Ella's Deli

Eating at Ella's Deli is a must if you are in the Madison area! When you walk in, you will feel like a kid again, no matter what your age is. With all sorts of motorized toys zipping along the ceiling, and baseball cards, pez dispensers, miniatures, etc. under glass at the tables, your eyes will have as much of a feast as your stomach will! Don't forget to take a ride on the old fashioned carousel :) Oh, and the food is AMAZING! more

This is a great place stop by when you're visiting Madison. It's become somewhat of an institution of the city since the University has such a huge alumni following and they seem to all come back to visit and bring their kids with them. There is a great carousel to go on in the summer and the place is just full of visual stimulation for the kids. Go for the experience though, not the food. The food itself I've found to be pretty average. more

Having grown up in the Madison area, I can attest to the kid appeal of Ella's Deli. It's a one-of-a-kind spectacle of a refreshingly analog kind in this era of Playstation 2 and Pixar. The interior of the restaurant is an amazing blurring, whirring, rolling, bobbing, circling motorized mayhem...in a GOOD way. Every child in the Madison area should be taken to Ella's Deli at least twice each year. Failure to comply should be actionable under Dane County's child welfare laws. That said, the food at Ella's Deli ranges, for the most part, from OK to good, punctuated with a handful of greats. Their sandwiches are good, they have delicious old-style french toast, great shakes, and very good matzo ball soup. Also, service is good and the staff is very friendly; it's a family operation all the way. If you've eaten at a lot of delicatessens in New York City or Los Angeles and you have reasonably high standards, take all of my positive food-related assertions with more than a few grains of salt. Though I'm not Jewish, some of my best friends are (I love saying that), and I would not deign to drag them there unless they had kids, or asked, "Where's the only real Jewish deli in town?" Also, on the family outing front, it's a lot cheaper than taking everyone to a first run movie and, well, everyone has to eat. more

Ella's Deli is undoubtedly the most amazing eatery I've ever visited. Outside, right on grubby East Washington Avenue -- is a beautiful carousel, which serves as a teaser for the kooky carnival atmosphere inside. Charming, home-made mechanical contraptions -- super heroes, high-wire artists, even a rocket ship -- fly through the air. Every surface seems covered by beautiful kitsch. Somehow, however, none of it detracts from the wonderful food. The menu is something to behold: It must be 20 pages long. Featured, of course, are deli sandwiches, soups, melts, etc. Ordering can be overwhelming, so here are a few suggestions: lox and bagels, borscht, the amazingly delicious Reuben frank and the decadent black and white delight, a desert with lots of chocolate and marshmallow cream. "Unique" may be an overused word, but it certainly applies to Ella's Deli. more

This is a place that has something for everyone. With a twenty page deli menu it is hard to choose. From the great soups, try the matzo ball or sweet and sour cabbage soups, to the HUGE sandwiches or the open faced platters or omelettes, all are good and will certainly fill you up. But wait, save room for dessert. With a twelve page dessert menu, you can certainly satisfy that sweet tooth. I recommend the grilled pound cake sundae or the chocolate torte. Ella's even has a two page children's menu. While you wait for your meal you can entertain yourself with the myriad of antique toys and displays some right at your fingertips in the glass top tables. A must see for a must eat!! more

For years we have visited Ella's Deli to find excellent sandwiches and platters. The salami and potato salad are our favorites. My wife enjoys the matzoball soup and kishka's. We always find the service friendly and attentive. We will continue to visit one of Madison's "very own". more

This place is kid heaven, with tabletops that are interactive – recessed train sets that you can make move, magnetic pictures with metal shavings that you can drag around for “hair”, cool collections of things like rare candies, or origami – not to mention all of the cool stuff hanging from the ceiling, the walls, every inch of space possible that is not used for customers seating. With all of the motorized toys and the children, even the adults, oohing and aahing over them, it does get a little noisy. The restaurant is almost always busy as well, so you may have to wait a bit for your table, as well as your food, but the interesting menu choices (genuine kosher fare) and the ambiance make up for it. Try the Matzo ball soup!! And oh my goodness, don’t pass up on the poundcake sundaes!! Afterwards, a carousel ride is a nice treat for kids that have managed to behave themselves throughout the meal. more