I regret to report the Meshugana Deli, is no more. They closed to door on August 3rd with a sign on the door. I hope the owners and staff all took their magical gifts to other restaurants in the area. My semi annual trips to Sarasota are now sad. The food was always wonderful. Especially the egg salad sandwich. Best of luck folks! Mazol Tov!

I'm so sad to hear meshugana closed It was absolutely delicious I hope they reopen somewhere

This was a spot that served traditional Jewish deli items such as pastrami sandwiches, potato pancakes, and assorted sweets. The menu was larger than I anticipated. The staff was very friendly while ordering and there were a few tables to sit at surrounded by New York décor. I had three different types of rugelach. The flavors were raspberry, apricot, and cinnamon. Each one was better than the last. They were of good size with plenty of flavor. My personal favorite was the cinnamon. It had just enough cinnamon flavoring present. The apricot and raspberry were very tasty too. Will I go back? I would.

First time at this deli! Located on the corner of Sawyer Road and Clark .. Same plaza as Valentino ..Upon entering the deli I love the amount of seating and tables they had .. The place has a NY vibe, made me feel at home being a former NY'er. I had the special of the day at with the "Tanya" pastrami sandwich and a choice of a side/ I chose the macaroni salad and very fresh whole pickle. They ask how you want your pastrami I chose medium cut . They do not skimp on their sandwiches ..It was perfect! So flavorful with the perfect amount of fat to make the pastrami super tender. The tomato , lettuce, cheese and horseradish Mayo was the perfect choice. I enjoyed every bite. The owners were so nice and introduced themselves and even got some free bagels to take home which were so good! They have a rewards punch card which is great!. Can't wait to visit again!!

When I walked in it was a clean interior, staff was friendly, and they gave me a voucher for next time. The sandwiches were ready around 10 minutes after ordering, we got the pastrami, and brisket - Reuben, at first glance the pastrami Reuben was huge, while the second seemed small for the price, it's expensive food so it should be worth the price, I'll say the coleslaw was the best I've ever had. The pickle was juicy but not really flavorful, not enough spices or dill for that matter. Onto the sandwiches, the brisket reuben tasted good, and surprisingly the pastrami reuben wasn't as good, the meat dor both didn't have much going on. The pastrami honestly tasted like bologna, and the brisket tasted like stewed meat anywhere. The black and white cookies looked good, glad I tried it, but overall I wouldn't get it again.

Oy Vey! I'm rating Meshugana five stars, but as s a Good Jew I really want to give four stars and kvetch. The truth is this place is pretty strong with a hreat variety of delicious traditional Eastern European and Jewish community foods. Very authentic and flavorful. Service was friendly and helpful. The matzoh ball soup is delicious. Lovely. It cured my cold and I didn't even have one. Pastrami was solid. Lots of other offerings from egg and pastrami breakfast sandwiches, bagels, latkes, bialys, noodle kugle, latkes, desserts like rugelah and macaroons, humentashen triangular Purim cookies, and pickle barrels. Sable and smoked salmon, schmears. Chicken salad. Chopped liver. Even jars of gefilte fish! I dare you to get one. It's not cheap but nothing is these days. It is fun and flavorful. Not all can be chosen, but at least you can visit and enjoy honorary status. ;) Shalom. Mazel tov.

June 22, 2023 - 2 for lunch/brunch. Been seeking something authentic in the area. Meshugana hit the spot. Service was very friendly and "El" was fantastic at the counter. Our Rueben was served up quickly, however there was a fairly long delay in getting my bagel sandwich from the 'other end' of the counter? My fellow diner had almost finished his sandwich by the time I finally got mine. Not a huge deal, but definitely an area for improvement item. NOT that busy. The Ruben sandwich was of course a signature product and was impressive in stature, the meat was awesome and flavorful and all the ingredients wonderful and tasty. Dressing, bread, etc etc. 10/10 My bagel was NY authentic (I just moved to Sarasota area 2 years ago from Long Island and my offices where on Manhattan) so this was a delight. Texture & taste great! However the whitefish salad was a bit runny and more "cream" and fill, than fish. I would have preferred less of it and a chunk fish product instead. This is where quantity is NOT better than quality. Again not a disaster just a spot to improve. Pricing pretty good for the portions and product. Good!! We'll be back for sure.

Too much food for too much money When it comes to sandwiches, at least my sandwich, they are selling two meals or one meal for two people. As someone who stopped in alone and who didn't want to eat part of his sandwich hours later, I ate the whole thing. I had their Pastrami Reuben, and it was an excellent sandwich. When I picked up the tray with my sandwich, it had some weight. The meat to other stuff ratio was off the chart, this was a big pile of pastrami. As mentioned in other reviews it was hand sliced so thicker, but not overly so. I got the fatty choice, you can also get it lean or a mix. Other reviews say the pastrami was tough, and that was definitely not what I had. Mine was very tender, very easy to eat, no pulling to tear off anything at all. I say easy to eat, well, the bread didn't hold up trying to contain the pile, so it got messy. My side of potato salad was fine, served in a plastic cup it was a good amount for a side. The half sour pickle was a total fail, it tasted like a tiny salty cucumber, and not in a good way. The interior is much different than when this spot had a donut shop. Gone are all the decorator stuff and instead the dining area is an open area, silver and gray, with 5 large tables and some little counter spots along a wall. You order at the far end of the cooking area and pay up front at the bakery area. I assume you just order bakery stuff at the front, but I don't really know. They call your name when your food is ready. The prices on their webpage are out of date, my sandwich was 20.95 before tax. As I say, too much money for too much food. Really good food, but too much at one time. As for the 3.99% fee mentioned in other reviews, it's just a credit card surcharge. More and more restaurants are implementing this, although this is the highest one I've seen. The tiny notice by the register also mentions a cash discount, but there is no discount, only the absence of the fee. If your rewards card pays you 1% and you are paying 4% to use the card, you have a real cost for the convenience of using the card. I'm getting used to asking before I pay if there is a surcharge, it is not well disclosed here or other places.