After the original 2nd Ave deli went away (now it'...

After the original 2nd Ave deli went away (now it's back in a new form), Katz's and Carnegie became the two remaining super traditional Jewish delis in Manhattan. Katz's sandwiches are consistently good and the quality of their meat is great. The only downside is the traditional "cafeteria ticket" format, where you have to take a ticket when you come in, you wait in what are usually extremely long and rowdy lines to get your sandwich, you wait in another line to get any sides or drinks you want, then you have to find a table, and finally you pay when you go out. This can be super chaotic and overwhelming for people, especially given how many tourists are usually there and how many of them don't understand the ticket system, but it is a "true city deli experience" that will get you an amazing sandwich in the end. They do have a small number of waiter service tables on the left side of the room where you don't have to deal with the tickets and the crazy crowds but those are usually full and require a wait. If you are scared off by the big crowds and the counter/ticket experience then go to Carnegie.