Izzy’s

Stopped into this highly recommended establishment. Not too keen on their potato cake. It is deep fried and soaked with grease and took quite a bit of napkins to get this down the pie hole. The sandwich picked was pastrami Reuben on a pretzel bun. The balance between meet and kraut was way off for a fair sandwich. (very little pastrami just lots of sour kraut). I would bet that was not the vision that IZZYS was known for in its prime. Service was not up to par either. Please avoid this restaurant and walk a little further if you want to be happy with you food selection.

I ate lunch here at 11am once. I never eat lunch before noon because then I get hungry again around 3pm, and that’s not an ideal time to be hungry. Every afternoon meeting ever scheduled is at 3pm regardless of what company you work for. I think food should be provided at every meeting so that way if someone was forced to eat lunch early they can have a snack and not feel like the fat person in the office. Everyone gets hungry at different times and they can’t always control it… hopefully hunger-​shaming in the workplace will stop soon.
The staff here is very friendly, and I highly doubt they participate in hunger shaming, especially since their sandwiches are so delicious. 4 stars.

Izzy’s was very good. It’s a diner mixed with a delicatessen. The corned beef is delicious. The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is that the sandwiches were a little small and the place smells like a greasy spoon, but that’s probably because they’ve been open since 1901! In all fairness it was delicious and great fun for our family group. It is not, however, the world’s healthiest menu, but if you know that going in you’ll be fine. The wait staff was extremely courteous and great with the kids and teens in our group. The potato pancake was delicious, if a little over-​fried and a tad greasy. This is a great diner and we’d definitely go again on a return trip to the city.

This place was beyond horrible!!!
The potato pancake or whatever they call it is so terrible it tastes like pure fried oil and nothing else. The burger (that the waitress didn’t even ask how it was to be cooked) came out well done and you could tell it was a frozen party and not fresh ground meat by the shape of the patty. No other flavors were prominent on the burger.
Even the Reuben was not good. The bread needed to be toasted more to hold it all together, instead it was a soft piece of mush.

Exactly what you expect it to be except service was a bit better than expected. Ruben was tasty, as was the potato pancake.

Fort Wright Izzy’s is very clean with great service. Corned beef and pastrami are as close to NewYork style as you can get in the Cincinnati area. The potato pancakes however are unique to Izzys and are excellent order them with a side of chunky applesauce and it’s a dream come true. Service was great very quick very warm and friendly folks working behind the counter and as servers highly recommend for a sandwiched arm for my favorite the open face Reuben sandwich.

I’m a big fan. I had lunch on a weekday and it was 90% full.
The service was excellent. It was my first time and everyone was very patient and explained what that Izzy is known for their reuben.
The Reuben was amazing. The pickles were also amazing.
I would recommend Izzy’s to my friends.

I’m not exactly sure how you corn a beef, but Izzy does a damn good job. Historically speaking the Reuben, was a valiant attempt to reconcile post-​WWII relations between the Germans and Jewish culture. When sauerkraut meets corned beef everyone wins. That certainly is the case at Izzy’s. So enjoy a bite and savor a piece of history with this delicious sub-​$ 10 meal.

Has the best reuben of my life (thus far)!! Nothing fancy about this joint — very laid back and casual. Staff was friendly and I could tell that they have a lot of regulars that come in for lunch. I ordered a rueben and fell in LOVE! Not greasy, not soggy, lots of awesome corned beef and saurkraut, and the bread was super fresh.
Izzy’s is on our list of places to eat when we are in Cincy. Top 3 for sure!

I had the original Rueben sandwich. Good stuff and not too heavy. The sauerkraut was about right, a little tamer than most. The potato pancakes are included with every sandwich are tasty. They have the ruebenator which double dose the meat to a half pound. The service was quick when you sit down at the counter but the line for take out had the usual wait for a lunch crowd.

Workers are very friendly and the food is always good. I’m not a fan of the potato pancakes here. They are too greasy and a little too soggy for my liking. But the sandwiches are always fantastic.

Amazing!!! My second day coming back for lunch. Both corned beef and pastrami. Potato pancakes are delicious with a bit of green onion. Must, must stop if you are even close!!! Great service.

Am a huge fan of reuben’s so while I was visiting from Indianapolis had to stop by. Great food. Friendly service. Fast, and very affordable – it was just over $ 20 for both my bf and I.
Bonus: They have goetta, which is a regional food I was unaware of before visiting.

I’m a bit conflicted about this place. The food was pretty good, especially the potato patty. I was going through withdrawals for a week after. Seriously good stuff. Was a bit disappointed with the cook’s behavior. He felt the need to tell all the staff and a customer that was at the counter that I had gone to the restroom. His exact words, «She was here first, but had to drop a Duce.» He repeated this about two or three times before, I yelled across the counter to him that I could hear him. It occurred to me that it is possible he did not think that I was able to speak English. I am of Mexican decent. This was deeply upsetting to me. On the way out he told me that he liked my hair. Not cool.

I like corned beef!
This was not my first trip Izzy’s and it won’t be my last. I love their corned beef and Swiss cheese. I also had the house salad yesterday. The salad was ok, but I suspect folk don’t go for the salad. A good sandwich at a good price.

One of the best reuben sandwiches I have had but I am still searching for a real reuben with thick sliced fresh roasted corned beef like you get in NYC. Haven’t been able to find one yet.

Another place I frequent for lunch breaks from work!
Izzy’s is a local chain restaurant so many of you have tried their wares but this location has some fun staff. They strike up weird conversations and chat among themselves about slightly off topics. Charming, unique, and a little naughty. The staff is what makes this location.
Plus, the sandwiches?! Cmon! Awesome, inventive, delicious.

First time here and first time ever for me to eat a potato pancake (I didn’t even know this existed) and a soup with bread & pasta in (sorry, don’t remember the name).
Wow, both were very tasty, greasy, obviously, but actually they filled me up so I know have a Rueben sandwich left… I’m sure it was amazing but the soup and potato pancake were actually enough for a lunch meal…
So, girls, careful about the portions, because it’s huge. Otherwise I was glad to have experienced something new and really liked it. Apparently the pickles are amazing, so my colleague says (she took mine for an afternoon snack so really likes them!).

Izzy’s is a Cincinnati institution and one that it took me far too long to come to appreciate. The sandwiches are what you’re coming here for. The specialty sandwiches are all worth a try, but their Reuben is probably what they’re most well known for.
I usually go with the Suzie or a roast beef on pretzel roll and I’m never disappointed. If you haven’t tried the Suzie before, I highly recommend it for a meaty sandwich with a fruity kick.
Potato pancakes come with every sandwich. They are nice and hot and a good greasy diversion. Great for curing what ales you. I’d prefer if they were more crisp, but I still down them every time.
If you haven’t tried Izzy’s yet, do so. It will quickly turn into one of your go-​to places. I’m not an everyday customer, but it’s great to have a quality option to choose from.

Sometimes, now always, but sometimes, I crazy myself a Reuben sandwich. And there’s nowhere else to go but right here at Izzy’s.
This is the other downtown Izzy’s (I usually head to the one on Main) but this one is comfortable as well and does dinner, which the other does not.
The atmosphere in this place is fine but a little chain-​y — it’s all a little too happy and too cafeteria like. If they did it like Skyline does it, where they all basically look the same but you feel like you’re in a Cincinnati institution, it’d be grand. But they tend to feel like you could be in this same store in any state in the country. Oh well.
The food is solid though. Delicious sandwiches with all the right toppings and potato pancakes with applesauce. I lived on the East Coast so my standards for Jewish Delis are high, and this doesn’t match but does come close. It’s a nice meal for when I’m craving a sandwich.
Izzy’s is A-​OK in my book. Three star solid meal.