Every city has its specialty foods and restaurant venues, whether discussing the lobster shacks of New England or the endless BBQ joints of Texas. When looking at New York City, said restaurant takes the form of a traditional delicatessen, with New York featuring some of the best (and oldest) delis in the entire country.
Featuring endless assortments of meats, cheeses, and other delectable menu items, every would-be patron can find something to love at a New York deli. Whether your go-to menu option is a pastrami sandwich on rye bread or an everything bagel with cream cheese and lox, these NY delis will leave you more than satisfied with their flavorful meals.
Katz’s Delicatessen
Nowadays, most people associate Katz’s Delicatessen with the famous “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in When Harry Met Sally… Yet between their massive sandwiches and ultra-tender deli meats, patrons have little reason to wonder why Katz’s remains one of the most famous eateries in New York City.
Known across the country for its delicate pastrami, one bite of a Katz’s sandwich will leave you moaning aloud with the same intensity as Meg Ryan in Rob Reiner’s classic romantic comedy. If you ever needed further proof of Katz’s iconic status in the Big Apple, just look at dozens of celebrities who have visited Katz’s over the years, from Leonardo DiCaprio and Mike Tyson to Mikhail Gorbachev and Barack Obama.
Pastrami Queen
Earning a distinguished place at the forefront of New York’s list of delicatessens, Pastrami Queen rivals Katz’s or Sarge’s for its impressive assortment of premium deli meats. As you might imagine from the name alone, Pastrami Queen specializes in their slow-cooked pastrami–piled high between two slices of rye bread served with a side of sour and half-sour garlic pickles.
As a testament to its favorable reputation among average New Yorkers, Anthony Bourdain himself regularly gushed about Pastrami Queen’s product, once claiming, “If I’m away from New York long enough, I need a correct pastrami sandwich from either Pastrami Queen or Katz’s. And you’re not getting that anywhere else, as far as I’m concerned.”
Russ & Daughters Cafe
Alongside Katz’s and Pastrami Queen, Russ & Daughters Cafe earns serious marks for its no-nonsense sandwiches. A hallmark of Jewish delicatessens within NY, Russ & Daughters has been outfitting hungry New Yorkers with first-rate dishes since 1904, making it a must-stop locale for anyone interested in authentic NYC fare.
Rising from humble beginnings, Russ & Daughters ascended from a simple pushcart that frequented the Lower East Side into one of the city’s premiere destinations for classic deli meals. Boasting a massive menu for breakfast and lunch, there’s literally no end to the potential dishes diners can order at Russ & Daughters, from nutty pistachio halva and fresh caviar to pastrami-cured salmon or a bagel schmeared with sable and goat cheese.
Sarge’s Delicatessen
It’s nothing short of a miracle that Sarge’s Delicatessen reopened its doors after a temporary two-year closure in 2014. Picking up right where it left off, Sarge’s continued to deliver a hearty lineup of delectable meals and tender deli meats, many of which are piled high atop their signature sandwiches.
Size matters most when it comes to Sarge’s, with almost every dish guaranteed to leave diners waddling away with their belt buckle stretched to the absolute max. In addition to the egg and omelet dishes that use three jumbo eggs, patrons can expect to find the gargantuan sandwich aptly known as “The Monster.” Served between slices of thick-cut rye, diners with a big appetite will chow down on a cartoonishly large sandwich filled with corned beef, pastrami, roast beef, turkey, salami, tomato, lettuce, coleslaw, and Russian dressing.
2nd Ave Deli
Don’t let its simple name fool you–2nd Ave Deli is one of the best delicatessens in the Big Apple. A NYC landmark in operation since 1954, it has weathered its fair share of changes over the years, switching locations from the East Village to Murray Hill in 2007. However, it remains every bit as delicious as it was 70 years ago.
In addition to NYC staples like corned beef and pastrami, 2nd Ave Deli offers more unique dishes that are hard to find anywhere else in the city. As a standout example, there’s the Instant Heart Attack–a corned beef, pastrami, or turkey sandwich shoved between two latkes–or the famous cholent appetizer–a stew composed of beans, meat, and potatoes that dates back to the 12th century.
Gottlieb’s Diner
How many restaurants do you know in NYC that serve Jewish, Hungarian, and Chinese food? Defying expectations regarding its mixture of international cuisine, Gottlieb’s Diner has almost everything you could hope to order on a deli menu, along with plenty of alternative options for those craving something other than pastrami or turkey.
Living up to its esteemed reputation, Gottlieb’s Diner’s menu is packed to the brim with numerous items, from a chicken lo mein appetizer and spicy buffalo wings to matzo ball soup and pastrami sandwiches. Can’t decide what to order? Cut corners and choose the All-In-One Everything Sandwich, or mix and match by ordering a turkey sandwich with a side of stir-fried vegetables or Spanish rice.
Frankel’s Delicatessen
Frankel’s might be a relatively newer restaurant, yet within its gleaming walls lies a deli every bit as amazing as some of its contemporaries–perhaps even more so!
Opened in 2016 to significant fanfare from local New Yorkers, Frankel’s has every major item one could hope to find in a traditional NY deli. Offering a tasty assortment of menu items for breakfast and lunch, Frankel’s specializes in fan-favorite NYC treats, including hot dogs, pastrami, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and chocolate or cinnamon babka, among many other dishes.
Majestic Delicatessen
A fitting name for an iconic NYC landmark, Majestic Delicatessen is just that–majestic by its very nature. As much a diner as it is a deli, Majestic Delicatessen has everything guests can hope to order throughout the day, including plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
While the Majestic is a great venue for its hearty breakfast meals, the sandwiches and meats are the real reason to stop by this respected Broadway locale. Located a mere block from Radio City Music Hall, the Majestic features a healthy lineup of breathtaking specialty sandwiches, from a classic Reuben with pastrami or corned beef to a Nova Scotia smoked salmon bagel with onions, cream cheese, and tomatoes. (Yum.)
Stage Door Delicatessen
Billing itself as an “old world staple and a NYC tradition,” Stage Door Delicatessen has been a heavily frequented Lower Manhattan hotspot for years. With its first location opening in Rockefeller Center under the name of the Back Stage Delicatessen, the last remaining Stage Door has carried on the deli’s penchant for fine meats, loaded sandwiches, and classic NYC fare like cheesecake and bagels.
Serving all three meals from 3:30 in the morning to 9 p.m (with shortened hours on Saturdays and Sundays), Stage Door Delicatessen is the perfect option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. While you’re always free to order burgers, gyros, or Philadelphia-style cheesesteak heroes, we’d suggest ordering from Stage Door’s signature sandwich menu, many of which feature two or more meats crammed into one explosive combination.
Barney Greengrass
Opening its doors in 1908, Barney Greengrass has the distinction of being one of the oldest delis in NYC–as well as one of the best. Specializing in sandwiches, deli meats, and first-class fish dishes, there’s a reason why the eponymous Barney Greengrass earned the nickname “The Sturgeon King” a short time after he founded his restaurant.
In theory, Barney Greengrass is worth the trip for its exceptional lineup of seafood products, including their selection of smoked salmon, sturgeon, sable, and whitefish. However, no visit to Barney Greengrass is complete without ordering unique menu items, like the restaurant’s massive triple-decker sandwiches or the pastrami salmon scrambled with eggs and onions.
