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Yep, you heard us right! This place is EPIC! The menu is just about as huge as their sandwiches. Generous portions, fair prices. Pulled pork is the bomb! Anything that has it is sure to be a fast favorite. Casual, trendy, epic desserts. Cheesecakes that change often, and deep-fried candy with a tempura batter. Oh. My. Stars. Just thinking about the Epic Deli menu has me drooling… This visit WAS planned as part of our trip but things changed a bit and we chose to hit it on our way out of town.
Andy and Tyler Wildey are the brothers and co owners who created Epic Deli. Andy who has a background in fine dining is the mind behind the menu. Tyler who is a movie junkie named the menu items. OK, I am sure he does more than that….but can appreciate some of the cinema inspired sandwich titles.
Andy and Tyler have grown a following throughout the years, their following trusts them enough to give their quirky menu items a try, when they might not try the same things if at other restaurants. Their simple and basic sandwiches are usually down played by the crazier sandwiches. Andy said Tyler and himself try to push the creativity of sandwiches to the point of epic-ness. They like to take ingredients that are usual and everyday then add their unusual epic twist. Northwest Herald readers name Epic deli the best deli in McHenry County. Andy brought along his homemade desserts to Epic Deli, and the rest is history.
Save money now with the Chicago CityPASS, Adult, ages 12+The Dorito-wich is filled with ham, provolone, cheddar cheese lettuce, mayo, tomatoes, and Doritos of course. Two of the paninis got their start with an idea from a member of The Plain White T’s. The Dude sub is the idea from Clay Guida who is the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial artist. Clay’s sub features turkey, pastrami, pepper jack cheese, capicola, artichoke, banana pepper, roast beef, hummus, and dijon mustard. There is a panini known as “The Wookie Foot”, pepper jack, sliced turkey, avocado, red onion, giardinara, and chipotle mayo grace this yummy panini. Hot dogs are also available, give “The Drunken Dog” a try. The Drunken dog is a beef hot dog battered in pbr beer batter then fried (yes, fried!) Epic Deli tips The Drunken Dog with chili, onions, nacho cheese and serve it on a pretzel bun.
We tried the Hulk Hoagie – a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and a side of cheddar pasta. Miss Sarah picked a Frito Dog – a hot dog with chili, cheese, Fritos and onions – but left the onions off.
We split a side of Gyro Fries – fries with chopped fried gyro meat, tziki sauce, feta cheese, and Greek salsa. We chose the hand cut fries as a base instead of the waffle fries. It was a surprisingly tasty treat and beyond generous portion.
While the plate presentation was lacking, and we were sad to see the use of so much styrofoam in today’s eco-friendly culture, the food was very tasty. Some of the creations are offered for a limited time and others make it to the everyday menu. Tilly and the Wall and Hell’s Kitchen finalist have created sandwiches that were offered as a special.
Desserts like deep-fried candy bars, cheesecakes, and parfaits has had their time on TV. The sweet treats were featured on WGN’s program “Chicago’s best”. Desserts like the deep-fried s’mores sandwich and deep-fried Nutella and banana. Isn’t everything better with batter? You can even try the deep-fried Kool-Aid. Oreo’s, Twinkie’s, and assorted candy bars can also be deep-fried. If you choose a candy bar, Twinkie, or Oreo to be deep-fried your deep-fried sweet treat will sit atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream and will not disappoint.
Got kids? Save money with the Chicago CityPASS, Child, ages 3-11Andy and Tyler would like to open another Epic Deli, while they have it in the back of their minds they intend to keep adding to the menu for their great followers and fan base.
You can connect with Epic Deli here:
- Facebook @EpicDeli
- Twitter @EpicDeli
- Instagram @EpicDeli
This is just ONE stop in my A Fall Bucket List for McHenry Illinois book! It’s worth a visit – but come hungry.
