Katz's Delicatessen is a legendary New York institution, operating since 1888 and recognized as NYC's oldest deli. It's famous for its hand-carved, generously portioned sandwiches, particularly the pastrami. The restaurant offers a unique, authentic, and lively old-school New York deli experience, attracting both locals and tourists.
Customer Perception
Customer perception is mixed but generally positive, highlighting Katz's as an iconic and historic NYC experience. Many praise the pastrami sandwich for its tenderness, flavor, and generous portions, often calling it a 'must-visit.' The atmosphere is described as authentic, lively, and chaotic in a fun way. However, common criticisms include long lines, a potentially confusing ordering system, and high prices. Some reviewers find the food, particularly the corned beef, to be mediocre or overrated, while others feel it lives up to the hype.
Additional Details
Katz's Delicatessen offers nationwide shipping, allowing customers across the country to experience a taste of NYC. It's known for its unique ticket system for ordering and payment, which adds to its distinctive character.
Lines can be long, so visiting earlier or later in the day is recommended to avoid peak crowds. Ordering for pickup is also an option to bypass the wait inside.
Food enthusiasts are raving about Mob Deli, drawing comparisons to the iconic Katz's Deli of New York. The restaurant prides itself on making everything from scratch, including smoking its own meats, ensuring a fresh and high-quality dining…
I tried the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, and honestly, I think this is why I don’t usually get excited about viral food spots. The sandwiches were pretty mediocre. The meat didn’t have much flavor, the sandwich was served super cold, and the texture was too tough to really enjoy.
The bread, though, was excellent, probably the best part of the whole thing. The russian sauce is sweet relish nothing special. I felt that the restaurant was overrated and that’s why I didn’t enjoy that much.
It’s not something I’d go back for, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re not really missing much. That said, the historical vibe of the restaurant was cool. But it has a crazy line to wait to go in and then wait for available cutter. I wouldn’t personally recommend it, but if you’re curious about viral places, it might still be worth checking out just for the experience.
Just left Katz’s Delicatessen and it absolutely lived up to the hype.
There was a huge lineup when we got there, but it moved fast. We were inside in about 10 minutes. We lined up at cutter #7 and that took another 15 minutes or so. Even with the crowd, they were running a super smooth operation. You can tell they’ve been doing this for a long time.
We ordered the pastrami on club with cheese, corned beef on rye, a potato latke, and fries. The sandwiches came with pickles, both half sour and full sour, which were great.
The pastrami was out of this world. Easily the best I’ve had. Tender, juicy, packed with flavor. The latke was also excellent, crispy on the outside and soft inside.
The corned beef just wasn’t for me, but that’s personal preference. I do wish I had tried the brisket instead.
Overall, a classic NYC experience and definitely worth the visit.
4.0
Katz’s Delicatessen is definitely an NYC classic and a must-visit at least once. The atmosphere is super authentic and chaotic in a fun way — it really feels like a piece of New York history.
The food is very good, especially the pastrami sandwich. The meat is tender, flavorful, and the portions are huge (easily enough to share). You can tell the quality is there and that they know what they’re doing.
That said, it’s extremely crowded and the system can feel a bit stressful and confusing, especially if it’s your first time. Sometimes it’s not very clear where you’re supposed to pay or if you can add more items to your order, which makes the experience a little overwhelming.
Prices are also quite high for what you get, even though it’s iconic.
Overall, it’s a great experience and worth trying for the vibe and the food, but probably not a place I’d go to regularly. Still, a solid 4 stars for the quality and the legendary NYC feel.
5.0
The food was fine and about what you would expect from a decent delicatessen. They're fairly consistent with their level of quality and portion sizes as well. If your goal was to get a great pastrami sandwich, you're probably better off just going somewhere else (and it would be a lot cheaper, too). But this is a NY staple and is a great place to visit once (and I mean just once).
Their prices reflect their mainstream popularity so just keep that in mind. Their portion sizes are also huge so that offsets it somewhat. Just something to keep in mind.
Lines can get long but you can avoid that by going earlier or later. You could also order pickup if you don't want to stand inside for long.
I mentioned earlier that if your goal was to get a great pastrami sandwich, you could go elsewhere. I'm not going to list any places since that would be inappropriate on someone else's business page, but you could find them through google. Alternatively, if your goal was just to go to any random delicatessen, you could walk down the street.
5.0
Katz’s Delicatessen is not just a restaurant — it’s a piece of New York history. From the moment you walk in, you feel the authentic, old-school atmosphere that has made this place legendary for over a century.
The pastrami sandwich is simply iconic. The meat is hand-carved right in front of you, incredibly tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Served on fresh rye bread with just the right amount of mustard, it’s easily one of the best sandwiches you’ll ever taste. The portions are generous — you definitely won’t leave hungry.
The atmosphere is lively, energetic, and uniquely New York. The walls are covered with photos and memories from decades past, adding to the charm and authenticity of the experience. It’s busy, it’s loud, and that’s exactly what makes it special.
The staff is efficient and experienced, keeping things moving even when the place is packed. Despite the crowds, the service remains organized and professional.
If you want to experience real, classic New York deli culture, Katz’s Delicatessen is an absolute must. Legendary food, historic atmosphere, and unforgettable flavors. Highly recommended
