University Deli

Breakfast On Weekends | Tried their Uptown Omelette to try their breakfast options during the weekend. Originally I was craving waffles however when I had ordered it, they informed it that it was only available on Fridays (of course I’ll be back on Friday to try it). It would have been nice if they mentioned on their menu it was not available on Fridays.
I ordered the Uptown Omelette platter instead of the sandwich which comes with a side of potatoes (hash or home fries) and toast. Omelette was delicious with the bell peppers, tomatoes and my favorite little sausage bits in every bite! But I was so upset there was no toast or home fries; hope they won’t forget next time!

Prices are fair and reasonable and they offer a good salad bar with a lot of variety. While their hot food was never something to brag about, I’ve noticed a decline from bad to worse. Especially with their chicken. Old meat that’s either super dry,
chewy or over fried. See the picture as to what they call the chicken ranch (minus the bacon)
–flat bread
–thin piece of chicken that’s over fried
–no ranch so they used mayo
–brown mushy avocado

This was the only place last week that would make me and egg sandwich, not bad, not the best or worst.

Why do it. It’s a rip off for your basic bodega when you can go 2 blocks on Audubon and get decent equal at bodega prices. Yeah they do have a salad bar… Aka petry dish. I do congratulate them on finally achieving an A-​food rating after being the only C rating I’ve ever seen in NYC. Oh and before being awarded the C rating, the DoH shut them down. Take a look on DoH website and see the rating system. You’re afforded quite a few violations with an A rating, a C rating achievement is remarkable infractions.

I frequent this place at least once or twice a week to get my tea/​coffee which is slightly more expensive than what you would get at one of those carts on the streets, but the employees are nice and polite and try to remember my order when I walk in. Their paninis are pretty good as I usually get their Cajun Panini. I had a few of their different varieties of options for the «hot buffet» they have during the week and they are not bad, but not great either. Last year they also added a japanese noodle soup bar (past the panini station) which I found very lacking in taste and ingredients. Never ordered the noodle soup again after that.
They are also open ²⁴⁄₇ which is a plus since nothing else is open past 11 – 12 at night near the hospital.

I go here for lunch sometimes when I don’t want anything too filling. I’ll go to the buffet and get a few things. Some type of lo Mein or pasta, some fish and some vegetables in a small container. I get lunch for about $ 5 and it gets me through my day! It’s usually pretty crowded at lunch but I still manage to get in and out really quickly. They also have a salad bar, paninis, sandwiches, grilled sandwiches, etc. Don’t expect too much but it does the job!

blt
grilled cheese
not a bad spot open ²⁴⁄₇.
efficient space.
quick sandwich service.

I can’t speak to the hot/​cold bar (I’m way too afraid to touch that), but let me tell you my experience with University Deli: on one occasion, the fruit I purchased (in a cup packaged by them, to the right as you enter the store) tasted like chemicals. Someone clearly sprayed some 409 on that one. I was a little happy when they got shut down by the health department for a few days — maybe it has been cleaned up since.
Of course, there are times when I’m in the hospital and need a Clif bar or Pop Chips… so it’s convenient. And their frozen yogurt is fine. But based on my chemical-​y experience, I can’t recommend it to anyone. Shangri-​La one block over should suffice.

This is a great lunch place near the hospital. Their salad/​hot food/​fruit bar is great. They have tons of choices and are really fairly priced. I went in to get a salad the other day from the salad bar and paid under $ 5. Sometimes the sanitary conditions of the food bar leave a little to be desired, but overall it’s a great value and they have a huge selection. Also, the check people out really quickly so even though there’s a lot of people, you can get in and out pretty quickly.

I only get the coffee here, which is very good. Buffet food is gone by the afternoon. Don’t bother in the evening – your only food option are sad-​looking wraps and paninis, that have sat at least a week. The grill is shut down at night, even though it is a 24-​hr place. I asked for a hamburger. «Sorry mam.» I asked for a sandwich with avocado. «No avocadoes.» I asked for cheese – they forgot to put in the sandwich and charged for it. Do they deserve that B rating from the food inspection? No.

This place gets the job done. When I’m hungry, strapped for time, and in Washington Heights, University Deli is the first place I visit. The cashiers are so efficient during the lunch rush hour (well, maybe sometimes a little too efficient because they tend to jam my change back into my hand and wave the next customer down…) and it’s much appreciated. This place only takes cash, so make sure you have some cash money on hand. There’s an ATM inside and several ATMs for major banks in the neighborhood. You won’t need too much cash because this place is reasonably priced! That is, unless you haven’t eaten for days and have turned into a ravenous monster.
While the buffet bar is always surrounded by people and has very little space surrounding it, it is by far the quickest way to choose what you want. Ravenous monsters, this is your best bet. There are fruits, salad items, pastas, (Americanized) Chinese food, and lots of fried and grilled meats. Since I look out for you, reader, I will have to say that the buffet bar isn’t necessarily all too sanitary. On occasion, I’ve seen people drop the tongs into the dishes allowing all of the germs from the handle to seep into the food, but that’s almost with any buffet bar. On rare occasions, I’ve seen people take food from the buffet bar wearing scrubs and… gloves. FYI.
When I come here, it’s often to order their udon. They’re a little salty, but for about $ 5, a giant Styrofoam bowl’s worth of noodles, broth, and vegetable toppings will help me get through the rest of my day. University Deli also offers a number of hot and cold sandwich options, but don’t order them if you don’t have much time as they take a while to prepare. And if you’re not hungry at all, you can still find bottled and canned drinks, chips, rice crackers, cookies, first aid items, and toiletries here. It’s like a mini convenience store!
Likelihood of another visit:
I’ll be back when hunger hits.

This place is CRAMPED, always packed, causing me fits of panicky claustrophobia.
Yet, I keep coming back.
1.) EPIC hot and cold buffet bar at a decent price per pound.
1a.) REAAAAAALLLLLLLLLY good Ranch dressing at the salad bar. Like, I’ll shamelessly down the entire vat of it.
2.) G.T. Kombucha with chia seeds!
3.) Those little vanilla ice cream sundae cups caked with frozen strawberry syrup that I used to love for dessert after lunch in elementary school.
4.) Hot and cold sandwiches at prices comparable or cheaper to Jou Jou (…well, who am I kidding. ANYTHING is cheaper than Jou Jou) or Shrangi-​La.
5.) Plenty of toiletries, et al, behind the counter; quicker to pick up there sometimes than running up to Rite Aid.
6.) It’s a ²⁴⁄₇ operation, much to the joy of some of my fellow NYP workers banging out the night shifts.
Just straight forward. Get your stuff. Go. Eat. Be happy.
Yes, it’s cash only, but shut up. There are dozens of ATMs in the area. (I have no sympathy for you. Haaa.)

I’ve been getting my morning coffee here for the last few months. I gotta walk up the stairs to get into the deli, and there’s a JooJoo’s café right below them, but I still walk up the stairs every morning. I like to make my coffee at the coffee bar. They have choices of chocholate raspberry, hazelnut, french vanilla, toasted almond and pumkin spice. My favorite is toasted almond. I add two packets of sugar and some half & half, and I put in the straw in the cup (it’s my ritual) and sip on the way into the job. I see the same cashier lady everyday. She doesn’t talk so much, but she’s efficient and always greets pleasantly. I don’t think they’ll make a lot of money from me buying only coffee from them, but I’ll go there everyday when I have to go to work.

This place gets at least 4 stars for the shear fact that I come here every. single. day. The staff even recognizes me now (le sigh). It basically provides the staples of my diet: soy crisps, pirates booty, clif bars, fruit, greek yogurt, drinks, candy and several asian snacks (yan yan, hi-​chews, panda snacks).
Also, good salad bar (chicken is dry though), cheapest place to get a full salad.
I’ve had a panini here once — chicken was very dry.
On wednesdays, they have pajeon (korean pancake).
open 24/​7, cash only.

As I was scarfing down my food, the chilled white bean sprouts with sesame seeds specifically (Korean style), I thought to myself. holy cow this is four stars! I then proceeded to fork my tofu with scallions, red chili peppers, and vinegar soy sauce, barely lifting my head to come up for air, when a second thought surfaced. how have I survived this long without Korean food?!
That was me a few days ago. Upon retrospect, I have come to the conclusion that the buffet at U. Deli is four stars upon the time of consumption and three stars in the aftermath. The food is tasty, no doubt, with offerings similar to that of ShangriLa just a few blocks away (minus the boatloads of sodium — I feel hypertensive just thinking about it — and with better offerings of «Asian» food. U. Deli that is. Better than ShangriLa.)
At U. Deli you will find (not inclusive of all buffet items):
salad bar (peas, carrots, tomatoes, eggs, pine nuts, olives, cucumbers, and the like)
stir-​fry snap peas
chilled broccoli, chicken, and pepper mix
black bean salad
pasta salad
rice
chow mein
baked chicken in sauce
white bean sprouts with sesame seeds
tofu with scallions, red chili peppers, vinegar soy sauce
udon (you choose what to add to your soup)
If in the area, drop in to U. Deli. Otherwise? Stick to Korea town because honestly, how Korean is their selection if I can only name 2 Korean items?
Cash only.

Pretty good deli for the area. I’m sure the Columbia people and hospital workers keep it going strong. They have good sandwiches and nice nice looking spread, but overall nothing exceptional.
The big plus is that it is ²⁴⁄₇.

Almost always a daily stop for me.
This deli is right by work and it’s food is consistent. The salad bar has a mixture of Asian, Italian, American, and some Hispanic cuisine. They do a decent job of creating a salad bar that, I think, serves the community’s needs. There’s a nice sit in area, although it is very cramped. The price is average for a salad bar (about $ 5 per lb.).
The deli also offers an assortment of sandwiches. What is good about these sandwiches is that some are already pre-​made, there is a menu you can also order from, or you can tell them what you want.
They recently opened up a small Udon Noodle section where you can have tempura shrimp or chicken udon. It’s decently priced for the size and it tastes good. The broth is good during these winter months here in NY.
The service is quick and oderly.

They recently opened up an udon station! You could probably get better tasting (but more expensive) udon at Tamaya, but University Deli’s definitely holds its own. You can add different meats (I chose the shrimp tempura) and veggies. Definitely a filling and satisfying meal during the colder months.

YES BUFFET! weighted, yes. I love their chicken. pork. fatty substances. the salad bar is beautiful to look at but I usually have unusual cravings for meat when I’m here. I told myself not to go there everyday, to try new places around the area, but I always found myself crawling back. Well, maybe not literally but… enough to make a scene.

UD is awesome that it is always open. On the way back from a late night at 4am and you’re thirsty? No problem, pop in to grab a Vitamin Water. Need a quick lunch? Get some of the hot buffet. Still, having spent time and money at UD over the months, I’ve come to realize its gustatory limitations. The hot buffet at nearby Shang-​ri-​la is a bit tastier, especially the fruit. However, go back to the first sentence in this review – UD is always open – and you’ll realize its amazing utility in this stinkhole called Washington Heights.