West 109 Gourmet Deli

This is my go-​to deli for coffee and a bagel in the morning. It’s nothing special, but the prices are very reasonable, and the service is usually good. There are some interesting characters that frequent the deli, but the staff are friendly and helpful. My regular bagel w/​cream cheese and small coffee is only $ 2.50. Can’t be beat!

I decided to try this deli because everyone on Unilocal was ranting and raving about the «109 spicy special» so I ordered that and a bacon egg and cheese on a wrap (I actually ordered it on a tortilla but got a wrap). I couldn’t have been more displeased!
My bacon inside the BEC wrap was so dry and over cooked, I’m pretty sure it was burnt turkey bacon. So I was charged $ 5 for that not to mention they said I was charged that amount because it’s like a hero but no where as nearly big as a hero and there was very little egg in it as well. When I called someone answered with a «hello» as if you were calling their house. Then he continues a conversation with someone else while I’m on the other line waiting for him to respond, dude just left me hangin for about a minute
Oh and about This AMAZING «109 spicy special» ITS FREAKIN PEPPER-​MILL TURKEY with cheap white American cheese. There was no actual sauce in the sandwich that makes it good or spicy. It wasn’t terrible either but I felt a little ripped off. The people writing the reviews must me be very retarded if they don’t know that and it not even spicy!!!
You want a good sandwich that’s going to be more bang for your buck go to the deli on 105 and Amsterdam next to the beauty supply store. They sell the BOMB grilled Chicken sandwich on a hero for $ 5.00 and it includes a free soda can! If you want it spicy ask for a little jalepeno grilled with your chicken. The sandwich usually comes with lettuce, tomato and mayo. If your not picky Just ask for everything including a little bit of jalepeno for that kick and you will be very pleased! As for this place NEVER AGAIN, SAVE YOUR MONEY!

The only reason this place exists is to provide Spicy Specials. Christened as the «Crack Del» by legions of students, the name comes from the hundreds of cracks in the asphalt sidewalk out front. errrrrrrr maybe not… let’s just agree that the sketchiness of this corner location harkens back to the Nino Brown-​ish days of yore.
Regardless, the Spicy Special is awesome. Very straightforward: a pressed turkey and jack with lettuce tomato ans some sort of mayo/​mustard mystery sauce (probably just mayo and mustard). It’s really way better than it has any right to be. In fact, just writing about it now makes me crave one. Easy to pick up on the way home from work. However, not going there at 4AM.

This place is great whether you want to stock up on drinks or whether you want something at 2am in the morning to eat. Get the spicy special.

«Crack Del» is essentially a little mini-​market and deli carrying tons of different beers and home of the «109^th spicy special» that some Columbia students rave about. It’s open ²⁴⁄₇
Atmosphere: ¹⁄₅ to ³⁄₅ — Depending on how late at night you go, you’ll run in to straight up sketch balls or really drugged out/​drunk ladies rapping at you. Pretty neat. But super sketch some times.
Service: ³⁄₅ — You order, they deliver. There’s usually a tip jar out and I noticed if you tip, the food is a little better. Also, the younger guys make better sandwiches.
Food: ⁴⁄₅ — Spicy special! A fantastic sandwich for a mere 5 dollars consisting of chipotle turkey, some spicy cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a ton of mayo and spicy sauce on top of it. Pretty damn good. I’ve tried a few other sandwiches and they are decent too. Well worth your 5 $

Yes it is true. The «spicy special» is awesome. I’ve ordered it 4 times now and it is consistently good. It comes toasted and warm, though it maintains integrity after cooling down.
If you call ahead and order 10 minutes before pickup, they’ll have it ready for you. So you cut down on the time spent hanging around the store. Then, walk across the street to the sculpture garden next to St. John’s Cathedral. Unwrap your sandwich and enjoy the moment~!!!
This is a great sandwich to pick up on your way to the park, the airport., or wherever. Transports easily for a meal on the go.

Never order from here late at night.
One might think that a place that prides itself on 24-​hour delivery would live up to its namesake. I just ordered at 3:30 am. Got only half of my order. I didn’t want to be a dick about it considering it’s raining and late, so I called the guy asking for him to just change the amount on my credit card.
After about 10 minutes of ringing, during which they were probably trying to avoid picking up, I get an unenthusiastic «hello.» The guy was extremely rude, acts like I’d be asking for something absurd by asking him to deliver the other $ 10 worth of my order, and says I’ll have to call campusfood to change the price. I was extremely courteous, said I didn’t want him to have to send the guy again, and he just says «ok» and hangs up.

I’m bummed to see this place only has 3.5 stars.
109 Deli is affectionately known as «crack del» to Columbia students because of the sketchy dealings nearby. Scary clientele or not, the «Spicy Special» is one of my favorite sandwiches… ever.
No one quite knows what’s inside but no one ever questions it either. It has pepper jack cheese, turkey, lettuce, and some mystery chipotle sauce. It’s amazing. And to top it off, it’s only $ 4. This place is the best at 4am after a rough night.
Cheap beer is also a plus! (They deliver it too!)

The Spicy Special, extra spicy, will run you $ 4 and it’s actually really good.
This place is referred to as «Crack Del»… not sure whether or not it’s because the Spicy Special is so addicting or because people might actually be dealing right outside the door.
Either way, $ 4 for a good sandwich is worth it in my book.

This place is good for a sandwich after a night out. They deliver, too, which is awesome and they deliver late at night. The food is decent.
My only compliant is that the place is just ghetto. The service itself is nice, but the clientele in this place is just, beyond words.
So, my advice: get delivery!!!

SPICY SPECIAL. Amazing. Hot pressed sandwich on a hero for only $ 4. Perfect drunk/​late night food. Bacon egg and cheese sandwiches for only 2.50, cheap beer, and 25 cent bags of chips (I didn’t know they existed anymore). Staff is a little rude and place is a little dirty, but they recently renovated it so it’s not so bad. Best of all, THEY DELIVER! A 30-​rack and a bunch of spicy specials delivered right to your dorm at 1am is the perfect end to any night.

Cheap food and made very quick.
The spicy Special is worth the 4 dollars.
~Egg and chesse sandwiches are great, but they don’t always have eggs!

Mention of Spicy Specials and sketchy characters abound, I experienced only the latter (don’t eat meat). Nothing but white bread, but they have no need for it; got a few cheeses on a roll for $ 3.50. Their Boar’s Head sandwiches are very well-​priced, and the service is a bit distant, especially if they don’t know you. On that note, make sure you speak up and assert yourself, or you’ll get stepped over. Toss-​up between this & AGD across the street IMO.

my fav deli and not just because it’s a block away from where I live.
They use Boar’s head for their sandwiches, which is extremely important. A sandwich is not the same without quality cold cuts.
2^nd, its made to order, cheap (3.50) for a sub and (3.00) if you want it on a roll.
Aside from the cheap delicious sandwiches, I get my coldcuts by the lbs here… 6.99/lbs for boars head, yes please@

I have a deep appreciation for the spicy special, especially on nights when I visit neighborhood bars like 1020.
Columbia students call 109 deli an affectionate name: «Crack Del».
This is just because often times there are sketch characters standing outside possibly dealing drugs or loitering in a way that makes everyday people feel uncomfortable.
However, the place is totally safe. Young clientele, often well heeled, visit this place to grab cigarettes and Spicy Specials.
I personally usually grab a Spicy Special with hot peppers, but will entertain if they have something like buffalo chicken with melty goodness of mozzarella on top.
Many people don’t understand the Spicy Special (including food critics who have checked out what we’re raving about), but maybe that’s because the flavors go especially well with a cool Yuengling. That, or, when you are inclined to get a SS, you are halfway out of reality.
I’ve done the SS mid-​day, and I’ll say maybe it’s the cook, or maybe it’s just like having chicken wings without blue cheese, dipping veggies, a cold brewsky, and a game on…
Serious Eats New York has said: «The sandwich consists of Cajun turkey, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and „spicy sauce“ (i.e. mayo and spicy mustard).» The statement is true to some extent – the spicy sauce is not mayo and spicy mustard, because it’s got an orange tinge in it too, so I suspect more cajun type seasoning (perhaps akin to Tony’s?) and perhaps some small quantity of russian or catalonia dressing. Also, it’s a SERIOUS mistake to get the sandwich cold. Minus two points for forgetting to ask for hot peppers.

I love this place. Its really cheap (Marlboro lights are $ 9 as opposed to $ 10 everywhere else) and fast.
Deli wise I always get the 109 Spicy Special. They make it to order and a hero is only 3.50! I also get chicken breast here for my salads and it usually costs me about 1.75 for two lemon glazed chicken breasts. YUM!

I like this place — this is where I stock up on beer. They have Modelo in a can and Presidente in bottles. Sometimes you gotta fight your way to the register, but this place is usually pretty quick.
Plus it’s cheap. A big-​ass coffee will run you a $ 1. Toss in a couple of quarters and you got yourself some Swedish fish.
Go early in the morning, and you’ll probably run into a few owls. If you’ve got a kid with you, this may be a time for earmuffs. There’s a lot of shit-​talking that goes on in here. But it’s mostly just show.
I’ve never tried any of the sandwiches, but some of the locals seem addicted to them, so they must be tasty.

The fact that this bodega gets this exposure is a testament to the power of a site like Unilocal.
In short this is my local bodega and as such I buy mostly beer and sandwiches from here. The sandwiches are the best value in the neighbourhood and some are so well known they’ve now been named after the street: «109 spicy special». I would like to think that buying this particular sandwich for the last 3 years has helped…
Ordering at lunchtime can be fun when a crowd of school kids surround the counter and you have to shout your order over the top of them but your sandwich always seems to appear a couple of minutes later. The service is generally fast and they have a big enough turnaround that none of their deli meats hang around for too long. A cold sub costs $ 3.50 and hot $ 4.
The breakfast bacon, egg and cheese for $ 2 is also a great deal. The coffee is 50c but really only tastes like «bodega» coffee.
The staff are friendly enough but not over-​flowing with pleasantries. I’ve seen them take some real abuse in my time so I think they’ve built up immunity to normal civil conversation. Some reviewers mention the sketchy characters but there really aren’t too many. These blocks used to be much worse than they are today and thankfully they still retain some of the local characteristics but without the dangerous element.
Could I be one of the sketchy characters.

The spicy special is amaaazing. The perfect late night food when koronets’ pizza gets boring. They’ve got a good selection of vitamin water and other beverages (cheap beer!) to wash the sandwich down and pepperidge farm cookies for dessert.
Sure it’s incredibly sketchy, but that’s part of the unique experience!
I once saw someone order the spicy special with 2 eggs and bacon. try it sometime for a change.

This is the closest store to my house, and while the ‘109 Spicy Special’ is indeed awesome, I think the assessment can be broadened for all of their sandwiches. I had the ‘London Bridge’ and was very happy that it fell down my throat.
The overall score is lowered because of the overwhelming feeling that you are about to be punched in the face by some of the frequent visitors to this small convenience store. However, the sandwiches are priced to make it worth the risk.