Clear 58° » 5-day

You are not logged in

New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Home > Restaurants > Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen

Critic's Pick Critics' Pick

205 E. Houston St., New York, NY 10002
at Ludlow St.  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-254-2246 Send to Phone

  • Price Range: $$

    Key to Prices and ratings

    Upscale
    • Almost Perfect
    • Exceptional
    • Generally Excellent
    • Very Good
    • Good
    Cheap Eats
    • Best in Category
    • Excellent
    • Delicious
    • Very Good
    • Noteworthy
    • Very Expensive
    • Expensive
    • Moderate
    • Cheap
  • Reader Rating:

    7.4 out of 10

      |  

    15 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: American Traditional, Eastern European, Soup & Sandwich
View Slide Show
Photo by Shanna Ravindra

Official Website

katzdeli.com

Hours

Sun-Tue, 8am-10pm; Wed-Thu, 8am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 8am-3am

Nearby Subway Stops

F, V at Lower East Side-Second Ave.

Prices

$2.75-$15

Payment Methods

American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Breakfast
  • Brunch - Daily
  • Celeb-Spotting
  • Classic NY
  • Delivery
  • Good for Groups
  • Kid-Friendly
  • Late-Night Dining
  • Lunch
  • Private Dining/Party Space
  • Prix-Fixe
  • Take-Out
  • Teen Appeal

Alcohol

  • Beer and Wine Only

Reservations

Accepted/Not Necessary

Delivery Area

Battery Pl. to 150th St., FDR Dr. to West Side Hwy.

Profile

The oldest delicatessen in New York City (established 1888), Katz's is also the only place in town that still carves all its pastrami and corned beef by hand—and it makes a huge difference. It doesn't hurt that these products are the best available, as are the frankfurters, knockwurst, knishes and other Jewish deli staples. The ritual of interacting with the countermen is one of the great New York experiences. One table in the middle of the dining room bears an inconspicuous paper sign taped to its surface: "You are sitting at the table where Harry met Sally." — Steven A. Shaw

Extra

Check out the photos and testimonials on the walls and windows: You'll find that Katz's counts among its faithful not just Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan but also Bill Clinton and a long line of other world leaders past and present.

Delivery Charge
$80 minimum plus $20 delivery charge

Recommended Dishes

Pastrami on rye, $14.45; knockwurst, $5.95

Related Stories

Featured In

7.4 "Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
73% Would you go back?
53% Would you take a date?
66% Would you take kids?
26% Would you go on business?
33% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 7.9
Service: 6.9
Décor: 5.7
Value: 6.6

What's in a name?

mistermcgoo from 10026 | Posted on 8/4/09

Overall Rating: 7 (Recommended)
Food: 8
Service: 7
Décor: 7
Value: 3

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.

As NY as Pastrami on Rye

mky84 from 47408 | Posted on 1/17/09

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Food: 9
Service: 8
Décor: 5
Value: 7

The pastrami sandwich is pretty comparable to those at other delis, but I had a better experience at Katz compared to my experiences at other places. Even though the price of a sandwich may seem steep, they stack the sandwich with tons of meat, so it works as 2 meals for me.

Read All 15 Reviews >>

Advertising

Latest News Near

Advertising
Advertising