Founded in 1950, Vienna Distributing Company of Ohio is a family-owned and operated deli serving Northern Ohio. When I moved to Cleveland Heights 14 years ago I would drive by when driving down Carnegie to the highway and thought it was a printing company for the longest time. I eventually learned that it was THE place to buy corned beef. Vienna Distributing makes the corned beef that supplies all the best restaurants serving corned beef in Cleveland. The line can be long, but it is absolutely bonkers on the day before St. Patrick’s Day. The parking lots is full and people even park across the street.
It was a bare-bones deli and catering company for the longest time, but recently it is actually advertising with banners (I made a comment once on social media that I thought it was a printing company – coincidence?). It has also expanded what it sells. They have added coolers, a wall of chips, a wider variety of mustards, ketchups, and condiments, and a pick-up counter with hot dogs and the like.
There is no seating. It is purely a take-out place. Be prepared to wait because they are always busy, but trust me its worth it!! The wait during the lunch hour can be quite extensive. I usually go there on “off” hours – like 4 PM on a Thursday. It’s open from 9 am-6 pm Monday through Friday and 9 am-4 pm on Saturday, and it’s closed on Sundays.
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I learned many of those “in the know” would stop by to buy Reuben fixings and make fresh Reubens in the parking lot during their lunch hour. So I used to stop in and buy Swiss cheese and corned beef (sliced hot) from the counter, a loaf of seeded rye bread, a jar of sauerkraut, mustard, and Thousand Island dressing. Most corned beef is too fatty for me, but Vienna’s corned beef is nice and lean, which I appreciate.
It also used to sell cheesecake on a stick, which I got a huge kick out of. Think a slice of cheesecake covered in chocolate on a stick. You can check out the PDF menu of available items here. You can order ahead and pick up at the counter on the right – or get it delivered through DoorDash or UberEats.
I stopped there recently because I was hosting a fire pit get-together where we roasted hot dogs and s’mores over the fire. They also sell Five Star real casing hot dogs as well as various packed hot dogs and kielbasa. They used to be in the middle cooler at the counter, but now they are stored in a cooler when you are in line. I stocked up on a 2 lb. package of (16?) natural casing hot dogs and 8 cheddar franks.
Contact info:
Vienna Distributing
8110 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 361-4500