The Cedars just got a lot more deli-friendly. Seegar’s Deli has quietly begun a soft launch this week, swapping a tidy counter and cozy booths for steaming pastrami, strong coffee, and a full cocktail program built for both lunch regulars and after-work crowds. For now, the team is keeping things to daytime hours while staff settles in, with plans to stretch into nightly service in the coming weeks. Old school touches like marble rye and classic booths meet a menu that leans hard on cured and house-cooked meats.
Seegar’s is running a reduced soft opening schedule, currently today through Sunday during the day, and culinary director Lisa Martel told the Observer that the plan is to roll into daily dinner service and occasional blue plate specials, such as meatloaf, once the soft run wraps. The menu is proudly meat-first: pastrami is shipped in from RC Provisions in California, the Italian and roast beef sandwiches rely on house-cooked wagyu chuck, and a thick fried bologna sandwich on brioche is already grabbing attention. Dallas Observer reported the opening and these menu specifics.
Seegar’s is the latest project from chef-owner Olivia Genthe, who first floated plans for a nondenominational deli on South Harwood in 2023 after opening Fount Board & Table and Little Blue Bistro, according to The Dallas Morning News. The restaurant’s own site and online ordering list the address as 1910 South Harwood Street and show off the full sandwich lineup, sides, and drinks. You can browse the ordering menu on Toast or head to the official site at Seegar’s Deli.
Old Building, New Life
The deli sits in a small brick retail building in The Cedars that dates to the mid twentieth century. Commercial listings peg the structure’s vintage at 1947 and its footprint at roughly 2,000 to 2,500 square feet. Inside, the design leans into that history with vinyl counter seating, booths, and checkerboard tile, while the kitchen brings in a marquee meat from a well-known West Coast purveyor. Property details are listed on LoopNet, and the pastrami maker’s site is RC Provisions.
What To Expect
The playbook here is straightforward deli comfort, done with care: stacked Reubens, Italian-style sandwiches, house chips or thin fries, and a coffee program that runs alongside cocktails and beer. Martel said dinner and daily service will follow after the soft opening, along with rotating blue plate specials, and the team plans to lean into the counter and bar as an all-day neighborhood hangout. For full reporting on the soft opening and menu, see Dallas Observer.
