2nd Ave DeliCHAIN

6.2/10

AI-generated summary

The common advice is Katz's for the and here for everything else. The gets called the best in the city over and over, and the and the get named too. The is machine sliced thin instead of hand cut, which some people prefer and some don't. It's actually kosher, so portions are smaller and prices higher, but you can usually walk in.

NYC classic — Holocaust survivor Abe Lebewohl opened the deli in 1954 at Second Avenue and East 10th Street in the old Yiddish Theater District. Lebewohl was murdered in a still-unsolved 1996 robbery, and rent disputes closed the original in 2006; his nephew Jeremy reopened it on East 33rd Street in 2007. It won a James Beard America's Classics award in 1998. Wikipedia

162 E 33rd St, New YorkMurray Hill, Manhattan2 NYC locations mappedGoogle Maps

What Reddit says363

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  • Second Ave Deli for matzo ball soup (best I’ve had - loads of carrots and fresh dill with chiffon like matzo ball) and center cut tongue sandwich.

    H3

  • 2nd Ave deli is always low stress and good vibes with excellent service. You’ll get delicious vinegar coleslaw and pickles to start, and while the pastrami is not as good as Katz’s it is still really solid.

    H3

  • replying to u/Growlersday: Thai Diner is a great lunch spot. Good luck getting a res at Four Horsemen. Maybe you could get a walk in as soon as they open, but it depends on party size. ESSENTIAL eating is Raku in East Village. It’s handmade udon. I’ve lived here for two years, work and eat in Michelin starred restaurants, and it’s still one of the best meals I’ve had in the city. They take reservations now, too. Favorite hot udon is the snow crab, favorite cold is the ja ja, and I always start with the monkfish liver. Anytime I have someone visiting, this is the first place I take them.

    Also, I prefer 2nd Ave Deli to Katz. Easier to get in, and they run their pastrami on a slicer instead of hand cutting so I feel it eats better.

    H3

  • 2nd Ave Deli is every bit as good as Katz’s without the notoriety and difficulty procuring your food. Pastrami is not thick sliced like Katz’s if that will be a deal breaker for you. Best matzo ball soup I’ve ever had.

    H3

  • I think the pastrami is pretty comparable, but the sandwich is not as big at 2nd Ave. Also, it’s kosher, so no pastrami reubens or anything. Still, it’s easier to get into and really delicious

    H3

  • Tongue is their best meat and in general, the prices are higher with a smaller portion as they're actually Kosher instead of kosher-style like the other two. If you prefer an in-between in terms of thickness with a bit more salt, I'd recommend this place if you don't mind paying more.

    H3