“It’s absolutely incredible and I think it’s very difficult to find good value for that much meat anywhere else in the city, especially for that quality of meat.”
H3
All 2,391 rated mentions, most helpful first
“It’s absolutely incredible and I think it’s very difficult to find good value for that much meat anywhere else in the city, especially for that quality of meat.”
H3
“despite being to NYC a few times I'd never done Katz since 2nd Ave Deli is always my go to Jewish Deli. While the pastrami was incredibly fatty and tender the sandwich fell apart before I'd even taken a bite”
H3
“The bread at Katz’s is dry, it’s a pain in the ass to navigate ordering and just being in the restaurant, and the sandwich is too expensive for all the hassle to be worth it.”
H3
“quality is consistently good (not exceptional but good)”
H3
“I went last week, it's expensive, but worth it”
H3
“Pastrami is a must-order. If you're only getting one thing, it should be that. On rye, with mustard.”
H3
“The pastrami is superior, skip the Ruben. The microwaved “Swiss” cheese 🧀 and “kraut” is so flavorless and adds nothing to the experience but dogging out the rye to disintegration.”
H3
“Their pastrami is thicker cut and retains more juice. They also go through so much volume that the meat isn’t sitting out long cooling off and drying out.”
H3
“Pastrami was flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth, with no chewy bits or gristle. We split a half of the sandwich (took the other half home) and some potato knishes and it really hit the spot”
H3
“The Hot Dogs at Katz's are exceptional!”
H3
“something has to be said for how thick Katz's slice their pastrami that gives it a way better mouth feel than a lot of other places.”
H3
“Sure, they could do better with the bread and toppings, but that $30 is basically paying for the meat, and as far as I’m concerned, nobody else comes close.”
H3
“that one sandwich stepped the level up for me. I haven't had a sandwich like that since that sandwich actually. At any of these places including Katz. Maybe I just got lucky that one time. It was the Reuben with pastrami and it just fell apart so easily and beautifully. Well toughness of the meat was liquefied and with the dressing and sauerkraut it was really something. Better than sex I would say”
H3
“Not joking the sandwiches came out superb for it being reheated at home.”
H3
“I would say it’s worth it, but it’s definitely special occasion food not “your quick neighborhood deli.””
H3
“Get the pastrami, I'll always get mine as a Reuben. Matzo ball soup and pickles is also great”
H3
“I find the portion they give is way too much for 1 person to eat and it actually messes up the whole experience because they put so much meat, it makes it hard to bite through the sandwich. I get they're trying to justify the price but it's just a bad experience in my opinion”
H3
“It was truly unique NYC experience and few places come close to it.”
H3
“The bread from Katz fell apart immediately, my portion was smaller than everyone elses there and 90% of my meat was too lean and dry.”
H3
“at least once a year waiting to get an enormous high quality sandwich is worth it.”
H3
“the best brisket you can get in nyc is ironically the pastrami at katz lol. fatty, moist, nice bark, well seasoned.”
H3
“Good chicken broth is easy to make and the fact that they’re just using bouillon just goes to show how they’re just subpar in all regards.”
H3
“the pastrami i got was not the best. Chewy, undercooked, not tender. I know I got a bad cut because the sample he gave me was amazing.”
H3
“I've always thought that Katz's seasoning was a little off and the pastrami ended up tasting more flat like a hotdog than the sharpness I associate with the best pastrami. That said, it's still delicious.”
H3
“nothing needed about the place is any better than mediocre. So what's the point of having the best pastrami if your experience is ruined by having to eat it on that ridiculous excuse for bread that falls apart as soon as you pick it up.”
H3
“You're getting a monster sandwich of probably the best pastrami in the world”
H3
“I think it's still the best pastrami sandwich in the city. It's not cheap, but proper pastrami is laborious to make, and they give you a TON of it. It's a quintessential NY experience and definitely worth checking out.”
H3
“then if I'm ever at that food court, it's like the least interesting food option.”
H3
“The corned beef is divine.”
H3
“Wasn’t bad, and was cool inside, just was most underwhelming for me.”
H3
“if you're lucky you'll get steak fries extra crispy and still creamy on the inside. Worth the gamble.”
H3
“absolutely iconic and a must do. We had a lovely morning on the Staten Island Ferry to see Lady Liberty, then went to Katz's about 11 am, no lining up required, only waited a couple of minutes to be served: delicious pastrami on rye, half each was enough, the pickles are sublime.”
H3
“The food was good but service imo wasn’t the best.”
H3
“Katz's tastes like the perfect pastrami with how tender and moist it is. It maintains form, isn't too dry or chewy and fatty but not overdone.”
H3
“One of the pluses is that everybody goes to the giant sandwiches and ignores their absolutely ideal (to me) New York hot dog. Simple, snappy, properly dressed, never a line.”
H3
“Still good, not horrible, but not as good as the first time. I think there might be a timing thing as well as a turnover issue. This is just me being picky and validating why you might have had the experience you had. Katz is usually a top place for me to take people if they want a classic NYC experience.”
H3
“That said, virtually nothing besides the pastrami at Katz's is worth bothering with. The Reuben especially is asking for a bad time. The bread is extremely sad and, in any event, Reubens are supposed to be grilled.”
H3
“They cut the meat, gave me a slice and it was tough and veiny. I told him nah cut from another piece please bc this is bad. He gave me a fattier piece, which was of course better..but still not great.”
H3
“I spit it out immediately because I recognize the instant chicken flavor from store bought chicken flavoring I used to buy as a kid. $10 for instant chicken flavor powder water?”
H3
“I like the pastrami, except for it bing too thick, but the bread is bland and not up to the job of holding all that meat without it turning into doughy mush.”
H3
“Yes, because 1) they don’t toast the bread for sandwiches, so it crumbles; and 2) pastrami on a sandwich is better when it’s sliced thin.”
H3
“the pastrami itself is almost as good as Barney Greengrass's, but everything else in the sandwich is bad. The rye tastes more like chemicals than rye.”
H3
“It has since (for me) really gone downhill -- rubbery, unpleasantly textured meat that is a faint shadow of what it once was.”
H3
“The pastrami is superior, skip the Ruben. The microwaved “Swiss” cheese 🧀 and “kraut” is so flavorless and adds nothing to the experience but dogging out the rye to disintegration.”
H3
“A $30, one ingredient sandwich on stale rye is not my thing at all. To add insult to injury, I was still hungry when I was finished.”
H3
“Then 3 fukn times in a row the pastrami fell flat. Overcooked. Undercooked. Just plain dry. I switched to the corned beef reuban when I go now lol. When Katz is hitting.... it's can be considered untouchable”
H3
“The sandwich is so dry and not tasty, in my opinion. The meat isn't that flavorful. I was disappointed when I went”
H3
“the bread is tasteless, grocery store bread aisle quality, and 2) the meat is piled too high to even taste the bread”
H3
“I think it’s both overrated and overpriced. IMO it takes more for a sandwich to live up to its reputation than plenty of meat, poor quality bread and a mustard.”
H3
“Katz's is far better than Second Avenue Deli to me. The super thin slicing destroys the texture of the pastrami to me and the spices at Katz's are more robust.”
H3