I enjoy a good tuna melt. Tuna melts have gotten really popular as a plot point in Heated Rivalry, so I’ve decide to document my years of enjoying a tuna melt. Unfortunately a lot of my favorites have closed, but I’ll include them as an “In Memorium” at the end. I’m always open to suggestions, so feel free to add a comment recommending your favorite here and I’ll check them out.

My current favorite is served at Chelo’s Kitchen in South Euclid. They only serve it for lunch during Lent. It has grilled onions and American and Swiss cheese. The tuna is briefly grilled on the flat top, and the rye bread is perfectly grilled as well. Rye bread is my favorite, but as you will see I don’t mind other breads if done well.

Yours Truly also does a great tuna melt. It features two scoops of their tuna sitting on a tomato slice and topped with melted cheddar on a toasted English muffin. A tuna melt on an English muffin is in fact my preferred form of tuna melt, which will be explained under In Memorium. The tuna salad was warmed up just enough, and the cheese was nicely melted.

Dominick’s Deli has a great tuna melt too. It is more tuna than tuna salad mayo-wise. The thing that makes it stand out is the bread – it’s fantastic. A crunchy roll that is split in half and broiled. And the tomatoes lined on top were great too. I tried to eat it as a sub, but it deserves the knife and fork service if you don’t want messy hands. Because it will squeeze out the sides and create a lovely mess.

The tuna melt at Nectar of the Tupelo in Euclid s extremely flavorful. It is a wet tuna melt that has finely diced jalapeno in it. I was taken aback when I read about the jalapeno, but I enjoyed the flavor it added. The fresh tomatoes were also a great addition and added a lovely freshness.

Davis Bakery is now the last Jewish deli standing in Cleveland. People always recommended I tried the tuna there, so I did. I love that it includes diced hardboiled egg. I’ve had the tuna melt twice and enjoyed it both times. You order at the deli counter. They have a dining area, or you can get it to go to enjoy at home or in your car. It is nicely warmed. It comes with a tasty cookie and a crisp pickle spear.

56 Social serves their tuna melt on marble rye, which is not my favorite rye (I’m a seeded fan), but it will do in a pinch. The tuna melt is made with house-made albacore tuna salad that is topped with heirloom tomato slices and Swiss and grilled on the marble rye. It was tasty. I just don’t feel compelled to rush back for it like I do for their salads.

Honeybirch Bakehouse serves an interesting take on a tuna melt. In fact, it was their “tuna melt” special that drew me in the first time I visited. It is sometimes available as a weekly special, so I follow them on Facebook. They have these great rolls that they serve their sandwiches on (they bill them as ciabatta, but I think they are a cross between a ciabatta and a challah). They offer sandwiches on the roll or a baguette. I enjoy their rolls and hence their sandwiches a lot. Their tuna melt isn’t a true tuna melt in the classic sense, but it is a damn fine tuna and cheese sandwich. The roll is light and crusty, yet soft and delicious. The tuna was flavorful. I enjoyed it very much and have returned for it. The sandwiches are served with a little veggie salad, which is a mixture of chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions and peppers. It’s unique but tasty.

Joe’s Deli serves a generous tuna melt. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it is well grilled and tasty. And you can’t beat their fries or matzo ball soup.

Slyman’s Deli’s tuna melt is ginormous – just like all their other sandwiches. It’s almost too much. The tuna is also not warmed all the way through, but if you are hungry and aren’t a fan of corned beef you can’t go wrong with the tuna melt here.

The tuna melt at The Chicago Deli in Solon is a good one. It was probably the most thoroughly heated tuna melt I’ve enjoyed. As you can see from the cross-section, the tuna is browned on the flat top. I also love being able to enjoy steak fries with them. I enjoy a good steak fry over most other fry choices.

In Memorium

My all-time favorite tuna melt remains the one they used to serve at Old Brooklyn Cheese Company. It was made on sourdough bread from Leavened. Just a great crunch and flavor.

I promised to explain my love of an English muffin tuna melt. The very first tuna melts I can remember were the tuna melt at the Millsville Cafe in Twinsburg (I waitressed there in 1992/1993) and the tuna melt at Lou & Hy’s in Akron (again from 1993-1995 when I was in grad school and temping part-time across the street). They were served on an English muffin. The Katz Club Diner had a great one on an English muffin (below), just to show you the idea because photos of food were not a thing in the 90s. 🙂 Anything Doug does is phenomenal. I was sad when it closed due to the fire for many reasons, but the tuna melt was a big one.