Kat’z Deli

Name an older institution in New York City…I don’t know if there is one. Serving up pastrami since 1888. While this wasn’t my first time in NYC, this was my first time at Katz. This trip to NYC was all about the food and trying those iconic New York City spots. Since we had a lot of food to make our way through, my husband and I got up early and set out for Katz to share a sandwich for a late breakfast. They open at 8am during the week, so it wasn’t that wild to think of pastrami for breakfast.

When you walk in, if you’ve never been there before it was a bit hectic to navigate. There was so much to take in and we felt a little bit overwhelmed with what to order, how to order, where to stand, etc. Also, ya aren’t in the south/Midwest anymore so people aren’t exactly friendly, and honestly I get it – they probably deal with so many tourists everyday. It wasn’t that they were rude, just to the point. But just keep that in mind that you are on your own figuring out how it works, unless you go during rush hours and there is a line that you can watch. There were surprisingly a lot of people for 10am but not enough to show us how it was done haha.

Katz is most well-known for their pastrami, but they have other delicious items as well. The menu is pretty large and you’ll find so many tasty things to try like the reuben, brisket, corned beef, bologna, and so so much more. We knew these sandwiches would be huge and omg it was. There was like 4 inches of pastrami between the bread. The pastrami was thick cut and so tender. It had so much flavor on its own and was also delicious with the mustard (don’t ask for mayo or you might get thrown out!). You can also specify which cuts you want – regular, lean, or extra lean. We went with the standard, which does have a decent amount of fat. We also opted for the classic rye bread. Why change a classic? The sandwich was definitely large enough to share, especially if you are going to try some of their other items or if you plan to eat your way through the city for the day.

Definitely add this iconic spot to your list if you haven’t tried it already. I highly recommend going to the OG location in Brooklyn to get the full experience!