Long Island Express Deli

Hubby and I were wanting to try this place for a long time and our schedules finally meshed to do just that. Hubby is from Long Island so the expectation was pretty high, plus we heard a lot of good things about it.
I have to say that we were disappointed. The bread was good but it just didn’t have that wow factor we wanted.
If you are going to pay a little more for a sandwich, you need to make sure that is a dang good sandwich!
I’m open to trying it again though, maybe they were off a little that day. If so, I’ll revise my review.

My favorite sandwich place in town. The pizza is good. The chicken salad is yummy, but get the Wise Guy on garlic bread. Just do it. Trust me. Ah-​may-​zing! They get busy around lunch time so plan accordingly or order ahead.

Super good and wonderful staff. They cook to order and it’s fresh and delicious. You can always count on the food to taste homemade and wonderful. The atmosphere is light and eveyone who works there always seem to enjoy what they do. I personally enjoy the sense or humor and joking they do with each other. Convenient to most everywhere and super foof, what else do you need. Remember they are only open for breakfast and lucnch and stay busy!

I always get the Reuben because it is absolutely delicious! Food is always hot and fresh, cooked to order. Only 4 stars because of the TVs. Volume is always on and that is the only thing I don’t like about dining in. But it’s a great breakfast or lunch spot! Check out the cheese on this sandwich!

Simple and clean. Came in hungry, I stared at the menu forever trying to choose just the right sandwich to feed my face. Quality ingredients, clean kitchen and staff, and friendly service. I ordered a roast beef and horseradish sandwich on sourdough, toasted with a side of potato salad that tasted just like my momma’s, which would make me a regular just for that :-) prices are very decent, so keep it local and support families of our community, this place deserves your business!

I’m open to going back here again, but my First-​Time-​Here-​Order was a bit disappointing. I had a carry out order at lunchtime… 6 bagels, 2 sandwiches, and 2 hot dog Specials, all to-​go. And they forgot my sides! So that was disappointing to get home to no Pasta Salad or Macaroni Salad. I would have ordered Potato Salad but they were out of that. So 1 star gone on those accounts.
Then the sandwiches… we both got Hot Pastrami with Swiss and Mustard on Rye. The Pastrami was excellent, but I couldn’t find any cheese on the sandwich, and when I asked my son if he had cheese it took a few moments for him to say, «um, yeah, i think so.» If it was there it was hidden between the top piece of bread and mustard, but there was certainly no cheesiness factor. The sandwich could’ve used more mustard too, to cut through the salty pastrami and the grilled rye bread.
So, without any side to break up the mouthfuls of pastrami, and little to no mustard or cheese, it was a bit too much of one powerful taste. Although the pickle spear on the side definitely helped.
I ordered the hot dogs with chili & cheese, and that was interesting… the Nathans Hotdogs were very good, and grilled on the cooktop. They are served on a Roll with a slice of American cheese and some pretty thick and meaty home-​made chili. Its not your NC type of Hot Dogs, it was very different but very good.
I’d like to give them another chance and try some pizza and calzones, and also the Philly Cheese Steak. But, no big rush to get there any time soon.

If you like a hot breakfast, a good hearty sandwich, or NY style Pizza, this is the place for you! Since I moved to the area over a year ago, I have known what a gem this deli is. Eggs are cooked to perfection, served on homemade crispy rolls, with cheese, bacon, sausage, or even Taylor Ham (pork roll)! The lunch sandwich choices are plentiful… something for everyone. I especially love the Goodfella, oh and the Cajun Chicken Wrap is to die for: grilled white meat chicken breast, pepper jack cheese and just the right amount of Cajun spice and sauce all in an ample sized wrap. Def THE best pizza in town, bar none! Daily specials too. If you’re going in for lunch, call ahead, or, get there early cause this place gets crowded… hey, it’s the best in town!

I thought this place would be better. We ordered meatball subs. The meatballs were still cold after being heated up in the microwave. The deli counter was practically empty. Service was done by young kids who really could care less to be there. Guess I’m just disappointed in the microwaved food, not fresh at all. Also they aren’t open on Sunday’s which seems strange they don’t cater to the after church crowd here in Clayton.

My husband eats here once a week for lunch. He took me because he raves about their fresh baked bread roll. It is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, reminding us both of European bread.
At first glance the prices seemed a little high for sandwiches, but there is a lot of meat on their sandwiches so you will feel better once you see your meal.
We ordered the Jericho Turnpike (corned beef) and Philly Cheese Steak. Both were quite good. Their chips were good too. I like it when places offer chips that are not Lays.
I would go again for sure. There are lots of choices on the menu. My husband swears by their wraps.

Excellent bread and ingredients, not so great balance and seasoning.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came here… I’d read through the menu several times on the website before deciding on the Goodfella for myself, and the Northern State for my wife.
She was also excited about the possibility of a cannoli, so I tacked one on to the order.
We grabbed a pasta salad to go with hers, and a potato salad for mine.
I unpacked things carefully at the house. Everything looked good. The Northern State was double wrapped.
Hot sandwiches are a general casualty of takeout, as the grilled bread was slightly soft and humid after I was able to get it onto the plate. It’s just how things are, no matter where you go. They aren’t being penalized for it. Just eat in if you can.
Next come the sandwiches and sides. Full explanation and summary after the review.
The Northern State
Plus — Generous amounts of good pastrami — Nearly an inch thick
Neutral — Swiss cheese and mustard were very much in background. This was okay with my wife, as she’s not a huge fan of either, would’ve been a minus for me, as you need the vinegar in the mustard to cut through the richness of the pastrami and fat in the cheese.
Side — Pasta Salad:
Plus — Bowtie pasta cooked al dente — not mushy
Minus — Herbs and pepper dominate, no vinegar to speak of to balance oil
— Less than adequate salt
The Goodfella —
Plus — Excellent meats and cheeses in fair amounts. — Fantastic crusty, light bread.
— Tomatoes firm, lettuce crisp, and roasted red peppers
— Minus: Underseasoned and a lack of balance in oil/​red wine vinegar mix.
Side — Potato Salad:
Plus: Potatoes are not overdone — a tiny bit of sweetness provided by pickle juice or just sugar — can’t tell
Minus — Too many onions (and I love onion — everything needs more onions, except for this potato salad), but still on the edge of bland. A bit more sourness is needed to bring out character of vegetables and to smooth out sugar/​salt combo.
Cannoli —
Plus: The shell was decent
Minus — Small, and filling was not home made (or it least it didn’t taste that way). Reminded me of the filling in a store-​bought Entenmann’s cake.
Summary: I was really, really hoping to fall in love with this place. To have a match to the excellent Gandolfo’s in Smithfield, so I didn’t have to drive to the other end of Johnston County when I had a craving for a truly great sandwich.
What really hurt this place for me was the underseasoning. I see this a lot in places that buy the «best ingredients».
But it’s the balance between the two, or the sauces, or whatever else a sandwich place does to differentiate themselves. It’s not just getting «the best». It’s what you do with «the best» that counts.
You will get a good sandwich here, and I think it will be worth stopping in. But it’s not a place that I can say I would make a special trip for.
3.33 stars.

Long wait but well worth it. Husband had a cold cut sandwich that was delicious and packed with fresh cold cuts and good crusty bread. I had a chicken Parmesan and it was spot on so good and fresh tasting chicken that was cooked to order the way it should be. This was out first visit but won’t be our last.

The best Ruben sandwiches in Johnston county, and the soups are made fresh. The breakfast calzone is delicious too. The Knish are tasty and you can get them fried or grilled. they make homemade bagles and I think possibly the only place around here you can get taylor pork rollTry a different breakfast and check these guys out!

I just started working in the area and was anxious to try this place out because I kind of have a slight addiction to sandwiches. That was a few weeks ago. I now head here at least once or twice a week. The sandwiches are awesome! Well stuffed and well constructed so they don’t fall apart on you when you eat them (an important aspect of sandwich quality).
Today’s new addition to my order was a potato knish and it did not disappoint… I got my order to go and while driving back to work, I realized I didn’t grab any mustard… what’s a good knish without mustard??? I was upset with myself to say the least but was in a hurry to get back work so turning around wasn’t an option. When I got back to work and opened up the box, there was a mustard packet sitting there smiling at me…
These people know what they are doing and the knish was just as I remembered getting as a kid in NY.
Heading back soon…

Stopped here today for the first time as I was on the road and starving for some breakfast. Figured I’d stop here and grab some bagels. No fancy bagel sandwiches, just a cinnamon raisin toasted w/​cream cheese, and a plain toasted w/​butter for the hubs. They were edible, that’s about it. They might as well have been from a pack of Lenders bagels bought at Walmart, that’s how small they were. I’m originally from the NE as well, so I just assumed that with a name like «Long Island» Express Deli, I expected the bagels to be like the quality I used to get up North. I’ve heard bagels in the South aren’t that great, so when I saw the name, I figured I’d get something outstanding, but I was disappointed. I’m not gonna low-​ball them with 2 or 1 stars, as I haven’t tried their pizza or other sandwiches yet. I do plan to visit them again for pizza or other sandwiches off their menu, and will update my review once I’ve done that.

Great sandwiches at reasonable prices! I come here for lunch a lot. One of my favorites is the Smokehouse Wrap (Turkey, Bacon, Pepperjack). Rather than the Honey Mustard, I like mine with the Chipotle Aioli that they use for some of the other wraps on the side (I get it on the side because it has a kick and I prefer to dip mine). The potato salad is also great and I like to mix a little of the Chipotle Aioli with mine. I’ve also had the Roast Beef wrap and a few of the other sandwiches, which were always consistently great. The owners are always welcoming and friendly. I was also glad to see that they removed the pool table a number of months back to expand seating capacity. Keep up the great work!

Well, I went here today for lunch and the owner (as they stated) gave me a free sandwich. I didn’t want it for free but it is what it is. The sandwich was fantastic and the place was packed. Restaurants take note, serve fresh food, have good customer service, and the rest is easy!!!
BRAVO!!!

Best pizza I have found down here. Since I’m from the NE, the subs were very disappointing… good service and quick delivery.

Awesome sandwich. Ate outside on a nice day. Huge menu with something for everyone.

A Pizza and Deli. Has the best bagels this side of New York. A good variety of breakfast sandwiches. Rolls baked on site. If you are tired of biscuits for breakfast, this is a great change of pace. They crack real eggs right before your eyes. They use Boars Head meat for sandwiches and homemade salads. It is all take-​out since there is no room to sit down inside. It is the Sunrise Highway in North Carolina.