Katz's Delicatessen Inc
(212) 254-2246
205 E Houston St
New York,
NY
10002
40.7223
-73.9873
Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown
Reviews & Ratings for Katz's Delicatessen Inc
95 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 95 reviews
when herring met salami
by dallas_foodie
July 09, 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
Good pastrami, but need patience to order
by TardyKat
July 08, 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
Deplorable
by senso5
May 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
Decent corned beef; deplorable service
by roaddog1
May 27, 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
Katz's Deli: Nostaligic NO! Decrepit YES!
by glandpuck
May 21, 2009
My first trip to NY and to this famous institution. Katz's was crowded and loud with locals having a good time. It took me a while to figure out the the waiter vs. self-order system, but this was understandable. The tables and chairs are old and in need of repair, not nostalgic. Tables are very narrow forcing patrons to sit with their chairs away from the table into the back of the adjacent table forcing persons to always have to be moving. Not nice. My matzoh ball soup was very mediocre. The broth tasted more like carrots with no chicken taste and was room temp. The matzoh ball was average in taste and not warm inside the center. The egg creme (my first in NY) was served in a paper cup with a plastic lid (again, not the nostalgic soda glass with a frothy layer I was expecting). The taste was ordinary and I make better ones at home. Now for the corned beef sandwich. The rye bread had no caraway seeds, a soft crust like white bread and was machine sliced thin like diet slices. Lousy bread. The corned beef was again ordinary, not salty and not flavorful. In my opinion, if you are a visitor, look elsewhere for deli. If you are a local, then I say to New Yorkers: Wake Up! This deli is lousy. Demand more. Bread should have caraway seeds, be warm, hand sliced, a little thick with a crunchy crust. Corned beef should be moist and a little salty and flavorful. Matzoh ball soup should be piping hot, a great chicken broth and the matzoh ball should be flavorful and hot. An egg cream should be in a nice soda glass for over $4. Oh yes, clean this place up, it looks dirty and old.
- Pros: Not really any. Pickles were okay
- Cons: See the details
dont waste your time or money
by worldcupsoccer
April 17, 2009
Your review
Rated 1.0 out of 5.0 Way Way over priced $$$$ even bernie madoff got took - collegcup - Today
Heres the thing yeah its a good sandwich but so what for this price $$$$ you can have a very good meal almost anywhere in NYC so save your money.
By the way when pay on your way out its like they could careless about your business.
Just because they have been around along time doesnt really matter because good things go bad and bad things can turn around and this is one of the biggest ripoffs in NYC even Bernie Madoff got took!! Twenty for a sandwich and $7 for fries a guy should get CLIENT 9 treatment included for that price!! and doesnt include a soft drink!
One more thing the Frommers and Zagat boys eat there for free and if they had to cough up their own cash to eat at Katzs this place would be declawed and out of business!!
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- Pros: food is good
- Cons: WAY WAY overpriced crowded difficult to get to
Best Delicatessen in the World
by philobeddoe
April 14, 2009
Katz's has got to be the very best delicatessen in the world. The pastrami is absolutely phenomenal. I've never had better. The hot dogs are absolutely amazing, as is the kielbasa, knishes and sour pickles. The food is top notch ... out of this world. The staff knows their stuff and the owners are professional and on the ball. Katz's is old New York at it's authentic and contemporary best. There's simply none better.
- Pros: Pastrami, Hot Dogs, Kielbasa, Knishes ... you name it
- Cons: None to speak of
Want abuse and overpriced food? Eat here!
by turnpiketom
April 09, 2009
Possibly the worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant/deli/diner - anywhere! A recent Friday afternoon visit turned into a bad joke as two friends and I realized we had been had! Teenage/20-something boys with bad attitudes (except when it came to poon-pursuing) shouted at us, telling us what line to get in and where to go and who to see and where to pay. My bill came to $25 for a turkey sandwich (no lettuce, no tomato, $15), an order of limp fries ($5), and a Snapple drink. My friend was charged $5 for an order of soupy warm cole slaw. Buyer beware! Even the bathrooms were creepy. Save your money and go elsewhere. A bad experience all around.
- Pros: T-shirts
- Cons: Food, service, cleanliness, etc.
$$ but thumbs up
by 5six78
March 27, 2009
i understand what others are sayin about the price... IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE, but it's a restaurant you should definitely go to once in a while when you want to splurge! i love the quality of the food
- Pros: quality of food
- Cons: prices and customer service
If you're in hard times like the rest of the country don't go here.
by CSMobileUser3
March 09, 2009
One sandwich cost 15 bucks... definately not worth it. Long lines, and military rules in a deli. If thats what you want have fun
