Pastrami Queen
“All the hype around Katz and Carnegie is a bunch of tourist driven nonsense.”
“The Matzo ball soup was tasty and is sure to cure any cold in case your grandmother isn't around to make you some.”
“We also split a sweet potato knish, which was like a sweet potato pie in a light flaky crust.”
Pastrami Queen
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This is one of my favorite Jewish delis in the city, and their matzoh ball soup is maybe my favorite anywhere. The restaurant itself is very small and cramped, and my guess is that they do most of their business via takeout or delivery. Given that, you're not going to get tremendous service, but that's all kind of beyond the point — the food is really good, and that's what you go there for. All the staples are great — sandwiches, knishes, and especially the soup. The extra lean pastrami is fantastic as well.
The one big drawback is that it's pretty expensive, but that's mostly to be expected with these kinds of delis — it's an expensive class of food, particularly at the higher end (which I would consider Pastrami Queen, despite the unimpressive interior).
I've had to spend a lot of time at Lenox Hill hospital these days, the silver lining is that I've gotten to explore some food places far from my Brooklyn stomping grounds. Pastrami Queen is pricey considering the hole in the wall feel of the place but I guess unsurprising given the zip code. The pastrami sandwich does not disappoint, the Knishes are also fantastic, never brittle. Unfortunately the Matzoh balls are really bland, taking it to go they give you two massive firm bland balls in a separate container alongside with their regular chicken noodle soup. I'm a lover of matzoh balls and spent a lot on getting these… but I didn't bother to eat these after the first bite. I was plenty satisfied by knish and pastrami. Tried the other soups since then, they are all much better than the matzoh ball.
Pros:
– The garlic fries are amazing – perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside and not burnt; its $7.50 for a full brown bag so split it with people!
– Found a new combo I like – a 1/4 pound pastrami ($9.50) and matzoh ball soup ($7.95), the matzoh ball soup comes with bread so you can make yourself a sandwich!
Cons:
– Each piece of bread is 50 cents if you get pastrami by the pound
If I was rating food alone it would be 10 stars! Most amazing pastrami on rye ever! Potato pancake amazing as well! Large sandwiches – only order 1 for 2 people. The reason for 4 stars is I can appreciate a New York attitude, and I get it is the last night of Hanukkah and as a kosher deli it was mobbed today. But they lost my order via Yelp and gave away the man ahead of me large catering order as he was late picking up- prepaid I will add! The guys were really busy but were very rude asking people waiting to wait outside. It's small- I get it- it's NYC attitude I get that- but a little tiny bit of kindness would have gone a long way. I would get takeout again- it was awesome but would avoid all holidays and prime time hours.
My friends have told me multiple times that they prefer Pastrami Queen over Katz's. But K and I don't go to the UES often, so we haven't tried PQ until now. We were in the neighborhood thanks to pay-as-you-wish at the Frick Collection. PQ was only 8 blocks away, so why not?!
There was no line at 2pm and you seat yourself. The waiter gave us a menu. There are many options of meaty hearty Kosher Jewish deli food.
We ordered pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup.
PQ's pastrami sandwich is served on fresh rye bread. The meaty salty half-fatty pastrami was moist and delicious! Compared to Katz's pastrami, PQ costs $2 less, and is juicier due to higher fat content. Very good. My brother was nodding and eating, giving us a thumbs up for approval. K closed his eyes while savoring each bite.
The Matzo Ball soup was perfect. Soft noodles, a fist sized springy Matzo ball and salty chicken broth. Very good. I don't know why I want soup in 80/90 degree weather but it hit the spot.
The verdict: K thought PQ and Katz's have comparable Pastrami sandwiches.
Me? I prefer Pastrami Queen fattier pastrami to Katz's lean one for now.
I have eater pastrami for nearly 50 years so have pretty high standards. Drove by Pastrami Queen yesterday, had not heard of it so swore to come back today. It was not bad but not the best. As a caveat, I was there just after they opened (around 10:15), so they may not have been at the top of their game, though they really should be whenever they are open.
Yes, had a pastrami on rye. It was a large sandwich but the meat was not as flavorful melt-in-your-mouth as I've recently had at 2nd Avenue Deli (on 1st) or even PJ Bernstein. The potato knish had very little flavor and the pickles were all sour rather than the half sour i prefer.
Not bad but not the best pastrami.
Pastrami Queen rules the chessboard of cured fatty smoked beef in the city. The World Famous Hot Pastrami sandwich moves my taste buds forwards, backwards, diagonally and even in an L shape. Don't be a rookie and get the fried garlic fries (5 STARS). The deli is just a bishop from the 4/5/6 subway line and has been knighted by many a food royalty. Pawn off a few of your unwanted household collectibles, because the pricing demands a kingly ransom like most NYC delicatessens.
So….I was driving by one day and happened to notice a sign that read "Pastrami Queen". I had never heard of the place prior but my first thought was – could their pastrami be better then Katz's? The title alone made me want to stop in and try the food. So recently I did.
The restaurant itself was fairly small and once inside you realize that its even smaller then it looks from outside. Once I entered I looked over a menu and then decided to simply just try a pastrami sandwich. I placed my order to go because there were only about 3 tables and they were all occupied.
In my opinion, there is absolutely no way this place beats Katz! I've been going to Katz's for years and it's where I go when I want REAL pastrami. My sandwich at this shop wasn't horrible but it was a little dry. The pastrami at Katz is always succulent and can literally melt in your mouth.
I'd return to try other items but just not the pastrami. Not sure what part of the royal pastrami family this shop would be but Queen not at all-sorry.