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Katz's Delicatessen New York

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Katz's Delicatessen New York

It's crazy to think that I've had amazing pastrami and smoked meat in Montreal, Boston, and even Hong Kong . . . . but not in New York City??! Not where it all started? Especially not having the legendary pastrami sandwich at Katz's Delicatessen, self proclaimed New York's oldest delicatessen, in operation since 1888 (!).

It's not as if I haven't traveled to New York before.

(yes, it's true I live in Hong Kong now, and it's slightly harder to go to New York. But even all those years while living in Boston I never tried pastrami?)

It's time to go back to New York

Statue of Liberty New York
Wait, did you also say you've been to New York City at least ten times but have never been to the Statute of Liberty??!

Well, this past New York trip we FINALLY corrected these huge wrongs.

Statue of Liberty New York

First, we visited the Statute of Liberty. Did you know she is the largest statue in the world?

And YES, we finally made it to Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen New York
It was a rainy day, but that did NOT stop the die hard fans, haha, including us. We waited in line for close to an hour (on a Sunday lunch). The line went AROUND the block! I wonder if it's better on weekdays?
Katz's Delicatessen New York
Once you step inside, there's MORE waiting. You can choose to line up at the counters to order "takeaway", which you can take to any available seating you can find in the large dining area.
Katz's Delicatessen New York
Or you can wait in yet ANOTHER line for table service. There is a smaller eating area with servers. It involves a longer wait, but you are guaranteed a table. Since we were a party of 5, we thought it would be hard to find that kind of seating "organically", so we opted to line up for table service (maybe an additional 15-20 minutes).

Katz's Legendary Pastrami Sandwich

Katz's Delicatessen New York
OMG. What can I say? This is the BEST pastrami sandwich I have EVER had in my life. Perfectly fatty, lean, and juicy all in one bite. The flavors were ASTOUNDING.
Katz's Delicatessen New York
It was also ridiculously huge. I guess a sandwich that is pushing USD$30 should be pretty big. I could only eat half, but it was insanely good. We took the rest to go, and it was still delicious the next day. (So thankful for hotel refrigerators!)
Katz's Delicatessen New York
I opted for the simple plain version, but Bryan opted for the Reuben, which comes with rye bread, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing.
Katz's Delicatessen New York
My friend added cole slaw to his sandwich, which provides a nice sour and crisp balance to the heavy meat.
Katz's Delicatessen New York
I just ate a pickle in between each bite.

Other non-sandwich options

Katz's Delicatessen New York
Bryan ordered a knish for the table so that we could all try this very traditional Jewish potato based cake. This one is a spinach knish. I guess it was our halfhearted effort to get our "veggies."
Katz's Delicatessen New York
Do French Fries (or ketchup??) count as a vegetable. Honestly, the fries were only OK. I think they might be pretty good if piping hot, but I found them to be pretty average.
Katz's Delicatessen New York
Cole slaw is fine, and can help "buffer" the rich meat.
Katz's Delicatessen New York
I decided to get a half sandwich and matzo ball soup. The soup was fine, but I (at least to me), nothing to write home about. I had just attended a Seder (passover) meal (for the first time!) at a home a few days ago in New York. In fact, I personally felt like the matzo ball soup I had there actually tasted better than this one!

But nothing beats the pastrami

But NOTHING beats the pastrami. And yes, it's worth coming and waiting in line for this amazing sandwich. Even in the rain.

If you're willing to wait, I do recommend trying to get a table service spot. It's less stressful not having to hover to find a spot to sit. Additionally, our server was amazing. He was an old school guy who had been working at Katz's for close to 30 years. He knew the menu by heart, and could memorize everyone's orders. We were so impressed, and it just added to the charm and authenticity of the place.

Katz's Delicatessen New York

Come with some friends (it makes the line much more bearable). Come hungry. Be prepared to take some home. No worries, the staff are very used to people packing food away, and it reheats beautifully. We even made bagel sandwiches (using Liberty Bagel!) for breakfast our last morning in New York.

If you want, take some home with you. Our cousin gifted us a Katz's Summer Sausage, which we took with us all the way back to Hong Kong. THAT also tastes amazing on bagels (yes, we took home a dozen). This just means we can continue enjoying flavors of New York City in the comforts of our Hong Kong "tiny urban kitchen" all summer long.

Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St
New York

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