Meet us where the bagels are baked to perfection
The Onion Roll co-owners Ryan Rosenthal and Igor Russo are so particular about their bagels that they brought in a bagel consultant and built their own bakery with a water filtration system specially designed to obtain the perfect light, fluffy, and slightly chewy texture.
Rosenthal grew up in New York where the corner bagel shop defines the neighborhood, so when he and Russo took over the Onion Roll from its previous owner, they were not going to mess around about the bagels.
They set out to update the New York style deli while maintaining the charm that’s kept customers coming for more than 65 years.
The sandwiches, Rosenthal teases, will give you lockjaw because they are piled so high with meat and fresh ingredients.
That’s especially true of the Onion Roll’s legendary Hot Corned Beef Sandwich and the Fresh Smoked Lox Sandwich, which is piled with hand-sliced lox so thin you can almost see through it and layered with cream cheese.
The Onion Roll is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 3pm and Sunday from 8am to 2pm.
The Fresh Smoked Lox sandwich is $13 while the Hot Corned Beef starts at about $10.
You can up the ante on that corned beef with a “Heartburn” Hot Corned Beef or a special half-pound sandwich. There’s also the Elmwood Park Extravaganza with hot corned beef and Swiss cheese or the River Forest Refresher with hot corned beef and liver. Prices range from $10-$16.
You’ll likely find co-owners Ryan Rosenthal and Igor Russo at the shop when you stop in. While the two never expected to own a deli, they are thrilled to bring their family recipes to the menu at the Onion Roll.
They also ensure that the menu maintains the breakfast and lunch staples that have kept loyal regulars coming to this hidden gem in Oak Park for decades. Regulars here can always walk in and order their “usual”.
The Onion Roll is located at 6935 W. North Ave. in Oak Park. It’s just a 20-minute drive from downtown Chicago.
