If you love sandwiches, there are plenty of places in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to find some really good ones. But if you’re really hungry, you’re going to want to make a beeline for Crossroads Delicatessen in Minnetonka. Not only does it serve up some of the best deli food in the state, the overstuffed sandwiches from this Minnesota deli demand respect. If I know I’m going to Crossroads for lunch, I usually skip breakfast – not only because I know I’ll need my appetite but also because the wait is absolutely worth it.

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A classic deli, you can get everything from bread, sliced meat and cheese to borscht, pickles, and seasonal goodies like latkes and Passover products at Crossroads. It also boasts a large, comfortable dining room that’s more sit-down restaurant than a typical deli seating area – you can even order wine, beer, or a cocktail with your meal.

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Speaking of meals, none of the portions at Crossroads Delicatessen is small. The entrees are huge, and the matzoh ball soup is just ridiculous. But it’s the sandwiches that really make you do a double take. Sure, there’s bread there somewhere, straining to contain every delicious morsel between the slices, but to no avail – it can’t hold, leaving the sandwich filling to take over the plate. I usually get the reuben and substitute pastrami for the corned beef (what? I like pastrami…), and I have to eat it with a fork – even after I cut it in in two. Often, I end up taking half home anyway.

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You won’t have room for dessert or much else after one of these sandwiches – and that’s okay. Because you can pick up some sweet treats to take home with you at the deli counter on the way out.

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I’m sure you’ll love the food at this eatery, and you’ll definitely leave full and happy (If you consume one of the sandwiches at Crossroads Deli and leave hungry, then you’re a better eater than I am). To see the deli’s complete menu, its hours, and counter service offerings, check out Crossroads on the web.

Although the Crossroads Delicatessen relies on family recipes and memories for inspiration, its spiritual predecessor in the Twin Cities was the beloved Lincoln Del, which closed shortly after Crossroads opened. If you’re a deli fan like me, you’ll appreciate The Lincoln Del Cookbook, as well. It’s a fun read that I enjoyed not only for its recipes but also for the glimpse it offers of the Twin Cities deli scene into which Crossroads was born. Have you eaten at Crossroads and had the overstuffed sandwiches at this Minnesota deli? Where else in Minnesota can you get massive sandwiches stuffed so full you can barely find the bread? Tell us about your favorites.

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Trent Jonas/Only In Your State