Kayrouz Café

When I was young I often entered the grand Kayrouz café located at the end of willis ave. in a huge, wooden dining room filed with ceiling fans, a secluded bar, deli, and lots of rooms for private parties. I remember well the crackers I’d eat as an appetizer before the meal, the corn pudding, the club sandwiches, the excellent creamy cole slaw, and the Shirley temples.

Today you can’t find the smells, ambience, or old cigarette machine sitting by the door of the establishment, but you can still find an establishment with the same, older crowd sitting around waiting for excellent sandwiches.

While I’ve only ever ventured to try the Nova Chicken Sandwich or caprese salad at the new location, a review entered the leo a few weeks ago of their pork sandwich, so I had to venture there to try it. It came with apples, seasoned mayo, bacon, a side, a pickle, and a large hunk of pork. There was some wonderful melted cheese on top as well. However good it was, I don’t think it competes with the Nova sandwich which beautiful melds the molten flavors of carmelized onions, bacon and chicken in your mouth with some avocado.

I recommend you indulge in a Kayrouz visit because the warmth and peace that can be found in the environment that pumps in wonderful Christmas tunes via a TV and sweet heat while you glance out the window at snow falling is priceless.

Their beers are cheap – about three dollars for a blue moon  - and wines cheap still – about five dollars a glass. They have happy hours for a dollar off drinks on Friday and Saturday nights, which means that they must really cater to their older crowd to be offering such specials those nights in particular. They offer desserts too, which I was told are good, but didn’t indulge in. They had a hot brown special and lots of seafood on the menu that I’d be intrigued to try.

This is the perfect neighborhood hangout. Replacing it these days would have to be the less personal Café Lou-lou down the block. They pack in the crowds like Kayrouz used to on a winter day!