Pictured is the challah french toast and matzo ball soup. Photo by Hannah Markov and Jane Fleischman.

On the outside, Heckman’s Delicatessen looks like a slightly run down beer shop. The windows are almost completely covered in ads for cheap six-packs, not giving anyone on the outside any clue as to what is actually inside.

However, as soon as we walked in, we were greeted with delicious scents from the great food that Heckman’s has to offer. In fact, the alcohol bar was actually in the very back of the joint, so all we had to do was open the front door to enter the eating area. Heckman’s isn’t very big, but it has a very welcoming atmosphere.

There is a blackboard right next to the front door spanning from the floor to the ceiling, with a bucket of chalk right next to it for anyone who wants to draw. To the left of the blackboard stands two gumball and candy machines. Like in most casual eateries, Heckman’s has numerous TV’s for its customers to watch sports games or other shows. If someone wanted to watch a specific show or game, all they have to do was tell a server the channel, and they would turn to it.

You’d think that a deli would be busy during lunchtime, but when we arrived at noon, there was barely anyone there. We were immediately seated by a very friendly server. He was very polite, and after slightly messing up one of our drink orders, he promptly fixed his mistake.

Considering how tasteful and large the food portions were, Heckman’s pricing is pretty reasonable. The most expensive item we ordered off the menu was a big plate of Challah french toast, priced at $10.25. It might have been slightly on the pricey side, but it was fantastic.

We also ordered latkes and matzo ball soup. The latkes, along with almost everything else we were served, were huge. We had ordered one plate, thinking that it would be filled with medium or small sized latkes. Instead, we got two humongous ones that covered the entire plate. The latkes were dense and rich, flavoured with onions and other spices. Even though they weren’t the classic latkes we had been expecting, we weren’t disappointed.

In 2017, Bethesda Magazine said that Heckman’s Delicatessen had “the best matzo ball soup,” and they didn’t lie. Although the matzo ball itself was slightly soggy, the chicken broth was absolutely amazing. It had a delicious flavor and was filled with carrots, onion, celery and delicious bits of chicken. The soup also came with a small portion of tasty bagel chips which were made from real bagels and tasted wonderful when dipped in the soup.

Heckman’s has been open for three years now, and offers catering and delivery services for their customers. Heckman’s Delicatessen is local and has only one location on Cordell Avenue in Downtown Bethesda. Open from 10 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Thursday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, there is a time for everyone to drive to Heckman’s and enjoy a nice bowl of soup or whatever they may desire.