Optimum Gourmet Deli

Best deli in LES. The chicken cutlet is so crispy and the cheddar cheese is so gooey. Hot chocolate is bomb. The prices so low. I want to date optimum deli.

One word… INSANE. This place is soooo gooood. I get the sandwhich with the turkey, pastrami, sauce, and pepppers. They use to make it at there old location. Not sure what its called, but it is one of the best sandwhiches I’ve had. Across the street from the deli is some good steps to sit on to chill and eat. I once watched a fight here and then the cops pulled up. Maybe you’ll see something interesting on those steps.

best sandwhich ever whole wheat bagel lettuce tomatoes chesse light mayo and avacadoo freshmen year of high was 3 $, went up to 5 $ now

I love this deli. The prices are reasonable, the guys behind the counter are always extremely friendly. They’ve got cheap milk and I can always trust they’ll have my favorite flavor chip and gatorade for the weekend hangover.
I can get a plain bagel toasted with butter and somehow it tastes delightful.
I love living on this block with the deli right here and I’ll be sad to move.

Every neighborhood needs their go-​to deli for a big sandwich at an affordable price and Optimum is just that. Clean store, friendly staff, and fresh/​tasty offerings. They have an extensive menu of hot and cold ‘wiches, wraps, and paninis and are accommodating and fast. Recommended for an easy lunch on Ludlow St.

Optimum deli has a very convenient location l. I get breakfast there sometimes. The bagels are good but not amazing. They toast them well and put a good amount of cream cheese. I once or twice got fries from there and they were yummy. They have a good selection of candies and they have s’mores poptarts until recently when they disappeared. I will go back many times. 5 stars but the missing poptarts take away one. When they get them back I will update this review. I am indeed obsessed with these poptarts. Thank you for your time.

We went there based on Unilocal reviews alone. Friendly service, pleasant people and great food. All at a good price. Can’t ask for more.

It’s the best! Cheap, Continent, and Friendly. This place is great

The food is great and the price is inexpensive. But more importantly, the people that works here are awesome! They’re super nice :)
I usually get a salad w smoked salmon. I always see them prep the vegetables which is a great thing bc that means the veggies are fresh never stale or leftovers from previous days.

Best deli in the area! Nice people, open 24/​7, and the sandwiches are amazing.

Visit from GA and found this place on Unilocal.Excellent bagel sandwich and friendly stsff.

best deli hands down in the LES.
love all the sandwiches… they’re amazing. including the breakfast sandwiches. also, the people who work there are great.

Good sausage/​egg/​cheese sandwiches (better than most I’ve had at other corner grocers or restaurants), more importantly, very nice people who work there.

This is the best deli on the Lower East Side. So friendly, so helpful, delicious food served up by the best sandwich maker in the city. Yes, Happiness Deli had to move because they (like damn near everyone on Delancey) got priced out of their building. This is a bigger, better space (OPTIMUM) with the same awesome service. I walk the extra two blocks because it’s totally worth it. Love love love.

Optimum Deli comes to the LES from the same team that brought the neighborhood the vaunted and beloved Happiness Deli, which was formerly located on Delancy, just up the block from this brand new spot.
The ownership structure is apparently quite similar to that of the now shuttered Happiness Deli. According to the guys who work at Optimum (who I recognize from Happiness), it’s the brother of the owner of Happiness that owns the new joint. Basically, it’s just Happiness Deli a block further south in new – and much nicer and cleaner – digs. The (awesome) menu is pretty much the same, as is the selection of non-​deli goods. Right now they’re not selling beer or wine, but, according to the people working there, they will be soon; the application for a license has just been submitted, and since the ownership structure has (barely) changed, as has the name, they have to get a new license.
The food is everything that people in the neighborhood know and love. Happiness was long regarded as one of the (if not THE) best deli in the neighborhood, and since I moved down here, it has been a favorite of mine. They have a great selection of cooked-​to-​order sandwiches, including (and this rocks my world) breakfast sandwiches cooked 24 – 7, 365! And, the sandwiches are GREAT. The ingredients are fresh, the combinations work very well, and it’s relatively cheap. $ 7 will get you an amazing sandwich on a hero, and it will fill you up! Many of their sandwiches, especially breakfast sandwiches, are only like $ 3. And, once they get the beer going again, their beer prices are great. I’m a big fan of the #7 sandwich, the name of which I can’t remember off the top of my head, but it is a chicken, jalapeño, and pepper jack combo. The other night I went and they were out of something they needed for it (I think jalapeño), and the guy offered to whip me up something similar, and he came to me with a chicken and spicy peppers sandwich that was nothing short of spectacular. I was so pleased (and admittedly a bit. .. uh. .. tipsy) that I called them and told them it rocked and that it should be a staple on the menu, since it was off-​menu!
The people that work here are awesome, too. They’re friendly, funny, and totally willing to make jokes with you.
Also, they take credit, and a $ 5 minimum. Not a fan of CC minimums, but hell, at least it’s not something ridiculous.
If I could change anything, I’d have them stock a few more groceries. Like bread. But then again, it’s a deli that stocks some groceries, not a grocery store that has a deli counter.
I am SO, SO happy that Happiness hasn’t left the LES. Yeah, it’s got a different name, but it’s the same animal. If you live here and need a great and filling sandwich, this should be one of your first stops. It’s easily my favorite deli in the neighborhood, and maybe in Manhattan. It’s better than the several delis around my old place in the Village. ..