Willie's Deli in Cleveland takes diners back to Yesterday's

At Yesterday's at Willie's Deli in Cleveland, Tenn., a half-slab of St. Louis-style ribs, foreground, comes with Texas toast and a choice of sides, such as steak fries, hot slaw and baked beans. Other menu items include the French dip, left, and ribeye sandwich, back.

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - When I heard Willie and Renee Jenkins had a restaurant called Yesterday's at Willie's Deli in the same little strip mall that used to house Jenkins, the 1980s iteration that went by their last name, I thought the place might jog some memories even if it wasn't the restaurant I remember.

As soon as I stepped inside, I realized that it is the exact same space with much the same seating (but some new decor) in the same family-friendly tavern style that my friends and I enjoyed when we were in our 20s.

Even the menu remains almost identical, with the exception that a lineup of barbecue has been added. There are also a few entrees I don't remember, possibly because I couldn't afford them back then as a student coming home from college.

The Jenkinses know how to do this kind of eatery right, and the revival of the place that helped launch the family as a heavyweight restaurant contender in the Cleveland/Athens area seems like a great idea.

My wife and I hit the place on a weeknight a couple of weeks ago, then we returned again the next week with our UTC-student son for a second round, again on a weeknight.

Business was slow, but our server was fast with our drinks and taking our order. We sat in a booth I probably sat in a number of times but not since I gained a wife and family. It was truly "Yesterday" for me and my wife in atmosphere and food in our native Cleveland.

THE MENU

I'm sure the menu isn't exactly the same one I remember from the old days, but it certainly has several of the favorites.

Deli sandwiches and burgers include the "famous" chicken salad served on Texas toast (half $5.49, whole $7.49); hoagie with salami, ham and Monterey jack cheese ($7.49); BLT on Texas toast ($6.29); grilled cheese made with a choice of cheeses on Texas toast ($5.29); French dip on a hoagie roll ($7.99); turkey burger or hoagie ($7.99); corn beef on rye ($7.99); Reuben on rye ($8.49); grilled or fried grouper on a hoagie; ribeye sandwich ($8.49);grilled chicken on a bun ($7.99); deli burger ($7.99). All the sandwiches come with a side and options for upgrades or downgrades.

Lunch and dinner entrees come with a small side salad, bread and choice of sides, again with options. The lineup includes a half-pound hamburger steak covered with grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms ($10.99); grilled chicken breast in a regular, Cajun or barbecue form served on a bed of rice ($10.99 for one, $14.99 for two); farm-raised catfish, hand-battered on a bed of rice with hush puppies ($12.49); regular- or Cajun-seasoned grilled shrimp on a bed of rice ($10.99 for one skewer, $14.99 for two); grilled or fried grouper, 8 to 10 ounces, served regular or Cajun on a bed of rice ($13.99); ribeye steak, 12 to 14 ounces ($16.99); and a 10-ounce sirloin ($13.99).

Appetizers include cheese sticks, beer-battered onion rings, deep-fried mushrooms, fried pickle spears, jalapeno poppers, broccoli bites and fried green beans. Prices range from $4.99 to $8.99.

Soups include Willie's famous chili, cream of chicken and rice, and cream of jalapeno. All are priced at $2.99 for a cup, $3.99 for a bowl, and soup-and-salad combinations are available ($5.49 small, $7.49 large). In addition to green salads, options include varying serving sizes of chicken salad by itself ($3.99, $4.50 and $6.99).

The fine barbecue lineup includes a beef brisket sandwich; pulled pork as a sandwich or plate; barbecue-stuffed potato and wet or dry St. Louis-style ribs served with Texas toast and sides. Low-end prices start at $6.29 and $8.49 and go up to $10.99 to $22.99 (full slab of ribs with fixings). You can add a quarter-pound of pulled pork to any plate for $3.99.

Sides include a baked potato, steak fries, steamed broccoli, potato salad, baked beans, corn niblets and coleslaw, country slaw or hot slaw. There's also a children's menu with some usual items and a selection of desserts.

THE ORDER

I got the half-slab dry rib plate with steak fries, hot slaw, Texas toast and baked beans. My wife got the French dip with steak fries, and my son opted for the ribeye sandwich with both au jus and horsey sauce, which our server happily supplied.

The ribs would match just about anybody's in the region. They were deeply smoked with a red smoke ring nearly to the bone, meaty and fall-off-the-bone tender, and I shot some of the regular and hot house barbecue sauce into a corner of the basket to test. The hot slaw was awesome, and the baked beans contained nice shreds of pulled pork. I don't know if the barbecue is smoked at the Yesterday's location or a few miles up the road at Willie's Deli near Charleston, but it tasted the same: great. The sauces were very good additions but not needed if you like your barbecue just smoked.

My wife - "I always get the French dip" - loved her usual as much as ever, and my son said the ribeye sandwich was "great." On the visit a couple of weeks ago, I had the ribeye sandwich and a loaded baked potato, and on both occasions I stole a bite of my wife's sandwich. I'd say they were similar and very tasty. If you like leaner meat, go with the French dip; the au jus is delicious with both. I got some additional horsey sauce on the side, too, and there was no extra charge.

THE SERVICE

The service from our friendly server, Regina, on both of our visits was great, and she kept our drinks topped off and checked regularly to see if we needed or wanted anything else. Delivery of the food was a little slow considering there were only a few other tables filled, but the food was hot and worth the wait. We didn't have to wait for our check on either occasion, a pet peeve of mine.

THE SPACE

It was truly a trip back to yesteryear for me and my wife, and it was fun to reminisce with my son as an audience. I checked out the bar side of the restaurant and found that the same stools my friends and I occupied back in the 1980s were right where they should be. The decor was updated but still much the same nostalgic treatments with old ceramic signs, movie posters and a kayak (I'm guessing to honor the Ocoee River crowd). Everything was nice and clean, the seating was comfortable, and disco and '80s-era music played softly in the background. The Yesterday's sign inside could be the same one from the former establishment by that name in downtown Chattanooga. It sure looks like the same one.

THE VERDICT

Whether you're looking for a trip back in time or searching for a new place to grab great deli and barbecue treats, Yesterday's at Willie's Deli is a new (or is it old?) Cleveland staple. The prices might seem a little steep by some standards, but you get what you pay for and serving sizes are ample. For years, I've dropped in at Willie's Deli in Charleston for the top-shelf barbecue. So when my wife and I take a weekly trip from Chattanooga to Cleveland, we'll certainly be back to Yesterday's at Willie's Deli and probably will even become regulars.

Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.