Danny’s Deli | Columbus, OH

[UPDATE August 2019: Danny’s Deli is under new ownership and has been renamed Delicious Deli. You can find many of their old deli sandwiches at Lexi’s on Third.]

Danny’s Deli (Facebook / @dannysdeli1)
37 W. Broad St. (entrance is on Front St.) (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 469-7040
Open Mon-Fri, 7a-3p
Accepts cash & credit/debit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/N/N
Kid-friendly? Y

Date of Visit: Wednesday, October 4, 2012 at 7:00 a.m.

Danny’s Deli is one of the many delis and other little grab-and-go breakfast/lunch spots around downtown Columbus. Many of them have been on my list for a long time, especially the delis, and especially any of them boasting of their corned beef. The reuben is one of my favorite sandwiches, and I think I need to better integrate the corned beef love into my breakfast life.

Thus it was that I sat with my son Will at 7 a.m., chowing down on pancakes, corned beef, and eggs in Danny’s little basement space off Front Street.

The restaurant is decked out in bright reds, blacks, and whites, from the signage to the tiled floor to tables and chairs. There’s something very enjoyable about the “hidden-ness” of the space. You have to head down a short flight of stairs, through some double-doors, and then you’ve found this humming little breakfast spot. Even the address can throw you off a bit: Danny’s address is technically W. Broad Street, but the entrance can be found on Front. Fortunately, they’ve emphasized the red in their awning: if you’re looking for it, you’ll find it.

Despite the small size, there’s a lot of seating. Two rows of tables and chairs extend far back into the space, which curves to the right and features a few more seats.

Given that you’re downtown, you can expect to meet with some of the working crowd. I’m guessing that Danny’s, like most of the restaurants downtown, does most of their business over weekday lunches. But on our visit we saw a pretty good mix of clientele.

Will started out with an orange juice, which was a standard bottled type, while I opted for coffee. I loved the tall circular plastic mugs. Super lightweight. The coffee was good diner coffee: hot, a little weak, and caffeinated.

Will’s a pancake man, so he chose the little stack of fluffy buttermilks. Side note: I rarely talk prices on the blog, in order to keep away from the whole $$$ or star rating thing, but I have to note Danny’s cheap prices. Will’s pancakes were only $3.75, while my plate was $5.75. It’s a stellar deal.

I was in corned beef mode, so I knew my order well before we arrived. I picked the Downtown Special: a generous pile of sliced corn beef, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and toast. It hit. the. spot. I just loved piling a single bite of eggs, corned beef, and potatoes on my fork. It’s all done well: eggs aren’t over-cooked, potatoes are crispy enough, toast was good.

If Danny’s is any indication, then exploring downtown’s breakfast scene is going to be fun. Our server was super sweet – she lightly poked fun of Will and how he was goofing off (it’s good she has such a sense of humor at 7 a.m.). But she was very accommodating and helpful, and she even introduced us to the owner, Joe. He, too, was very nice and welcoming. The deli’s breakfast options are pretty straightforward and are only served until 10:30am, but they’re inexpensive, they include corned beef, and the prices are very easy to like.