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 ...

what crap 11/30/2009

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. Pros: none Cons: everything more
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Absolutely Disgusting! 11/22/2009

The food from beginning tp end here is just god awful. The reuben is an astounding $15.75 complete with tasteless rye bread and sauerkraut with metled cheese direct from the.......microwave.\r The meat is ok (not good, but not vomitable) on the sandwich, but the radiation cheese and sauerkraut are gross. \r Mac salad - probably the worst I have eaten, ever anywhere. One bite was way more than enough; dish sat uneaten.\r Potato salad - vomitable; one bite and I felt sick.\r Katz's is an epic failure and a tourist trap. This was not just the worst meal of the year, but perhaps of the decade and century! Cons: food more
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Absolutely Disgusting! 11/21/2009

The food from beginning tp end here is just god awful. The reuben is an astounding $15.75 complete with tasteless rye bread and sauerkraut with metled cheese direct from the.......microwave. The meat is ok (not good, but not vomitable) on the sandwich, but the radiation cheese and sauerkraut are gross. Mac salad - probably the worst I have eaten, ever anywhere. One bite was way more than enough; dish sat uneaten. Potato salad - vomitable; one bite and I felt sick. Katz's is an epic failure and a tourist trap. This was not just the worst meal of the year, but perhaps of the decade and century! Cons: food more
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Stay Out of Katz's Deli 11/5/2009

If you want a horrible dining experience Katz's Deli is the place to find it! These people are rude. They giving these red tickets when you enter (of which have no purpose) and if you dont turn them in when leaving they wont let you out of the building even with proof of a paid receipt. The door greeter will literally stand in front of the door and tell you that you cant leave. Are they not aware that this is an act of false imprisonment? Are they stupid as well as filthy and rude? I gave them a one star rating only because this wont publish until i click at least one star..but I'm taking it back. Pros: There are None Cons: Filthy, Rude & Nasty Food more
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Stay Out of Katz's Deli 11/4/2009

If you want a horrible dining experience Katz's Deli is the place to find it! These people are rude. They giving these red tickets when you enter (of which have no purpose) and if you dont turn them in when leaving they wont let you out of the building even with proof of a paid receipt. The door greeter will literally stand in front of the door and tell you that you cant leave. Are they not aware that this is an act of false imprisonment? Are they stupid as well as filthy and rude? I gave them a one star rating only because this wont publish until i click at least one star..but I'm taking it back. Pros: There are None Cons: Filthy, Rude & Nasty Food more
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Four stars? Nonsense! 10/16/2009

How so many can call this fatty, gristly, tepid, thick-sliced pastrami ""the best"" is beyond me. I can only surmise that people have never had decent pastrami to compare this dreck with. Or that they confuse quantity with quality. (Or maybe I just got the goy cut. But I doubt that, since the only kosher faces I saw at this place were the customers.) Even the corned beef, which is better than the pastrami, is packaged in a Reuben sandwich that's best described as nondescript.\r \r This joint is so vulgar that they hand out entry tickets, which failure to return on leaving incur a $50 fine (yeah, right). Despite the ""since 1880"" blurb, the place has no charm. The waitress was nice, but the others were indifferent or surly.\r \r I suggest the proprietor spend less time shmoozing with the celebs, whose photos line his walls, and pay more attention to what's going on with the food. He's obviously coasting on his rep while raking in the receipts. \r \r Definitely not worth the schlep to the LES. Plenty of other delis closer to you that are better. Only one word for Katz's: trap. Pros: OK corned beef, nice waitress Cons: Everything else more
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Four stars? Nonsense! 10/16/2009

How so many can call this fatty, gristly, tepid, thick-sliced pastrami "the best" is beyond me. I can only surmise that people have never had decent pastrami to compare this dreck with. Or that they confuse quantity with quality. (Or maybe I just got the goy cut. But I doubt that, since the only kosher faces I saw at this place were the customers.) Even the corned beef, which is better than the pastrami, is packaged in a Reuben sandwich that's best described as nondescript. This joint is so vulgar that they hand out entry tickets, which failure to return on leaving incur a $50 fine (yeah, right). Despite the "since 1880" blurb, the place has no charm. The waitress was nice, but the others were indifferent or surly. I suggest the proprietor spend less time shmoozing with the celebs, whose photos line his walls, and pay more attention to what's going on with the food. He's obviously coasting on his rep while raking in the receipts. Definitely not worth the schlep to the LES. Plenty of other delis closer to you that are better. Only one word for Katz's: trap. Pros: OK corned beef, nice waitress Cons: Everything else more
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Stomach filler 10/14/2009

Sandwich are great and will fill you up......A must go....... Pros: Huge portion Cons: On the Pricey side more
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Stomach filler 10/13/2009

Sandwich are great and will fill you up......A must go....... Pros: Huge portion Cons: On the Pricey side more
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Ugh 8/19/2009

This is in the top ten most filthy eating establishments in NYC. You have to wait in line to get on line. Food is decent but the place is so filthy you have to wonder about what your eating. I avoid it like the plague. There are so many other good (and clean) jewish delis. Pros: Corned beef Cons: Everything else more
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Ugh 8/18/2009

This is in the top ten most filthy eating establishments in NYC. You have to wait in line to get on line. Food is decent but the place is so filthy you have to wonder about what your eating. I avoid it like the plague. There are so many other good (and clean) jewish delis. Pros: Corned beef Cons: Everything else more
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What's in a name? 8/3/2009

Aside from being somewhat of a tourist trap it delivers everything you'd expect, a huge dining room complete with celebrity photos covering the walls, the cutting stations at the counter where you order your sandwich, it reeks of old NY and doesn't disappoint on the authentic experience. The hot hand-carved pastrami sandwich is their signature dish and not to be missed. Served with a side of pickles its quite good, very tender and juicy and everything I expected it to be, except for the price. That's where my praise ends...I was dismayed to discover that a simple lunch sandwich+soda set me back $22 (sandwich $15, soda $2.50 tax/tip). I can't believe they get away with that kind of robbery, they seem to be living largely off their name. Considering they are not selling the best in the city nevermind best anywhere the cost is excessive. I've also lived in Montreal for years and like NY they have a long tradition of delicious Jewish delis....the difference there though, is that their hand-cut sandwiches are bigger, tastier and only cost you $5.50. Katz's needs to get over itself. more
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when herring met salami 7/9/2009

felt obligated to try this place but i think the first visit will be the last. the pastrami reuben is out of this world but none of the other meats we tried (corned beef, tongue, roast beef) could compare. this place is a zoo and waiting in line here is far from pleasant. the worst part is you have to wait in another line after for drinks, and yet another line at the end to pay your tab. do it once so you can say you did but this ain't the only deli in NYC! Pros: one word: reuben Cons: no close second more
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when herring met salami 7/8/2009

felt obligated to try this place but i think the first visit will be the last. the pastrami reuben is out of this world but none of the other meats we tried (corned beef, tongue, roast beef) could compare. this place is a zoo and waiting in line here is far from pleasant. the worst part is you have to wait in another line after for drinks, and yet another line at the end to pay your tab. do it once so you can say you did but this ain't the only deli in NYC! Pros: one word: reuben Cons: no close second more
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Good pastrami, but need patience to order 7/8/2009

My first visit to Katz's and of course I ordered the pastrami on rye. Not sure what else to get, a friend ordered the corned beef so we can share. They've got a weird system--you need to take a ticket from the guy at the entrance and your order is written on it and you pay what's written on it on your way out. Even if you don't buy anything, you need to get a ticket and just return it at the door. There's also waiter service if you don't want to order on your own. If so, it's a separate line for each cutter and they all take their time making the sandwich as it's made from scratch only when you order. The more tips you give them, the more samples they dole out to you while they make your sandwich. And this means, the longer the wait when you come during peak time. The pastrami was excellent, and half was enough to fill me but I'm not sure if it's worth $15. The pickle was not very pickled, tasted like it was removed from the marinade too soon. My friend and I didn't like the corned beef, maybe because we were already full on the pastrami. Pros: no nonsense deli/restaurant, good pastrami Cons: long waits at the line to order, pricey for a sandwich more
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Good pastrami, but need patience to order 7/7/2009

My first visit to Katz's and of course I ordered the pastrami on rye. Not sure what else to get, a friend ordered the corned beef so we can share. They've got a weird system--you need to take a ticket from the guy at the entrance and your order is written on it and you pay what's written on it on your way out. Even if you don't buy anything, you need to get a ticket and just return it at the door. There's also waiter service if you don't want to order on your own. If so, it's a separate line for each cutter and they all take their time making the sandwich as it's made from scratch only when you order. The more tips you give them, the more samples they dole out to you while they make your sandwich. And this means, the longer the wait when you come during peak time. The pastrami was excellent, and half was enough to fill me but I'm not sure if it's worth $15. The pickle was not very pickled, tasted like it was removed from the marinade too soon. My friend and I didn't like the corned beef, maybe because we were already full on the pastrami. Pros: no nonsense deli/restaurant, good pastrami Cons: long waits at the line to order, pricey for a sandwich more
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Deplorable 5/27/2009

Basically, they have no waiter service...you get your food to sit down and eat...you are shuffled around by hang dog bus people who apologize profusely about the rude management who close down sections you are eating in and make you move...the soup is COLD and disgusting...and then, when it is fifteen minutes before closing...they try and take your food AWAY FROM YOU...and if you refuse, they hover nearby until they can grab your plate. This was once a fun place full of character, now it is a disgusting dirty get them in get them out factory with rude help and the worst food in the city. DON'T GO! Go to Carnegie Deli where the aggravation is at least worth it. I will never step foot in the horrible place again. Pros: We Didn't Die Cons: Everything more
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Decent corned beef; deplorable service 5/26/2009

Yes, it has an authentic Old Manhattan atmosphere, which is harder and harder to find these days, and it serves a decent corned beef sandwich. But on a recent visit, the manager barked at my friend and me to move to another table (we were in the middle of our meal) so they could ""shut the section down"" and ten minutes later the busboy literally tried to take my plate—along with the dinner I'd just paid $25 for—right out from under my nose, explaining ""we're closing."" When I asked him to give me a couple of minutes to finish my sandwich, he stood right at my shoulder, watching me eat. It was 9:50 on a Tuesday night. If they shut down at 10 o'clock and pull your plate away at ten minutes before closing, they ought to tell you when you come in at 9:30. The soup was lukewarm and the matzoh ball was like wet cement. From now on, I'll get my corned beef fix uptown at Carnegie Deli. It's also loaded with tourists, but the sandwiches are twice as large, the matzohballs are fluffy and light and you feel like they appreciate your business. Pros: They can make a sandwich Cons: Overpriced tourist trap more
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Deplorable 5/26/2009

Basically, they have no waiter service...you get your food to sit down and eat...you are shuffled around by hang dog bus people who apologize profusely about the rude management who close down sections you are eating in and make you move...the soup is COLD and disgusting...and then, when it is fifteen minutes before closing...they try and take your food AWAY FROM YOU...and if you refuse, they hover nearby until they can grab your plate. This was once a fun place full of character, now it is a disgusting dirty get them in get them out factory with rude help and the worst food in the city. DON'T GO! Go to Carnegie Deli where the aggravation is at least worth it. I will never step foot in the horrible place again. Pros: We Didn't Die Cons: Everything more
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Decent corned beef; deplorable service 5/26/2009

Yes, it has an authentic Old Manhattan atmosphere, which is harder and harder to find these days, and it serves a decent corned beef sandwich. But on a recent visit, the manager barked at my friend and me to move to another table (we were in the middle of our meal) so they could "shut the section down" and ten minutes later the busboy literally tried to take my plate—along with the dinner I'd just paid $25 for—right out from under my nose, explaining "we're closing." When I asked him to give me a couple of minutes to finish my sandwich, he stood right at my shoulder, watching me eat. It was 9:50 on a Tuesday night. If they shut down at 10 o'clock and pull your plate away at ten minutes before closing, they ought to tell you when you come in at 9:30. The soup was lukewarm and the matzoh ball was like wet cement. From now on, I'll get my corned beef fix uptown at Carnegie Deli. It's also loaded with tourists, but the sandwiches are twice as large, the matzohballs are fluffy and light and you feel like they appreciate your business. Pros: They can make a sandwich Cons: Overpriced tourist trap more
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Menu for Katz's Delicatessen


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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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