Carnegie Deli
“Got seated really fast, ordered the Woody Allen and split it with my wife.”
“Since the infamous "I'll have what she's having," scene from When Harry Met Sally, Katz's became main stream.”
“The waitress was sweet since we only have one order for the four of us she gave us an extra matzoh ball.”
Carnegie Deli
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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A predictable and consistent offering.
Be sure to come early if you don't want to wait too long in line.
You're allowed to share, but there's a minimum spend of $12.50 per patron and a $3 sharing fee.
I come here solely for the pastrami sandwich and the pastrami sandwich only. I will travel from jersey city all the way to midtown just for this when I'm craving. The sandwich itself seems a bit exorbitant. I usually buy 2 and it'll come up to about almost $40. A lot for a sandwich right?! The thing is though, the meat is piled on sooooo high that you're able to make quite a few sandwiches out of just one order. I'll bring the extra meat home and can eat it the next day. The pastrami is so warm and tasty. It's so simple but delicious. They come with complimentary pickles. The garlic pickles are the best!
I never have an issue with the wait as I usually come after hours just to pick up and take out. I do recommend for you to bring cash. They're a little old school.
Long wait on a Sunday night at 9:30pm. 45" for a party of 4. Server confused and hesitant about me adding 3 eggs to my omelette. Didn't bring pickles till I asked. Clearly service not great. Food quality good Matzoh ball soup, omelette and pickled tomatoes on point.
Overall I do not recommend Carnegie Deli and honestly don't understand the hype.
PROS:
The line outside that goes almost down the block moves quickly
You can order take out without waiting in the line
The hostess was polite and did an excellent job seating people
CONS:
The tables are tiny inside and right next to each other so you feel like you are eating with complete strangers.
Our waitress was unresponsive and took almost 10 minutes to bring my bottled water, when I asked about it she in an annoyed tone said she already put in the order for my water….. (could she not just grab the bottle?)
The food was not good at all, after reading reviews on here and since I was going with a group I knew to order something that could not be messed up so I ordered an omelette it was terrible. The eggs seem like they were cooked in oil instead of butter and it had no flavor at all.
If you order the pastrami sandwich and maybe the cheesecake and are willing to pay the up charge for TONS of meat on tiny pieces of bread then this place would earn three stars but I am sure there are better deli options in NYC
Was in town on business and went to Carnegie Deli with coworkers. The first night I tried this restaurant was with a Jewish fellow who insisted on doing deli while in NYC. I couldn't blame him, given the city's reputation for deli. I myself was curious how this would compare to the delis of Montreal.
Deli one night is good and well, but deli two nights might spell trouble. Such was our fate, as on the following night a second coworker joined us in the city, and he wanted to do deli! So, I ended up eating massive portions here, two nights in a row. That's a sure way to stamp out breakfast and lunch for the following day, but I digress.
OK, so enough background story and on to the review. First things first, there's a perpetual line at the door, so you're going to have to wait for a table, whenever you go. Don't cut (as I witnessed several people do), because New Yorkers are feisty and will confront you. Bypass the line by doing takeout. There seems to be a dinner rush around the evening showtimes in the theatre district, so keep that in mind while visiting.
Here's the most important part of this review: the food. First night I ordered a hot pastrami sandwich solo (e.g. a huge $20 sandwich for me; did not share). Second night, I split the Rueben with a coworker (a bigger $30 sandwich, add a $3 sharing fee).
Of all deli items eaten, I definitely preferred the hot pastrami sandwich over the Rueben (corn beef). The pastrami was well proportioned between lean and fat, served hot, on toasted white bread and with spicy mustard at arm's reach, serving me a reminder that simplicity can be genius! It was a massive sandwich for a man with a massive appetite, and I was ready to meet that challenge (finished the whole thing). Now in my opinion, the Rueben was so big it no longer qualified as a sandwich and perhaps the Rueben's sheer size detracted from my second meal, along with the excessive slather of swiss cheese and Russian dressing, which confounded my palate and compromised my enjoyment of the corn beef itself. C'mon, a pound of corn beef on two pieces of bread that you eat with a knife and fork is not a sandwich. In the end, I just wasn't that into the Rueben, but that's not to say others wouldn't enjoy it; don't let my preferences limit yours!
On the second night, for dessert I got a slice of New York cheesecake. While I am a cheesecake purist as I am a pizza purist, I deviated from my normal routine for a very good reason: when in New York, do as New Yorkers. And New Yorkers get cherry cheesecake, so that's what I did. Wow, it was great. Silky smooth filling, a delectable crust, and tangy sweet cherry topping was a perfect end to my monster meal at Carnegie deli. Highly recommend the cheesecake!
Carnegie deli was great deli, but not the best deli I've ever had. While the pastrami here was better than any pastrami I ate in Montreal, it was not as good as Schamltz deli (Naperville,IL). But if you're in NYC and haven't done deli in the city, you should go here for sure. Remember, there's a line so be prepared, order a sandwich over $30 only if you have backup (1+ friend) or a penchant for leftovers. Do try the pastrami, the cheesecake, and matzo ball soup that's shapely enough to fill a bathing suit! Again, Carnegie is great deli and well worth your visit.
I really didn't feel like this place lived up to its reputation. Yes, there have been a ton of famous people that have eaten here. Other than that, it wasn't worth it.
There was a huge line down the street at noon on a Saturday. If you want to skip the line, you can just walk in and order your food to go. Definitely take advantage of this option!
The food seemed incredibly overpriced. The "cheap" sandwiches are $15. Some of them go up to $30. We were surprised when we opened our to go package in the park; all you get is a huge pile of meat on bread. They don't add any extra fixings. They provide pickles and mustard on the side, which you can choose to add to your sandwich. Other than that, you have a very plain, very dry sandwich.
They do have an impressive pie selection. We ordered a piece to go ($10/ slice). It was pretty good!
Even though it's well known, this is a place worth skipping as you tour Manhattan.
We had to stand in line for about 30-35 minutes on a Friday afternoon at 2:30pm, in the rain, but it was worth it. I don't understand how anyone can give it less than 4 stars. The ambience is typical New York. Our server was efficient if not exactly friendly. But the food was nothing short of spectacular. We shared a Woody Allen ($3 charge for an extra plate) and it was delicious beyond words. The corned beef is so tender you don't even need to chew. The pastrami is smoky and very flavorful. The best I ever had. The cole slaw was the best I ever had. Just perfect. The plain cheesecake to top it all off was the best I ever had. This is a must-eat, but be ready for a line.
I rarely come to this place– This is the tourist hot spot– But when my friend comes down here with her dad this is the first place we eat at.
The sandwiches are huge!! No matter how you look at it.. The jam pack everything in there for you. The serve sour and crispy pickles.. WHICH I LOVE!!
My favorite item is the Matzo ball soup!! This is a must have.. Super amazing!!
Just don't go to hungry because you will become hangry!! The lines are about 30 mins to an hour wait.
But you must go!! It's that good it's worth waiting.