Carnegie Deli

(212) 757-2245

854 7th Ave (55th Street)
New York, NY 10019 40.7641 -73.9813

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: Clinton, Midtown

CARNEGIEDELI.COM

Years in business

Established in 1935

Hours:

Daily 6:30am-4am

Price:

$$

Last updated 1.24.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering, Delis And Delicatessens

Payment Methods:

Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Theater District Dining, Family Style Dining, Group Dining, Food Delivery, Prix Fixe Menu

Dress Code:

Casual

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Carnegie Deli

Featured Review

Josh Ozersky

Contributor

The Carnegie Deli is the Federal Reserve of delis: You can take it to the bank. This crowded, overpriced midtown spot is packed with tourists who come to gawk at the towering, high-piled corned beef and pastrami sandwiches. But they're right to do so. These sandwiches are supremely reliable, always hot and fresh and almost never disappoint, despite their cost, which creeps closer to $20 every year. On the other hand, you’ll never go hungry at Carnegie, especially if you top off your meal with a slice of one of the cakes, which rotate like circus elephants holding each other's tails in a…

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
The Carnegie Deli has very late hours and is almost empty after midnight, which makes it a perfect stop after a night of drinking.
Fun Fact:
All the Carnegie's pastrami and corned beef is made for the restaurant at a special plant in New Jersey.
Save Money:
Buy one sandwich and ask for extra bread: There's easily enough meat for two or even three sandwiches.
Know Before You Go:
The Carnegie Deli accepts cash only. There is an ATM next door.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “May be fun for some, but a "never return" for me.”
  2. “This is a fun place to take guests from out-of-town - great delicious "New York-y" food in mega portions along with a dose of Manhattan-diner atmosphere (crowded tables, headsho--covered walls, etc)”
  3. “The atmosphere was right out of a Woody Allen Movie, the servers were quick, food was fantastic- the best pastrami and corned beef I've ever had!”
  4. “real New York atmosphere in a great venue.”
  5. “Great food, excellent NYC service and a real NYC atmosphere.”
  6. “The atmosphere captures each of the five senses, and the food is beyond amazing!”
  7. “fast service, clean, comfortable.”
  8. “The food was delicious and it was fun looking at the tightly displayed celeb pictures.”
  9. “Gargantuan servings of wonderful food are pleasantly served in a movie style atmosphere.”
dessert
96.87999725341797% positive
  1. “Toasted bagel with cream cheese and a side of bacon is the best breakfast you could wish for.”
  2. “Extra star for the man behind the counter who was so charming that we ended up walking out with an extra container of pickles AND a slice of cheesecake!”
  3. “We did not have room for dessert as our table mates recommended but we went back late Eater Sunday night for a glorious piece of Strawberry Cheesecake.”
  4. “One of the city's best uptown deli outposts, Carnegie offers great overstuffed sandwiches and deli classics (check the revolving cake display).”
  5. “The cheesecake too is outstanding.”
  6. “Again the serving is too huge, but I think it's the best cheesecake I ever ate.”
  7. “And heck, what good deli meal would be complete without a slice of famous New York cheesecake?”
  8. “Next time I go I will just get soup and save room for a big slice of pie or cheesecake!”
  9. “Although the desserts are good, they're not the best.”
  10. “The sandwiches are huge, the rooms are packed, you sit at tables with strangers, the cheesecake is to die for, and its all great!”
  11. “The desserts are amazing, especially the cheesecake and the coconut creme pie.”
  12. “some tourists next to us were having what looked like a good dessert, but we were too full for it.”
  13. “Great cheesecake, terrible service”
  14. “have been here several times and never been disappointed - the pastrami sandwich is great as well as their cheesecake.”
  15. “The food is good - no question - right down to the cheesecake.”
  16. “This is a great place for lunch or dessert”
food quality
85.29000282287598% positive
  1. “Chicken salad was delicious.”
  2. “If you really like corned beef and/or pastrami, I highly recommend this deli.”
  3. “You can get just as good a sandwich and at normal sizes (and prices) elsewhere.”
  4. “This place as the best pastrami and corned beef sandwiches I have ever had.”
  5. “great food.”
  6. “Toasted bagel with cream cheese and a side of bacon is the best breakfast you could wish for.”
  7. “Do NOT order the roast beef sandwich.”
  8. “The food is good - no question - right down to the cheesecake.”
  9. “This is a fun place to take guests from out-of-town - great delicious "New York-y" food in mega portions along with a dose of Manhattan-diner atmosphere (crowded tables, headsho--covered walls, etc)”
  10. “The potato pancakes were good, but everything else was mediocre at best.”
  11. “The food was delicious and it was fun looking at the tightly displayed celeb pictures.”
  12. “Sandwiches looked huge but yummy.”
  13. “Don't be intimidated by the guy at the door or the communal seating -- just enjoy the food.”
  14. “The sandwiches are huge, the rooms are packed, you sit at tables with strangers, the cheesecake is to die for, and its all great!”
  15. “Gargantuan servings of wonderful food are pleasantly served in a movie style atmosphere.”
  16. “There is a charge to split meals and the food is expensive, but I come here whenever I'm in town anyway.”
  17. “Any sandwich is delicious and more than you can eat.”
  18. “One of the city's best uptown deli outposts, Carnegie offers great overstuffed sandwiches and deli classics (check the revolving cake display).”
  19. “The atmosphere was right out of a Woody Allen Movie, the servers were quick, food was fantastic- the best pastrami and corned beef I've ever had!”
  20. “The sandwiches are pricey, but they are impressive.”
  21. “The sandwiches are so huge you'll be swollen from the salt for days.”
  22. “The food was pretty good but the vibe is strange.”
  23. “It was served with a huge boulder of lettuce, white onion, and tomato.”
  24. “The food was awesome.”
  25. “It was a terrible experience I paid 18 for a corned beed sanwich- a specialty as per the menu- and there was basically no bread I had to ask the waitress for more bread.”
  26. “The food was good but that was a bit costly for lunch.”
  27. “Cheesecake is delicious!”
  28. “Great food, excellent NYC service and a real NYC atmosphere.”
  29. “The atmosphere captures each of the five senses, and the food is beyond amazing!”
  30. “worst sandwich i've ever had - yea, it's HUGE.”
  31. “justify these prices for a nice steak dinner but not a sandwich.”
  32. “Furthermore, we discovered other delis that were MUCH better in terms of food quality, portion size, service, and more reasonable prices.”
  33. “I'm from Baltimore and we have Attmans here, the sandwiches may not be as big but they are so much leaner and you can enjoy.”
  34. “The meat was piled very high and the cheese was awesome.”
  35. “Soup was huge (for $7.00/bowl) and fries were ok.”
  36. “The pastrami sandwich is awesome.”
  37. “If Chicken soup is the barometer of a good deli, then Carnegie Deli should change its name.”
  38. “And heck, what good deli meal would be complete without a slice of famous New York cheesecake?”
  39. “So he ended up with a tasteless, overpriced sandwich.”
  40. “have been here several times and never been disappointed - the pastrami sandwich is great as well as their cheesecake.”
  41. “Love the food, love the surroundings.”
  42. “The fries and gravy were also good.”
  43. “Be sure to order extra rye bread and break the sandwich down into smaller sandwiches.”
  44. “Their hot pastrami sandwich is outstanding!”
  45. “The food is very good though.”
  46. “I've been comforted by their cold borscht pepto-bismol soup, oooh, yum!”
  47. “The place was crowded, but it is New York and it is good food.”
  48. “A bit overpriced for a local (most locals have a favorite spot to get this food for less $) but not unheard of prices for tourists and those entertaining them.”
  49. “Others in my party enjoyed their food/portions as well.”
  50. “love the potato knish”
  51. “Next time I go I will just get soup and save room for a big slice of pie or cheesecake!”
menu variety
0.0% positive
  1. “It was a terrible experience I paid 18 for a corned beed sanwich- a specialty as per the menu- and there was basically no bread I had to ask the waitress for more bread.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is a great place for lunch or dessert”
  2. “It's a great place to take out-of-town guests who want one of those NYC experiences.”
  3. “That said, great place to take folks from out of town.”
  4. “Oh sure, there are lots of competition for the best deli in the City, but this place is a tradition for me!”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “May be fun for some, but a "never return" for me.”
service
56.82000160217285% positive
  1. “The service is fast and the portions are GIGANTIC!”
  2. “The place was only 25% full at the time so I cant imagine the waiter was missing out on some large check for our order.”
  3. “Service is friendly, fast, and efficient.”
  4. “Sure, the lines can get long, especially around lunchtime, but if you go offpeak, the wait's short and the waitstaff friendly.”
  5. “My husband tried to order a hamburger and was told by the server that he couldnt because it would take too long and that he needed to pick something else.”
  6. “Great cheesecake, terrible service”
  7. “Great food, excellent NYC service and a real NYC atmosphere.”
  8. “This deli looks small from the outside, but has a TON of seating with walls COVERED in signed photographs to Carnegie Deli of famous people who have eaten there over the years - pretty much any famous person you can think of has eaten at this deli.”
  9. “The first thing you notice is the HUGE portions on the plates as the waiters/waitresses pass by.”
  10. “It was a terrible experience I paid 18 for a corned beed sanwich- a specialty as per the menu- and there was basically no bread I had to ask the waitress for more bread.”
  11. “enjoyed telling my daughter about some of the famous people on the walls - the walls are covered with head shots of actors, comedians, sports stars, etc.”
  12. “This was the worst service I have ever received at any restaurant in my entire life.”
  13. “The service was rude (both server and "manager")”
  14. “The atmosphere was right out of a Woody Allen Movie, the servers were quick, food was fantastic- the best pastrami and corned beef I've ever had!”
  15. “fast service, clean, comfortable.”
  16. “The service is really bad.”
  17. “Furthermore, we discovered other delis that were MUCH better in terms of food quality, portion size, service, and more reasonable prices.”
  18. “Costomer service is horrible.”
  19. “The wait staff is rude and terribly slow.”
  20. “Well worth the wait and rude waiting staff.”
  21. “found the wait staff very friendly and helpful.”
  22. “Made the mistake trying lunch at this place, waitress was rude right off the bat (I'm a former waitress, so I keep it simple, I'm not a fussy customer) - but from the moment I placed my order I was looking forward to leaving, the vibe is that wierd.”
value
74.14000034332275% positive
  1. “They have pricey humongous sandwiched that one person can't possibly eat (but, of course, they charge you to share!)”
  2. “Again the serving is too huge, but I think it's the best cheesecake I ever ate.”
  3. “The sandwiches are so huge you'll be swollen from the salt for days.”
  4. “Sure, it's pricey, but you get huge portions and that NY attitude.”
  5. “Order carefully and you can keep the tab down to an affordable level.”
  6. “bit overpriced, so it doesn't make up for the terrible serivce.”
  7. “Why did I get such huge portions in New York every place I ate?”
  8. “There is a charge to split meals and the food is expensive, but I come here whenever I'm in town anyway.”
  9. “Save your money, avoid this tourist trap and enjoy your deli experience elsewhere.”
  10. “Also not a great value.”
  11. “It was served with a huge boulder of lettuce, white onion, and tomato.”
  12. “A bit overpriced for a local (most locals have a favorite spot to get this food for less $) but not unheard of prices for tourists and those entertaining them.”
  13. “The sandwiches are pricey, but they are impressive.”
  14. “So he ended up with a tasteless, overpriced sandwich.”
  15. “Soup was huge (for $7.00/bowl) and fries were ok.”
  16. “Dude, the margins on sodas are huge.”
  17. “justify these prices for a nice steak dinner but not a sandwich.”
  18. “You can get just as good a sandwich and at normal sizes (and prices) elsewhere.”
  19. “the prices are ridiculous.”
  20. “Sandwiches looked huge but yummy.”
  21. “It's not as though Matzoh Balls are expensive to begin with.”
  22. “The service is fast and the portions are GIGANTIC!”
  23. “Furthermore, we discovered other delis that were MUCH better in terms of food quality, portion size, service, and more reasonable prices.”
  24. “Others in my party enjoyed their food/portions as well.”
  25. “From the moment you walk in and notice the huge portions, until the moment you stagger out from feasting, you realize that, "Indeed I am in New York City.”
  26. “The first thing you notice is the HUGE portions on the plates as the waiters/waitresses pass by.”
  27. “This is a fun place to take guests from out-of-town - great delicious "New York-y" food in mega portions along with a dose of Manhattan-diner atmosphere (crowded tables, headsho--covered walls, etc)”
  28. “Well worth the wait and rude waiting staff.”
  29. “The sandwiches are huge, the rooms are packed, you sit at tables with strangers, the cheesecake is to die for, and its all great!”
wait time
75.0% positive
  1. “The atmosphere was right out of a Woody Allen Movie, the servers were quick, food was fantastic- the best pastrami and corned beef I've ever had!”
  2. “The wait staff is rude and terribly slow.”
  3. “Sure, the lines can get long, especially around lunchtime, but if you go offpeak, the wait's short and the waitstaff friendly.”
  4. “My husband tried to order a hamburger and was told by the server that he couldnt because it would take too long and that he needed to pick something else.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/26/12

The Best Jewish Comfort Food Anywhere

by LivRyan

I had seen Carnegie Deli in a lot of movies, so I always wanted to try it out. I grabbed my BFF Terry and she called a couple guys to take us there. OMG. The menu is so big that I couldn't even figure out what to have. After some desperate nudging from my hungry friends I got the pastrami on rye. I couldn't believe it was so huge, I took 3/4 home for my doggie.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/04/11

GARGANTUAN May Not Be The Word...!!!

by PhillipLisa

Carnegie Deli has always been our favorite deli so far of that genre (Katz’s, Second Avenue Deli, Stage, Sarges, etc…). We have been there several times to eat “dinner” which was always a pastrami sandwich or corn beef sandwich for each of us or a combination of the two. Until recently, we have always thought of trying one of the “celebrity” sandwiches (the Woody Allen, etc…) but we always revert back to one of the two staples – it’s what they are famous for and why people come there! The pickles that come with the sandwiches (new pickle/sour pickles) are great, but the coleslaw has gone done hill.

When people say this is “expensive” compared to Katz which is charging the SAME price ($15.95) for a MUCH SMALLER THICKER sliced sandwich, I laugh. It’s all relative. Bottom line is as I have said in our other review for Katz’s, this is where you come if you like thinner sliced meats in GARGANTUAN form (a la Dagwood Bumstead). Four people can make “normal” sized sandwiches off of ONE Carnegie Deli sandwich! You definitely have 1 - 4 meals depending on how hungry you are for the price. So you are either super stuffed if you can eat the sandwich all in one sitting (I did it once); forget about it if you order French fries, carbonated soda (bubbles – gas) or anything else to go along with it. Or, you have plenty of leftovers for later or the next day. If you can’t afford it, don’t come and eat and then go on here and complain about the price – get up and leave! Use some logic, $15.95 divided by 4 people = $3.95 per sandwich, a great deal or even divided in half is $7.95 per sandwich – still a great deal for the size.

The service as far as with us has been courteous. I know some people have said it was not up to par or rude/curt, but in life that is dependent on YOU and how YOU come off and what YOU allow from the moment you step in the deli or sit down. The only thing so far that slightly ticked me off was the last time we were in there late at night about a month ago and we had one of the Asian waiters we have seen for years who served us for the first time and kind of jokingly said when he put the check down “if we could leave a tip”. We did, we always do, but he f?c$ed himself if we ever get him again! Tipping is not a “right”, it is earned!! There is nothing so special about the place, no “celebrities” go in there anymore, all the pictures on the wall are from the first few years when the place opened up and had a “buzz” to it based on the concept – all the shows those “celebrities” were in are now off the air or they themselves have retired or slowed down considerably. Aside from that, “it’s all good”!

Phillip & Lisa

4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/20/11

Great food

by Tim1974

A classic NYC landmark. Very crowded. Good cheesecake.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/03/11

Great Experience

by DrumMan

I love this place! The Woody Allen was awesome - Huge!! Only ate 1/4 of it but was phenomenal. The cheesecake made me cry it was sooo good!

I will be back for sure on my next trip to NYC!

1 Star Rating: Poor

10/14/10

Awful Experence

by Donna3545

Wow, what an awful experience. My friend and I visited Carnegie's, as recommended by a friend, to try their pie for breakfast. We wanted to split a pie for breakfast and the waitress refused to serve us. She couldn't believe we were wanting to split one pie. We tried to explain that we didn't want a whole piece of pie each, that was too much for us, but she didn't seem to care. Her biggest concern was that we spend more $. If was even more disappointing because the place was not full, so why not let us eat pie? Needless to say, we left and went across the street where we weren't questioned on how much we could eat.

The Details on Carnegie Deli

Place Categories:

  • good food
  • huge corned beef sandwiches
  • great place
  • fast service
  • great carnegie deli
  • rude costomer service
  • outstanding new york cheesecake
  • worst sandwich
  • rude wait staff
  • outstanding hot pastrami sandwich
  • good desserts
  • best pastrami
  • ridiculous prices
  • really like corned beef
  • famous people
  • great sour pickles
  • best uptown deli
  • good potato pancakes
  • huge ny attitude
  • great deli classics
  • fun may
  • terrible experience
  • awesome cheese
  • order do not
  • huge portions
Advertisement

Featured In

Recent Reviews In Manhattan

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

Curry Dream

66 W. 39th St, New York, NY

4 Star Rating: Recommended

Libation

137 Ludlow St., New York, NY

4 Star Rating: Recommended

Blackstones Pub & Restaurant

245 E 55th St, New York, NY

1 Star Rating: Poor

Garage Restaurant and Cafe

99 7th Avenue South, New York, NY

Advertisement