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There was a time, something like 50 years ago, when there were Kosher delis seemingly everywhere you turned in New York City. Things change, and now, while you can get frozen yogurt in a heartbeat, it's extremely difficult to get a cholesterol-heavy pastrami sandwich that certainly won't help your heart beat. That's not to say we don't still crave one, though. We searched far and wide for the best Kosher and/or Kosher-style/Jewish delis in New York City to get your fix.
Here are the 10 Best Jewish Delis in NYC.
Golden's Kosher Deli and Restaurant
10. Golden's Kosher Deli and Restaurant
Neighborhood: Mid-island, Staten Island
Address: 2845 Richmond Ave.
Website: n/a
Other than Wu-Tang nostalgia, there aren't that many great reasons to visit Staten Island. But if you're looking for a fix of Jewish soul food, maybe you'll brave a 25-minute ride on the Staten Island Ferry and then 45 more minutes on the S44 bus to find yourself at Golden's Kosher Deli. There, you'll find standard Eastern European dishes like stuffed cabbage, hot tongue sandwiches, and chopped liver. We suggest, however, keeping things simple with a corned beef sandwich on rye, a side of potato pancakes, and a Dr. Brown's celery soda. Naturally, you should eat this while sitting in the 1936 subway car that sits in the middle of the restaurant. It's only right.
Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen
9. Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen
Neighborhood: Mill Basin, Brooklyn
Address: 5823 Ave. T
Website: millbasindeli.com
When thinking of traditional Brooklyn-based Kosher delis, Adelman's, in Midwood, often comes to mind initially. We're partial to Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen ourselves, though, because we're corn beef kinda guys, and theirs is just better. The matzoh ball soup is also highly recommended, as well as the stuffed derma.
Liebman's Kosher Delicatessen and Catering
8. Liebman's Kosher Delicatessen and Catering
Neighborhood: Riverdale, Bronx
Address: 552 West 235th St.
Website: liebmansdeli.com
To get here, you're gonna have to hop on the 1 Train in Manhattan and take it all the way up to 225 Street in the Bronx, and you'll wind up in the very affluent and largely Jewish neighborhood known as Riverdale. A family-run business, Liebman's has been serving Northern Bronx community since 1953, and for a slice of old world-style Kosher deli meat, it's certainly worth the trek.
Lansky's Old World Deli
7. Lansky's Old World Deli
Neighborhood: Upper West Side, Manhattan
Address: 235 Columbus Ave.
Website: lanskysnyc.com
Lansky's is a new “old world” deli. If that makes any sense. The place opened a few years ago and while it's not Kosher, the menu still boasts all the dishes your bubbe and your bubbe's bubbe used to make. But why stop there? Try the “Coney Island Knishwich,” which is exactly what it sounds like— a potato knish split in half, topped with corned beef, pastrami, muenster cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. They also have a happy hour and a “bottomless brunch” thing going on. So go, drink and be merry. Mazel tov!
Sarge's New York Delicatessen
6. Sarge's New York Delicatessen
Neighborhood: Midtown East, Manhattan
Address: 548 3rd Ave.
Website: ordersargesdelimurrayhill.com
The awesome thing about Sarge's — besides the food, obviously — is that it's open 24 hours. Craving a brisket sandwich at 3 a.m.? No problem. Just holler. It's also less crowded than places like Katz's and Carnegie Deli (a real tourist trap if there ever was one), which is good, because you don't feel so... err...touristy. And while any hour of the day is fine to dine there, breakfast at Sarge's is the business. Do be sure to hit them up for a pastrami omelette or the ol' standard, a bagel with lox.
Dave's Brisket House
5. David's Brisket House
Neighborhood: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Address: 533 Nostrand Ave.
Website: davidsbriskethouse.com
The history of David's Brisket House is a little sketchy. For a place that makes such great Jewish food, the current ownership — who took over the place after it closed in 2009 — is actually a pair of Muslims fellas. The irony. Was it ever owned by Jews? Who knows. What we do know is that this little hole-in-the-wall spot serves up a phenomenal brisket sandwich. Pastrami and corned beef, too. And it not too pricey, so you won't be wondering where all your shekels went after you've filled your tummy.
Ben's Best Kosher Delicatessen
4. Ben's Best Kosher Delicatessen
Neighborhood: Rego Park
Address: 9640 Queens Blvd, Rego Park, N.Y.
Website: bensbest.com
Nationally, most folks became acquainted with Ben's Best when it appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives back in March. But New Yorkers have been frequenting the famed deli since 1945, when it was originally located in the Bronx. And while Guy Fieri co-signed the kreplach, we're co-signing the pastrami, which Jay Parker, the third generation owner of Ben's, still slow-cooks five to six hours daily before serving. You might wanna add a kasha knish to that order for good measure.
2nd Avenue Deli
3. 2nd Avenue Deli
Neighborhood: Kip's Bay, Manhattan
Address: 162 East 33rd St.
Website: 2ndavedeli.com
The original 2nd Avenue Deli was located on 10th Street and 2nd Avenue in the East Village, but a spike in rent forced it to close in 2006 and the location was— surprise, surprise!— turned into a Chase Bank. A year later, Jeremy Lebewohl, the then 25-year-old son of Jack Lebewohl, who ran the 2nd Avenue Deli after the original owner, Abe, was killed in 1996, opened the new location. Oddly enough, just this past August, a second location opened at 1442 1st Avenue between 74th and 75th Streets on the Upper East Side. So things are good, and so is the food. Order up some brisket with a side of kasha varnishkes and see what we mean.
Mile End Delicatessen
2. Mile End Delicatessen
Neighborhood: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
Address: 97 Hoyt St.
Website: mileendbrooklyn.com
Who says Jewish food needs to be cooked the same as it was a hundred years ago? Chill out, old people. Mile End is named for the hipster neighborhood in Montreal where one of its twenty-something-year-old owners Noah Bernamoff (who runs the spot with his wife Rae Cohen) hails from. Artisan-style, this is Jewish cuisine for the gastro pub set. Zagat named it the #1 Deli in New York City, and their claim to fame is not pastrami, but smoked meat, which tastes similar, but is prepared and cooked differently. If you're looking for modern Jewish food, Mile End is the business. That is, if you can get a seat.
Katz's Delicatessen
1. Katz's Delicatessen
Neighborhood: Lower East Side, Manhattan
Address: 205 East Houston St.
Website: katzsdelicatessen.com
Katz's Delicatessen is a New York institution at this point. The kosher-style deli opened all the way back in 1888, back when the Lower East Side of Manhattan still had a strong Jewish population. But over one hundred years later it's still serving up copious amounts of corned beef and pastrami daily. Like the LES itself, Katz's has a little bit of a 'tude. There are typically long lines at each deli counter, security guards pester you to not lose your order ticket (there's a $50 surcharge for that), and finding a place to sit amongst the tourists in a cafeteria-style dining room is sometimes difficult. Depending on who you talk to, it's also a little expensive. But this is New York, where people pay six dollars for a cup of coffee. So what's it even mean to be cheap here?
