CLEVELAND — It’s been almost a year since we first introduced you to the woman who put a Cleveland deli on the map. Who could forgetthe viral video about East 81st Deli’s now-famous chicken salad? In 15 short seconds, Tenisha Godfrey became an internet sensation, and that chicken salad became a highly coveted meal. We went back to the deli Friday to see how things have changed during the past year of viral fame.
Mohammed Herbawi owns the deli with his brother, a business they inherited from their father. He said Godfrey was a regular at the deli when they made that video with her and posted it on TikTok. Now, it’s been liked and viewed millions of times.
For a while, lines were out the door with folks who just had to try the newly renamed TikTok Chicken Salad. While that’s not still the case after all these months, business is still doing well, Herbawi said. And we think we figured out why. We asked Herbawi just what makes this chicken salad so special. Turns out the secret ingredient is love.
“We get it from our mom,” he said. “It has a lot of Mediterranean spices in it. The sauce that we use, we call it house dressing, but it’s really my mom’s dressing that she created.”
Makes perfect sense to us! This family recipe is still being sought by customers from across the country who saw that viral video.
As for the mom who came up with the recipe: “She loves it, she loves it,” Herbawi said. “She’s very proud.”
He said the deli has made a lot of improvements in the past year, including fixing up the parking lot. They’re not done yet. The deli is currently planning an expansion.
