Katz’s Delicatessen is one of New York City’s most famous restaurants, but its enormous reputation raises a fair question: Is Katz’s Deli really worth the crowds, the wait, and the premium price? You scrolled for an answer and trusted my site to give it to you. Is Katz’s Deli worth the wait? Yes, yes, yes. You may ask why. Well, it is simple: hands down, it may be the most delicious pastrami sandwich you have ever tasted. Why? Because of how they prepare the meat, the time and effort they put into it, and the quality of the final product. Nobody does what they do to their meat. It is also a huge sandwich. The hand-carved pastrami, old-school ordering system, historic dining room, and unmistakable Lower East Side atmosphere make Katz’s far more than a tourist stop. If you want to know more about this iconic New York delicatessen, read on.
Katz’s Delicatessen. Photo: Brian Kachejian 2017
There are thousands of reasons to visit New York City. At the top of that list stands perhaps the most important one: the food. New York City offers the best of everything. Every culture and ethnic group is represented throughout the city’s five boroughs. However, certain foods are just pure New York. In every borough, from Manhattan through Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and outward toward Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, the glory of the New York delicatessen stands in service to millions of hungry New Yorkers. New York delis do much of their business during breakfast and lunch. Bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll for breakfast, followed by almost any meat you can think of on almost any type of bread for lunch.
There are many more options, but those are the mainstays of the New York deli diet. Many neighborhood delis close by five or six in the afternoon. New York delicatessens are not traditionally dinner places. Of course, there are exceptions, especially in Manhattan, where many delis stay open late into the evening, just like almost everything else in the city that never sleeps.
I am one of those New Yorkers who eats at delis almost daily. I usually visit my neighborhood bagel store or deli in the morning for breakfast, and I often get lunch there as well. On Long Island, nearly every town has at least one delicatessen. They are plentiful, and despite many closing because of high rents, there are still enough to support the New Yorker’s diet.
As popular as delis are in the New York area, most are known primarily within the neighborhoods they serve. However, there is one delicatessen in New York City that is famous around the world. Yes, Katz’s is a tourist destination, but it does not serve tourist food. Katz’s Delicatessen stands head and shoulders above most delicatessens in the quality of its pastrami and corned beef sandwiches. There are other great places in New York that serve amazing pastrami, but Katz’s remains my favorite. It is also expensive. Nonetheless, you get what you pay for, and a Katz’s Delicatessen sandwich is worth every penny.
Katz’s Delicatessen viewed from across Houston Street. Photo: Brian Kachejian 2017
What to Expect When You Arrive at Katz’s
Katz’s Delicatessen is a busy place. It is located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side at 205 East Houston Street, at the corner of Ludlow Street. The restaurant is a short walk from the Second Avenue station or the Delancey Street-Essex Street subway complex. Katz’s is also within walking distance of Little Italy and Chinatown.
Once you enter Katz’s Delicatessen, you are greeted by an attendant who directs you toward the ordering area. You are either seated for table service or sent toward a series of counter lines. The attendant hands you a ticket that is marked as you order and collected when you pay, before you leave. Do not lose that ticket. At first, the system can feel daunting because the restaurant is often packed, but the staff is organized and equipped to move people through faster than you might expect when you first see the crowd.
A long counter contains separate lines for the cutters who prepare the sandwiches by hand. There may also be separate stations for side dishes and beverages. It can be frustrating to wait in multiple lines when you want fries, a sandwich, and a drink. If you are there with someone else, you can divide the work. When I am by myself, I usually order the sandwich and skip the extra lines.
Katz’s Delicatessen dining room. Photo: Brian Kachejian
View from the cutter line at Katz’s Delicatessen. Photo: Brian Kachejian
Why the Katz’s Pastrami Sandwich Is Worth It
The other reason I usually skip the French fries and soda lines is the sandwich’s price. The signature sandwich, and the main reason for visiting Katz’s Delicatessen, is the Katz’s pastrami sandwich. If you are a tourist or simply cannot get there often, that is what you must order. Why? It may be the best pastrami sandwich you have ever eaten. Katz’s local menu currently lists the sandwich at $28.95, but once you taste it, the price becomes much easier to understand.
You are getting a heavily stuffed sandwich filled with meat that Katz’s says can take up to 30 days to cure, compared with commercially prepared meat that may be pressure-cured in about 36 hours. This is not just a promotional talking point; you can taste the difference. It is a fantastic sandwich. The meat is incredibly tender and easy to chew. The pastrami is graced with just the right amount of spice, and the quality of the beef is obvious. It simply does not get much better. The sandwich also comes with full-sour and half-sour pickles whose garlicky brine will transport you to pickle heaven, a place where no pickle is left uneaten. You will understand once you take your first bite.
Katz’s Delicatessen pastrami sandwich. Photo: Brian Kachejian
Sitting on a bench across the street from Katz’s Delicatessen and holding my pastrami sandwich up in tribute to its greatness. Photo: Brian Kachejian
Katz’s Delicatessen pickles. Photo: Brian Kachejian
Katz’s Delicatessen offers an extensive menu of classic New York delicatessen food. Its brisket is to die for, and the matzo ball soup is the best I have ever had. If you are going there only once, order the pastrami. If you are going back, which you will probably want to do, everything else on the menu is also delicious.
Katz’s Delicatessen in Movies and Popular Culture
A great deal of history has taken place at Katz’s Delicatessen. Many people know it as the restaurant where the famous Meg Ryan scene from When Harry Met Sally was filmed. However, many other motion pictures have filmed scenes at Katz’s, including the Beatles-themed film Across the Universe, Disney’s Enchanted, starring Amy Adams, and the Mafia film Donnie Brasco, starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. My brother worked on that film and played Johnny Depp’s double. Boy, does he have some stories.
Katz’s Delicatessen History
When visiting Katz’s Delicatessen, you will see signs stating that the deli has been serving New Yorkers since 1888. It began that year as Iceland Brothers, a small delicatessen on Ludlow Street. Willy Katz joined the business in 1903, and the name became Iceland & Katz. Willy’s cousin Benny joined him in 1910, and the two eventually bought out the Iceland brothers, officially creating Katz’s Delicatessen. Harry Tarowsky joined the partnership in 1917.
The business moved across the street to its present location during construction of the subway system. According to Katz’s official history, the Houston Street lot held barrels of meat and pickles before the present storefront facade was completed between 1946 and 1949. Ownership changed across generations, but Katz’s remained closely connected to the families and neighborhood that built it.
During World War II, the owners sent food to their sons serving in the armed forces, inspiring the famous slogan, “Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army.” The restaurant also became a gathering place for actors, singers, comedians, immigrants, workers, and neighborhood families from the Lower East Side and the nearby Yiddish theater district.
The once-proud neighborhoods of New York City have changed dramatically over the past several decades. High real estate values and uncontrollable rent increases have overwhelmed many of the mom-and-pop shops that once lined every street. National chains have replaced far too many places that offered real New York City food and personality. Katz’s Delicatessen is one of the great surviving restaurants from another era. It defines the history of New York City in countless ways. My father, who was born and raised on 29th Street, always said that New York had the best of everything. Katz’s Delicatessen proves him right.
Katz’s Delicatessen sign. Photo: Brian Kachejian
Katz’s Delicatessen. Photo: Brian Kachejian
Final Verdict: Is Katz’s Deli Worth the Wait?
Yes. Katz’s is crowded, expensive, noisy, and sometimes confusing for a first-time visitor. It is also one of the few world-famous New York restaurants whose signature food still justifies the reputation. The pastrami is tender, deeply seasoned, generously portioned, and unlike the mass-produced deli meat served almost everywhere else. The history and atmosphere are bonuses, but the sandwich remains the reason to go.
Readers interested in the larger forces that reshaped New York and its surrounding communities can also read our article on Robert Moses.
Updated July 20, 2026.
