Town Hall Deli is located in the heart of the Village of South Orange, in Essex County New Jersey. This area of New Jersey has a rich, interesting history dating back to the area’s first inhabitants, the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans. Today, South Orange is a quaint suburban town with charming homes and an active downtown.
Now one of just two towns in New Jersey still illuminated by authentic gas lamps, South Orange’s roads were once the paths of the Lenape and of George Washington’s Revolutionary soldiers. The downtown area sits just east of South Mountain and is home to several family-owned businesses and restaurants. A great symbol of the Village’s evolution is a Midtown Direct  train to Manhattan that stops where a horse-drawn railroad car once began its trip to Orange. Ethnically diverse and full of culture, both old and new, the village is comprised of Tudor, Colonial, and Victorian homes. Utility lines are run behind homes to keep the streets uncluttered and inviting. The Village shares a school district with sister Maplewood, and boasts over 60 acres of park land with five baseball diamonds, 15 tennis courts and various other multipurpose fields. The Baird Community Center operates the Village’s many recreational services, including the beautiful South Orange Pool. Town Hall Deli has a story of its own...
The Deli opened in 1927. Always a family- run business, its original home was actually on the other side of South Orange Avenue, just a few doors away from Town Hall. The Deli was purchased in the 1930's from the original owner by the Joost and Berdorf families... many villagers still remember Fred and Hans. During the 30's, the then-Mayor of Maplewood, Mayor Sweeny, visited Cuba. While he was there, he had occasion to visit Sloppy Joe's Bar and Eatery in Havana. Ernest Hemingway and other famous figures frequented Joe's in Havana, which at the time, was open to American tourism. Joe, the proprietor, was well-known for the disarray in the Bar- alas, the nickaname "Sloppy" Joe! While the Mayor was at Joe's in Cuba, he had a sandwich that he loved so much that when he returned to the States, he asked Fred Cohen and Hans to duplicate the recipe. It was made with cole slaw , cow tongue, and swiss cheese, with lots of Russian dressing on thin rye bread. Hence, the birth of the Sloppy Joe sandwich! Thus, this definitively settles any question of whether or not Town Hall Deli is the birthplace of the Sloppy Joe! Town Hall Deli moved to its most commonly known location, the brick building at 18 South Orange Avenue, sometime around 1940. Built in the late 1800's, 18 South Orange Avenue is one of the oldest commercial buildings in South Orange today. It has previously housed among other things, the Post Office, a dance studio, and a school at various points in time before The Deli moved there. Town Hall Deli has a long relationship with the community, including its annual sponsorship of a local baseball team, the St. Patrick's Dinner at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, and support of the local Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Main Street programs. Many residents fondly remember walking home from school and getting buttered "bread ends" just for the asking. Town Hall begins a new chapter in its rich history by re-locating to 60 Valley Street. The new location is within a stone's throw of its previous two homes, and will be more convenient, as it will have its own parking for customers. The plans for the new Deli include maintaining its 1940's charm, while modernizing to provide faster service and a broader selection. Of course, Town Hall will still have the best Joe's around! Visit the website often for updates.
A fantastic makeover on what was once the Midas muffler building at 60 Valley Street, a stone's toss from the old Deli. The idea was to expand space for retail and dining, and to give the deli a clean new look and feel. And most importantly, provide convenient parking and access for the customers!
The project required that the old building be completely gutted, and re-built. The process was lengthy because the structural engineers called for new steel beams and completely new masonry in order to add a real second floor to the building. Then, the facade was built, using real bricks, not brickface. The design was developed in a genre that would fit in with the character of the Town, so additional details, including things like the beadboard trim, were included.
Inside, the Deli was finished with real maple cabinetry, and the infamous "Joe Board" was doubled in size. The feel of the space is congruent with the early part of the 20th Century as the original Town Hall Deli first opened in 1927, although all of the cooking equipment is state of the art. A tile floor was installed and is similar to the old floor in the original Deli that was uncovered during its renovation and conversion to the bank space. The Deli now has a tin ceiling, also reminiscent of that era.
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