Mark Dunphy ; Jan. 7, 2020
Gino’s Deli reclaimed its place on a national ranking — and rose 44 spots in the process.
The North Side favorite earned the No. 21 slot on Yelp’s annual list of the “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.“
Gino’s was pegged at No. 65 on the list in 2018 before falling off the list last year to 103rd. This time around, the Philly cheesesteak specialists — the only San Antonio institution included — trail just two Texas eateries.
Express-News food critic Mike Sutter described the deli “hiding in plain sight as a North Side convenience store” and noted “Gino’s Deli is so popular that they’ve stopped selling gas.”
Sutter credited the grilled cornucopia of cheesesteak, and the giant menu of sides, for the establishment’s success.
“They roll it in foil for a steamy marriage that wrecks the lettuce and tomato, but that hot mess is part of the charm,” Sutter wrote.
Owner Aleem Chaudhry trained in the art of a deli in Brooklyn, then brought the New York style back home to Texas.
Six other Texas eateries made the Yelp list: Tommy Tamale Market & Cafe (No. 16) in Grapevine, SP Brazilian Steakhouse (No. 17) in Lakeway, Craft Pita (No. 22) in Houston, Sky Rocket Burger (No. 28) in Dallas, The Aussie Grind (No. 30) in Frisco, and Vizo’s African Bar & Restaurant (No. 99) in Lubbock.
Shawarma Guys, a Mediterranean Halal food truck in San Diego, earned the No. 1 spot.
Gino’s Deli is located at 13210 Huebner Road.
Mark Dunphy is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read him on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mark.dunphy@express-news.net | @m_b_dunphy
SOURCE : San Antonio Express News