2nd Ave Deli

I cannot describe the love that I have in my belly after eating dinner here. The pierogen are the best things that have ever happened to me… until I had the pickletini. I LOVE PICKLES. First we got a plate of pickles and then we got pickled cabbage and then I had pickles in my drink?!? What is this place, heaven? Then we got a potato pancake, and then challah French toast and then rugalach and they gave us chocolate soda shots??? I feel like a really fat princess that needs to be rolled home.

So does not live up to the hype. Pastrami samdwich tasted like any other pastrami sandwich from any bodega or deli in new york. Ordered from here because I wanted the taste of Katz but instead got a sandwich from Poncho at the deli on the corner. Not worth the $ 20 bucks for the sandwich. Naema or however it is you spell her name had a nasty attitude on the phone. Talks too much. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 32 years and i’ll never order from here again. Lesson learned/

THANK YOU 2^nd AVENUE DELI! I ordered food for my birthday party scheduled for Saturday morning, the day of the blizzard. Ordering the food on the phone was a pleasant and reassuring experience. As I watched through my window at the wind blowing snow all over the roadway, I was not surprised to hear the phone ring on the morning of the blizzard. The same friendly voice from 2^nd Ave Deli was worried. «Do you still want the food delivered?» she asked, hoping I’d cancelled. «Yes!, my guests are mostly local» I replied. «Wellll, I’m not sure what I can do for you», she answered honestly. A few beats later she offered to do her best and call me back soon with an update. The food arrived on time, delicious and I’m grateful.

Delicious delicious pastrami sandwiches and matzah ball soup. In my mind, this place is just as good as the well known Katz’s, but minus the annoying ticket/​payment system. Unfortunately, prices remain just as unreasonably high, which is my reasoning for deducting one star.
They pile the pastrami high in your sandwich, just like Katz’s, but also will allow you to have it on a Kaiser roll instead of rye (which I happened to like more). It’s incredibly juicy and delicious — truly a superb sandwich. The matzah ball soup is also amazing — I’d recommend getting the half sandwich and soup meal for that reason (the sandwiches are so big that they’re close to impossible to finish anyways).
You can expect that this place will be packed, but I didn’t have to wait for a table for 2 on Saturday around lunchtime. It is a sit down spot, but service is very quick. It also seems like you can call in orders and pick them up in the front.

2^nd Avenue Deli! Traditional Jewish Kosher Deli in NY City. This place did not disappoint. From the moment you walk in the atmosphere, the energy is great. The host is a very nice middle aged man who is witty and will put a smile on your face.
We ordered the Pastrami sandwich on rye bread with coleslaw (portion was very generous) and it was absolutely delicious, along with apotato salad which was creamy and light. We also had the Frank’s in a blanket which were delightful.
Overall the experience was a culinary «10». Dining is much more than the food it is about the total experience and this place hits a home run. It’s a big business with a homey feel that warms the stomach as well as the heart.

Just moved into the neighborhood and have been wanting to try this NYC staple. I went in expecting something just like Kat’s but I was pleasantly surprised. Their corned beef sandwich was incredible. Moist thinly sliced meat between slices of soft, fresh rye bread with a smear of their chunky yellow mustard. Melt in your mouth goodness. Service was impeccable and the dining room is actually quite fancy compared to other Jewish delis. It cost practically $ 20 for the sandwich, but I now see why they can get away with it.

You have unlimited pickles you say? May I live here? Just so you know waitress you are my new best friend.
After a day in the city we met up with family to eat a kosher meal during Hanukkah and they swore this was the place to cure my corned beef sandwich craving. We arrived before everyone and they allowed us to order a soda and sit at their small 4 stool bar top. The deli case looked amazing with all types of «salads» and such that you can order to go.
When everyone arrived we moved to a table and our server was very prompt with greeting us. They brought a plate stacked with two different deli pickles and two bowls of coleslaw. I couldn’t believe my eyes as the plates of pickles just kept on coming. This is heaven on earth to me as an extreme pickle lover. I ordered the corned beef sandwich with slaw and 1,000 island dressing on top. The price looked a bit much but, totaled up with the quality, portion size and the unlimited pickles, I can say you are getting your money’s worth. The corned beef was fresh sliced and up there in the top three corned beef sandwiches I have eaten in my life. The coleslaw is definitely worth adding to the top of your sandwich and if you like 1,000 island dressing as much as I do ask for an extra side in addition to it being on top of your sandwich. It wasn’t enough for me.
It felt like a family’s dining room and the staff really made you feel at home. The bathrooms were super clean and they were quick to box up our food and ring out our check. There wasn’t a whole lot of traffic when we walked in and there was some empty street spots.
On the way out my guys grandma ordered lox for us for lunch the next day. Hands down the best lox I have had; no question about it. We all agreed and we were happy we decided to take the chance to purchase it here.
Thanks for the end of the meal complimentary root beer shots! Yummy!
I will definitely be back here on every trip to the city since I am anxious to try their matzo ball soup and some other authentic items.

We somehow missed the memo that is was a Kosher deli, so when my mom walked in with her Starbucks latte, they could’ve been snotty about it. But they weren’t. Our lovely server just put it in a bag for her and let us hold on to it.
I have grown up at Jewish delis, but this was my first experience at an authentically Kosher one. So there was soy cream cheese for my bagel, and my egg cream was just a chocolate soda… But nothing I couldn’t adjust to.
The chopped liver was the best I’ve ever had.
And our server was the best one I had during my entire stay in New York.
I’ll be back!

Didn’t live up to the hype…
I ordered delivery, which may have been a mistake, but whatever. I chose matzo ball soup with no pasta and added carrots, fresh steamed veggies, and cucumber salad.
The soup was OK — not warm enough, carrots were too big and too crispy, and they went ahead and added pasta… BUT, the matzo ball was one of the tastiest I’ve ever had, so there’s that…
The veggies were just plain broccoli. That’s it. SO. BORING.
The cucumber salad was really soggy and way under seasoned… as if they mixed vinegar and water and dumped it on top of the sliced cucumbers.
They included two slices of free bread with the delivery but no pickles, which was a big let down.
Probably wouldn’t order this again…

I’m not usually a fan of pastrami, but the pastrami here is SO good. It’s not too salty and it’s actually very moist. The sandwich is big, but not overbearingly big. The matzoh ball soup is another good choice – large matzoh ball and chicken soup that is flavorful and slightly sweet. Noodles are perfectly cooked and not mushy. Table accompaniments were pickles and a great cole slaw. We also got shots of complimentary chocolate soda to close out the meal.

When I’m sick this is my go-​to place for dinner; if I can actually get up. Matzoh ball soup is and will always be Jewish penicillin. It’s a kosher deli, so prices are way up there, but they do give you a free chocolate soda shot at the end to wash it down.

Okay it’s not on 2^nd ave lol I walked to 2^nd looking for this joint and it’s actually between 3^rd and lex. Not a problem though it’s only a block away.
I walked in and the host was super happy and kind. I’m Arab so I feel weird about going into Jewish places. The writing scares me I dunno. Lol
Anywho, I got inside and was seated immediately. My waiter was Arab! Well he had an Arab name and spoke it so in assuming but who knows.
That made me feel comfortable. We got the potato pancakes. I got corn beef, wifey got the pastrami, and Mom dukes got the chicken breast. All sandwiches btw.
Corn beef and pastrami were delicious. No excess fat and pure juicy near. So good. It comes with house dressing, pickles and slaw. All fresh and delicious I might add.
Chicken samiches was okay, it’s a grilled chicken sandwich whatever.
Potato pancakes were mad thick n dense. It was different. Not bad but it was like «damn I gotta eat these cause it cost 17 bucks».
The deli sandwiches were slamming but this place is expensive! Five dollars for a cup of lemonade type expensive. However you get what you paid for right? Well next time I will stay with water lol
I say give it a try if you haven’t been here before. Service and food is good. Pricy too!

Date of service: June 4, 2015
Meal: Lunch, dine in
All Ratings out of 10:
Quality of food: 8
Food to Spend Value: 7
Quality of Service: 7
Overall Rating: 8
Almost every time I come to NYC, I try to make it to Jewish deli. My go to, tourist trappings and all, is the Carnegie Deli, but on this trip they were closed for repairs. After asking a number of folks for a worthy alternative, I was steered toward the 2^nd Ave Deli, so I headed there for lunch.
Much like Carnegie, 2^nd Ave Deli has ridiculously huge sandwiches with insane portions of meat. They also cure their own tongue and corned beef. I knew I wanted hot pastrami, but after looking through the Three Decker sandwiches, I decided to get the #4, which included hot pastrami, corned beef, wide salami, cole slaw, and Russian dressing. The sandwich was so tall that even my big mouth couldn’t bite down on everything at once, so I attacked it in sections. Each of the meats was utterly delicious, though the pastrami and corned beef were the clear standouts. The slaw and dressing were also very good, and the entire sandwich, which stayed together surprisingly well, was simply amazing. I did manage to eat almost the entire thing (I left some of the bread in favor of finishing off the meat), but this is a sandwich that could easily be split between 2 people.
Much like Carnegie, the atmosphere is casual but a bit chaotic due to how busy it is. They do get people in and out very efficiently, though, and the food comes out very quickly. The sandwiches aren’t cheap, but if you choose to split one amongst 2 people, it becomes much more reasonable. This also may provide the opportunity to try some of the amazing looking desserts, but I was too full to think about them this trip. 2^nd Ave Deli proved to be a fantastic alternative to the Carnegie Deli, and I definitely plan on going back again.

The Second Avenue Deli lives up
to its legendary name as a source of some of the best kosher deli items in NY or anywhere on the planet. Was in the city recently and took a friend from Israel to the location in Murray Hill. Once again it did not disappoint. He had a fabulous corned beef on rye and I had an incredibly moist and melt in your mouth brisket sandwich.
Both sandwiches were on the very large size served with a large bowl of pickles and a slaw dish. We shared an order of the best latkes in the city. Wanted him to try a Dr. Brown’s cream soda but he stubbornly refused. He admitted it was the best deli
food he ever ate.
We were in a rush and the waiter accommodated us by getting the food
out in almost warp speed.
A must for deli lovers when you are in NY.

Something between a 3 and a 4.
For all of you guys complaining about prices, I mean it is a Kosher Deli in the middle of Manhattan. That said, the prices are higher than most other delis. I mean 24 dollars for a Tongue sandwich is rather ridiculous which is why I stuck with corned beef and pastrami for 21 or something similar.
The pastrami was good. Not the best I have had but pretty good. A little fatty on some pieces. Corned beef was excellent however.
Odd to find a Kosher deli where the corn beef is the best but why not.

Bump Katz, too overrated without proper condiments.
The proprietor of this location will get you the sammich you want. The pickles and coleslaw were terrific, as was the pastrami.

First time coming this classic joint. Not too busy on a Tuesday evening. We ordered slaw, kugel, and a pastrami sandwich.
Strangely, they didn’t mention you get slaw and pickles first. Before we could do anything, we got our order of slaw, which was mayonnaise based. I actually preferred the «free» slaw.
The kugel was decent. Crust was only slightly crispy and the middle was a mushy.
As to the pastrami, it came with mustard on the side, which is much needed on both sides of the rye. The meat was not especially fatty, but still a bit moist. A solid pastrami, but nothing to be excited for.

FOOD: is tasty and authentic. I enjoyed the pastrami and half-​sour pickles! They have a fairly diverse menu and in-​house baked goods like black and white cookies.
SERVICE: is pretty friendly and on-​the-​spot. The employees seem happy and are helpful.
AMBIANCE: comes across as a New York neighborhood deli. It’s clean and full of activity, with lots of regulars.
VALUE: is moderate. Their prices are not atypical for Manhattan, but can seem expensive if you’re from elsewhere.

I was showing my brother around town much of the weekend, giving him the prototypical NYC tourist experience, so where better to take him to eat than a Jewish deli?
As we entered the Murray Hill institution, would couldn’t help but be reminded we were in New York City. The décor and layout is the epitome of a classic diner.
After we were seated, we noticed the prices were a little on the high side for a deli so we decided to go halfsies on the matzoh ball soup ($ 8.50) and the hot pastrami/​salami combo ($ 24.95) .
The matzoh ball soup was… Wow…Completely deserving of the nickname ‘Jewish Penicillin’. It was the perfect combination of light/​savory/​comforting. The broth was fantastic with just the right amount of salt, the matzoh was cooked perfectly, and the little square noodles were a nice touch.
As for the sandwich, sorry to say, it just didn’t wow me. The pastrami was a bit dry and lacking in flavor and the salami was mediocre at best. Aside from the meat, the rye was flimsy and the sandwich barely had any Russian dressing. It’s disappointing because I really wanted to be floored by the sandwiches here. It was just average. Until I find otherwise, Katz remains my gold standard for deli sandwiches in the city.
I’ll come back here at some point, but it will be for a bathtub full of the matzoh ball soup, not the sandwiches.

Being from Chicago I knew my authentic New York experience wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a real Jewish deli. I’m glad I made the stop here. Upon walking in you see the counter filled with salads and meats and were greeted by the manager or possibly owner? It only took a few seconds of chatting to figure out wm the wife and I were from out of town but he was extremely welcoming.
They have a bunch of things on the menu I wanted to get but it was about 8:30 in the morning so I went with potato pancakes instead of a pastrami sandwich. I pretty much order potato pancakes whenever I get the chance and I think I’m spoiled now. These were hands down, full stop the best I’ve had. Super crispy outside and soft enough and peppery in the middle. I was impressed. My wife got the challah French toast. It was pretty good not amazing though. I did like that they brought out some pickles and cole slaw to start and they gave us a shot of chocolate soda before the check. That was a nice touch.
I’d definitely recommend this place I’d just for the potato pancakes, next time I’m in New York I’m coming back for the pastrami.