Katz's Delicatessen

KATZ DELI STINKS !! 5/9/2010

by BMon at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

Katz, I have lived in the NYC area for the past 50 years. Today I happened to be in the area so I stopped in Katz' for a sandwich. I had never been there before, and probably won't be rushing back anytime soon. There did not seem to be any order to the place, just chaos. I walked in and was handed a ticket...that meant NOTHING as far as my being served in a timely manner. I was told by the security person to pick a line of one of 5 carvers...my guy liked to gab with everyone else behind the counter and was slow as molasses in the winter. The other counter men next to me was serving 3 people to my guys one. It took me more that 45 minutes to get a sandwich!!! The place was busy so I could not switch lines. There were other people on my line that were getting really mad, cursing under their breath about our guy and your poor system of service. Then you have to go to a different station for drinks, and a different one for hot dogs, etc !! THEN AFTER ALMOST 1 HOUR TO GET ALL MY FOOD, I FOUND OUT THAT I COUILD HAVE SAT DOWN AND GOT WAITER SERVICE......WHY DID THE IDIOT AT THE DOOR TELL ME THAT I HAD TO WAIT ON THAT STUPID LINE !!!!! If you are going to make people wait on the disgusting line, then you should use the same method that banks employ...one line then you get served as each carver station is freed up. Or use the same way they do it in a supermarket deli or bakery and take a number and as its called you get served....OR TELL PEOPLE AS THEY ENTER THE DELI WHAT THE FAH-KOCKTA ROUTINE IS THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE, SO THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO RATHER THAN FEEL THIER WAY THROUGH THE MINUTIA BLINDLY. Some people on my line were compairing your place to the ""Soup Nazi"" from the Seinfeld episode How you guys have been in business since 1888 with the current poorly organized system is a mystery...Well maybe its becaue once I did get my sandwich it was very good...but not 45 minutes + to wait for it good!! You seem to have gotten so big from things like ""When Harry Met Sally"" and the Food Network, etc. that you have forgotten about how to treat a customer when they enter the store. Lots of tourists...but how many repeat local customers...not me. Pros: Service was aweful ! Cons: Food was mediocre at best more

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KATZ DELI STINKS !! 5/8/2010

by BMon at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

Katz, I have lived in the NYC area for the past 50 years. Today I happened to be in the area so I stopped in Katz' for a sandwich. I had never been there before, and probably won't be rushing back anytime soon. There did not seem to be any order to the place, just chaos. I walked in and was handed a ticket...that meant NOTHING as far as my being served in a timely manner. I was told by the security person to pick a line of one of 5 carvers...my guy liked to gab with everyone else behind the counter and was slow as molasses in the winter. The other counter men next to me was serving 3 people to my guys one. It took me more that 45 minutes to get a sandwich!!! The place was busy so I could not switch lines. There were other people on my line that were getting really mad, cursing under their breath about our guy and your poor system of service. Then you have to go to a different station for drinks, and a different one for hot dogs, etc !! THEN AFTER ALMOST 1 HOUR TO GET ALL MY FOOD, I FOUND OUT THAT I COUILD HAVE SAT DOWN AND GOT WAITER SERVICE......WHY DID THE IDIOT AT THE DOOR TELL ME THAT I HAD TO WAIT ON THAT STUPID LINE !!!!! If you are going to make people wait on the disgusting line, then you should use the same method that banks employ...one line then you get served as each carver station is freed up. Or use the same way they do it in a supermarket deli or bakery and take a number and as its called you get served....OR TELL PEOPLE AS THEY ENTER THE DELI WHAT THE FAH-KOCKTA ROUTINE IS THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE, SO THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO RATHER THAN FEEL THIER WAY THROUGH THE MINUTIA BLINDLY. Some people on my line were compairing your place to the "Soup Nazi" from the Seinfeld episode How you guys have been in business since 1888 with the current poorly organized system is a mystery...Well maybe its becaue once I did get my sandwich it was very good...but not 45 minutes + to wait for it good!! You seem to have gotten so big from things like "When Harry Met Sally" and the Food Network, etc. that you have forgotten about how to treat a customer when they enter the store. Lots of tourists...but how many repeat local customers...not me. Pros: Service was aweful ! Cons: Food was mediocre at best more

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Da Best! 5/7/2010

by JudgeJudy at nymag.com Provided by nymag.com

I've been here a gazillion times (albeit not on a Saturday night...too crowded) and the food is always top-notch. Great potato salad too! more

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Yum! 4/24/2010

by dianav720 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

bravo! Pros: everything more

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Yum! 4/23/2010

by dianav720 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

bravo! Pros: everything more

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Pricy but priceless!!! 4/3/2010

by BILLBO58 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

I have read that Katz's is pricy and rude. Yes it is a little pricy and yes maybe even rude but... Where else can you go for such fantastic grub? Worth every penny! Rude? That could be the most important part of your experience at this fabulous Deli. Hello! It is a Deli folks. Thank you Katz's I'll be back again and again. (Can't wait to try the turkey)\r Pros: Outstanding grub Cons: Not one on my local corner. (KY) more

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Pricy but priceless!!! 4/2/2010

by BILLBO58 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

I have read that Katz's is pricy and rude. Yes it is a little pricy and yes maybe even rude but... Where else can you go for such fantastic grub? Worth every penny! Rude? That could be the most important part of your experience at this fabulous Deli. Hello! It is a Deli folks. Thank you Katz's I'll be back again and again. (Can't wait to try the turkey) Pros: Outstanding grub Cons: Not one on my local corner. (KY) more

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Tasty but pricey 2/18/2010

by jlw05 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

I remember the Katz's of my childhood - the deli looks much the same as it did four decades ago and I appreciate that Katz's interior, unlike the surrounding neighborhood, has not been gentrified. I consider the lack of ambiance to be charming - in the true tradition of what delis used to look like. There are few old time Jewish-style delis left anymore. What has changed, along with the neighborhood, is the prices. A corned beef or a pastrami sandwich is close to $15 and you will pay $1 more if you want your sandwich lean. Sandwiches are a good size. One sandwich and a portion of fries($4.50) can feed two average eaters. While the sandwiches are not the very best I have ever eaten, I found the meat, the pastrami in particular, to be quite tasty. The meat was warm and thickly sliced - not like the pastrami you buy at the deli that is cold and sliced thin on a machine. I believe Katz's cures its own pastrami and it certainly tasted that way. The corned beef was good too but a bit dry for my taste - maybe because I ordered it lean. Good enough for me not to have felt like a fool for spending approximately $34 for two sandwiches. The pickles that accompanied the sandwiches were excellent. Although I didn't enjoy my bill, I did enjoy the sandwiches. We were three people and two sandwiches (no sides) was more than enough for us. Katz's does not accept credit cards - cash only. It seemed to me that Katz's attracts a good many tourists but this native New Yorker will still occasionally return to Katz's when I am feeling nostalgia for some tasty, old time deli. Pros: very good pastrami, good corned beef Cons: High prices more

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Tasty but pricey 2/17/2010

by jlw05 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

I remember the Katz's of my childhood - the deli looks much the same as it did four decades ago and I appreciate that Katz's interior, unlike the surrounding neighborhood, has not been gentrified. I consider the lack of ambiance to be charming - in the true tradition of what delis used to look like. There are few old time Jewish-style delis left anymore. What has changed, along with the neighborhood, is the prices. A corned beef or a pastrami sandwich is close to $15 and you will pay $1 more if you want your sandwich lean. Sandwiches are a good size. One sandwich and a portion of fries($4.50) can feed two average eaters. While the sandwiches are not the very best I have ever eaten, I found the meat, the pastrami in particular, to be quite tasty. The meat was warm and thickly sliced - not like the pastrami you buy at the deli that is cold and sliced thin on a machine. I believe Katz's cures its own pastrami and it certainly tasted that way. The corned beef was good too but a bit dry for my taste - maybe because I ordered it lean. Good enough for me not to have felt like a fool for spending approximately $34 for two sandwiches. The pickles that accompanied the sandwiches were excellent. Although I didn't enjoy my bill, I did enjoy the sandwiches. We were three people and two sandwiches (no sides) was more than enough for us. Katz's does not accept credit cards - cash only. It seemed to me that Katz's attracts a good many tourists but this native New Yorker will still occasionally return to Katz's when I am feeling nostalgia for some tasty, old time deli. Pros: very good pastrami, good corned beef Cons: High prices more

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Katz's Deli----World Famous Bad Experience 2/9/2010

by lisalynn1975 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

We have always heard the hype about Katz's Deli, so we wanted to give it a try while staying in New York. I found the experience awful. From the start, it is filthy. The bathrooms are rancid. The staff is very, very rude. People are treated like cattle. The food is awful. The portions do not justify the inflated price. The reuben was actually partially made in the microwave. The knish was absolutely disgusting. For one corned beef sandwich, one reuben, 2 knish, and 2 cans of soda, we were charged almost $46. This is not justifiable---the portions are small, the food is disgusting, the staff rude, and the environment filthy. You are better off going to the Carnegie Deli or even Jason's Deli (chain) for that matter---------both much better and I would recommend. At any rate, I don't understand the hype. Just because a place was featured in a movie or have had a star patronize the establishment should not create such hype. In fact, I bet some of the stars that have visited have not gone back. Also, I question the validity of the 3, 4, 5 star ratings on this site. Most likely from staff or those affiliated with Katz's deli. I guarantee the 1 and 2 star ratings are genuine. The place sucks. Pros: Nothing Cons: Everything more

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Katz's Deli----World Famous Bad Experience 2/8/2010

by lisalynn1975 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

We have always heard the hype about Katz's Deli, so we wanted to give it a try while staying in New York. I found the experience awful. From the start, it is filthy. The bathrooms are rancid. The staff is very, very rude. People are treated like cattle. The food is awful. The portions do not justify the inflated price. The reuben was actually partially made in the microwave. The knish was absolutely disgusting. For one corned beef sandwich, one reuben, 2 knish, and 2 cans of soda, we were charged almost $46. This is not justifiable---the portions are small, the food is disgusting, the staff rude, and the environment filthy. You are better off going to the Carnegie Deli or even Jason's Deli (chain) for that matter---------both much better and I would recommend. At any rate, I don't understand the hype. Just because a place was featured in a movie or have had a star patronize the establishment should not create such hype. In fact, I bet some of the stars that have visited have not gone back. Also, I question the validity of the 3, 4, 5 star ratings on this site. Most likely from staff or those affiliated with Katz's deli. I guarantee the 1 and 2 star ratings are genuine. The place sucks. Pros: Nothing Cons: Everything more

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What's the big deal? 1/23/2010

by yaintime21 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

Honestly, this place is hardly worth all the hype. The ""enormous"" sandwiches are about three inches tall and taste average. Maybe to a someone whose diet consists of three crackers a day would these portions be considered huge. The latkes were pretty good though. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure the hype for this place was meant for some previous time. Not recommended. Pros: good latkes Cons: everything else more

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What's the big deal? 1/22/2010

by yaintime21 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

Honestly, this place is hardly worth all the hype. The "enormous" sandwiches are about three inches tall and taste average. Maybe to a someone whose diet consists of three crackers a day would these portions be considered huge. The latkes were pretty good though. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure the hype for this place was meant for some previous time. Not recommended. Pros: good latkes Cons: everything else more

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BEST PASTRAMI in NYC 1/14/2010

by Jobesmirage at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

The place is the best place on the East Coast for Pastrami and has been rated by many people.The other food there outside of the Pastrami that is good corned beef. I dont understand the complains that Ive read here because it is ridiculous, no place in NYC has better pastrami including Carnegie Deli. While the serving sizes are not as large the quality is unbeatable. Service is always a bit mediocre and the seating is not great because its a cafeteria but youre not there for the seating or the service, your there for the legendary pastrami and thats what youll get. Pros: Incredible Pastrami Cons: Cafeteria atmosphere, Expensive more

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BEST PASTRAMI in NYC 1/13/2010

by Jobesmirage at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

The place is the best place on the East Coast for Pastrami and has been rated by many people.The other food there outside of the Pastrami that is good corned beef. I dont understand the complains that Ive read here because it is ridiculous, no place in NYC has better pastrami including Carnegie Deli. While the serving sizes are not as large the quality is unbeatable. Service is always a bit mediocre and the seating is not great because its a cafeteria but youre not there for the seating or the service, your there for the legendary pastrami and thats what youll get. Pros: Incredible Pastrami Cons: Cafeteria atmosphere, Expensive more

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My friend this is a sin 1/1/2010

by nickblack at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

In a nutshell this is quite possibly one of the biggest scams ever. Its like shopping on black friday. People mimicking fruit-fly waiting to sit in tiny tables, from the cafeteria style serving stations. Maybe 10 tables, all of which are sub standard in size that you share so you can get waiter service which takes you 20-30 min just to get a table. Or just shlep your food yourself and share tables with other tourists who like you fell in a trap. Our waiter was rude, and tried to serve me a bagel with lox and creme cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel. What are they thinking? This is sacrilegious! When I asked him for a normal bagel, he looked at me like I had 3 heads. The latkes tasted like the frozen kind, and they have nerve to charge almost $10 for 3. My brother had the reuben which was TINY compared to what I've seen on the food network which worships this sham. I've had better in JERSEY. In fact I recommend TICK TOCK DINER for a reuben. If you want real NY food go to Carnegie Deli. This is a shame to call this a NY institution, its more for people who are gluttons for punishment . NEVER AGAIN. Pros: lox Cons: dirty,mismanaged,rude,over priced more

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My friend this is a sin 12/31/2009

by nickblack at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

In a nutshell this is quite possibly one of the biggest scams ever. Its like shopping on black friday. People mimicking fruit-fly waiting to sit in tiny tables, from the cafeteria style serving stations. Maybe 10 tables, all of which are sub standard in size that you share so you can get waiter service which takes you 20-30 min just to get a table. Or just shlep your food yourself and share tables with other tourists who like you fell in a trap. Our waiter was rude, and tried to serve me a bagel with lox and creme cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel. What are they thinking? This is sacrilegious! When I asked him for a normal bagel, he looked at me like I had 3 heads. The latkes tasted like the frozen kind, and they have nerve to charge almost $10 for 3. My brother had the reuben which was TINY compared to what I've seen on the food network which worships this sham. I've had better in JERSEY. In fact I recommend TICK TOCK DINER for a reuben. If you want real NY food go to Carnegie Deli. This is a shame to call this a NY institution, its more for people who are gluttons for punishment . NEVER AGAIN. Pros: lox Cons: dirty,mismanaged,rude,over priced more

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Overrated. Not what is used to be 12/28/2009

by capt14k at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

While I have had great Pastrami in the past from Katz's lately it has been subpar at best and I have had less good experiences and more poor experiences. Most of the cutters are too young and have not mastered the art of making a sandwhich nor do they seem to care to. Meat is cut way too thick. Pastrami sandwiches keep going up in price yet amount of meat keeps decreasing. Lastly the place is filthy. I would not recommend to anyone to sit down and eat at Katz's purely a takeout place only. In conclusion while you can still get a great Pastrami Sandwhich on occasion at Katz's it is hit and miss at best and lately there have been way too many misses. They are living off their name alone and have abadoned all quality control Pros: Pastrami on occasion Cons: Cleanliness, Food Quality, Price more

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Overrated. Not what is used to be 12/27/2009

by capt14k at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

While I have had great Pastrami in the past from Katz's lately it has been subpar at best and I have had less good experiences and more poor experiences. Most of the cutters are too young and have not mastered the art of making a sandwhich nor do they seem to care to. Meat is cut way too thick. Pastrami sandwiches keep going up in price yet amount of meat keeps decreasing. Lastly the place is filthy. I would not recommend to anyone to sit down and eat at Katz's purely a takeout place only. In conclusion while you can still get a great Pastrami Sandwhich on occasion at Katz's it is hit and miss at best and lately there have been way too many misses. They are living off their name alone and have abadoned all quality control Pros: Pastrami on occasion Cons: Cleanliness, Food Quality, Price more

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what crap 12/1/2009

by mainemedic2 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

This is jewish deli, like olive garden is italian....just crap. You want Disney style food....go to Disney, they do it better. I not only wont go there again, I am insulted that Katz would claim to be Ny or Jewish or anything....go find a small place where they take pride in thier food..Ny is full of great places..this aint one of them. Cons: everything more

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Best	Worlds 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	Too popular 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 ...

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

Best

Worst

KATZ DELI STINKS !! 5/9/2010

KATZ DELI STINKS !! 5/8/2010

Da Best! 5/7/2010

Yum! 4/24/2010

Yum! 4/23/2010

Pricy but priceless!!! 4/3/2010

Pricy but priceless!!! 4/2/2010

Tasty but pricey 2/18/2010

Tasty but pricey 2/17/2010

Katz's Deli----World Famous Bad Experience 2/9/2010

Katz's Deli----World Famous Bad Experience 2/8/2010

What's the big deal? 1/23/2010

What's the big deal? 1/22/2010

BEST PASTRAMI in NYC 1/14/2010

BEST PASTRAMI in NYC 1/13/2010

My friend this is a sin 1/1/2010

My friend this is a sin 12/31/2009

Overrated. Not what is used to be 12/28/2009

Overrated. Not what is used to be 12/27/2009

what crap 12/1/2009

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