Never had a huge 3-meal sandwich from it, heard they were nice.
I guess they were like the old “Harold’s Deli”?
On a trip to NYC this summer, I decided to stay at a small hotel on Houston St. instead of midtown. It turned out to be only a couple blocks from Katz’s. Wow, was it good!
The bread was always too small for the sandwich. You’d wind up eating it with a knife and fork!
Scared me there for a second. 2nd Avenue Deli is still there, it’s just not on 2nd Ave anymore (and hasn’t been for decades).
You would need the buns from those old “Where’s The Beef?” commercials for a Carnegie Deli sandwich.
You would need the buns from J-Lo for that sandwich.
It was the last time I was in New York, in 2005.
So they’ve reopened? Cool.
They moved/reopened in 2006 (my bad on saying decades) and are now on E 33rd between Lexington and 3rd. I think they have a newer branch on the UES.
Ah, Montreal smoked meat is better than pastrami anyway. Was sad when Dunn’s closed down.
I’ve lived in NYC since 1981. Tried them all. Katz’s is pretty damned the best I’ve had as far as the more infamous joints. The upside is that the food really is killer. The downside is that they treat you like a speck of shit and it’s supposed to be "a fun part of the NYC deli experience ". Sorry. Fuck that shit. It’s a restaurant, don’t abuse me verbally. Just sell me my sammich.
The place that has the best small joint old world feel is Fine and Schapiro on West 72nd street. Pickles bowl on the table? Check. Delicious challah? Check. Superb sandwiches that do not require you to unhinge your jaw like a reticulated python? Check. Amazing desserts? Check. Stunning matzoh ball soup? Checky-check check.
Quiet unassuming service? Check.
I’d go WAY out of my way to sit there and enjoy a nice lunch.
75th and 1st, a couple blocks from home.
Katz’s is a great pastrami sandwich, still cut by hand, and I’ve seen impatience, not rudeness, when they have to deal with people who don’t order the way they’d like you to. Like the time I asked them to toast the rye bread. Don’t do that, even if there’s no line.
There are a great many fantastic sandwich shops in the city, just not the same stripe as a Katz’s or 2nd Ave or Carnegie. (Pisillo’s, Alidoro, Salume, Defonte, Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s…)
Why wasn’t the business sold? Sounds like a great opportunity for a new owner.
The brand recognition alone is worth a lot. Keep the business model exactly the same.
Because they are still in business, as has been mentioned. They’ve just closed the flagship store.
The thread title lead me astray. Glad to hear they still have other locations.
Delis are a favorite of mine. Best in Little Rock is Jason’s Deli. They have two locations here.
The trick at most NY delis (and especially at Carnegie) is (was) to go with someone else and split the sandwich (and fork over the extra plate charge). Then instead of one humongous, expensive sandwich you have two huge, more reasonably priced sandwiches.
Or the second person can order matzoh ball soup and avoid the extra plate charge.
While I’ve had some OK pastrami in a Jason’s, none of the locations I have eaten at could hold a candle to the worst NY deli. At the Jason’s deli in Midland, TX I asked for hot pastrami, got a quizzical look, and received a sandwich which had been nuked until the pastrami was brown. Yuck.