Katz's Delicatessen

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205 E Houston St (at at Ludlow St.)
New York, NY 10002

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(212) 254-2246
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Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Reviews
( 101 )
( 73 )
( 34 )
( 23 )
( 45 )

Best

You haven't had Pastrami until you've had it here. Nowhere on planet earth is there Pastrami that compares. The Corned Beef ain't bad either. Potat...

Worst

Katzs being a landmark in NYC, it fell short of my expectations. This dirty place is always packed (tourist attraction?) and though the pastramy sandwich was good, I found it was ...

Send a salami... 5/10/2006

You have to be from NYC to properly say their slogan, ""Send a salami to your boy in the army!"" My grandfather lived across Houston in the city projects, and took me there when I was a little girl. Then, and now, you go up to the counter and getting a taste before ordering your sandwich. Formic table tops then & now. Katz's is a time-warp. The delicious pastrami, corned beef, salami, tongue, etc. also remain the same. Nicely piled sandwichs on rye with spicy mustard. Chased down with Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray, or Cream soda. Heaven on a plate. While down town, hit Russ & Daughters for some noshes to bring home. Yonah Shimmel's for knishes. This is what NYC is meant to be! Don't gentrify it out of existence! Pros: Food, History, Portions Cons: parking - ha! more
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Send a salami... 5/10/2006

You have to be from NYC to properly say their slogan, "Send a salami to your boy in the army!" My grandfather lived across Houston in the city projects, and took me there when I was a little girl. Then, and now, you go up to the counter and getting a taste before ordering your sandwich. Formic table tops then & now. Katz's is a time-warp. The delicious pastrami, corned beef, salami, tongue, etc. also remain the same. Nicely piled sandwichs on rye with spicy mustard. Chased down with Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray, or Cream soda. Heaven on a plate. While down town, hit Russ & Daughters for some noshes to bring home. Yonah Shimmel's for knishes. This is what NYC is meant to be! Don't gentrify it out of existence! Pros: Food, History, Portions Cons: parking - ha! more
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Pastrami Nirvana 3/15/2006

I have found pastrami heaven! The sandwich is huge, the pastrami is tender, hand cut, juicy. The juices of the pastrami have a catcher in the rye bread, although you will probably give up trying to stuff the whole thing in your mouth and use a fork to spear pieces into your mouth. The pickles as a side are a great counterpoint to the pastrami, not too sour, not too crunchy. I also had the steak fries, crisp on the outside, soft like a baked potato inside. Update: March 2006... Since I wrote this review, I have been back several times, each time feeling more at home, and each time plotting how I will be able to come back again. The food is marvelous and the atmosphere is pure New York! I had the egg cream and it was great! Pros: Pastrami, Pastrami, Pastrami more
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Pastrami Nirvana 3/14/2006

I have found pastrami heaven! The sandwich is huge, the pastrami is tender, hand cut, juicy. The juices of the pastrami have a catcher in the rye bread, although you will probably give up trying to stuff the whole thing in your mouth and use a fork to spear pieces into your mouth. The pickles as a side are a great counterpoint to the pastrami, not too sour, not too crunchy. I also had the steak fries, crisp on the outside, soft like a baked potato inside. Update: March 2006... Since I wrote this review, I have been back several times, each time feeling more at home, and each time plotting how I will be able to come back again. The food is marvelous and the atmosphere is pure New York! I had the egg cream and it was great! Pros: Pastrami, Pastrami, Pastrami more
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Old School 3/7/2006

While there are plenty of places to go for a good corned beef sandwich, Katz's has a charm about it. It can be a little confusing as to where one goes to order, but once the food is ordered, you are in for a treat. If you are a vegetarian, this really isn't a good place to go. The corned beef was tender and melted in my mouth. The pickles were great addition. I would have gotten some cole slaw and a knish if my stomach had more space. Pros: quick service, great food Cons: expensive more
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Old School 3/7/2006

While there are plenty of places to go for a good corned beef sandwich, Katz's has a charm about it. It can be a little confusing as to where one goes to order, but once the food is ordered, you are in for a treat. If you are a vegetarian, this really isn't a good place to go. The corned beef was tender and melted in my mouth. The pickles were great addition. I would have gotten some cole slaw and a knish if my stomach had more space. Pros: quick service, great food Cons: expensive more
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THE BEST DELI IN THE USA 1/10/2006

Katz's has been a NYC original for over 100 years. If you are in search of the most authentic NYC deli experience look no further than the famous and historic Katz's Deli down on the Lower East Side. Pastrami or corned beef are juicy and piled high (ask for extra rye bread). The servers give you some sample slices of your order while you wait (shortly I might add). Kosher dills are the perfect compliment for your unforgetable sandwich and they give you plenty of them. Try the hot dogs too, they're snappy and delicious. If you are a carnivore, come hungry and you will leave more satisfied than you have ever been. Pros: Pastrami, Corn Beef, Hot Dogs Cons: seating more
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THE BEST DELI IN THE USA 1/9/2006

Katz's has been a NYC original for over 100 years. If you are in search of the most authentic NYC deli experience look no further than the famous and historic Katz's Deli down on the Lower East Side. Pastrami or corned beef are juicy and piled high (ask for extra rye bread). The servers give you some sample slices of your order while you wait (shortly I might add). Kosher dills are the perfect compliment for your unforgetable sandwich and they give you plenty of them. Try the hot dogs too, they're snappy and delicious. If you are a carnivore, come hungry and you will leave more satisfied than you have ever been. Pros: Pastrami, Corn Beef, Hot Dogs Cons: seating more
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A must go... 12/5/2005

Being from the south, there aren't any good delis in my area and while watching "Foods across America" on PBS I found out about Katz's Deli. I knew upon visiting NYC that I wanted to try an "orginal deli". I was glad I did. The Pastrami sandwich was like "buttah" and with pickles and an icy cold beer to wash it down, it was a pleasurable experience. Look foward to trying the Ruben upon returning. It will be on my "to do" list the next visit to NYC. Pros: Pastrami, Pickles, Beer more
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A must go... 12/5/2005

Being from the south, there aren't any good delis in my area and while watching ""Foods across America"" on PBS I found out about Katz's Deli. I knew upon visiting NYC that I wanted to try an ""orginal deli"". I was glad I did. The Pastrami sandwich was like ""buttah"" and with pickles and an icy cold beer to wash it down, it was a pleasurable experience. Look foward to trying the Ruben upon returning. It will be on my ""to do"" list the next visit to NYC. Pros: Pastrami, Pickles, Beer more
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a huge disappointment 11/7/2005

As a native New Yorker, I've been going to delis, including Katz's, my whole life, so I know a thing or two about good corned beef and pastrami. Sadly, Katz's no longer offers it. This place has declined precipitously over the past ten years. I return there every few months, hoping things have picked up, but they haven't -- they've only gotten worse -- and now I've reached the end of my patience. My latest (and last) experience at Katz's was the other night. The corned beef was greasy and tough as shoe leather. The pastrami tasted like a tire. Yearning for a glimpse of the place's glory days, I tried hard to enjoy myself. But the food was terrible -- and expensive!! My friend and I spent about $50 for a couple of sandwiches, a hot dog, and two beers. A huge rip-off. Pros: nostalgia Cons: bad value, tough meat, rude wait staff more
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way overrated 11/7/2005

My friends and I ordered several different things, and all the food was a huge disappointment: the corned beef and pastrami were tough and rubbery and way too salty; the turkey, we saw only later, came out of a bag -- never a good sign; and the tongue was disgustingly gelatinous. To boot, the service was surly, and the prices were extremely high. If I'm going to pay $13 bucks for a sandwich, I expect it to be first-rate, and this stuff didn't come close. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Cons: lousy food, rude service more
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a huge disappointment 11/7/2005

As a native New Yorker, I've been going to delis, including Katz's, my whole life, so I know a thing or two about good corned beef and pastrami. Sadly, Katz's no longer offers it. This place has declined precipitously over the past ten years. I return there every few months, hoping things have picked up, but they haven't -- they've only gotten worse -- and now I've reached the end of my patience. My latest (and last) experience at Katz's was the other night. The corned beef was greasy and tough as shoe leather. The pastrami tasted like a tire. Yearning for a glimpse of the place's glory days, I tried hard to enjoy myself. But the food was terrible -- and expensive!! My friend and I spent about $50 for a couple of sandwiches, a hot dog, and two beers. A huge rip-off. Pros: nostalgia Cons: bad value, tough meat, rude wait staff more
Reply | Report abuse |

way overrated 11/7/2005

My friends and I ordered several different things, and all the food was a huge disappointment: the corned beef and pastrami were tough and rubbery and way too salty; the turkey, we saw only later, came out of a bag -- never a good sign; and the tongue was disgustingly gelatinous. To boot, the service was surly, and the prices were extremely high. If I'm going to pay $13 bucks for a sandwich, I expect it to be first-rate, and this stuff didn't come close. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Cons: lousy food, rude service more
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Do and Don't Deli 11/6/2005

We have eaten at Jewish Deli's of equal or better quality. However, if in the area, then by all means go to Katz's--but be selective of what you order. The pastrami sandwich was outstanding!! The corned beef Rueben was terrible --the meat was dry and the sandwich was greasy. We could not order the tongue, because they were out of it. Two members of our party ordered the chicken matzoh ball soup and half a pastrami sandwich. The matzoh ball was the size of a golf ball and pronouned outstanding--a floater-not a sinker! French Fries, Cole Slaw and pickles were all good. The slices of bread were too small and too thin to cover the sandwiches. The "Harry Met Sally" sign was not there. Overall--overated! Pros: Pastrami Sandwich, Matzoh Soup Cons: Corn Beef, expensive, crowded more
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Do and Don't Deli 11/6/2005

We have eaten at Jewish Deli's of equal or better quality. However, if in the area, then by all means go to Katz's--but be selective of what you order. The pastrami sandwich was outstanding!! The corned beef Rueben was terrible --the meat was dry and the sandwich was greasy. We could not order the tongue, because they were out of it. Two members of our party ordered the chicken matzoh ball soup and half a pastrami sandwich. The matzoh ball was the size of a golf ball and pronouned outstanding--a floater-not a sinker! French Fries, Cole Slaw and pickles were all good. The slices of bread were too small and too thin to cover the sandwiches. The ""Harry Met Sally"" sign was not there. Overall--overated! Pros: Pastrami Sandwich, Matzoh Soup Cons: Corn Beef, expensive, crowded more
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THE BEST! 10/25/2005

My husband and I came to New York for a great deli experience. We were told to go to 2nd avenue deli, which we did, and it was good, but not a patch on Katz's. The atmosphere, food and service were quintessentially 'New York'. The matzoh ball soup is the best i've ever eaten and this includes homemade recipes from my jewish relatives. A big, big thumbs up!! more
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THE BEST! 10/25/2005

My husband and I came to New York for a great deli experience. We were told to go to 2nd avenue deli, which we did, and it was good, but not a patch on Katz's. The atmosphere, food and service were quintessentially 'New York'. The matzoh ball soup is the best i've ever eaten and this includes homemade recipes from my jewish relatives. A big, big thumbs up!! more
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the real deal 7/18/2005

Everyone who does not live in the land of a million Jewish deli's must try Katz's. It is much more authentic and low key than the Carnegie Deli; i.e. there were actual New Yorkers in there eating things other than the pastrami or corned beef sandwiches. However, if this is your first time, you should definitely get one of those classics. Wash it done with a Brooklyn Lager, which they have on draught, and plenty of pickled green tomatoes. The carrot cake is also good. It's off the beaten path so you can even park in front of the place if you have the stomach for driving in the city. more
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OLD PEOPLE FOOD!Not to everyone's taste 5/15/2005

The service was excellent. The only thing is the food was just awful. It was the first time I ever had a knish - what is everyone raving about? Its basically a bland potato hot pocket fried in oil. Even salting it didn't help at all. I must have used 1/2 the salt in the shaker and the oil just neutralized it so that you couldn't taste it at all. It was sooo hopelessly bland so I couldn't finish it. Hot dogs - I took one bite and couldn't swallow it. It was pure grease! I was only able to eat the saurkraut on top of it. terrible pastrami and corned beef. Meat was old and tasted funny, was stringy. There was just really nothing for a picky eater to eat here. If you consider yourself a savory person, this is not the place for you. Pros: Very Nice People, Very Helpful Serivce, Didn't rush us out Cons: Extremely oily Knishs, StrangeTasting Hotdog, Not a huge selection more
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Editorial

  • Katz's Deli is frequented by regulars who've been coming for decades, as well as tourists and neighborhood newbies; occasionally, you might catch a glimpse of a celebrity. Since its establishment in the 1880s, the deli has changed very little in appearance, retaining a grungy sheen. Grab a ticket on the way in for counter service, or seat yourself at a table to be waited on. Katz's still makes about 5,000 pounds of corned beef, 2,000 pounds of salami and 12,000 hot dogs a week--the old-fashioned way, on the premises--and it shows in the massive portions the deli serves. Excellent pastrami is a big draw, as is the deli's Reuben sandwich.

  • 12/5/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Tue 8am-9:45pm Wed-Thu 8am-10:45pm Fri-Sat 8am-2:45am Sun 8am-10:45pm
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Lower East Side
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