Miami's Last German Deli Lives On in Pinecrest

Before Cheryl Oswald, owner of Pinecrest's Mainzer's Delicatessen & European Market, could speak to New Times about the deli's five-decade-long legacy, a matter had to be attended to: the roast beef had to be put in the oven.

The Pinecrest shop is located in the same shopping center as other culinary heavyweights, including the Mediterranean restaurant Daily Bread and the 24/7 pan-de-bistec-quencher Pinecrest Bakery. Yet, no other restaurant in the area can match Mainzer's vintage. Since the Nixon administration in 1972, Mainzer has been crafting tasty sandwiches, serving German-style potato salad, and offering European groceries.

"When the shop opened, the center had a Top Banana convenience store, a hobby shop, and, I think, a bank," Oswald recalls. She sports a green apron and braided hair. "I watched [the current owners of Daily Bread] grow up," she says with a smile. "They were next door and in their playpen, like how my daughter was here in her playpen."

Five Decades as a Family Affair

Osbourne, a native of Miami, met her late husband, Ron, through mutual friends in the city. Her husband immigrated to the United States as a child from Hamelin, Germany, the village made famous by the children's story of the Pied Piper. While Osbourne loves the outdoors and had ideally wanted to work for the parks, she eventually married into the family business. "A lady, and a good friend of mine, Elizabeth Strissel, started the deli. She had a partner who fell off three weeks in, and then my in-laws came in and started to help," Oswald says about Mainzer's genesis. "Once you're inducted into the family business, it's very hard to extract yourself," she chuckles.

The family ran the small shop throughout the decades from Hurricane Andrew and the dot-com bubble, to September 11 and COVID-19. The quaint shop is devoid of fancy espresso makers or those ghastly cursive faux neon signs that say "The Best of the Wurst."

Instead, the deli has German tchotchkes, such as a cuckoo clock on the wall adorned with beer glasses and plates, and a few photos of friends on the shelves. The shop has an old-time deli scale, and you can enjoy your lunch at the small green table outside.

She Works Around the Clock, Because She 'Loves What She Does'

One glass case displays hearty German sausages like currywurst, liverwurst, bratwurst, and St. Galler wurst (a veal sausage originating from Northern Switzerland). On the other end, another glass case encloses their renowned potato salad (a sweet and tangy vinegar-based salad that comes with green onion and bacon).

"I also carry a lot of things from the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Hungary, and Bulgaria; they are all imported," Oswald says about the deli's grocery items. Following her husband's passing, Oswald is the sole proprietor, aside from her adult daughter, who helps when she can on the back end.

She still works twelve to thirteen hours a day and tends to her garden at home when not working. "If you love what you do...," she begins, then trails off. "I love my little store and the people who come in. I have some really amazing people who come in here. I have a core support of fans and new people. I have had generations of families come in."

Shortly after that comment, a Hungarian family walked down the aisle, perusing the selections and picking out some soft drinks and sweets. If you're in the mood for lunch, Oswald is happy to supply you with a one-page menu printed on brown paper, featuring nineteen different sandwiches and six different salad options.

The German potato salad is a must, however. Other popular menu items include the bratwurst and the Reuben sandwich, served with mustard and sauerkraut. The aisle carries cake mixes, mustards, chocolates, and German baking soda (Oswald says the German version is so much better than its American counterpart).

The Last Western European Deli in Miami

It shouldn't come as a big surprise that Mainzer's is the last of its kind in Miami — Oswald commented that, first, more European residents generally reside in the Broward area, though she serves a fair amount of customers from South America who have German roots. Second, even stores like Aldi and Trader Joe's can stock some relatively comparable German/European items.

"You're not getting the same," she says, but grocery stores are still able to supply cheaper goods, even if the taste isn't perfect. While Oswald feels the pressure from some regulars to continue in business, she reiterated that she does not feel any need to retire and close the shop. "All this hard work — I would hate to see it go away. I love this."

As Oswald prepares a sandwich filled with salami and smoked meats for New Times, a regular walks in. She takes a moment to swipe the spicy mustard and mayo before engaging in a friendly conversation with her. When asked about the regular's long-standing patronage at Mainzer's, she responded thirty years. Oswald corrected her, pointing out that it's actually closer to fifty years. They shared a chuckle, and she handed me my sandwich in a brown paper bag.

Mainzer's Delicatessen & European Market. 12113 S. Dixie Hwy., Pinecrest; 305-251-2060; mainzers.com.