Town Hall Deli

This place is worth the drive wherever you are, you must visit Town Hall Deli – the birthplace of the New Jersey Sloppy Joe since 1927. I finally made it after hearing about this legendary spot, and it did not disappoint. The bread in the Reuben was amazing and the bread stole the show, best texture and flavor of any bread I’ve ever had. Staff is friendly and most importantly they honor all first responders with department patches on the wall. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, Town Hall Deli is a must-try for any sandwich lover. Five stars all the way – I’ll be back for the full Joe next time!”

This will be my last time EVER coming here. I’ve been here twice before. Each time I ordered the same thing, the same way. I get a turkey sandwich with mayo, lettuce, cucumber, onion, oil/vinegar & pepper (the spice) with a bag of sea salt kettle chips. On 3/29, I was charged $10. Today, I was charged, $20.11. I was extremely confused by the price, so I asked her why the sandwich was so expensive. She asked me what kind of turkey I got. I’d never been asked that before. I told her I’d just asked for a turkey sandwich. Then, she asked the woman behind the counter what turkey she gave me. Apparently, the woman behind the counter took it upon herself to give me the MOST EXPENSIVE TURKEY on the menu board, without asking. Now I’ve worked in food service before. Never have I EVER just GIVEN a customer the most expensive option without asking first. That’s absolutely insane. So let this be your warning. Unless you want to pay $20 for a short sub, specify literally any turkey that is NOT store made. It will save your wallet and your taste buds. Canned tuna has more flavor than what I got today… even with the chips.

I love a good Jewish sloppy joe and was told I had to try this place since they are the “original” sloppy. I didn’t see my favorite kind- a pastrami and turkey sloppy- on the menu so I had to special order it at the counter. I also didn’t realize they add cheese to it (cue my shocked face) and my husband pointed it out as they were making it and I had to ask them to remove it. It’s not a Reuben it’s a sloppy! The sandwich overall was decent but steep at $19 for not that much meat. They are meticulous at constructing the sandwich and the Cole slaw and Russian dressing were perfect and I like that there was 2 pickles on the side per person. But I wouldn’t come back here for that. The pastrami was so skimpy compared to the turkey and just wasn’t as good as Deli king by a mile. My husband got a pineapple habanero chicken sandwich that he loved. If you’re coming here for a sloppy Joe, skip it and just go to deli king. You’ll thank me later.

I grew up in Maplewood and the Town Hall sloppy Joe is one of the best things you could ever put in your mouth, period!!! I have no ties to the area anymore but if I’m even somewhat close I’ll make the effort to swing by. I have friends who pay high dollar to have them delivered to NC! Unless I get back within the year I may have to do the same…

My husband brought me a grilled chicken sub. It’s the best I’ve had this year. The sliced chicken is well seasoned, love the white onions and the balsamic is so good.

You can get decent food but there is literally no customer service. You walk in to the pick up section and they look at you before some finally decides to acknowledge your presence. And you can almost forget doing an online order as they barely pay attention to the orerders that come in. You come in to pick up and then they find the order and start it. What was the point of ordering before I arrived? 2 stars for decent food but it would be nice to be treated like a paying customer.

I came here for a sloppy joe thinkin I would get some chili on a potato bun. Nope. The place that made the the sloppy joe famous is not the sloppy you’re thinkin of. This is just a double decker thing. That was authentic. I like the bread. Def left a mark. I like how they chop it in 4 pieces. I got mine w pastrami instead of roast beef. It was ok. Def not running back.

I’ve been this establishment on many occasions but now I am never going back. The food is okay, definitely not worth the price. On multiple occasions I’ve been served undercooked bacon. The cakes in the fridge taste like they have been there forever. Plus the staff ignores you or treats you like you’re stupid. Tried to give this place a chance but they just didn’t want me as a customer.

This place absolutely rules. I used to go here in college back at seton hall, came back today almost 10 years later to be greeted by the same faces giving me great service and the same quality product. It's so rare to see a business hold quality for decades and I was pleasantly surprised to get the full experience I always had as a college student again today .. thanks!

This is the sloppy Joe of my dreams. It's got all the parts. The special rye bread, baked especially for them is a sliver of pleasure. A firm crust that frames the tangle of excellent coleslaw stays intact through each savory bite. The corned beef is exceptionally tender with just the right texture. The turkey is fresh roasted. And the thousand island dressing smooth and robust. A slab of Swiss keeps this sandwich authentic. It's a nice sandwich. A nice sandwich. A Dr. Brown's Root Beer washes this whole memory into your belly. You could share the half order. It's more than you'd expect.

Great deli with a lot of food options. Known for their sloppy joe. They are a little slow today but given it holiday party time it's understandable. Average sandwich price $12-20 but well worth it.

Sandwiches were Great, Sloppy Joe is a unique delicious sandwich.Service was attentive. Ambience,classic deli, plenty of seats inside and outside. I got a small sloppy Joe yesterday was delicious. I'm going back again today to try something different. .

Medium sized venue with metered street parking on an uphill one way street. It's also near a paid parking garage. We have been coming here for YEARS & I've never reviewed it. We love this place, they have the best Sloppy Joe's hands down. They are known for them & you'll understand why if you try it. Assembly line style prep that you can watch, typical deli setup, drinks & chips. Worth a stop every time! Grades: Ham & Cheese Joe: A+ Favorite Joe: A+

This will be my last time EVER coming here. I've been here twice before. Each time I ordered the same thing, the same way. I get a turkey sandwich with mayo, lettuce, cucumber, onion, oil/vinegar & pepper (the spice) with a bag of sea salt kettle chips. On 3/29, I was charged $10. Today, I was charged, $20.11. I was extremely confused by the price, so I asked her why the sandwich was so expensive. She asked me what kind of turkey I got. I'd never been asked that before. I told her I'd just asked for a turkey sandwich. Then, she asked the woman behind the counter what turkey she gave me. Apparently, the woman behind the counter took it upon herself to give me the MOST EXPENSIVE TURKEY on the menu board, without asking. Now I've worked in food service before. Never have I EVER just GIVEN a customer the most expensive option without asking first. That's absolutely insane. So let this be your warning. Unless you want to pay $20 for a short sub, specify literally any turkey that is NOT store made. It will save your wallet and your taste buds. Canned tuna has more flavor than what I got today... even with the chips.

Seriously, don't make a special trip here. The best thing I could say about this place is that it's the closest food establishment to my desk. Its expensive for what you get, and what you get isn't all that great quality. Deli sandwiches are better at any chain deli. The $15 chef salad is a quarter head of iceberg (maybe 35 cents their cost?) with some cheap ham & swiss and a quarter of a tomato. The oil & vinegar is also cheap. The staff is nice and the place is pretty clean, so there's that. If I have time I walk to Village Diner or Chris's Family Diner....both of these places provide decent meals with appropriate prices for what you receive and the "ambience" of the establishments. Those staff members are also nice and the places are clean.

Whenever I'm back in NJ I try to make it to Town Hall to a get sloppy Joe sandwich and a pastrami sandwich. They don't sell sloppy joes in Florida , well they sell the beef ones not the deli sandwich.The service is always fast and staff is friendly . The sandwiches never disappoint, always fresh and tasty .

#AfterWeLawyerWeEat! Ventured to the storied Town Hall Deli in South Orange, NJ after Court which is heralded as the Birthplace of the Sloppy Joe. #FirstTimerAlert. Classic joints like this, walk in, pronounce my first timer status, and tell them to "set me up." They sure did. The whole Sloppy Joe with Turkey, Roast Beef, Swiss, Dry Cole Slaw, and Russian Dressing on Rye. Half Sour Pickles. Boylan's Orange Soda. And their light and fluffy Cheesecake. Wow. What a meal. Check it out if you haven't already! #MajorLeagueGrubbin #NomNomNom

I was very disappointed the second time we ordered from this deli. The food is excellent, but my daughter in law ordered 6 sandwiches plus salads for pick up and paid for it on the phone. She got an email saying the order was ready and when we went to pick it up it was not there. We had to wait an hour for the order to be made again. The gentleman inside did apologize and made some compensation. Maybe next time they should check to make sure the correct order is picked up by the correct customer.

5 star on food, sandwich selection, best sloppy joe around, great soup, fast service, nice greetings from employees, old school kindness.

The original Sloppy Joe The iChi in type High quality meats. Proper rye bread. Good soups and traditional desserts

Finally had the sloppy joe here (twice) after years of reading about this place. A really great sandwich! The balance of ingredients is just perfect.

First off, I have no idea why the reviews for The Town Hall are 3.5 Stars. They do a fantastic job and there's no other sandwich place around like them. I do however have a small negative review after ordering a sloppy joe from goldbelly. It came beautifully made as always, but it was quite dry, even though I asked for extra Russian dressing. I recommend them to include extra Russian dressing on the side to protect from this happening. If I just add my own Russian dressing, it's not going to taste the same. It also would have been nice if they included a couple of pickles which you would get if you ordered one when you were there. In this case I ordered two sloppy joes and I was expecting at least a couple of pickles. Other than that, the sandwiches were excellent, and I'll try to make my own Russian dressing tomorrow similar to theirs. I will actually call them to ask what I should add. With all this said and some negative comments, I still give them five stars!

Awesome! A++ Highly recommend! Love this place. Order to FL and use them for gifts. Will for sure be back.

Their sloppy joe consisting of turkey and roast beef is amazing. Their construction of all sandwiches is uniquely precise and delicious, very easy to consume. It has a great assortment of side dishes, take home foods, drinks, candy, chips. It's kind of historic. Worth going to. Two people can split one sandwich.

Consistently good. This is a local favorite spot for me when I'm at work. I believe it's where the sloppy joe (not the nasty ground beef one) was created. They use thin rye which hugs all the ingredients inside just perfectly and let's them shine. Definitely worth a trip. Go visit! ENJOY!!!

Ok finally made it to the town hall deli . Theres meter parking on street and a small lot that has certain spots designated for certain businesses. Ps there across the street from the police department and parking enforcement office. Make sure you put that quarter in the meters guys . We ordered a sub sandwich roast beef and America's which was about 16 bucks with the trimmings. I also ordered the sloppy joe sandwich. The bread was super thin and crust less . It's a great sandwich whole was 30 bucks and half is 16.99 . A whole was the size of two sandwich size side by side . The sandwich is good but really lacking the meat !!!!!!!! For 30 bucks it need to have double the meat . I also ordered the Chesse cake new Hy's Chesse cake . When I was a kid my family would wait on line to get the original Hy's cheesecakes in maplewood . The cheesecake is in the freezer at this time . I will update when we eat it . The Chesse cake was 26 dollars . Please NOTE they charge a 3.5 percent surcharge on credit cards . The staff was easy to deal from ordering to paying the cashier. They have a small setting area where you my eat in the deli . I would given them a five star if you got a good amount of meat for the cash .

They have all sorts of sandwiches in here and they also have like 7 people behind the counter ready to make it happen. I guess they get very busy because it was fully staffed with no wait. You know I had to try the sloppy joe so I went with the original joe: The sandwich is carefully crafted to ensure every bite tastes delicious. It tasted good and I was fascinated it didn't fall apart when I was eating it since they cut it in 4's. The combination of meats, cheese, thousand island and cole slaw could be funky for some but not me. I also tried the chicken salad but I would stick with the sloppy joes.i didn't even realize sloppy joes were a thing but I get the hype now! I thought sloppy joes were a different type of sandwich but I guess this is the north jersey version. Come check it out.

Service quick and friendly. Awesome Jersey Joe Sloppy Joe! Loaded with meat, fresh bread and HUGE!

Been a customer for 30plus years and even though I moved away I still frequent the business when I come into town. My husband is now in love with the sandwiches and my kids of course. I have no issue spending the money here. I recently had an issue the only one in 30 years and they remedied the issue which is on track with their amazing customer service. The staff is always amazing and kind and you will always get speedy service. I tell everyone to go to because they are the originators and you'll never be disappointed!

Great local sandwhich shop they been in town for years service great sandwhiches. Lately I had the Honey glazed turkey on rye cut in 4 and it was so delicious

Was having the sloppy joe debate with my husband and a few other friends. Think Manwich vs Town Hall sloppy joe. Of course they couldn't comprehend. I explained to them that that as a child, you'd almost be tickled pink to find out someone's great great aunt passed away...... cause it meant one thing..... a great big platter of these heavenly small sandwiches. You'd go to someone's house for shiva, and while all the adults were somber in reminisce, all us kids were stuffing our faces. Anyway, I picked up a few yesterday (seriously I've never actually gone to purchase one)....and they were just as good as I remember. My friends LOVED them. Well worth the money and the long drive to get there!

Lip-smacking good sandwiches! I grew up enjoying New Jersey style sloppy joes at First Communion celebrations and home barbecues and now this place delivers them to my workplace! These cold sandwiches are stacked high in a double decker of 2 types of sliced meat on thin rye with swiss cheese, cole slaw, and Russian dressing - divine! While Town Hall offers several versions, I had half of a Maplewood Joe which had corned beef and turkey. It came in a huge square of scrumptiousness cut into 4 pieces, neat on the inside, sloppy on the outside. I definitely went through a few napkins but didn't mind at all. If I wasn't so greedy, it could have lasted me 2 meals. Then the Muffuletta was just pure mouthwatering goodness packed with tons of flavor - ham, Genoa salami, provolone, and olive spread on focaccia. This sammy was so good that the half I was saving for lunch the next day ended up as my breakfast. I couldn't wait! **Metered street parking in front. Municipal parking nearby. **They deliver with a $6 fee but with a group order, it's not so bad.

Wonderful food, friendly staff, the woman who's short with grey hair seems rude a little. Even though she can be nice too people don't fall for it! She goes out for a smoke when she's on the clock. She rolls her eyes at customers behind there backs when there not looking. I'm not trying too tell her too do her Job I just think it's poor management for her too do that if she's the owner of the place. Sloppy joes are amazing! Sandwich's are great. There needs too be someone too wipe down tables after people get up and eat there meals when there done so customers don't have too clean it.

Been coming for decades. Always dealt with the curtness of some of the staff and the inconsistent (although mostly good) food because the standbys are generally good. Sloppy Joe pricing has sadly outpaced inflation. Almost $30 now and they seem to keep getting a bit smaller and lighter. Leaving a review because I had my worst experience to date earlier today. I ordered a sloppy joe and a ham and Swiss hero. I ordered the sub exactly like this: "ham and Swiss hero, please." I came home to a sub with more cheese than meat and nothing else on it. No mayo, oil, vinegar, lettuce, or tomato. Bone dry. That's pretty awful. Today was my last visit.

Omg!!!! Calling all Yelpers, if you find yourself in South orange or even within a 5 mile radius.... Oh the heck with it, just get here. Sandwiches that are so good you'll kill yourself afterwards, because they are so good you know you will never match them. Be aware of the hour change, they close at 4 now. Get a gobbler, get a sloppy Joe, get a Reuben, but get here and get something.

Went to this place for their good sandwiches supposedly. The place is so dirty , I don't know how they are still open . The employees were sloppy and dirty and everything in this place is disgusting. Just look at how they work and prepare your sandwich. I walked out of this place . You be the judge .

I love this deli!!!! The staff is great, half sour pickles are to die for and the NJ style sloppy joe is an awesome sandwich. High quality, delicious Northeast style rye bread and freshly sliced meats make for a super fresh sandwich. Then add the light slaw and homemade Russian dressing; I loved it!!!!

Best sandwich around! The turkey and roast beef are made at the store and it shows. You won't be disappointed!

The only true Sloppy Joe. I've been eating them for 7 decades and never had a disappointment. Must admit 12/30/23 first time, thanks to my younger brother, I sampled the "Gourmet Joe" roast beef, turkey and Swiss. Excellent, but my favorite is still the "Original Joe" ham, tounge, and Swiss. Like the original "White House" in AC for subs, "Town Hall Delicatessen" in South Orange is a classic. This isn't the original location on South Orange Avenue, but it's the same great sandwich.

Better than The Millburn Deli. Bold statement, I know, but after 5 years of trying everything at both delis, Town Hall wins the battle. The sloppy Joe's at both places are great and very different so your preference is all that matters but for overall food quality, craftsmanship, friendliness, and of course price, Town Hall is the champ. Millburn Deli puts out pre-made sandwiches that they heat up or toast when you order. Town Hall is made to order. Millburn Deli offers gimmicks like the Godfadda and they honk a horn when you order the Gobbler. Town hall offers the classics like daily cooked corned beef , brisket, or homemade meatball subs and salads. Millburn deli makes you take a ticket and yells "Next". Town Hall sandwich makers will chat with you and have a smile. It's commercialized cake boss-like vs successful family owned biz. The prices are reasonable at Town Hall and unreasonable at Millburn Deli. You can get a meet all sub for $7.99 or a roasted chicken meal w soda and chips for $8.99. At Millburn Deli you can't walk away without spending $13-14 for sandwich, chips and soda. I've noticed that town hall probably does an equal amount of biz doing catering of sandwiches and Joe's. The battle has been won, Town Hall takes the cake :)

I have grown up on Town Hall. I will forever and always love and support them. Their sandwiches have never disappointed!! I always the large Turkey Sloppy Joe just so I can have my leftovers

I love this deli. I love all of the people who work there. I love that they serve just about all of my favorites, whether it's the Taylor ham, egg & cheese or one of their amazing salads or one of their iconic sloppy joes. I love that they make you feel at home immediately when you enter. Thank you Town Home Deli for warming my heart and filling my belly!

I had an appointment in the area and figured I would grab some breakfast. I like the decor with pictures and badges on the walls. I was greeted by a friendly man who took my order and brought my food out to me when it was ready. While waiting I had the opportunity to read about the real story of the sloppy joe while catching up on the news. I enjoyed my coffee and breakfast sandwich. I'm looking forward to returning so I can try a few things from the menu. Thank you for making my impromptu breakfast experience wonderful.

I stopped in for the first time a few days ago. They didn't have whitefish salad which was disappointing so I ordered a turkey sandwich on a roll and pickles. Everything was very fresh but I paid over $14.00 which is a bit too expensive so I don't feel compelled to go back.

Homemade soups, mouth watering brisket, bread cut to order, gravy....oh the gravy. This place makes a killer sandwich. You watch as the true sandwich masters craft your sandwich to your specs. There is inside and outside seating. Such a friendly atmosphere, with employees that always have a smile on their face for the customer. If you get close to South Orange stop in and grab a sandwich. If you have a friend with you, order the Sloppy Joe sandwich. It's not what you think when you think Sloppy Joes. It's not ground beef with sauce. It's a variety of meats on thin crustless bread with dressing of your choice, so good but way too much for one person...usually. This is a regular place for us and it's always 5 star.

Really average. This place may have originated the sloppy Joe, but pretty much every sandwich place in the area does a better version. My breakfast sandwich was a salt lick. Chicken pot pie was simply disgusting. Caesar salad was on par with what you'd get on an airplane.

Skip the fries...5 bucks and you get like 15 fries..sandwich was OK a lil dry. Roast beef

Three strikes and you are out ... 3 days ago I placed an order of 3 pastrami sandwich's .. 2 hot and one cold and a small container of Cole slaw ... the bill was 47.03!!! Ok .. I said they probably raised the prices to accommodate all the months of slow business due to the pandemic... I didn't mind paying the exorbitant prices... what I did mind was when we got home and we bit or tried to into the sandwich the meat was so tough and dry it was basically inedible... the container of coleslaw was so small it was something a diner gives as a complimentary... this is the third time this happened at this place so I called and complained to the manager.. I got a complete refund which was ok but needless to say we skipped lunch that day ... sorry , my hometown deli , never again ..

Fun to try and tasty, but much MUCH too expensive for the amount of food you get. Both sloppy Joes and fries. Won't come back because of that.

Nice sandwich is very good number one Club Sandwiches very good food and very good service

Heard so much about this place sloppy joe, that when I was in the area a had the opportunity to try it. It wasn't bad but is was not great either. To me not worth the drive. At $16.99 for half sandwich where you get one slice of roast beef, one slice of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese and a lot of cabbage, to me is was too expensive. Basically I only tasted the slaw and the Russian dressing and little bit of the roast beef, the cheese was completely lost since they probably use one of the low cost Swiss cheese.

There are delis I have loved through the years. Great delis I will visit again and again. But there is nothing at the level of Town Hall Deli. The sloppy Joe is without peer. It is where It began, and it is the only place you should ever eat one. But they are not merely sloppy Joe's. Their gobbler sandwich is next level. Their desserts are often homemade. They are friendly, they are wonderful to everyone, they are a treasure. Come here as often as you can. I know I do.

This place has the potential to be great. The staff don't listen well, well some of them. You get home and something is missing from your order. They lack consistency. One day red onions, next day white. Food is good when you get what you asked for. It hurts when I tell a server you can't make my order because you messed it up last time.

Ordered a hot pastrami after being told this Deli was the best in area for traditional Deli - was totally disappointed and almost choked twice on extremely thick lean tough hot pastrami on Rye - never again and don't recommend - try Coopers in Newark for the real deal - sadly dissatisfied -

This is the only place for Sloppy Joes. I've tried Millburn Deli, and I was disappointed. Town Hall's Sloppy is like a work of art. They have special bread for it, and they make a beautiful sandwich, served in a bakery box closed with twine. The Millburn Deli's Sloppy is just a sandwich. And just cause the sandwich is beautiful doesn't mean it's not delicious! Town Hall's Sloppys taste AMAZING!

New Jersey sloppy joe??? I came here because I saw Eli Manning post about it and I was instantly intrigued. I ordered the favorite joe which comes with roast beef and turkey with Swiss. The sandwich was huge! I got a whole because I definitely wanted to bring it back so my family can try it and I'm happy I did. The sandwich was amazing, you were able to taste all the ingredients by themselves which I feared because in a sandwich like this flavors can get muddled or lost but that was not the case. What really made the sandwich for me was the dry coleslaw and the homemade Russian dressing. The atmosphere in the deli is very welcoming and close knit like your part of their family. I highly recommend for anyone to branch out and try a New Jersey sloppy joe if you haven't already, it was definitely worth it!!

Nothing like their sloppy joes. I miss them dearly since I've moved, but I go every time I am in town.