The 12 Best Places To Get Pastrami In NYC

Every big city has its own culinary specialty that is something of a local must-eat. London has its fish and chips. Tokyo has sushi. And, in New York City, pastrami is king. This delicious type of cured meat was invented in the Big Apple, but its history spans back to well before the inception of the deli. Pastrami actually started out as a Romanian dish called "pastirma," which was made from goose. When Jewish immigrants fled religious persecution in Eastern Europe in the 1800s, many of them settled in New York and opened Jewish delis. Several of these business owners brought their penchant for pastirma to the U.S. along with plenty of other iconic recipes. 

Unfortunately for pastirma lovers, however, its key ingredient, goose, was rare in the city. Thus, deli owners decided to make a pastirma-like dish using beef, instead. To achieve this, cooks would brine a tougher cut of beef for at least a week. Then, they would season the beef with salt and other spices, before dry curing and smoking it. This would leave them with a tender meat that was both flavorful and succulent. Sold alongside salami, the name of this dish was shifted to rhyme with the other popular deli option. Pastrami was born.

These days, pastrami continues to be an iconic part of the New York City culinary scene. From the classic Katz's Delicatessen to the newer Dickson's Farmstand Meats, here are the top places to eat pastrami in NYC.

When it comes to New York City restaurants, Katz's Delicatessen is more than just iconic; it is an institution. Founded in 1888, Katz's is known for its mouth-watering pastrami sandwiches. To make the pastrami, Katz's doesn't just brine the beef for the traditional seven days, instead opting to soak it for a full three weeks. The deli then proceeds to season the meat, before cooking it on low heat for three whole days. This combination of Katz's tenderizing methods and slow cooking process makes for ultra-succulent, soft pastrami that practically falls apart on your tongue. When it comes to choosing the best pastrami in New York, Katz's should definitely fall near the top of the list.

If you can't take our word for it, only look to Katz's history as proof of its quality. This restaurant has been open for well over 100 years, making it one of the oldest restaurants in New York. In a city where businesses are constantly busting, Katz's has managed to survive. According to some culinary experts, Katz's quality New York pastrami is what has kept its doors open for so many decades. As the late celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, said of Katz's in an interview (via YouTube), "When you're the best and everybody agrees that you're the best and has always felt you're the best, you tend to stay open ... You think New York, you think pastrami, you think Katz's."

Opened in 1964, Sarge's Delicatessen & Diner will serve you the kind of New York City pastrami that takes you back a few decades. Founded by retired NYPD sergeant, Abe Katz, the locale was originally created to give his buddies on the force a place to hang out. That being said, the restaurant quickly gained popularity with much of the local community, thanks to its amazing homemade corn beef and pastrami. Unlike many surviving delis, which have resorted to selling factory-made meats, Sarge's continues to prepare 99% of its own goods. The deli even uses Sergeant Katz's original meat rub recipe to cure its pastrami, giving it a unique flavor that you won't find at any other establishment. 

Interestingly, though, Sarge's origins as a place for people to relax after work remain evident in the type of sandwiches that it serves. The portions are notoriously generous, so if you order a pastrami on rye bread, prepare to receive two slices of fresh bread that are stuffed to the brim with meat. The restaurant also tries to remain inclusive of the diet diversity that has emerged in the 21st century. Therefore, it has added vegan meats to the menu, including a plant-based version of corned beef. Because of this, anyone who is traveling to New York with their vegan friends should swing by Sarge's. After all, the eatery offers something for everyone.

Pastrami Queen was not always called Pastrami Queen — it used to be Pastrami King. However, this slight change does not mean that the locale has changed many of its traditions over the years. On the contrary, this deli is one of the few remaining places where you can eat a real New York City pastrami sandwich. As more and more iconic delis have shut their doors (Carnegie Deli closed in 2016 while Harry & Ida's Meat and Supply Co. held out until 2019), Pastrami King is one of just a handful of the old institutions that has survived, despite pressures to outsource its products. 

In contrast to many modern restaurants, Pastrami Queen only serves homemade fare. Period. This means that everything from its cured meats to its mustard to its homemade mayo salads is actually made in-house. This guarantees that your entire sandwich will taste fresh, beginning with your first bite of malty rye bread and finishing with the succulent juices of homemade pastrami.

Interestingly, more than a celebrity or two has stepped through Pastrami Queen's doors since the deli opened in the 1950s. One of the most notorious was the late Anthony Bourdain, who was famous for judging the quality of restaurants around the world. According to Variety, Bourdain once declared, "Pastrami Queen is a really good pastrami sandwich — if not the best, among the very best. Just a good, nice mix of fat and lean. It's the real deal."

Just because a restaurant is a Brooklyn newcomer does not mean that it cannot perfect a NYC classic. Although it's only been open since 2016, Frankel's Delicatessen & Appetizing seeks to give its patrons the classic Jewish deli experience. Its founders, Zach and Alex Frankel, opened the establishment because they felt that their own family recipes were not being represented in the current restaurant scene. As Alex told Pitchfork, "The brisket we grew up on is nothing like what you see in restaurants." To fix that, the Frankel brothers decided to serve a variety that was partially inspired by their own grandmother but also by Ashley Berman's.

Their pastrami is just as traditional and just as good. Unlike many modern venues, which rely on mechanical meat slicers, Frankel's serves pastrami that is cut the old school way — by hand. The locale also sets itself apart by allowing patrons to order their pastrami sandwiches with plenty of toppings, like sauerkraut or Russian dressing. Folks who truly love pastrami for pastrami's sake, however, can ask for their meat to come doused in its own flavorful juices. This meat is so good that Frankel's includes it in breakfast fare too, offering an egg and cheese sandwich that's loaded with pastrami. 

Born following a terrible travesty, 2nd Avenue Deli is more than just a restaurant; it is a story of resilience. Founded in 1954 by Holocaust survivor, Abe Lebewohl, this establishment started out as a New York City dream. After toiling for years to save enough money to start this business, Lebewohl worked long days in the restaurant until he finally got it running. In 1996, tragedy struck, and Lebewohl was murdered on his way to the bank. His family rallied together to keep the restaurant open, and, despite all obstacles, it remains open today.

Due to its compelling story, the 2nd Avenue Deli continues to stand strong as a beacon of hope. The owners work hard to keep Lebewohl's original dream alive, dedicating hours to making the perfect New York City pastrami. As the current co-owner, Josh Lebewohl, revealed in an interview with Buzzfeed (via YouTube), "We're really famous for our pastrami. We smoke and cure it ourselves. The pastrami is machine-sliced. It comes super thin, very buttery." He went on to explain that this delectable, mouth-watering meat is always served on rye bread, although patrons can choose to add other toppings to their order, including cole slaw, sauerkraut, or even potato salad. Lebewohl, however, recommends ordering your pastrami sandwich with a generous dollop of the deli's house-made mustard.

While the classics are, well, the classics, it's no secret that New York City is always changing. And, one of the newer establishments that arrived to transform the Big Apple is Hometown Bar-B-Q in Industry City. This restaurant plays with the concept of traditional New York City pastrami but adds an intriguing twist, using barbecue tactics to smoke this classic meat. And, fascinatingly, this plan seems to be working. Although Hometown Bar-B-Q remains somewhat controversial — after all, it's hardly an NYC institution — the restaurant is already gaining attention for its innovative approach to pastrami.

Unlike traditional pastrami joints, which brine and then boil the meat, Hometown Bar-B-Q skips this second step. Instead, the restaurant pulls its beef straight from the brine and throws it onto the smoker, creating a BBQ version of pastrami. The final product is tender, smokey, and soft with a ruby-red color. The pastrami is cut in thick hunks that allow you to enjoy each piece of sandwich meat as a delicacy in its own right. Although it is served on slices of rye bread with a touch of mustard, this meat is so delicious that you might decide to eat it straight. As an added bonus, you can order your pastrami straight from the restaurant's take-away counter and enjoy it from the comfort of your own home. 

Although new restaurants like Frankel's can be delectable, there is much to be appreciated about a spot that's been around for a few decades. Such is the case of S&P lunch — also known as Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop. This deli is one of the oldest in the business; it has been a New York City staple since 1929. 

In recent years, the restaurant has faced some difficulties. Originally nestled in the old building across from the iconic Flatiron Building, Eisenberg's drew its timeless appeal from its old-fashioned deli atmosphere. The deli was, most notably, famous for its 30-foot counter, where patrons could dine as they watched their sandwiches being constructed on the other side. But, when rapidly increasing rent prices pushed Eisenberg's out of its historic home, the restaurant re-invented itself. These days, you can find former Eisenberg's owner serving pastrami sandwiches at a pop-up in San Francisco. Meanwhile, for a brick-and-mortar New York City pastrami experience, you can head over to S&P Lunch on 5th Avenue, where the restaurant has fallen under new management.

The new iteration of S&P Lunch does a fantastic job of maintaining the traditional pastrami experience. In terms of quality, its cured meats have been compared to the offering of iconic restaurants like Katz's and 2nd Avenue Deli. That being said, S&P's pastrami deserves to be a category of its own. If you don't believe us, trust the customers. They are known to buy out the day's pastrami before the clock strikes three. 

While some businesses survive by adapting their business models, others do so by simply beating out the competition. That was certainly the case for Liebman's Kosher Delicatessen — which started out in competition with more than 100 other Bronx delis back in 1953. It is now the only one of those original establishments left standing. And, the reason that it has survived for so long pertains to the unmistakable quality of its eats. 

Just like many of the best delis in town, Liebman's makes its own pastrami right there in the restaurant. As a result, when it hits your plate, the meat is both succulent and fresh. It is served in multiple fashions, with open-face sandwiches being one favorite and pastrami-topped burgers representing a fun twist on a New York classic. For many Liebman's patrons, however, the best part of the restaurant is the fact that it's still local. Never mind the long lines at popular spots, like Katz's. Liebman's offers some of the best pastrami in town minus the Manhattan tourism rush. 

Although it can seem like New York is the end-all city for Jewish deli foods, that is not necessarily the case. Montreal, Canada also has a thriving culture of Jewish-style cured meats. The good news, however, is that New Yorkers won't have to miss out on this unique type of cuisine. After all, the Mile End Deli is here to bring a piece of Montreal to Brooklyn — but with a major difference. Rather than serving your typical New York City pastrami, Mile End Deli offers something called "smoked meat," which is essentially a Canadian version of the classic.

Just like pastrami, smoked meat starts out as a tougher cut of beef. This beef is allowed to sit in a brine for days — or even weeks — before it is seasoned and smoked. At Mile End Deli, however, the cooks do a premium job with this delightful Canadian meat. They start out with brisket, then brine it for a whopping two weeks in order to ensure that it's tender. Then, they season it with a blend of secret ingredients, before finally smoking it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time the meat is ready, it is so soft and juicy that you won't need a knife to slice it. Indeed, it's similar to pastrami, with the addition of a complex smokey flavor. As Mile End Deli owner, Joel Tietolman, told Buzzfeed (via YouTube), "I like to say it's what pastrami wants to be when it grows up."

Sometimes, change is necessary — especially in a multi-national city like New York. And, although it is important to preserve traditional pastrami-making methods, it is just as essential to welcome new pastrami iterations to the NYC food scene. One such type of pastrami was invented by Kwame Onwuachi, the Nigerian-American chef who opened the ever-successful restaurant Tatiana. At Onwuachi's establishment, classic New York City pastrami is blended with West African cooking styles to create the uniquely flavorful short rib pastrami suya.  

This dish is a far cry from your typical deli sandwich. Instead, it consists of a foot-long short rib that has been brined for days in a mixture of mustard seed, garlic, and juniper. The meat is then rubbed with yaji, a Nigerian seasoning known for its powerful aroma and unforgettable taste. Onwuachi allows the short rib to sit in the yaji overnight in order to ensure that it really absorbs the flavor of the rub. He then cooks it slowly over the course of three hours, creating a dish that is both flavorful and tender. Speaking to the New York Post, Onwuachi explained why he decided to add this item to Tatiana's menu: "I wanted to do a special beef dish. I was like, why don't we do a play on pastrami as my ode to New York with an African twist?" The results were so spectacular that the Post called it the "best pastrami in NYC."

Simplicity is often the key to a great meal, and David's Brisket House is famous for keeping its menu nice and simple. Whereas many trendy restaurants offer fare that ranges from pancakes to tuna fish sandwiches, David's has resisted the temptation to squish a bunch of random food items onto a single menu. Instead, the restaurant has chosen to specialize in cured meats and concentrate its efforts onto these. With a focus on New York City pastrami, corned beef, and brisket, David's Brisket House is able to produce premium quality eats. Of course, it helps that the establishment has focused much of its energy on doing one thing and doing it well.

Due to David's meat-centric menu, the locale's pastrami sandwiches are really intended for people who love cured meats. Indeed, the establishment's pastrami sandwiches lack the wide variety of fixings typical of other popular delis, preventing patrons from masking the meat's flavor under a bed of potato salad. Additionally, David's sandwiches are piled jaw-achingly high with meat, making it the ultimate pastrami experience. At this restaurant, it would be near impossible for patrons to avoid the meats. If anything, David's sandwiches are designed to help you dive into the deep, salty complexity of the homemade pastrami's flavor. 

Dickson's Farmstand Meats is a different kind of NYC deli. If anything, it is actually a butcher shop. Located in Chelsea Market, this establishment specializes in procuring high-quality, locally-sourced meats for New Yorkers. Even so, it offers many traditional deli services, such as house-made salami, jerky, and sometimes also pastrami. Because Dickson's is so careful about the quality of meat that it buys from nearby farms, it is ultra-fresh. Thus, their pastrami meat is extra flavorful.

Interestingly, however, Dickson's does not try to replicate the old-fashioned NYC deli experience. Rather than offering classic sandwiches, like the Reuben, the eatery sells modern versions of past favorites. For example, the restaurant serves its pastrami on multi-grain bread, which is toasted under the heavy iron of a panini machine. The sandwich is also dressed with unconventional toppings, most notably cheddar and apricot chutney. Although the most traditional pastrami fans might not be impressed by these new ideas, Dickson's is certainly worth a try. Ultimately, the restaurant serves some of the most popular flavors in new and delicious combinations.