Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen

It’s pretty good with a friendly staff, fun posters, and the décor is cool. It’s definitely pricey for deli food, although the portions are huge its still too expensive. But if you are craving pastrami or corned beef — this is the place to come.

Best deli sandwich I’ve had in a long time. They are huge! My husband and I really enjoyed this place. Very good customer service. A little pricey but definitely worth it.

Since moving to Texas from the east coast, Kennys and Ziggys is the closest thing you get to a real NY deli. Only difference is the wait staff is very pleasant.

The man and I split the Rebowski and the schmutzy fries. They were both fantablouous and we still had enough to take home for a late night snack. Also… The Texas sized éclair was amazing but the amount of delicious looking desserts on the menu would make it feel like a crime to not try a new one next time. Its a pretty pricey place due to size of the meals and quality. So I’d suggest going with somone who likes the same things you do and splitting meals. Server Tony had only been there 6 months and when he wasn’t wowing us his his knowledge of the extensive menu he had us laughing.

We had a super nice waitress. She suggested the Queso Emergency burger. I got it with substituted sweet potato fries. It was fabulous! Would definitely recommend this place. I had the opportunity to taste the pastrami, I will come back for the pastrami next!

Let me start by saying that I like sammitches. These sammitches are insane though! Share one! No one can eat a whole one! We started with cabbage rolls, which were delicious, and got a Rueben and a Moshe Cristo. My Moshe Cristo was so good I had conversations with it on my plate apologizing that I couldn’t eat more. French toast triple stacked with turkey, ham and bacon. A delicious jelly dippin sauce and syrup. Shut. The. Front. Door! BF got the Reuben. Openfaced and COVERED in cheese. The saurkraut was on point and the meat was amazing! Excellent service. Beautiful desserts, but we couldn’t try any cause we were so stuffed. Next time though! I saw an éclair that made my heart stop. Me and that thing have a date in the near future.

How do you not give this place 5 stars? I’ve been coming here since I moved to Texas and it is my regular Sunday brunch spot. The food is simply awesome. Everything is huge, fresh and delicious. Their menu is off-​the-​chart ginormous so I can’t speak for everything but their pancakes are the fluffiest and best ever and pairs so well with crispy fried bacon. Perfect pastrami (even more amazing if you take out and eat it on a golf course). Shashuka, everything bagel, the best fried fish sandwich you’ve ever had. I can go on and on.
Love everything about this place. Long lines? stick it out! I’ve never waited longer than 10 minutes. They have an amazing operation and their management is tip top. I see Ziggy there all the time. It’s always a good sign that the owner is doing quality control ;)

HUGE portions. Fast & fantastic service.
We came in on a Saturday evening. We were sat within five minutes. Pretty fast considering how busy the whole place seemed to be!
You get pickles to start like most restaurants provide chips & salsa or bread & butter. So weird! But also so good. Ask for the dark ones if you want a sweeter dill. The lighter ones are more of a bread & butter.
I ordered the turkey pastrami. I’ve never had that anywhere else & it was fantastic. Literally just the turkey pastrami on fresh rye bread that was soft with a hard crust. Apparently they sell it by the loaf too.
Only downside was that getting a side of fruit cost an extra dollar. Okay fine. But that side of fruit was literally just cantaloupe & honeydew — and not much of it! It was maybe half a cup.
Split your meal so you have room for dessert. It looked great but we had no space in our stomachs!

This is better than Katz. But when it’s closed… go to Katz because Katz never Kloses… lol
I love their breakfast… and I suggest the French dip for lunch… Matzo ball soup for dinner.
I love seeing the ambiance in this place

Just like my Jewish delis back home. Yummmmmmmy!
The portions are very large and sharing doesn’t freak anyone out.
Wish I had room for dessert.

It’s hard to dislike this place. Whenever I’m here I feel like I just stepped on set of «Goodfellas» I mean anything you order here comes in comes in Bulk like Cotsco’s! They are super generous with portions here. Don’t walk near this place if you are on a diet. The menu is extensive, like what I’d imagine secret service to provide to a venue if the POTUS was visiting. EVERYTHING is on the menu in GINAORMUS Portions.
In any case, the pickle that they bring out to you are my least favorite thing abt this place. I mean I love Pickles but EEEEKKKK the darker ones are salty and the liter colored pickles are meh taste something like a pickle but still cant put my finger on it… I’m not a fan…
On to the Foooooooooooood!
The menu is overwhelming, each time I think of trying something different, it’s hard for me to steer away from the «Crispy Chicken sandwich w/​cilantro ranch dressing» It’s served on a crunchy preztel bun. w/​abt 5 slices of breaded chicken and all of the fixings… OOOOmyyyGawwwdd soooooooo freaking good! So i usually get that w/​an order of fries a side of ranch and fresh jalapenos! Yes my New York accent comes out and I’m blowing kisses across the table calling everyone «Paulie» «Beautiful and delicious Paulie» if you want to nibble on leftovers later don’T split plates, but It takes a beastly individual to take down a whole plate of food here.
The servers are always friendly and right on top of everything!

Let’s talk about a true New York-​Style Deli that offers fresh and flavorful food!
I visited this restaurant on a Saturday morning. Around 11:30 am when it was not too busy. It only took about 5 – 10 minutes to be seated. My husband and I chose a booth seat. Both the tabletop and booth seats were clean, this is important to me, as I despise a dirty booth with crumbs and mystery goo stuck to it.
After receiving complimentary deli pickles, which were fresh, lightly pickled and delicious, our waiter was prompt in taking our order.
From the large amount of menu offerings and reasonable prices, I could not decide whether I wanted to order lunch or breakfast.
I decided to order the Hash It Over (adding pepper jack cheese).
It was so flavorful and monstrous.
The wheat bagel that came with it was also soooooo very fresh, the freshest bagel I’ve had in years.
If you are ever in the Uptown/​Galleria area, I highly recommend visiting this restaurant. You will not be disappointed.

I had Kenny and Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen bookmarked for awhile. I was craving corned beef so I decided to knock off anther bookmark.
First off K&Z is quite a large deli and sit down restaurant inside with many different kinds of cookies, some of which were more ethnic in nature. They sell about 10 different kinds of knish. Also I saw fresh and smoked fish.
While perusing the menu I was given 2 medium size pickles which were good. The menu has quite an assortment of sandwiches and entrees. The sandwiches were pricy ranging about $ 17.95 to about $ 24. I ordered the basic fatty cut of corned beef sandwich for $ 17.95. The corned beef had just the right amount of fat marbling but was so over salted. The edges of the bread were very hard but the main part of the bread was fresh… Kinda strange. It was not toasted. My server gave me a side of their dressing for it. I also received a small side of coleslaw which had good flavor. It tasted like it had a combo of vinegar and mayo dressing
They have an eating challenge for a $ 65.00 sandwich.
My server was friendly and checked in on me.
They have a Schmooze room to cater to weddings, showers, corporate events, holidays, birthdays, etc.
A sign was posted for Passover peeps which included a very good selection of appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, pickles, Kugels and dessert.
I took half my sandwich home and hubby also thought it was very salty. He threw his half away.
They have many entrees that looked delish. I’ll be back to try those.
They close early at 9pm and there is plenty of free parking out front.
Unilocal Review # 363

Kenny and Ziggy’s is not what you’d typically think of if you’re craving a sandwich and you’re from the south, especially if you’ve never experience one of the incredible sandwiches only a deli in the Big Apple can put together. This was my first visit here but I knew without a doubt exactly what they were serving up behind the giant wooden doors that lead you into this beautiful restaurant. It’s apparent this place wasn’t conceived locally, it definitely has the feel of old New York, if the smells of fresh cooked corn-​beef and pastrami doesn’t entice you the fresh complimentary kosher garlic pickles will. This is place is so old school unless you’ve lived in the northeast or watch the food network you won’t fully understand the tradition or the culture of this New York style deli but I promise you if your carnivorous in any sense of the word you’ll be hooked.
Don’t be fooled here, this place isn’t cheap and shouldn’t be confused with or referred to as a «sub shop» if you want a cheap processed meat sub don’t stop here, lord knows there are plenty of those brand shops around to feed the masses for 5 bucks, and too few of these places that are so rooted in tradition you think your at Katz’s Delicatessen the oldest delicatessen in New York City where «Harry met Sally». I don’t know if Kenny and Ziggy’s is the only place in town that still house-​cures and carves all its pastrami and corned beef by hand which makes a huge difference. It doesn’t hurt either that these meats and the rest of the products sold here are the best available, the frankfurters, knockwurst, knishes and other Jewish deli staples are too many to name. Today I tried the «FIDDLER ON THE ROOF OF YOUR MOUTH» a giant Triple decker, corned beef & pastrami w/​russian dressing & cole slaw which I always order on the side, I prefer it with deli mustard and prefer to dip the dressing, for $ 19.95 if seem a little pricey but what a deal, I could only eat half so it will feed two easily with or without any sides.
Featured on Food Networks’s Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri there’s no doubt Kenny & Ziggy’s is the ultimate New York Jewish deli experience here in Houston.

Kenny & Ziggy’s used to be the go-​to lunch place when I used to work in this area and the Company I worked for used to pick up my lunch tab. Those were the good old days but those days had gone. These days I don’t go to K&Z’s as often as I would like for a couple of reasons: They’re located in the Galleria area, which means Galleria area traffic; and the prices here are representative of Galleria area prices.
The last time I was here had been a few years ago. I don’t even remember what meal I used to get. However, I was craving some really good burger and I wanted to try something new. Imagine my surprise that Zagat review listed K&Z’s as having the best burger in Houston (at least when this review was written:
). Looking at the picture on the Zagat’s website, I decided that I was going to try the In Queso Emergency burger that very night. So off to K&Z’s I went.
It was a Saturday night at dinner time so the place was packed. I asked for a table for two and I was informed that the wait was going to be around 15 – 20 minutes. No problem, that seemed reasonable. However, my name was called up after waiting around 10 minutes. Nice! it seems like K&Z’s would overestimate your wait time so you wouldn’t be all grumpy when your wait time is up and your name hasn’t been called yet.
A few minutes after we had sat down, our waitress came quickly and dropped off a plate of three pickles. I’m not talking three WHOLE pickles, yo! Sweetness! I already knew what I wanted but I asked her to come back in a couple of minutes so my sister could decide what she was going to get. Originally she had planned to get the grilled cheese sandwich, but I encouraged her to get the Brooklyn Style Patty melt and that’s what she decided to get.
The meals probably took around 15 minutes to come out. Just so you know, the portions are big! My burger was pretty stacked with an ocean of fries all around it and a little container of coleslaw. If you dare, you can try eating the burger without cutting it in half first. Me, personally, couldn’t do it. It was that big (just look at the picture).
The In Queso Emergency burger pretty much had everything I wanted in a burger: Meat! Cheese! Bacon! Avocado! Onion Strings! You stack all that, put them on challah buns spread with chipotle mayonnaise, what do you get? A dangerously delicious burger! Even when I placed the order for this burger, our waitress was pretty proud in saying, «that’s the #1 burger in Houston!» And you know what? It could arguably be one of the best in H-​Town for sure.
The only downside of this burger? At $ 18, this is also one of the more expensive burgers in H-​Town as well.
As for my sister’s meal, I’ll just keep it short. After her first bite of the patty melt she made a short comment of «Oh my god, this is so good!» So, I’ll just leave it at that. She hates onions! And the patty melt comes with sauteed onions and she didn’t even mind eating those!
Even though we were ridiculously full (I couldn’t even finish my fries and I ALWAYS finish my meals), we decided that we wanted some dessert. Their most popular dessert here is their cheesecake (I asked), but that’s not what we got. My sister got sold to the idea of trying the Wolfie’s Famous Victory Layer Cake because our waitress had said that it was like a black forest cake but better and my sister LOVES black forest cakes! The slice of cake is pretty big to share for two. Not as big as the slice of cake that you’d get from the Chocolate bar, but definitely big enough. The cake was definitely delicious. It had the perfect sweetness between the cake and the icing. I definitely recommend it.
All in all, we received excellent food and excellent service. Just like how I remember it. The only difference is I had to pay out of my own pocket, so that definitely wasn’t as fun. But if you’re looking for some good food and good service, Kenny & Ziggy’s will definitely deliver.

I was highly recommended to come here by two completely separate friends. One said to come for breakfast, the other said to come for lunch. I told him that my first friend said to get breakfast there, and he was surprised, and said my first friend must be real big or something, LOL.
I went overboard in ordering since so many things looked so good. Here’s what I broke the bank on, all for myself…
1. Matzo ball soup — delicious! It’s been a while since I last had a matzo ball soup, and this really hit the spot.
2. Pastrami slices — I just ordered it straight up like that because I wanted to taste the flavor. Absolutely incredible. The most memorable thing I ordered.
3. Potato knish — this was just meh. It was basically a large hunk of mashed potato inside a puff pastry and didn’t taste very special. I wouldn’t get this again.
4. Onion strings — amazing when fresh. Very fragrant! You will definitely turn heads because it smells so good. Tasted great when I ate it with my pastrami. :)
Would definitely highly recommend this deli again.

This is my first visit here, and I was excited because I’ve been hearing good reviews about this place. It was around brunch time, so I got the smoked salmon with nova benedict and the egg cream drink.
The benedict was really good, and it was a huge portion too, compared to other places. The poached egg was medium-​done, and it was perfect with the yolk flowing out on top of a muffin and the smoked salmon, topped with hollandaise. The smoked salmon was so good too! I also like the taste of the potatoes too, but I couldn’t finish all of it since I was full already. I would order this again, but I also want to try other things too. It was my first time trying the egg cream, and I thought it was ok, it just tasted like soda and chocolate mixed together — not something I would pay $ 4 for again though. My friends had the grilled monte cristo, and it looked so good! It is too bad I can’t eat the ham, or I would’ve love to try it! It was so huge too! The restaurant also offers a couple of complimentary pickles (two different types I believe. I did not try but the colors looked different).
For those who haven’t seen the menu there, it’s crazy huge! It’s like the size of 6 – 7 people’s heads I think! lol Even the to-​go menu is also large! They have so much options, it can be overwhelming. I would suggest to take a look online or take a to-​go menu, and see what you would like to taste/​order first before dining in.
The whole restaurant was busy and packed when I was there around 12pm Sat. Interior decorations is not really fancy, but it is definitely better than a simple diner place for sure. I think the service was overall good. The waiter came and got our drinks and order when we were ready promptly. The food came in a good amount of time as well. I definitely want to come back again soon!

My last review of this place was five years ago. We returned last week and what do you know… I have to add a stars. This place us a houston treasure!

Ate here for lunch for the first time. So glad there’s a great NY deli so close to my work. I got the pastrami, on rye of course, and it was superb. And I ordered a side of potato pancake (latke)…also delicious. Service was excellent. Even though it was packed with about 15 people waiting in line to be seated, I was seated within 10 minutes. Great turnaround. Only thing that will make this lunch less frequent is the price.

Went here with lunch with about 8 people. We knew the place was always packed so we figured it was going to be a long wait. To our surprise it was only a 10min wait for 8 of us. VERY IMPRESSIVE! Right when you walk into this it feels like you are actually walking into a New York Deli all the traffic, food everywhere, the noise level and the confusion! It was perfect and strangely enough exciting. As they sat us we walked right by a deli and the counter where all the food is kept before being given to the customer! OMG what a great idea because everything i saw looked absolutely AMAZING and I couldn’t WAIT to eat it all! Once we got to the table we were given what appears to be a Holy Grail size menu (try hiding behind it you won’t be disappointed). I ordered Fiddler On The Roof Of Your Mouth! OMG I did not expect a smaller version of the leaning tower of pisa on my plate formed with corned beef! I wasn’t really sure how to eat it so i just unstacked it from the middle bread up and ate it. YUM YUM YUM that’s all i have to say. Hands down one of the best sandwiches I have ever had! I could barely eat the upper 2 halfs of the sandwich and i still have what seemed to be 10lbs of corned beef. I asked for a box to go, and here a QUICK TIP… ask for 2 extra piece of bread so when you get home you can make more sandwiches, I was able to make 3 more with what I had left. Anyways, when we left I ordered the Kenny & Ziggy’s Famous Torte. I have zero words to describe how EPIC, AMAZING, LIFE CHANGING it was! ITS HUGE though it was large enough for 3 desserts and i’m a big guy. But yea, GO HERE, EAT HERE & GAIN WEIGHT HERE YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED!

Well I just love this place. But I live 35 miles away. Whenever I’m in the area, I stop in and either have a meal or get something to bring back home with me. I love everything here. I usually get pastrami on rye or half pastrami half corned beef, always pickles (dark only cuz they’re better, to me anyway) and matzo ball soup. I’ve also had their knishes. Dee-​wishes. Smacks lips.
I recently had the flu. My brother was in Houston and I asked him to stop at Kenny & Ziggy’s for some soup «n stuff.» Well my awesome brother brought over soup, pickles and a pastrami sandwich to split. Soup was still hot! Everything was so good. It was a real treat. I felt better! !

Oh boy… this place. Any diet, I think I’m on, doesn’t stand a chance to it. Once I see their cheesecake, my willpower crumbles. I am sure there are a few things one should not get from here. I don’t know what those are because I stick to a few favorites. Maybe check out other reviews for that info. Their pastrami is amazing as is their matzah ball soup. And like I said the cheesecake is awesome. The only cheesecake in Houston that’s worth the calories. At some point I’d love to try other foods like their lox, but I never seem to get there as much as I want to. Thankfully there will be a new location! Wallet and waist line won’t be too pleased but my choices are either come here or get caught in a blizzard.

I was pleasantly surprised by the modest strip mall exterior. After spending a week in Houston I realized I hadn’t seen any Jewish delis. Boy this place did not disappoint. The place had a good rumbling of energy from all age groups with great servers adding fuel to that fire.
Now, I was told by a friend to try their wedding soup. It wasn’t on the menu so I’ll try again next time. Me thinks there was a communication failure on my part. But the other item on my list to try was the cabbage roll which was freaken excellent. Quite frankly, the cabbage roll by itself was a meal for one. I had to go the extra mile and order the corned beef sandwich. So good. I’ve had better rye bread but the corned beef was spot on.
Definitely looking forward to going back.

Ordered triple decker pastrami, it was nirmal but still good. not as good as Katzn service was nice but not as clean. but the Pastrami was hot the bread was fresh the pickles h lemonade were very house made. In general its ok but totally not worth the money they charge

Awesome traditional NY style delicatessen! Really liked the atmosphere for lunch, but I feel dinner would be a little too deli-​like for my liking. A bit pricy, but portions are massive and very shareable. Love this place for lunch! Bathrooms adequate. Centrally located and plenty of parking.

Such a disappointment. I saw very good review about this place so I brought 2 of my friends here and we were all totally disappointed with the food. The ambiance is cozy and family style kind of place. They have lots of options on the menu, but the food does not taste as expected and is overpriced. I ordered a turkey sandwich for $ 15. It does not come with veggie. The waiter asked me if I wanted cheese with my sandwich so I got cheese assuming that it comes with the sandwich. Found out when I got the bill that they charged me an extra $ 1 for the cheese.
The sandwich bread was so stale and hard to chew on. The turkey tasted like frozen ones that you get from the market; it was bland and had no special flavour. I only had a few bites of the sandwich and was totally done. I was upset and I guess I should have complain right then with the manager.
My other friend ordered Philly cheesesteak and it was just ok for him.
We are not expecting to come back to this place.

I love Kenny & Ziggy’s! The portions are generous and seriously delicious! My favorite items are:
1. Challah bread French toast (4 stars!)
2. Mishmosh soup (matzoh ball soup with chicken and golden noodles– also 4 stars!)
3. Potato pancakes (soooo good with sour cream and applesauce)
4. Corned beef hash– one of my favorites!
5. Fish and chips– get it with the shoestring onion rings instead. Not bad but the tartar sauce is only so so.
6. Éclair– gigantic and very tasty!
Enjoy! Service is usually good but sometimes you’ll get a super cranky waiter. Also, check out the documentary Deli Man if you’re interested in learning more about this restaurant and its background!

This is the Holy Grail of Jewish delicatessens in Houston!!! The lox is flown in from Brooklyn, New York daily and was fresh, clean and delicious. The cream cheese is whipped in with some other secret ingredients making it smooth and balanced. Served with all the ideals… capers, onions, tomato, olives and a plate of wonderfully prepared pickles! And the bagels? Don’t leave without trying them!
We also had the grilled Monte Cristo which is served as a double decker, cheese of your choice and piled high with carved turkey, ham between layers of French toast halal bread. Powdered sugar topping with jam and maple syrup to round it out.
Simply splendid in every respect!!!

I’m a New York Jewish deli maven. My trip to Houston included only one place to eat — Kenny & Ziggys. Wow. Talk about legit NYC deli. From the mouth watering pastrami to the mish mosh soup to the chopped liver to the blintz to the stuffed cabbage. If you love deli this is the place.
Steve from New York

Been here almost a dozen times now. I’ve never been disappointed.
Burgers are huge, filling and will solve most hangovers. Blue cheese is so funky, it’s amazing!
Shoestring and regular onion rings are the kind you crave/​think about!
Salads are huge but it is beyond me why one would get a salad here.
Chicken noodle soup with noodles (not rice) is what I honestly crave when sick. If I’m too far from Ken and Ziggy’s, I will settle for phở, but I have to be real sick not to make the 20 minute drive. It’s that good, in my opinion. Plus, a toasty bagel chip around the spoon makes me smile.
Lox is smokey, delicate, flakey and fresh. As we all know, you must get capers, lemon, a bagel and some cream cheese with that salmon.
I love the Reuben but honestly, I have to be «in the mood» for Ken & Ziggy’s. It is topped with so much cheese and Russian dressing, the texture can throw me off. But you’ll always find me catching a bite of whoever has it at the table.
Cabbage rolls are my dad’s favorite. The sauce is sweet and tangy, as it should be. Even distribution of seasoned beef and rice wrapped in fat cabbage leaves. Somehow the cabbage has a slight crunch with that first chew, then it melts in your mouth. I don’t know how they do it!!!
Bloody Mary’s are surprisingly relish. Again, get one with a burger & onion rings if you drank too much last night.
Most recently I had the schmutzy fries… so yum! Loaded seasoned cheese sauce, chunks of pastrami and herbs.
Last week Lenny’s Bronx cured my 12 hour hangover. I ate it 3 different times that day! So delicious. My friend got the BLT which was good; but SOooO much bacon & salt. I suppose that’s the point huh? That’s fine, she ate most of it… not my taste though.
Dessert? Can’t go wrong with any of it. My favorite is: Italian cream cake with a cup of espresso.

Like with Grand Lux Café or Cheesecake Factory take these reviews with a grain of salt because the menu at Kenny & Ziggy’s is huge.
Taste: I had the number 10 (Its a club sandwich) with no bacon and French toast.
The sandwich it self was alright. It’s cool that the sandwich is a triple decker. However, because it’s such a difficult sandwich to pick up and eat it’s hard to focus on the taste.
When you do get a good bite in you can notice the taste of the cheese but the turkey seems very dry and tasteless. I know turkey doesn’t have much fat to begin with but I’ve had club sandwiches from Jersey mikes subs and they ended up tasting much better.
Now the French toast is a whole different story. If you like French toast then the French toast here will not disappoint. The syrup they give you for the French toast is pretty good too.
Price: This place can be a little pricey but it’s not to bad. At least they give you your money’s worth. Rarely will you leave here on an empty stomach.
Overall I’d say come here and try different things. It can be hit or miss since the menu is so large. You may try 2 things and not like it but the 3^rd dish could be great.

Every time I come to Houston I have to stop at Kenny and ziggys. Everything is great
Friendly staff and clean place
A little pricey but huge portions
My favorite is the fiddler on the roof
Bagel chips and cream cheese with jelly is always a must !
My family has came here for over 20 years

My family went on a Saturday around 11 and we had a party of seven. We didn’t have reservations and expected to wait a long time. It was crowded but not as crowded as when we were leaving. We only ended up having to wait maybe 15 minutes.
The restaurant appears on the smaller cozy side when you walk in but they have another section in the back. The menu was probably the biggest I’ve ever seen. They have a massive selection. My granny loves this restaurant she used to eat Reuben’s in Rochester visiting my grandpas family. She says not enough restaurants sell that kind of food anymore.
Everything on the menu is pretty pricey but the plates are more than if enough to share with somebody. They give pickles as an appetizer and they were pretty good. I used to not really like pickles that much either.
I got a burger that was delicious because I’m not a huge lover of corn beef. Overall I would definitely go back many times if I still lived in Houston there is just SO much to try

I just love this place. Kenny and Ziggy are amazing! The food is everything you would expect from a true New York Deli. You’ll never leave hungry, that’s a promise! I’ve been here several times over the years, and now that I live in Houston it will definitely be a regular stop. First of all, you are greeted by very friendly folks. The atmosphere is loud and energetic. Second, the food is phenomenal. They make their own pastrami and corned beef, among many other things. The pickles are done in house and served with ever meal, even breakfast! This is a true Jewish Deli. The matzo ball soup is to die for. The corned beef hash with eggs, divine! The Rueben sandwich… big enough for 4 people to share! This place is a must stop!

The only three words you’ll need to know here: MATZAH BALL SOUP. I first had their soup at the Annual Chicken Soup Cookoff a year or so ago, and it was definitely the best chicken soup there, hands down. Perfectly clean, chickeny broth with a soft but chewy matzah ball. It is comfort, hugs and mom’s cooking wrapped up in a bowl. Sure, it’s pretty pricey, but it’s worth every freaking drop.
I like the idea of a NY style deli, and this one fits the bill. Caricatures of celebrities and NY Broadway musical programs plaster the walls, making you feel like you’re really there. The waters and waitresses are older and feel like aunts and uncles with their familiarity and warmth. The food, in my opinion, can be hit or miss, though. I remember watching this place highlighted on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives and they had shown their… pierogies? being made, so naturally, I had to order them. They came out slightly cold and kind of tasty, but nothing to run home to.
There was a pastrami sandwich (with tongue, I believe) that hubbs and I got one cold, rainy day, and it was everything you hope and dream a pastrami sandwich will ever be. Perfectly salted and thinly-​sliced meat, and even though it looked kinda dry, it was moist and delicious. Paired with their (freshly-​baked) bread, it was a pastrami sandwich dream.
Portions are HUGE (think Cheesecake Factory), explaining the high prices, but you get what you pay for… high-​quality, made-​with-​care meats, breads, entrees, service, experience. I’ve only dared look at the rotating dessert display and didn’t have the courage to actually try one, but maybe one day I will :)

Authentic NY deli experience in Texas. You have to get the pastrami or corned beef first to see what Yankees do with brisket.
Sandwiches are huge enough for 2. Blows away the meat to bread ratio. I take the extra meat home to make another sandwich.
A little pricey but worth it

I feel like everybody has eaten at Kenny & Ziggy’s. Even my coworkers who live out in the ‘burbs have eaten at Kenny & Ziggy’s. I had not eaten at Kenny & Ziggy’s. Time to fix that!
First off: the menu here is gigantic. You know how Cheesecake Factory has a never-​ending menu? K&Z’s has one of those, but rather than it being bound like a book, the menu is pretty much the size of a small toddler. Anyway.
You start off with complimentary pickles, which are pretty addictive — perfect to nosh on while you try to process the million menu items K&Z’s offers. My friend and I ended up splitting an open-​faced Reuben, but we weren’t mentally prepared when it came out.
You might wonder, «why is this sandwich $ 20?» before it gets served. Well, the size of this sandwich is enormous. Kind of startling, especially since it’s open-​faced and SMOTHERED in cheese.
I’m not complaining, though! I’m a fan of cheese and corned beef, so I happily cut into my half of the sandwich and ended up finishing the rest of my friend’s.
We also split a strawberry cheesecake — also gigantic — which really ended the meal on a perfect, creamy note. I wanted to cry after eating everything, partially because it was good and partially because my stomach can only hold so much food.
I applaud you if you can finish an entire K&Z sandwich in one sitting by yourself — you’re a better person than me. You pay for what you get — heaps and heaps of food!