Wholly Joe’s - a True Taste of Chicago
Posted by cmhgourmand on January 7, 2007
Wholly Joes
1182 E. Powell Rd.
Lewis Center, OH
(614)-430-9441
What really separates Columbus from the big league cities like Chicago? The void is not in sports teams, accents, sitcom settings, or cool city nicknames. The true difference is food. Ever hear of a Columbus style hot dog, pizza, or anything – neither have I. You can taste the differences between the food from the “big cities” and our homogenized fare. Expand your palette. You don’t have to take a road trip to visit Chicago – just head toward Polaris for a bite at Wholly Joes.
Wholly Joes has the authentic tastes of all the hot spots in the Windy City – hot dogs, Italian Beef sandwiches, Deep Dish Pizza, tamales, etc. Let’s lead off with the Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. First thing you need to know is that its is only available evenings and weekends. Second, plan on waiting at least 30 minutes when placing your order. Third – it is the best Deep Dish Pizza you can get in Columbus. Wholly Joes uses dough made from scratch, an authentic 1951 oven (made specifically for Deep Dish Pizzas) and ingredients shipped in from Chicago to get everything just right – and – it is.
The hot dogs come from a famous Chicago hot hog maker and are served Chicago style with mustard, relish, chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, cucumber slices, a sliver of pickle, and sport peppers on a steamed poppy seed bun.
The bread comes from the famous Turano Bakery in Chicago and is showcased in the buns used for the Italian Beef Sandwiches.
If you want to go all out get the Wholly Joe – which is 1 1/2 times the size of the regular sandwich. An Italian beef sandwich is made with thinly sliced beef, cooked in natural juices, served in a bun with a choice of extras including extra gravy, cheese, peppers, hot giardinera mix, grilled onions, and if you want, the whole sandwich can be dipped in the beef juice.
There are many other choices at Wholly Joes but one more that I must mention is the chocolate cake – moist, dense, and a customer favorite.
This eatery is located on Polaris Parkway. in the Oak Creek Shopping Center.
one mile East of U.S. Rt. 23. or two miles West of I-71.
January 10, 2007 at 8:02 am
One of the best kept secret’s in the Columbus area. I love this place and get a dog or two to go every week. Don’t forget to order the onion rings, done with a tempura like batter, light and crispy. The italian beef will make you think a second time about ever driving up to an Arby’s again. Deep Dish pizza here (served in the evening, takes a while to order (made fresh), but it worth it!
January 10, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Wholy hot dog, Batman. Yeeeeow-za.
January 11, 2007 at 9:32 pm
There you go again, Gourmie, knockin CMH, I mean it’s true, even Cincy and C-land got more street cred than the Capital, but so what? Columbus has got a lot of character hidden beneath its vanilla-packaged-by-Borden-go-bucks exterior. I’m glad you’re out there reporting on these places. But tell me is the beef good? I know that you know. Is it Scala’s, or do they do it in house? I do beleive that every town should have a beef joint, and I’ll go for a good sandwich, but I’ll pass on the pictures of the Al Capone and and murals of the silouetted skyline(if they have those things).
Cheers.
mac
January 11, 2007 at 10:12 pm
MAC -
I’m not knocking this town - I am talking culinary history here - Columbus does not have a food unique to itself - Chicago and NYC do. So does the South - not a diss - just a fact.
And as the guy that I had 10 Beefs in one day with you in Chicago - the Wholly Joe is about a 6.2 on our beef 10 point scale. It is no (Italian Village) Al’s #1 or Carms but it gets the job done.
March 7, 2007 at 4:59 am
Oh, it’s been so long, too long since our last trip ti Chicago, so on your recommendation, we traveled north to Polaris (almost the other side of the world for us…
this past weekend in search of our beloved Chicago-style pizza. We were NOT disappointed! Thanks for posting about Wholly Joe’s. While it’s no Giordano’s, it’s pretty dang good, better than the original (not as greasy as Uno’s). We had a deep dish with pep, mushrooms and spinach,and I’ll be finishing the last piece tomorrow for lunch. We’re all looking forward to going back in a few weeks for an Italian beef and some dogs - and I won’t forget the onion rings! photos and posting will follow that one (I forgot the camera last time)
Thanks again!