Some Milwaukee things come and go, while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: the Super Hoppel Poppel at Benji’s Deli & Restaurant in Shorewood.
Some Milwaukee things are so mandatory that there are mandatory things within them. WMSE is mandatory, for example, but so is Dewey Gill’s Sunday morning Big Band Program (and about a dozen other WMSE programs). That nesting doll of mandatory-ness also applies to Benji’s Deli & Restaurant.
And yes, we know that Benji’s is in Shorewood (4156 N. Oakland Ave.) and that there’s another Benji’s in Fox Point (8683 N. Port Washington Rd.) But “Mandatory Shorewood/Fox Point” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “Mandatory Milwaukee.”
Moving on. Benji’s has been a Shorewood staple for more than 60 years. In our 2018 Mandatory Milwaukee piece on Benji’s, we wrote:
The suburban delicatessen was opened by Werner “Benji” Benjamin in 1963. The Kosher deli specialized in Jewish delights that ranged from accessible dishes like corned beef and pastrami to traditional classics from yesteryear like gefilte fish, pickled tongue, and matzah balls. Benjamin sold the restaurant in the mid-’80s, after approximately 20 years at the helm, and a Fox Point location was added by the new ownership group. Both locations where sold in 2006 to longtime Benji’s employee Mike Price and his brother Chris.
In the years since the original Benji’s first opened, the deli and restaurant has experienced a number of changes. The interior has been gussied up and is at least approaching modernization. The menu has also seen some modifications, with gefilte fish, kishka, knish, lamb, and a number of other aged eastern European items being done away with. Yes, the prices have also changed to reflect inflation (and then some!), but it’s worth every cent.
We’ll get to those prices in a bit.
There are several things on Benji’s menu that qualify as “mandatory.” There’s the Hear-O Israel ($18.99), a towering half-pound sandwich featuring “hard-carved corned beef, pastrami, salami, pepper beef, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and 1,000 isle dressing, all piled high on rye.” (“Whew!” adds the menu.) And of course there’s the signature Classic Reuben ($18.69).
But let’s focus on a specific breakfast item, shall we? Enter the Hoppel Poppel. Essentially a kitchen-sink egg bake/casserole, the Benji’s version features “scrambled eggs blended with crisp browned potatoes and fried salami.” A full order will put you back $16.76; a half order is $2 cheaper. (Side note: Wikipedia notes that the Hoppel Poppel is a dish “associated with frugal housewives.”)
Then there’s the Super Hoppel Poppel. This beast of a breakfast includes all of the above plus “green peppers, onions, fresh mushrooms and your choice of cheese.” A full order is $17.99; a half order, again, is $2 cheaper.
Eighteen bucks for an egg casserole? That ain’t cheap, but, like we said in 2018, it’s worth every cent. Just look at this sucker! (Sometimes good old fashioned melted American cheese hits just right.)
And yes, we recommend going full-order Super Hoppel Poppel. It’s dense and decadent and delicious. And it’s big enough that it’s easily good for two breakfasts. (Hats off if you can finish a full order in one sitting.)
In the eight years since we last wrote about Benji’s, prices appear to have gone up $4 across the board. All things considered, that’s actually not that bad. Hell, the Saz’s Sampler Platter at Summerfest was $6 more in 2026 ($14.50) than it was in 2019 ($8.50) What can you do?
For one, you can splurge for a Super Hoppel Poppel. And you can support a stalwart Shorewood deli and restaurant that defines the word “mandatory.” Like we said in 2018:
Though the north shore village is unrecognizable when compared to what was like when Benji’s opened in 1963, the deli remains an important and delicious point of local pride in Shorewood. No matter where Shorewood is headed, Benji’s—by way of its incredible kosher goodies that are impervious to the ever-changing tastes of the world outside its doors—is there to stay.
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.
RELATED ARTICLES