E. 81st St. Deli

'It's a Chicken Salad': Meet the Man Whose Cleveland Deli Is All Over TikTok | Bon Appétit

"Owned and operated by Wael Herbawi with his brother since 2005, this tiny Cleveland corner deli has been overwhelmed after a 15-second TikTok clip—featuring family friend Tanisha Godfrey calling the chicken salad “superior”—went viral and was later reused by big creators, bringing millions of views and customers from across the country. The breakout item is a grilled-chicken spring-mix salad (lettuce, spinach, kale) with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, shredded mozzarella and cheddar, croutons, banana peppers and jalapeños, finished with a secret family sauce (olive oil, lemon juice and a Palestinian Arabic spice taught to his mother). Business has roughly tripled, with the shop selling nearly 980 chicken salads in a day after previously moving only a few dozen, leaving the two-man team scrambling to restock and calling on family to help keep up." - ByAli Francis