Katz's Deli Reviews

Make sure to go before 10am to avoid lines and wait after that it's still very worth it.
I know it's a pricey sandwich getting the pastrami on rye but it needs at least 2 and is worth it and you will tell with every bite.
After 12/1pm expect the kine to be down the block.
****HOLD ONTO YOUR TICKET THEY GIVE YOU EVEN IF YOU DON'T BUY ANYTHING, YOU WILL BE CHARGED IF YOU LOSE THE TICKET...****

Did you know that Katz's has the best bread pudding you'll ever have? Get it. It's not good, it's great.

The pastrami is great. Can't say the same for the roast beef. I'm not a fan of the way this place is run. The staff is a bit rude, though I'm not sure if that's done on purpose or not. Everything is expensive though. They'll even try to charge you $50 if you lose the ticket you get when you walk in the door, whether you buy something or not.

The corn beef on rye with mayo & mustard is my favorite and I love that they always give you a taste of your meat choice while they make your sandwich YUM and the pickles are an added bonus love it it's definitely worth the wait bon appetit

Everyone needs to experience Katz s Deli at least once. It s iconic, and a bit of a zany experience to boot. Line up outside, line up inside, other lines and find a table. Sounds like a long and daunting process, but it s actually faster than it looks, and kind of fun.

Once inside, you pick a line for a cutter . Tell the cutter what you re having and he ll slice it up. Get your ticket stamped, and move on to fries, slaw and drinks.

The pastrami on rye is excellent, as is the matzoh ball soup. Their unique take on the Reuben is also quite good. Be sure to crunch some pickles as well.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

When Harry met Sally I was just a kid. Now that I'm much older and used to eat almost daily at Katz's.. I understand how Meg ryan delivered such a great performance in this place! The pastrami and all the meat sandwiches are simply perfect, to die for! The sides are tasty as heck! Can't get enough! Its just a pleasure of the stomach, mind and soul. Not cheap, but has all the best quality. Years pass, and the service, friendly staff remains. They keep the same quality going on. One of the best classic places to visit...and to eat while in heaven! Katz..you are the best!

The pastrami remains outstanding. Don't eat a full sandwich at one sitting. It's two meals.

Just like you'd expect, the service is efficient, crass, and no one there really beats around the bush to make your food. Once it's on your plate and you're taking a bite of it, you can see just why Katz's is world-famous. The pastrami, hot dogs, fries - all of it - just to die for. Literally haven't had a pastrami sandwich that good in my entire life. Definitely need to go back - multiple times, after having experienced it for the first time.

Very crowded place with lots of tourist, expect a lineup and waiting. Amazing fresh hot pastrami! It's a big sandwich. Once you start you don't want to stop. There is no need to try anything else. Had a half brisket and it was too lean or dry. Definitely skip it and go straight to the pastrami.

Amazing food, really hit the spot especially having to wait sooo long for a table. If the food wasn t so yummy I would not have waited. The line is very long but it is organized.

$22.45 for a Pastrami sandwich with Half the meat it used to have and the steak fries looked like leftovers. Went there for the first time in Years and i'm NEVER GOING BACK! RIPOFF!!!

Katz's is capable of being awesome, with world-class pastrami, liver salami, and matzo ball soup.

Sadly we have yet to experience their world-class pastrami. I don't even think we got the B-team on this most recent trip, more like the C-team or D-team? It was that bad.

Definitely go early if you can, they get packed quick. Started the morning with two cutters open and long lines, then four, and it grew quickly from there.

Tourist trap. Stand in line, get your $24 dollar sandwich, wait 30 minutes to sit down while holding your tray with people saving seats and cutting in front of you. Eat your cold pastrami sandwich and your cold soup while sitting shoulder to shoulder in a dirty, cramped area. Go get in a line to pay...cash in the front of the store, credit somewhere else. Get rushed out as quickly as possible.

If you are the kind of person that likes spending New Year's Eve in Time Square, or loves Disney World in the peak months...then you will love this experience as well.

It's fine. Feels more like a tourist trap to me though. I enjoyed the pastrami but it wasn't life changing or anything. The Turkey was blah and the Cole Slaw was practically soup. Not worth the huge crowds (very long lines when we went on a Saturday with no place to sit). The extremely high prices were a surprise. I know its NYC but it was a hundred bucks to feed 4 people.

Amazing food but lines get unorganized and also too expensive

Great place to visit.
Must do when you visit NYC

Pastrami and corned beef did taste awesome. The whole atmosphere is so cool.

What a place to go and have something to eat. I had the pastrami sandwich and I am still thinking how good it tasted.

Visiting New York I wanted a memory and loving Corned beef and from Cleveland where Slyman s is KING we walked 10 miles and came to Katz s Where for whatever reason ordered a Pastrami not realizing that is their signature sandwich.. The experience from the minute you walk in the door is a one of a kind... The pastrami sandwich is hands down the best sandwich I ever had and it fed me, my son and wife... Katz s sums up NYC in one stop a true must experience... Think I will have an order sent to Ohio...

A old school deli.. With a pastrami to lick ur fingers.. A bit pricey but what do u expect in eaat village.. Dont come to nyc without trying this sandwich

Great food! You can't get a better sandwich but the paying system needs to go.

I paid $25 for a sandwich and a can of soda and wasn't upset about it. What more can you say. Absolutely lives up to the hype

If you watched the film "when Harry met Sally" you would want to eat here at least once. Katz is definitely cashing in on that craze. Ordering the sandwiches are an experience. And they are on the expensive side but like most patrons you can't finish the sandwich by yourself. So it's best shared if possible. The place is always packed so plan to wait a little. Also the ordering system is set up so you go to different counters for different items. All in all I would suggest coming here at least once so you have the experience and then exploring the many other awesome restaurants in NYC.

No frills, but has excellent sandwiches. Definitely stop by if you are in the area.

I ordered the pastrami every month for three months and i noticed ,The pastrami isn't the same anymore in comparison to three years ago.

The food was outstanding. This place runs like a well oiled machine. Big lines were no problem

If there is a wait it's worth it! The pastrami is so good you get every penny worth.

They say that you can't leave New York without eating a sandwich from Katz's. In particular, you must try their pastrami on rye. I was sceptical at first but I have absolutely no regrets. The long lines are worth it. The meats are moist, fresh, and delicious. Highly recommend.

I mean how can you ever go wrong with a German Jew NYC OLD SCHOOL DELI!!

The $22 pastrami sandwich is worth every single penny, a bit big for my appetite but it can be shared with your significant ones. We bought two sandwiches to go and the attendant was nice enough to let us know that they can bag the ingredients separately so you can enjoy it later!
We ended up eating them open faced and we had enough food to feed five people! It was my second time in this iconic place, first time was 41 years earlier! Worth the wait !

I m not fan of pastrami sandwich, but It was a good experience

Had to eat here on a visit to NY. We had a pastrami Ruben, and a pastrami sandwich. Both were incredible, and we should probably have shared one sandwich and ordered a side to share asking with it. These sandwiches are huge (also explains their higher price -if shared it's cheap).

We found the ticket system unusual, but actually really efficient and if it ain't broke...

We also went aware that this was the "Harry met Sally" diner so that was a pleasant bonus!

We saw this place on man vs food and when we visited from London we had to pop in. The food was lovely and certainly was an experience like no other. It was a very New York feeling diner and not just full of tourists . We went fairly early at 10 ish and it wasn't too busy. There's lots of amazing pictures on the walls. I would definitely recommend a visit if you're in town .

It never disappoints. Eating here really brings me back. Though it's more crowded than ever, decided on waiter service for the first time. So much less stress. Obviously the pastrami still rocks, the mazto ball soup kills and the knobwurst is what Evey hotdog wish it was.

The pastrami sandwich we ordered was excellent! It's worth the price!

The food was good but $20+ for a sandwich is just ain't right.

There's really nothing else that needs to be said about this place; the food is awesome. Can't believe it took me until my 7th trip to NY to try it. Tips; get there early, don't be put off by the queues, remember they'll wrap up what you can't eat (portions are huge) and make friends with the people sitting next to you. Loved it!

A must if you re in New York City. It s famous, excellent food and you won t find anything like this, anywhere else in the world!

Wonderful atmosphere
Cutter carves the pastrami with ease and it tasted better then I expected

Hands down this is the best Taste of New York had lots of memories there all good and The Taste will never be able to leave my memory

An absolute must while you're in New York is to eat a reubens sandwich!! But be prepared not to feel hungry for the rest of the week.

The best sandwich l 've had a long time, it was worth every dollar and the pastrami was excellent

Ordered pastrami and corned beef half half. Pretty good meat and sandwich. I really enjoy it! If you are a meat lover, this is a must go place.

Our last meal before leaving the city. The atmosphere was exactly what I hoped for in a New York City deli. The crowd was huge, the building was full, the sandwiches are LOADED and absolutely delicious. Glad we split it!

I have been going to Katz's Deli for 20 years for the pastrami and last night the pastrami was so tough and tasteless and not close to anything I ever ate in the 20 years. And me and my wife got sick from the meal. NEVER AGAIN. The ownership or the managemnet must of changed. They also had security both greeting at the door and walking the restaurant that you would expect at 3rd world country dictatorship. NEVER AGAIN. DISGUSTING FOOD!!!!!

Pricey but totally worth it! Go for the famous pastrami sandwich!

Although I am not a big fan of pastrami, i still got one since it s their signature sandwich and another with turkey. Half sandwiches are huge enough, i couldn t even fit the sandwich in my mouth so I had to bite the layers separately . But both sandwiches taste very good. Definitely worth a try. The whole place is very lively and you get to see them making your sandwich from the start when they pull the meat out to the end when it s being packed.

Sandwiches are gigantic so I always share with my friend. I like to go there at night. It s much quieter than daytime!

Katz has been around since forever!!! It in my opinion has the best pastrami in the world. I'm from NY where Katz is located. I now live in Maryland and I have to go to Katz whenever I can.!!! You will not be disappointed! They also sell corned beef and other great items. Check it out!!!!

The place to go... delicious, delightful, and crazy busy...worth every penny! Mainly a cash place but accepts credit cards

Very interesting place, the meat tastes good but it is a bit pricey.
Recommended to go just to visit it.

Went to Katz while in NY since it is famous. Sandwiches were good, but over priced. Tried some NY cheesecake, but it didn't taste like cheesecake to me. They were busy.

Absolutely amazing sandwiches. Expect to pay but the meat is cut up off a huge hunk of meat right in front of you. The meat is served warm and is custom made. You wont leave hungry with the portions either. I wasnt crazy about the macaroni or potato salad. They weren't bad just not on the same level as the sandwich.

Also there is a doorman there that gives you a ticket. You cannot leave unless you give the ticket back after you pay. You can pay at the counter or at the exit. The rules seem a bit strict but I'm sure plenty of people "accidentally" try not to pay.

Great place, definitely worth a look and a taste!

This was the first time my wife and I have tried pastrami and it was AMAZING!!!!! Life changing experience. Kudos to the cutters. Although, not an entirely thankless job, as the may just make about $40/hour in tips alone... They are the the heart and soul of this place and keep it running efficiently and deliciously.

Not as great as it once was..but still one of the better place to get a old NY style pastrami sandwich.

Definitely a great spot! The pastrami sandwich was really good! Matzo ball soup was good as well, but for the prices, definitely not worth it! Overpriced tourist trap!

I've been a fan of Katz for more years then I'd care to admit but can you spell "Over Hyped"? Their sandwiches are just okay, their food is pricey, lines are too long, the place is dingy and it definitely not worth all the hassle.

There are better pastrami sandwiches in NYC, Brooklyn, and NJ. And they serve better sandwiches at the Kosher Nosh in Glen Rock, NJ.

Just Sayin

They have really good deli. I especially like the pastrami but I thing that the prices are for been in a TV show and not the real value of their food.

I had sticker shock initially when I saw the price of the pastrami sandwich, but I assure that it's far better than any other pastrami I've had. If you want, you can split with a friend and still have a satisfying lunch. Though it looked really crowded when my group walked in, we found a seat and got our food really fast. This should be atop your list if your visiting this part of NYC.

As a 24-hour deli, Katz has been busy. It not only attracts tourists from all over the world, also a popular destination for local people. The sandwich here is special, it gives you two pieces sandwich-like breads and lots of meat, then to combine them yourself. quite interesting.

There aren't enough stars for how incredible Katz's is.. If you need a review to know whether you should go to the best deli in the world... I just can't help you!

A classic place for a pastrami Sandwich, if you want to go, try to arrive between 9:00-11:00

Best best best best absolutely the best PASTRAMI sandwich on the planet. Well at the the parts that i have visited. I have been to delis everywhere and there is a reason they come and go or stay in the same spot for 100 years. Reason? BEST BEST BEST PASTRAMI SANDWICH ON THE PLANET

Amazing wasn't a long wait even though they are really busy all the time! Tip: Don't wait for a table just go for the open seating in the back.

Sandwiches to die for (you may literally die after eating so much meat at one time) but the prices are pretty insane. I've never paid $26 for a sandwich, but the place is definitely an experience and well worth a visit. Good beers too, and the staff were surprisingly polite and friendly.

Food amazing and the people there are so welcoming! Best wait for food EVER!!!!

Katz's was loud, Crowded, and I had the corn beef due to st patty's weekend. But I had to RIp it apart. Alot if fat. Pickles were great price was over priced. but what isn't in new York city. Won't go there again.

It was EVERYTHING its been hyped up to be! Legendary NY deli that offers huge food. Impossible to make better pastrami. Staff was friendly and accommodating. So glad we made this a part of our NY trip. The BEST.

Love this place especially their pastrami sandwich OMG pricey as hell but good you can feed 5 people off that sandwich.

No joke, best pastrami sandwich I've ever had. Haven't had one like it since.

Great and biiiiiiiig sandwiches, if you like pastrami this is your place.
Good.- a classic of NYC, this place was founded in 1885, there is a lot of history in the walls and in the sandwiches!
Bad.- little bit expensive and only accept cash

An incredible deli with a huge his and fabulous food

This place can not be shut down ever! Expensive but so good and can be shared because they give you sooo much meat! Seriously one of the best delis in the world. Pastrami on rye is like nothing you ever thought of having... don t lose that ticket!! If you are going to get pickled items get the ones that aren t new in the container... they will pick them thru. Also, the pickled tomatoes was the first time I have ever tried them and boy was it delicious

Some guys cut the meat better then others so be cautious in who you pick and remember the face you will be back it s so worth it regardless or the line or price

A bit expensive but a place that is definitely worth the price. Staff are very upbeat and friendly.

Too expensive and too crowded, yet also entirely worth it.