An overstuffed half-pound of brisket-cured corned beef piled on rye with deli mustard; the Cleveland deli sandwich the Slyman family has built since 1964.

Joe Slyman opened Slyman's on St Clair Avenue in 1964. The corned beef sandwich, layered hand-cut and piled tall on Orlando rye, became a benchmark for Cleveland deli through more than sixty years of local press and presidential visits. The recipe stays unchanged: brisket point cured 30 days in house, sliced hot to order, mustard on the side. Slyman's holds James Beard America's Classics recognition (2008) for the format and remains a Cleveland weekday lunch fixture.

Where to eat Slyman's-style corned beef sandwich in Cleveland

2 editor picks for Slyman's-style corned beef sandwich in Cleveland, ranked by editorial score. All Cleveland signature dishes · Slyman's-style corned beef sandwich across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 215 minEasy (with store-bought corned beef)

Ingredients

  • 450g cooked corned beef, thinly hand-sliced
  • 4 slices fresh rye bread
  • Yellow deli mustard
  • Optional: pickles, slaw on the side

Method

  1. Slice the corned beef hand-cut against the grain in pencil-thick slices.
  2. Warm the slices briefly in a covered pan over very low heat with a splash of water, 90 seconds.
  3. Toast or warm the rye slices lightly.
  4. Spread one slice of rye with mustard, pile half the corned beef tall, top with the second slice.
  5. Cut on the diagonal and serve at once with pickles and slaw.

Editor tip. If brining your own brisket: 7 days in a salt-sugar-curing-salt-and-pickling-spice brine, then a 3-hour simmer.

Common allergens: Gluten.