The legendary sauce that is Groucho’s Deli 45 Sauce has been a staple of our restaurants for 81 years, but where did the iconic name come from? Who names their signature sauce after a seemingly innocuous number? Why 45 specifically? Why not name the sauce after the charismatic founder of Groucho’s Deli, Harold “Groucho” Miller?

Today, I’m sitting down with Bruce Miller, current CEO and third-generation owner of Groucho’s Deli, to get to the bottom of it all:

How did 45 Sauce get its name?

BM: 45 sauce is a variation of a Reuben dressing. When my granddad was growing up in Philly, it was a Russian dressing. It just so happened that he finalized the recipe in 1945, so he decided to call it 45 Sauce

Is 45 Sauce an original recipe?

BM: Yes! It is based on Russian dressing, which is much more thick and tart. Our version is thinned out and sweetened for the Southern tastebuds.

Why do you think people have liked it so much over the years?

BM: I think its versatility has allowed it to become what it is today. It is our standard condiment for both salads and sandwiches, so using it for both has allowed both salad enjoyers and sandwich eaters to fully enjoy one of my favorite parts of Groucho’s.

Has the sauce changed much since the original recipe?

BM: We’ve been very careful to not change it. Keeping the mayonnaise profile is important, and there are only a few types of mayo that work. The original spices in the sauce have never changed. There have been some minor tweaks over the years, but none have been significant.

Have people always dipped their chips in it at the end of their meal?

BM: Yes! My dad always said that the chips taste best when you can get all of the ingredients of the sandwich in one perfect chip bite.

So, there you have it. Groucho’s Deli legendary 45 Sauce came from a riff off of Russian Dressing in the year 1945. Sometimes, the simplest answer is the correct one!