Carnegie Deli

I’m basing my review just on dessert. We ordered a slice of cheesecake and a slice of banana cream pie. They tasted like freezer burn. Definitely not fresh. I was also surprised by the small portion.

Thank god this place is back!!! New York needs their mile-​high corned beef sandwiches and that excellent matzoh ball soup. One of my all time favorites. Welcome back, Carnegie Deli ;-)

Tourist trap. Introducing my nephew to NYC deli scene. A hike to Katz or Sarge’s would have proved better all around. Midday inexcusable you are out of any items. Waiter jokes got old and confusing (are you serious or joking?) and food was strictly average. The only thing above average was the typical mid-​town prices. At least The Dude was in great lunchtime company and everyone mostly enjoyed their NYC deli experience.

Love this place! The pastrami is always on point and the sides are huge. I think it’s more so the experience of being in NYC and all that comes with it that makes this place great. If I lived there I might find better and cheaper for sure. I always make it a stop when in NYC.

Overall I do not recommend Carnegie Deli and honestly don’t understand the hype.
PROS:
The line outside that goes almost down the block moves quickly
You can order take out without waiting in the line
The hostess was polite and did an excellent job seating people
CONS:
The tables are tiny inside and right next to each other so you feel like you are eating with complete strangers.
Our waitress was unresponsive and took almost 10 minutes to bring my bottled water, when I asked about it she in an annoyed tone said she already put in the order for my water… (could she not just grab the bottle?)
The food was not good at all, after reading reviews on here and since I was going with a group I knew to order something that could not be messed up so I ordered an omelette it was terrible. The eggs seem like they were cooked in oil instead of butter and it had no flavor at all.
If you order the pastrami sandwich and maybe the cheesecake and are willing to pay the up charge for TONS of meat on tiny pieces of bread then this place would earn three stars but I am sure there are better deli options in NYC

If it were possible to give 0 stars … I would. Went with my husband and 2 girlfriends as my girlfriend had been before and raved about it. Worst service I have ever seen. Short story… waiter wouldn’t bring us water or take our order. He served and brought out beverages and food to people sitting next to us (literally next to us as you share tables with strangers) that sat down 10+ minutes after us. I asked him a question about the food and his response was that he doesn’t have time to answer my question and he won’t talk to us until we know what we want to order. We finally got our food and went to order a cheesecake. He brings that and a check without getting the rest of our party’s dessert order. After asking the hostess to get him. and him literally ignoring us, order a chocolate cheesecake. He brings out a Hershey moose cake. We complain and He tells us they have no chocolate cheesecake. The manager confirmed to us this is not true. The waiter took their food to box it up. When we were leaving we asked where our food was to the manager (bc he said we had to talk to the manager as he would no longer serve us) to find out the waiter threw it in the garbage. I could write a book with how much this place sucked. Sooooo overpriced ($ 20 starting price for one sandwich and they charge you $ 3 if you share) food was average, worst service ever. Will never return.

This place is a pretender to the throne. Its history and reputation beg for your attention, and your reward? A paltry sandwich, on wimpy white bread, the meat dry and flavorless, the texture of frayed denim. The cost? The better part of a $ 20 bill.
Throw your name in with the greats. Do not settle. Take the train, go downtown to the One True Purveyor of New York Pastrami: Katz’s.

Doesn’t necessarily live up to all the hype, but I don’t regret going just to check it off the list. I shared the hot pastrami with my friend which was plenty, but it didn’t come with any sides. Eccentric staff and cheap seating with a long line.

I rarely come to this place– This is the tourist hot spot– But when my friend comes down here with her dad this is the first place we eat at.
The sandwiches are huge! No matter how you look at it. The jam pack everything in there for you. The serve sour and crispy pickles. WHICH I LOVE!
My favorite item is the Matzo ball soup! This is a must have. Super amazing!
Just don’t go to hungry because you will become hangry! The lines are about 30 mins to an hour wait.
But you must go! It’s that good it’s worth waiting.

I come here solely for the pastrami sandwich and the pastrami sandwich only. I will travel from jersey city all the way to midtown just for this when I’m craving. The sandwich itself seems a bit exorbitant. I usually buy 2 and it’ll come up to about almost $ 40. A lot for a sandwich right?! The thing is though, the meat is piled on sooooo high that you’re able to make quite a few sandwiches out of just one order. I’ll bring the extra meat home and can eat it the next day. The pastrami is so warm and tasty. It’s so simple but delicious. They come with complimentary pickles. The garlic pickles are the best!
I never have an issue with the wait as I usually come after hours just to pick up and take out. I do recommend for you to bring cash. They’re a little old school.

Nos tocó hacer cola un rato pero bien, pedimos el famoso sándwich de pastrami, a mi me gustó mucho pero dicen que el reuben pastrami es mejor, la tarta de queso es un puntazo y las raciones siempre para compartir, lo único que no me gustó es que nos cobraron 3 $ más por pedir para compartir. Por lo demás todo muy bien.

I really didn’t feel like this place lived up to its reputation. Yes, there have been a ton of famous people that have eaten here. Other than that, it wasn’t worth it.
There was a huge line down the street at noon on a Saturday. If you want to skip the line, you can just walk in and order your food to go. Definitely take advantage of this option!
The food seemed incredibly overpriced. The «cheap» sandwiches are $ 15. Some of them go up to $ 30. We were surprised when we opened our to go package in the park; all you get is a huge pile of meat on bread. They don’t add any extra fixings. They provide pickles and mustard on the side, which you can choose to add to your sandwich. Other than that, you have a very plain, very dry sandwich.
They do have an impressive pie selection. We ordered a piece to go ($ 10/​slice). It was pretty good!
Even though it’s well known, this is a place worth skipping as you tour Manhattan.

We had to stand in line for about 30 – 35 minutes on a Friday afternoon at 2:30pm, in the rain, but it was worth it. I don’t understand how anyone can give it less than 4 stars. The ambience is typical New York. Our server was efficient if not exactly friendly. But the food was nothing short of spectacular. We shared a Woody Allen ($ 3 charge for an extra plate) and it was delicious beyond words. The corned beef is so tender you don’t even need to chew. The pastrami is smoky and very flavorful. The best I ever had. The cole slaw was the best I ever had. Just perfect. The plain cheesecake to top it all off was the best I ever had. This is a must-​eat, but be ready for a line.

Was in town on business and went to Carnegie Deli with coworkers. The first night I tried this restaurant was with a Jewish fellow who insisted on doing deli while in NYC. I couldn’t blame him, given the city’s reputation for deli. I myself was curious how this would compare to the delis of Montréal.
Deli one night is good and well, but deli two nights might spell trouble. Such was our fate, as on the following night a second coworker joined us in the city, and he wanted to do deli! So, I ended up eating massive portions here, two nights in a row. That’s a sure way to stamp out breakfast and lunch for the following day, but I digress.
OK, so enough background story and on to the review. First things first, there’s a perpetual line at the door, so you’re going to have to wait for a table, whenever you go. Don’t cut (as I witnessed several people do), because New Yorkers are feisty and will confront you. Bypass the line by doing takeout. There seems to be a dinner rush around the evening showtimes in the theatre district, so keep that in mind while visiting.
Here’s the most important part of this review: the food. First night I ordered a hot pastrami sandwich solo (e.g. a huge $ 20 sandwich for me; did not share). Second night, I split the Rueben with a coworker (a bigger $ 30 sandwich, add a $ 3 sharing fee).
Of all deli items eaten, I definitely preferred the hot pastrami sandwich over the Rueben (corn beef). The pastrami was well proportioned between lean and fat, served hot, on toasted white bread and with spicy mustard at arm’s reach, serving me a reminder that simplicity can be genius! It was a massive sandwich for a man with a massive appetite, and I was ready to meet that challenge (finished the whole thing). Now in my opinion, the Rueben was so big it no longer qualified as a sandwich and perhaps the Rueben’s sheer size detracted from my second meal, along with the excessive slather of swiss cheese and Russian dressing, which confounded my palate and compromised my enjoyment of the corn beef itself. C’mon, a pound of corn beef on two pieces of bread that you eat with a knife and fork is not a sandwich. In the end, I just wasn’t that into the Rueben, but that’s not to say others wouldn’t enjoy it; don’t let my preferences limit yours!
On the second night, for dessert I got a slice of New York cheesecake. While I am a cheesecake purist as I am a pizza purist, I deviated from my normal routine for a very good reason: when in New York, do as New Yorkers. And New Yorkers get cherry cheesecake, so that’s what I did. Wow, it was great. Silky smooth filling, a delectable crust, and tangy sweet cherry topping was a perfect end to my monster meal at Carnegie deli. Highly recommend the cheesecake!
Carnegie deli was great deli, but not the best deli I’ve ever had. While the pastrami here was better than any pastrami I ate in Montréal, it was not as good as Schamltz deli (Naperville, IL). But if you’re in NYC and haven’t done deli in the city, you should go here for sure. Remember, there’s a line so be prepared, order a sandwich over $ 30 only if you have backup (1+ friend) or a penchant for leftovers. Do try the pastrami, the cheesecake, and matzo ball soup that’s shapely enough to fill a bathing suit! Again, Carnegie is great deli and well worth your visit.

I really wasn’t impressed with this place
Paid nearly 15 bucks for 2 slices of white bread and some Chicken mayo in it, tea ordered was a tiny cup and less than standard with taste
Came out feeing hungry and lighter in the wallet
The walls are adorned with hundreds of signed photos of celebrities which is interesting … Just not enough to make my terrible food any better

Very nice place ! Wonderful, tasty and big portions ! Good value for money !
The pastrami and corn beef are their specialities. They also have wonderful cheese cake. I tried the famous mix omelette with born cornbeef and pastrami, very big portion and good price !

si tomamos en cuenta que estuvimos formados casi una hora, que compartimos mesa con desconocidos y que el servicio no es el mejor del mundo… la comida no es nada impresionante, está bien para no quedarte con las ganas pero si de verdad quieres probarlo lo mejor es el take out order!

Considering how long the wait is, the payoff really depends on what you order. Two people I was with ordered the Pastrami and thought it was definitely worth the wait. Indeed, the meat and rye bread were quite good.
Unfortunately I was very unimpressed with the Turkey Club that I shared. Absolutely nothing special and the turkey was tasteless.
However, the strawberry cheesecake was absolutely amazing. Also, the server that we got was actually quite nice contrastive to the complaints of bad service that I see from other reviews.
Overall, it definitely seems like a place geared towards tourists… sandwiches are overpriced honestly, but the cheesecake is worth the price in my opinion.

Midtown Manhattan’s most famous deli is the Carnegie Deli around the corner from its namesake — Carnegie Hall. It’s been a popular all-​day and evening spot for decades. Just be prepared to wait in a line to get in. They claim to have the world’s best pastrami and corned beef. I can’t say that but I do know their pastrami or corned beef sandwiches are very huge — almost too much for anyone to eat at one seating. Less successful is when these meats are mixed with something else like eggs. I had a corned beef and egg sandwich and could not really taste the corned beef. Adding a few slices of corned beef to this concoction would have helped make this sandwich tastier. A potato pancake was decent enough but nothing extra as were the complementary pickles. Service was serviceable. Atmosphere is old-​fashioned deli. And that is the Carnegie Deli!

Originally rated the MSG Location now this is for the Original on 7^th ave. got in just before Lunch crowd this Past Tuesday and still sit with whoever they put you with on these elongated table with no space between you and the other parties. Told our waitress was «TONG» who showed up to take our order as other persons were than put on top of us even though there was plenty of room elsewhere in the place.
Moving on asked for lime in my seltzer got lemon. Asked for lemon in diet coke got Lime :(Ordered Patrami for myself $ 19.99 ABSOLUTELY HUGE PORTION … while my dining companion simply wanted a Potato Knish. a few pickles in a silver tin were placed on table 3 to be exact and the people next to us weren’t sure if they were «COMMUNITY PICKLES» or ours. Poorly done!
Pastrami huge, tasty amazing while $ 19.99 for a sandwich not for the faint of heart it was delicious. the $ 8.95 Knish was good but not as good as the MSG location. Bill comes and there is a $ 3.00 sharing charge. when I asked she said «YOU SPLIT SANDWICH». Who the F*** are you to tell me I can’t give ½ my sandwich to my date. she ordered something it wasn’t as if that was all we ordered … and we didn’t ask you to split it or bring us an extra plate… OF ALL THE NERVE.
In Short don’t try to stick a split charge on me. if I’m ordering two items for 2 people, I can share my sandwich with whoever I want. Service terrible as I get to cashier and try to pay with CC and told no Server has to take CC cash only at cashier WTF… I paid cash just to get out of there.
POORLY RUN — Terrible service — people on top of you during dining. GREAT TASTING PASTRAMI ASIDE which you can get many places, this tourist trap after the $ 20.00 parking charge down the street to get here will not see me again. NEXT! Not sure why they were closed for like 6 months recently but they should have stayed Closed.

I remember being 8 and having the kid’s hot dog because it was that good. Well went back now at 20 and shared breakfast with my mother. Are we crazy for not getting a sandwich? Yeah, probably. But, this place is so much more than sandwiches/​cheesecake.
THE PLACE: You’re gonna wait. Period. Once you get in, you’re sat uncomfortably close to other diners, just try not to make eye contact. Or, end up chatting with your new neighbors the whole time like I did. Take some selfies, look at the walls, you’re in Carnegie Deli after all you tourist. Honestly, the food is so good I would be here once a week if I could.
THE FOOD: Eggs, bacon, fries, toast, wine in a plastic container, french toast and pancakes with a bowl of Aunt Jemima syrup to pour on top. We got out for around $ 50 and for the amount of food it’s worth it. Also, shout out to our server Wayne, it’s not easy to be nice and funny without coming off pushy, cheesy or just creepy, but you sir brightened our day. Even after my mother overstayed our welcome by a good 30 minutes, when we were asked to leave we were asked in a very polite way. Great food, great staff

Long lines in a restaurant normally is a good indicator that the place is really good.
So we braved the wait to experience the «World’s Best Pastrami» — and not saying that I’m a pastrami connoussuire, but…*IT.WAS.REALLY.GOOD! (*see note below)
So why the 3 stars? Well the food is definitely a 4.5 but I had to average it out for the service and price.
For a well known restaurant with decades and decades of experience… I was anticipating a very efficient service but experienced the the total opposite. The staff seems like they just started working, you can see the frustration from other customers and the manager/​owner as well. It took almost 15 mins after we go seated for our server to talk to us (his area seems to be really busy).
Another thing that gets me was the $ 3 charge for «sharing» — which is basically a punishment for not ordering your own food.
*Pastrami was really good – but not for $ 20.

Pastrami, corned beef, cheesecake.
That is all.
Ok, since I’m sure Unilocal will tell me to elaborate, I’ll put a little more effort into it, but really, if you stick to those 3 things above, you won’t be disappointed.
Wayne, our waiter, from the get go told us that is what they are famous for and that is what he recommended. I love the no BS service we get here in NY.
I got the pastrami, my friend got the corned beef, or you can be like my cousin, and order the sandwich that comes with both. Why choose, right? Sure, it can feed about 4 people, or 2 if you’re starving, but don’t let the size of it scare you. It’s absolutely delicious. Both meats are tender and juicy with tons of flavor. So much so, there isn’t anything on those sandwiches but meat and bread. Add a little brown mustard at the table and you are good to go!
The hubby got the knish with pastrami and it could feed an army. It’s super rich, since it’s covered with Swiss cheese, but it’s hearty and will be good enough for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Just do it. Thank me later.
The place was packed, the wait was 30 min (seemed longer in 30 degree weather) but once inside, we knew it was well worth the wait.

Best Pastrami! Un lugar que no se puede dejar de visitar! La sopa es exquisita! Y una de las mejores cheescakes q probé!

Really upset they’re closed. 1 of the best pastrami on rye in ny. Pay your gas bill like everyone else amd you might not be closed

I know it’s closed at the moment, but I’m writing based on three experiences (all, unfortunately, visits by out-​of-​town friends who had heard of it and insisted on going).
Yes, this was probably a great deli at some time… in history. But they’ve been coasting on reputation ever since. What you will get is a GIANT sandwich with a thick pile of deli meat that will definitely shock you with its size, and possibly inspire an Instagram picture.
However, the sandwich will simply be a tremendous quantity of «not good.» And you’ll be paying twice what you could pay at another restaurant for something that IS good. See the disconnect?
Add to that rude staff and inexplicably long lines/​waits (of unsuspecting tourists). I just can’t comprehend how anyone still writes this place up in guidebooks.
One additional note: since they’ve been closed they’ve had a notice in their window talking about upgrades they’re making to the restaurant. Those «upgrades» are, supposedly, the reason they’re closed. However, if you Google Carnegie Deli and gas hookup you will see that they had actually altered their hookups to steal gas. The city forced them to shut down as a result.
In summary, speaking as a NY’er who lives in the neighborhood of this deli, I strongly recommend that you explore any of the HUNDREDS of far far better and more reasonably priced restaurants our city has to offer.
You’ve been warned.

I came here with my friends who visited me in the city in the summer of 2014. It was more of a tourist visit than anything. As we entered, we enjoyed the décor (the celebrity photos and the signatures) and the atmosphere. We each ordered one Pastrami sandwich, and I was going to order some salad too but thank god that I decided not to! The sandwich was so big and it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be especially considering that it’s their signature dish. I could barely finish half and I took the rest to go.
I guess you come here for the history, but I just don’t like their food.

Had the Woody Allen (pastrami and corned beef) and a couple of latkes. Sandwich super large, about 2 lbs or so. Tasty pretty darn good, salty, pickled, beef goodness. A taste of home. But the latkes had much less flavor, not even very potatoy. I would choose Cincinnati’s own Izzy Cadetz over the Carnegie. Service was adequate for a deli and the restaurant was clean @4am amid construction. Will compare with Katz’s and make a choice.

Absolutely wonderful. Huge amount of food for the price.
This is the best sandwich place I’ve ever been to.

Many car crashes happen right in front of this legendary Times Square deli. It should be named «Carnage Deli.» Is it the delicious pastrami smell? The naked cowboy and naked dancer girls along Broadway? What is causing the accidents? Is it cause they like my gangster walk? Come to think of it, it has to be the shocking prices at this deli. You will pay 15 – 20 for a sandwich the size of Manhattan here. No half orders. No small orders. I know. Disgusting. And yet here I am giving it a 5 star rating. I feel like such a tourist. Please, steal my bun-​bag, swipe my camera, and call me Haruto.
What to get: thinly-​sliced Pastrami
What to expect: thinly-​veiled aggressive nature from servers
What to enjoy: thinly-​judged but thickly-​felt piece of British sausage tonight
Tip: Currently closed but should reopen soon. Maybe the Katz owner arranged that ;)
You can’t talk about Carnegie without talking about Cats. Starlight and My Son are so adorable. They totally melt my heart. And you know w… oh wait. I meant Katz. Katz’s Deli is the main crosstown (or further towards down-​town) rival of Carnegie, and they are the best 2 delis I’ve tried on Manhattan Island. So let’s discuss the two.
What they have in common:
They make incredible Corned Beef and Pastrami. Some of the best deli sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. They’re so good, that literally any tourist coming to NYC, even on a budget, should come and try one or both. I can’t imagine better Smoked Meat anywhere in the world. Montréal’s Schwartz’s is close, Cleveland’s Corky And Lenny’s is good, and LA’s Arry’s Superburger Pastrami is right up there. But these two are probably the best in the country.
If you come here to practice amateur witchcraft, then it’s «Car-​ouija Deli.» And yes that rhymes, genius.
They’re both designed to rip tourists off. Their full size sandwiches are massive, and will fill 2 or 3 hungry people. But they will cost you nearly $ 20. No half orders. Absolutely insane. Sad, but true. Worth it, if you’ve never tried them before or are craving one. But as a regular traveler to NYC, I often find myself skipping my beloved Katz and Carnegie, purely because of the cost.
If you leave meat in the back alley for weeks, it becomes Carnegie Smelly, which provides me with the most primaryschoolian (yes that’s a word now) joke I’ve used in awhile. Arguably.
What is different about both places:
At Carnegie, I’ve only ever had bad service. Katz is better, but no more free samples and the owner was not nice to me (yes, the famous owner), so I’d say they’re kind of even in these stakes. The Carnegie staff just act like they don’t want to be there. It’s okay, I’m only paying you $ 20 for something that would cost me $ 8 anywhere else in the country. Go ahead and treat me like sh**. No wonder this place has such bad reviews. But the food is damn amazing.
If you saw this on food network, and don’t want to make the investment, then just say Carnegie Telly and call it even.
Similarly, if I rated on price and value, they’d score a 1. Prices are insane. Not serving half-​orders is a blatant, disgusting, tourist-​squeezing money-​making tactic. Ugly. Absolutely ugly. And greedy. I can’t say enough nasty remarks about it. Also, Katz do not give you as much meat as Carnegie. I’d estimate a Carnegie sandwich, for the same price (ish) has roughly 30% more meat on it. But this isn’t really a big factor, since both sandwiches are way too big anyway.
If you run into Frankenstein here, you’re at Carnegie Mary Shelley. I’m glad it’s not the Tuskeegee Deli otherwise they’d do Syphilis experiments on you while you eat. And that is not funny.
Also, Carnegie looks a bit fancier on the inside, but Katz has funner-​er décor, a better NYC feel, and better history. When it comes to the taste, I can’t really separate the two. But know going in, service may suck, it’s a tourist trap, and you’re going to get ripped off. Also, if you’re at Carnegie, ask for for extra-​thin-​sliced. It seems to make it juicier for some reason.
If you see a big Italian Black guy (yes, both Italian and Black) shooting fireworks off in the bathroom with some random supermodel, then you’re at Carnegie Balotelli.
So stop by Carnegie and Katz and see for yourself which one you like better. I’m not a big fan of Stage or Sarge’s or 2^nd Ave, by comparison. All have similar prices but the product doesn’t quite taste as good. I’m always at war as to which one is better and right now I’m leaning towards Katz. But if you go to Brooklyn you can get a much cheaper and equally delicious version at David’s Brisket.
Now you’re all full, you should have a swollen Carnegie Belly. If it feels Hot n Herre blame Carnegie Nelly. Your friends wish they could have gone there with you, they’re Carnegie Jelly. But now you’re broke you’ll need to sell drugs to afford transportation home, so here’s some happy pills, go to a rave and Carnegie Sell-​E.
And one more thing. May I put my oversized corned beef in your Carnegie Hall?

Le Carnegie Deli est présentement fermé pour rénovations. Je m’y suis présentée vu que rien n’était indiqué sur Unilocal et qu’on m’avait fortement recommandé d’y aller. Un peu déçue que ça né soit pas inscrit sur le site.

Better than can be described! The hype is true and authentic New York food always wins.
We came during the week and had only a short wait– while we enjoyed admiring the amazing salads and take away food.
The service is all about volume and getting you in & out. The pickles are great and we devoured the hugest sandwich ever! Of course we get the Ruben with the melted Swiss & thousand island on the side. The dressing was tangy and thick to accompany this endless pile of thinly sliced deli delicacy. The potato salad is chunky and filling and is advise to skip it & save room for dessert.
The tables are so close together you have to talk to other people– we learn our table neighbors came to carnegies literally 5 days in a row while vacationing. They raved about the cheesecake but we were too full!

I’ve been there three times and I absolutely love this place. You should all just go and eat their pastrami sandwich — you could split it with a friend because it’s really huge! And save some space for their famous cheesecake!

We have been to Carnegie Deli twice. I’m not a huge meat eater, but my husband loved the pastrami on our first visit about four years ago. So on our third visit to the city when we brought my mother in law, we thought we should return since it’s such a landmark and, again, the pastrami is good.
We went around 11 on a Tuesday and there was already a line outside. We only waited about ten to fifteen minutes though. Once inside, we were seated at a table with other people, kind of like they do in Europe. Our waitress was nice but very, very slow. We didn’t see anyone for awhile and when we did we made sure to order everything at once. We had waters to drink and never got a refill… the meal is so salty I was dying of thirst!
They do bring out half sours /​pickles that were good to start off.
We had the Woody Allen to share and still had enough to feed a small country left. The macaroni salad showed up 10 minutes after the sandwiches and we really weren’t fans of it… perhaps we are just too attached to our Southern styles.
They did have gluten free bread which was a nice surprise for my mother in law and gluten free cheesecake which she loved.
It’s definitely worth going for due to its history and the pastrami is one of a kind, but I don’t think it’s really the best meal /​experience you’ll have in NYC.

Tourist? It’s between this and Katz. I’ll let you decide.
At Carnegie, you’ll find a line outside nearly always, sandwiches that make us humans look stupid for eating so much (NO ONE needs that much meat). We were crammed into small tables with strangers right next to us, but hey, it’s a NY deli. Pickles were AMAZING. The Matzah ball chicken noodle soup was to die for. The Woody sandwich was as stated below… a waste of money, food and environment. Didn’t seem to have much taste either.

Das erste Frühstück in New York traten wir mit Unilocal-​Empfehlung in Hotelnähe ganz früh im Carnegie Deli an. Morgens um 7:30 waren ein paar Tische belegt, die Wände vollkommen bedeckt mit Starfotos aus dem Lokal und signierten Autogrammkarten. Hier ist offensichtlich schon fast jeder aus Show-​Biz und Fernsehen mal zum Frühstück gewesen.
Die Kellner waren allesamt, im allerbesten Sinne, verschrobene freundliche Charakter-​Gestalten mit jahrzehntelanger Berufserfahrung im Deli. Zum Frühstück wählten wir ein ‘Monster’-Pastrami-Sandwich, ein Sandwich mit Eiern und Zunge und ein Grilled-​Cheese-​Sandwich mit Cheddar. Nach diesem Frühstück aß ich an diesem Tag nichts mehr, was wirklich eine Menge über die Quantitäten dort sagt. Geschmeckt hat es mir jedenfalls sehr gut.
Filterkaffee wird am Tisch nachgeschenkt, riecht aber immer ein bisschen nach dem dort üblichen Chlor im Leitungswasser. Von der im Anschluß offerierten Strawberry-​Cheesecake ‘for heros’ habe ich die Finger gelassen, da ging nichts mehr.
Freunde von uns versuchten gegen 11:00 Uhr dort zu essen, gaben aber beim Anblick der lange Schlange vor dem Lokal auf. Deswegen, ‘früher Vogel …’.

I am proud to say that I closed down Carnegie deli one night. I think we were the last to leave. Staff was counting money and I believe someone was mopping the floors in the back.
We ordered one cappuccino, one slice of cheesecake and received a plate of complementary pickles.
Our servers name was Salim. He was very nice and very professional. The cheesecake was huge. The people next to us had ordered smoked meat sandwiches which were so huge menu seemed at least 200 pounds and over 6 feet tall we’re taking forever to eat half a sandwich. It was interesting to watch them eat a massive heaping meat sandwich with a fork and knife.
Another couple next to us ordered a slice of apple pie with ice cream. The slice of apple pie was larger then someone’s head.
We ordered a black-​and-​white cookie to go and ate it the next morning. It was delicious. Was it the best cheesecake I have ever eaten in my life? No. Do I recommend the Carnegie deli to someone who has not tried it before? Yes. It was a great New York experience.

Casi que no tengo palabras para describir este lugar!
Llegamos a él por una recomendación de una guía de la ciudad y claro que tenía razón!
Carnegie Deli de afuera parece chico pero adentro es bastante grande. Nos recomendaron la especialidad de la casa que son los sandwiches de pastrami (pastrón) o roast beef. Son sadwiches calientes y realmente estupendos! El plato que te sirven es enorme, pedimos dos, eramos 4 y sobró!
Los acompañamientos se piden aparte y hay una gran variedad.
De gentileza para la entrada te traen distintas clases de pepinos.
La atención fue excelente y divertida, los mozos no hablan español pero las chicas que te acomodan en las mesas si!
Lo único negativo es que cerraron un salón, por lo que el espacio ahora se redujo y se forma una larga fila antes de entrar en la cual podés estar esperando como media hora, pero vale la pena!

Carnegie Deli is somewhere you should eat to at least once. With its storied history and rich legacy, your first experience will be a 4 star experience. After that, unfortunately, I’m afraid it slips to just 3 stars, a sad confession for this dedicated carnivore. Still, you certainly won’t leave with an empty stomach, though you might have an empty wallet. This is especially true if you order delivery, because if you fall outside of the immediate 5-​block radius, they tack on a $ 15 delivery surcharge. Yes, you read that right, $ 15.
For my Carnegie Deli experience I felt obligated to order the Woody Allen, to which I added cole slaw. I also got a side of macaroni salad. Trust me, I was well aware that I didn’t need the extra food, but I already planned to split this into two meals and I always like to taste the macaroni salad when I try a deli for the first time. The Woody Allen has corned beef on the bottom, pastrami on top, with the cole slaw as the buffer in between (if you order it) and, as you’ve read a thousand times by now, the sandwich is gargantuan, basically a full pound of meat (larger than at Katz’s).
Now for the actual review of the flavor…
The corned beef was solid. It didn’t knock my socks off, but it was moist and pretty flavorful even when eating it plain (I decided to go at it with a knife and fork first until the sandwich was a manageable enough size to actually eat like a sandwich). However, I’m disappointed to report that the same was not true of the pastrami. The pastrami was very mediocre, arguably below-​average. Not only was it bland, it was very dry. This was especially obvious due to its juxtaposition with the juicy corned beef directly below. I found myself dumping russian dressing on the pastrami to both add flavor and counter the dryness. Lastly, the macaroni salad, like the corned beef, was good but didn’t blow my mind. It was worth ordering if you like macaroni salad, and had a standard deli flavor (which isn’t a criticism — I like that flavor).
I suppose I should note that my order was a delivery order, but I think my critiques of the pastrami are applicable whether you eat at the deli or not. I’ve heard the service is brusque anyway, so maybe I dodged a bullet, although you basically have to be nuts, rolling in it, or on an expense account to be willing to pay a $ 15 delivery fee.
To sum it up, while Carnegie Deli is certainly not shy with portions, at $ 24.95 before cole slaw for the Woody Allen, I expected A LOT better quality meat. The pastrami has fallen a long, long way since NY Times critic Mimi Sheraton called it «the tops» in 1979. Note that $ 24.95 would still be excessive even if the pastrami was on point, but you have to accept when you go in that you’re paying partly for the experience and the heritage, which is a main reason why this is a place to go to for the novelty factor but not for repeat business.
I will say that I’ll going back to Carnegie Deli once more because I’ve heard the Reuben is actually their best sandwich these days and because the cheesecake is apparently otherworldly, but I would much, much, much, much rather go to Katz’s for my Pastrami and other absurdly large deli sandwich needs.

Tried to order a sandwich on gluten free bread. I double checked with the waiter to make sure mine was actually GF because the little bite of bread I tried tasted… glutinous. He assured me it was the right bread.
Much vomiting and a confused phone call later (in an attempt to discern what the bread Id had was and whether my leftovers were poison), it became clear that some error had been made.
Carnegie is pricey and I went there so I could stock up on delicious Reuben sandwich for a few days as a little treat. No such luck, since they fucked up my order and made me sick. I called to tell them and after they attempted to bully me into admitting it was all a lie, I got several choruses of «so what do you want us to do?»
I could get a refund if I brought the sandwich back, halfway across the city. But no apology or anything from the managers: they seemed pissed Id even bothered to tell them about my experience.
I’ve worked in food service before and allergies are a big deal. If a customer of mine had gotten sick, I’d want to know so that I can improve and offer better service. Not Carnegie.
Dealing with the management was maybe even worse than the vomit caused by their food.
EDIT: A brief update. They’re now shut down by Con Ed for allegedly siphoning off $ 40k of gas. THEY ARE TRULY THE WORST.

My latest experience with a New York Deli left a bad taste in my mouth.
Our group wanted to dine in, but we discovered that there is a per-​person order minimum — even when the restaurant is nearly empty, so we took our food to go.
Carnegie claims to smoke and cure all of their own meats, but given the way their sandwiches taste they may want to reconsider.
The house salami is hard and dry, somewhat waxy outside and tough to chew. Not flavorful, and definitely not something I’d want to eat ever again. The bread it came on was pretty bad as well, as it’s dry and slightly sour. Together, the two will leave you feeling unpleasant and very thirsty. A complete waste of $ 20. I tried the pastrami as well and it was unimpressive — I’ve had better pastrami from national sandwich chains.
Check it out for the «WOW!» factor if you must, but avoid eating the actual food.

Katz or Carnegie? — Carnegie or Katz? — fact is, the chopped liver, pastrami, corned beef and half-​sours are nearly perfect at both (to me). For those dismissing them for their touristy characters, well — I’ll just say there’s a reason folks flock to them! — They are both cursed with excellent delicatessen offerings.
I will say that that a to-​go container of chopped liver from Carnegie’s comes with a visible amount of extra schmaltz on top — and maybe it’s me, but I think the pastrami approaches nirvana-​esque qualities.
What I really enjoy about Carnegie that doesn’t occur (in my experience) at Katz’s is the communal seating when it gets crowded. You’re going to share a table with others. In our experience, this leads to meeting interesting people and developing unexpected friendships.
For the star-​struck, added benefits include a who’s who of broadway/​hollywood on the walls.

Date of service: Oct 27, 2014
Meal: Lunch, dine in
All Ratings out of 10:
Quality of food: 9
Food to Spend Value: 8
Quality of Service: 7
Overall Rating: 8
Finding a reasonable Jewish deli, and by extension a great Reuben, in the Pacific NW (where I reside) is like trying to find a current planetary classification for Pluto. It just ain’t happening. This is why going to one when I am in NYC is an absolute requirement, and since I usually find myself in the tourist trap known as Time’s Square, the Carnegie Deli is the natural choice.
The Carnegie Deli has a HUGE menu and a good bit of variety. When I go, though, I have 2 things in mind: pastrami and cake. This generally translates into either getting a Reuben or getting one of the mile high stacked pastrami on rye with Swiss sandwiches. For this particular lunch I went with the Reuben, and since the Reuben is obscenely large, my coworker and I chose to split the sandwich so we would be able to eat dessert. The Reuben is heaven on earth… delicious made on premises pastrami (you can get corned beef too, but I am partial to the pastrami) and a ridiculous amount of cheese melted on top, burying the delicious rye bread that is hiding somewhere underneath. You also get served the obligatory thousand island dressing (which I pass on) and their famous pickles (which are quite tasty!) on the side.
The Carnegie Deli is also known for their cheesecakes, which are literally to die for, but I decided to go a different route this time and get their Hershey’s 5^th Avenue peanut butter and chocolate cream pie. I decided I like their cheesecake better than this particular pie, but it was still delicious, and a monstrous piece to boot!
An initial gander at the menu might scare you into thinking the place is expensive, but keep in mind that unless you are a ridiculously large eater, everything on the menu is shareable, relieving some of the bite of the $ 15 — $ 25 range for a sandwich. And even being slightly expensive, you have no excuse for not leaving begging for a wheelbarrow. The service is efficient and amazingly attentive considering how busy the place is, and I have already raved about the quality of the food. Yes many may consider this a tourist trap, but most tourist traps are worth skipping, and you would be a fool to pass up the Carnegie Deli.

hands down, best (and largest) Reuben on the face of the earth. oh my goodness the flavors were unbelievable. And one sandwich will feed at least 3 people. The others at the table tried corned beef sandwiches and the tongue sandwich. Everything was more than great. We ended with cheesecake which was the best I’ve had. The only downfall in my opinion is the set up of the dining areas and the crazy long wait. I suppose that is just the nature of the busy city.
If you are in the area, you must stop in!

I’ve been wanting to come to Carnegie deli for years now and I finally had the opportunity! A friend and I waited outside for about 30 minutes. I thought it was going to be longer considering it was the Saturday after thanksgiving. When we got in we were quickly seated and the waiter was already asking us what we wanted to order. You can tell that they are very quick and efficient at getting people in and out since it’s so popular.
My friend and I decided to split their famous rueben with corn beef and a portion of matzah ball soup. The food came out very quickly and we were blown away by the portions sizes. The rueben was absolutely amazing and completely blew me away. It came open faced with melted cheese on the top served with Russian dressing. It was too much for the two of us to split but we definitely made a large dent in the sandwich. The soup was good too but didn’t completely blow me away. That was the first time I had matzah ball soup so that could be why.
While the food is definitely good. It is completely overpriced probably just because it can be due to the popularity of the restaurant. While it was expensive it was a great experience and I would recommend it!

Good place to try once. We got here early for lunch so only waited at most 15 minutes for a table. The wait could be long as I have seen lines out the door.
Expect tight seating conditions. We were seated with other guests at one of the long tables that seat 8 guests (we were only two) throughout the dining room.
The prices I felt were kind of high. Perhaps it’s because I feel this place is geared towards tourists. However the portions are huge. We each had a soup… I always get matzo ball soup as it’s my standard benchmark for delis. Their matzo ball soup was one of the best ones I have had. We ordered a corned beef Reuben sandwich to share. Before you order take a look at what is being served all around you… You will see that the portions are monster-​sized. There is a $ 3 surcharge for sharing…
I guess they are known for their strawberry cheesecake but we were too full to get it … We will try it the next time… The couple next to us got it, and I swear it is triple the size of one you would get from Cheesecake Factory!

It is very apparent that your paying for the WOW factor and not an edible sandwich. It is built for the eyes not for the palate or the stomach. It is nearly impossible for one person to finish any of their sandwiches. Ordered a Woody Allen and was semi-​appalled by the amount of meat. Maybe some people want to get the most out of their money (considering the sandwich is $ 26) but I would rather have a sandwich I can eat to finish and won’t be sickened by the end of it. The staff seemed like they all wanted to jump off a bridge, no smiling faces or greetings. I would have normally given one star but I did enjoy the matzo ball soup so they get two.
I really wanted to like this spot… I really did. Carnegie deli has the air that it was once special, maybe a neighborhood deli, but has since become a place for tourist wanting a Man VS Food experience.

Sensacional tarta de queso tamaño XXL, una de las más famosas de NY. Es tan enorme que es imposible pedir nada más, así que el sándwich de Pastrami para la siguiente ocasión.Fuimos a desayunar a primera hora y nos libramos de las largas colas.

Primer començareu fent cua però val la pena fer-​la. Personalment em va agradar més que el Katz’s. Els cuiners són més simpàtics i pel meu gust els bocates més bons.
Un tema a part és el pastís de formatge. Espectacular! Amb una racció en mengen bé tres persones. Una opció és demanar per emportar i acostar-​se fins a Central Park (que està molt a prop) a fer un picnic.

Endroit qui vaut le coup d’œil
Toujours blindé vous commanderez un pastrami, spécialité du restaurant. Attention c’est très copieux et réservé aux amateurs de viande :)
Le service est rapide et agréable, la clientèle variée.

(Neuauflage meines alten Qype Beitrags aus aktuellem Anlaß.)
Möchtet ihr einen Alten Europäer in NYC mit der amerikanischen «Ess-​Kultur» bekannt machen, dann sucht am besten gleich am ersten Abend z.B. Carnegie Delicatessen auf.
siehe Bild: Carnegie Delicatessen
Wie ich die amerikanische «Ess-​Kultur», verstehe und erlebt habe, ist ein sehr wichtiges Charakteristikum: Masse!
Um zu zeigen, dass man «es sich leisten kann» erfreut man sich am Überfluß. Wer einen leeren Teller nach dem Essen vor sich stehen hat ist ein armes Schwein. Nur wenn soviel, (sogar in einem gehobenen Restaurant) aufgetischt wird, daß noch genug für den Hund zu Hause übrig ist, kann es sich überhaupt um ein «gutes» Essen gehandelt haben.
In diesem Sinne werden bei Carnegie Delicatessen auf jeden Fall alle Sinne befriedigt. Schon der kleinste Pastrami-​Sandwich (siehe Bild: Carnegie Delicatessen | kleiner Pastrami-​Sandwich) ist selbst für einen ganz guten Esser, wie mich unbezwingbar.
Der «Restaurant”-Besuchs-Ablauf bei Carnegie ist vorbildlich, um einen Old-​Europer in die schöné neue Welt einzuweisen.
siehe Bild: Carnegie Delicatessen | Restaurant
Zuerst: Wait. Wait. Wait to be seated.
Dann, nach dem man Platz genommen hat und ca. eine Minute Zeit hatte in die Karte zu schauen, erfolgt die erste Nachfrage, was man denn bestellen möchte.
(Es wird eigentlich vorausgesetzt, dass man sich bereits vorher überlegt was man haben möchte.) Nach drei Minuten, erfolgt dann die zweite Nachfrage und nach fünf Minuten «endlich» die Bestellung. Fünf bis zehn Minuten später wird serviert. Man ist effektiv und geschäftstüchtig.
siehe Bild: Carnegie Delicatessen | Man ist effektiv und geschäftstüchtig
Selbstredend gibt es einen Mindestverzehr! (bei Carnegie 12,50 $) Das gleiche gilt auch für Mitesser. (bei Carnegie 3,00 $) Was hat aber auch ein Nichtesser in einem «Restaurant» verloren? Der besetzt doch nur einen Sitzplatz eines hungrig gebliebenen potentiellen Gasts. Das ist doch geschäftsschädigend! Jeder soll doch mehr bestellen als er essen kann, denn er kann doch die Reste, für seinen Hund mit nach Hause nehmen!
Dem allem zum trotz, gilt meiner Meinung nach:
Die belegten Brote, von Carnegie sind durchweg schmackhaft. Etwas unangenehm, aber zur Einweisung eines Greenhorns in den amerikanischen «Restaurant”-Besuchs-Ablauf optimal: Isst man länger als drei Minuten nicht mehr weiter, wird man gefragt, ob man die Reste für den Hund mit nach Hause nehmen möchte. Zwei Minuten später bekommt man mit der Hundetüte dann die Rechnung präsentiert.
;-d
siehe Bild: Carnegie Delicatessen | Kleiner Pastrami Sandwich 17,99 $
Ein schöner Neue-​Welt-​Triple-​Sandwich, ist z.B. der Melo-​Sandwich von Carnegie Den könnt ihr euch hier anschaun:
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In der Fotogalerie findet ihr ein weiteres Bild eines normalen Sandwichs von Yogidas09.

Das Carnegie Deli ist in vielen Reiseführern und natürlich auch auf jedem Online Forum zu finden. Mal abgesehen davon das wir Europäer sicherlich auch mit der schnell lebigen Art der Amerikaner nicht zurecht kommen, geschweige denn mit deren Essverhalten oder Art und Weise zu Speisen muss ich folgendes sagen: Das Carnegie Delis ist ein Ausnahmetalent im New Yorker Stadt leben! Sicherlich ist es ein wenig Rustikal, aber das macht den Charm aus. Hier kann man New York noch von untern erleben, denn hier essen sie alle die normalen, die ganzen Touris und Bänker, die Divisenhändler und Geschäftsleute! Wir fanden es sehr symphatisch und hatten viel Freude mit den netten Kellnern und können so gar nicht nachvollziehen wieso solche Kommentare kommen… Das essen war Klasse die Portionen waren üppig, dass ist wohl wahr, und kaum zu bewältigen. Am ersten Tag hatten wir das Sandwich und haben es bis zum Schluss genossen, heißt bis wir nicht mehr konnten^^ Der Käsekuchen war der Oberhammer ist weltweit, heißt in den Ländern in denen ich schon Käsekuchen gegessen habe, mit abstand der leckerste. Sicherlich war auch der kaum zu schaffen, denn wir haben drei Tage gebraucht um den zu essen^^ Mag sein dass das Carnegie Deli eine kleine schäbige Absteige ist, aber mit Abstand eine super gemütliche und mit viel Herz geführte Charmante Magenfüllende und klassische New Yorker Delikatessen absteige!

hmmmm. auf jeden fall rein wenn man hunger hat, aber selbst dann ist es immer noch viiiiel zu fleisch. das mag zwar vielen schmecken, aber mir ist da der appetit vergangen… wir haben erst mal ¾ runtergenommen und uns den rest einpacken lassen…
sonst ist es hier lustig, da gut voll, viele fotos an den wänden anzuschauen, der chef persönlich kam zu unserem tisch um ein schwätzchen zu halten und wir hatten sogar zwei dudelsackspieler, da st patrick day war…
aber wie gesagt, das viele fleisch aufm sandwich ist echt geschmackssache.
frech finde ich aber auch noch, dass, wenn man ein sandwich teilt, der anderen person drei dollar berechnet werden und pro person 12,50 dollar mindestverzehr sind!!!

Très bien vraiment je le recommande

Also das berühmte Carnegies… dann steht man drin, überall die Bilder von den Berühmtheiten, man schaut sich um und wird schon von vorne aneraunzt was man essen will (ich hab «to go» gegessen, reinsetzen wollte ich mich da nicht, in new york ist ja eh alles to go…) Naja ganz amerikanisch hab ich ein Pastrami Sandwich bestellt. Teuer war es, ich weiß nicht mehr wieviel, aber war schon happig…
Das Sandwich bestand dann aus zwei Scheiben toast und dazwischen eine Männerfaust große Portion Pastrami… Also ich fand es lecker aber naja… beim berühmtesten Deli in NY hat man halt andere Vorstellungen… Muss ich nicht nochmal haben…

Das Carnegie Deli wird in vielen Reiseführern als muss angepriesen, diese Meinung kann ich so nicht teilen. Ich habe es ausprobiert und muss sagen, hier brauche ich nicht mehr einzukehren. Die Portionen sind ziemlich groß aber eher durchschnittlich in der Qualität. Die Einrichtung hat schon einiges auf dem Buckel und die nicht ganz so freundliche Bedienung ebenso. Der Gang auf die Toilette ist auch eher ein Erlebniss. Im Keller angesiedelt und über eine fast baufällige Treppe zu erreichen (Ist ja in Manhatten eher normal) kann man hier nicht auf Hygiene hoffen.
Der NY Cheescake soll angeblich der Beste in ganz Manhatten sein. Das konnte und wollte ich aber nicht mehr ausprobieren. Ich kann nur 2 Sterne vergeben denn es gibt ganz eindeutig gündtigere, saubere, freundlichere und besser Möglichkeiten in Manhaten zu essen oder zu Dinern;-)

Früher, als der Schnee noch weiß war und ich partiell noch etwas übrig hatte für die amerikanische THINK-(and eat) BIG-​Mentalität, verschlug es mich auch mal in das Carnegie Deli in Midtown Manhatten. Dabei spielte sicher auch eine Rolle, dass Woody Allen hier gedreht hatte (Broadway Danny Rose) und sich bekannte Schauspieler gern im Carnegie Deli aufhalten.
ABER die Einrichtung selbst, die es seit 1937 gibt, ist gänzlich unspektakulär und die Riesenportionen 1. kaum zu bewältigen, 2. teuer 3. eher unappetitlich. Hier könnte auch die Idee zu einem Film wie Das große Fressen entstanden sein
Was als Eindruck bleibt, sind Wände voller Fotos von hier mal gewesenen Prominenten und Sandwiches, die dem Kiefer eines Flußpferdes angemessen sind.
Mal gesehen haben: na ja; empfehlenswert: nein, gesundes Essen: keineswegs.