed in business. I can get good olive oil at the store. Good pickles, I'd go out of my way to get them.

I had an outstanding pickle with my burger at Rootstock Wine Cellar in Humboldt Park this week. It had to be homemade -- best pickle in recent memory, but I think you'll have to order the burger to get it. Don't worry, it's by no means a sacrifice! (p.s. It was a dill, not a sweet pickle. Sweet pickles make me shudder).

Also, I think Northdown in Lakeview makes their own pickles. Dill, also.

Last time I was in Brooklyn, I brought back a couple of jars of McClure's and they were fantastic!

The best kosher-style dills I've had lately were made by Flaum of Brooklyn, and came from the refrigerated section at Garden Fresh in Northbrook. (I don't know if they stock them at their other stores -- Garden Fresh localizes its selection more than most.)

rachel2025 wrote:Last time I was in Brooklyn, I brought back a couple of jars of McClure's and they were fantastic!

McClure pickles are available locally at:

Fox & Obel Chicago
Pastoral Artisan Chicago
Olivia's Market Chicago
Provenance Food and Wine Chicago
Moveable Feast Geneva
Whole Foods Chicago-South Loop
Whole Foods Chicago-Gold Coast
Whole Foods Chicago-Waveland
Whole Foods Chicago-Halsted

spinynorman99 wrote:McClure pickles are available locally at:

Fox & Obel Chicago
Pastoral Artisan Chicago
Olivia's Market Chicago
Provenance Food and Wine Chicago
Moveable Feast Geneva
Whole Foods Chicago-South Loop
Whole Foods Chicago-Gold Coast
Whole Foods Chicago-Waveland
Whole Foods Chicago-Halsted

Great to know! Now I'm going to buy a jar and split 'em with my pops (brooklyn native) next weekend!

Not sure if this has been said, but Endy's Deli on Milwaukee has the pickle barrels in back. Also, not sure if they're made in house. I saw up thread some Polish deli's dump the 5 gallon buckets into the barrels. Not sure if this is true here. They also have sauerkraut in barrels. Regardless if they're made in house or not, they're damn good.


Endy's Deli
3055 N Milwaukee Ave
(at Lawndale Ave)
Chicago, IL 60618

(773) 486-8160