Ben’s Best

I’m not sure what all of the hype is about… After reading reading stellar reviews about Ben’s Best I had to try it for myself. I must say I was a bit disappointed. Then again, once you’ve had the best (Mill Basin Kosher Deli), everything else pales in comparison.
My parents and I decided to try Ben’s this past Sunday. The establishment itself lacks atmosphere, but most delicatessens do, so that was pretty much expected. We all ordered soups (two vegetables and a barley) and a square potato knish, which were OK. My mother and I ordered the pastrami — it was tasty, but I honestly have had even better. My father ordered a the turkey sandwich, which was supposed to have been «off the bone,» but it wasn’t. Later that evening he became ill from his sandwich. My mom and I were luckily both fine.
Two minor things to note: 1. We went on a very cold evening (30-​something degrees), and the air conditioner was running. It wasn’t crowded at all, so I’m not sure why the AC was on. We requested that they turn up the heat, which they thankfully did. 2. A little while later, someone who works in the kitchen came out to say hello to a table of gentlemen sitting behind us. These men were clearly speaking Russian, but the worker insisted on speaking Spanish to them. There was definitely a disconnect there…
A definite plus that I should point out is that the food isn’t overly salted as tends to be the case with most delis and kosher food in general. Also they offer a generous portion of coleslaw and pickles.
I’ll probably give it another chance when I’m craving some kosher deli and return by default (it’s the closest deli to me), but Ben’s is unfortunately, definitely NOT the best.

It was first time trying this deli. I absolutely love their hit pastrami sandwich and chicken tenders. I’m nota big fan of cole slaw, but their Cole slaw is the best I’ve ever had. It wasn’t as pricy either. Definitely recommend this restaurant

Best pastrami sandwich in all of Queens. Love the pickles too. Great friendly staff. The owners really nice as well.

So awesome! Great food, love their meats! I love coming here they never fail to impress!!!

1^st visit and definitely not the last.
We sought out Ben’s after I was really craving some of the comfort food I grew up with in Detroit and it delivered! The charm of this place is endless. They have kept the old simple deli style feel without there being any feeling of dinginess. The service was kind and caring without trying too hard. The food was fresh tasting and came out in waves that were manageable, and the flavors were truly amazing.
We decided to really go for it and shared a bowl of Matzoh ball soup, the stuffed cabbage appetizer, a hot corned beef sandwich, and a side of sweet potato fries. Everything was truly delicious, from the pickles and coleslaw to the last bite of corned beef.
The real surprise for me though was the stuffed cabbage, which i would have never chosen as it strays from my usual deli wants. I am so glad we tried it, the cabbage and sauce were spectacular and the filling was so tender and well cooked that I debated ordering a few more, before I got my fill of the plentiful and outstanding corned beef.
As I said, definitely not my last visit.

I’ve lived by Bens Best Deli for about 17 years now and I have yet to set foot inside here. Until last night, when my friend and I were walking around thinking what where can have something out of the ordinary. I dont know why or how we never noticed this establishment. This place has been open for 70 years and they’ve had a lot buzz. From having a Food Network appearance to catering for the president. I loved my food ! The pastrami burger was on point! Very well done and for 15 $ and kosher? That was a bang for my buck. They have sit down and to go. Can’t wait to come back! 5 STARS

Delicious food. I always want more, but serving sizes are so large, it’s next to impossible! Friendly staff, and always have been, since my fiancé’s Grandmother began going over 25 years ago. It can’t get more delicious than Ben’s!

My wife and I live in the neighborhood and we here once every month or two. The pastrami is consistently good. We also love the coleslaw. I would rather eat here instead of trekking into the city. The service is great and I like the quiet atmosphere.
If you live in queens and are craving pastrami you should definitely check out Ben’s.
Highly recommended!

Consistently EXCELLENT !!!
Home made soups and the BEST Homemade Pastrami in the WORLD !!!
They also have hard to find fresh Tongue and Roll Beef.
Everything at fair prices.

Walked in at 930 am and was seated immediately. It was a group of four of us and our server was an elderly old man who was so nice and cute!
We had two order of half soup and half sandwiches. Mushroom barley and corned beef. The mushroom barley was a little cold but our server was able to heat it for my dad. The corned beef was great. Not too salty. Perfectly balanced.
I had a pastrami with the chicken noodle. The pastrami was a little salty, but paired with the slaw it was great. Very delicious. The bread was soft and chewy. The chicken noodle had a lot of flavor. The noodles were not too soft. No chicken but that’s okay.
My brother had the matza ball soup with chopped liver. Too much liver! However, our server brought out some cold cuts for him. So nice and sweet. THe matza ball soup was delicious.
The omelet with fries were great too! Fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The omelet was great. Eggs cooked perfectly.
Great service. Great value. Love this neighborhood joint! See you next time.

Ben’s Best in Rego Park (not to be confused with the namesake Ben’s Best chain of restaurants) is the standard bearer of the traditional Jewish delis that once were in abundance throughout NYC but are now in rapid decline. The primary culprit for this phenomena, I believe, is the nouveau dietary trends that make it fashionable to eat rabbit food. And while Ben’s offers a salad or two, Ben’s is a Kosher carnivorous oasis of Yiddish delights of Hanukkahs past.
I’m partial to the brisket on rye. Since I can seldom make-​up my mind on whether the sandwich should be dressed in mayo or gravy, I typically select both. The Hebrew National hot dogs are excellent too and the non-​Yiddish speaking folks behind the counter seem to know how to grill them correctly. Many years ago while working in Great Neck, the sage and fellow foodie Roberta Rose introduced me to potato salad topped hot dogs; the origin of my quarter century-​plus romance with such a delicacy. In my humble opinion, the potato salad laden hot dog – along with a side of Lipitor – are the perfect accompaniments to any deli sandwich.
Other favorites of mine at Ben’s include the roast beef and turkey – that is whenever the turkey isn’t too dry. And on occasion I cheat on the brisket with the pastrami. Regretfully, Ben’s doesn’t offer Reuben sandwiches (pastrami or corned beef on rye bread with melted swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing) because the Reuben sandwich isn’t Kosher. Oy vey.
Service is either good or spotty, luck of the draw I suppose. Service tends to be better whenever proprietor of 35 years Jay Parker (Jay took over the family business from dad) is lurking about, which is often. I suppose this is one of many reasons why Ben’s continues to truly be ‘Best.’

Talking with a childhood buddy of mine the other day, we were reminiscing about all the times we ate here when we were kids. Him being a nice Jewish boy, he always ordered the right foods. Me being the goyem, we laughed at the looks of horror each time I’d order pastrami or corned beef on white with MAYO!!! Oy vey!!! Hahahaha!!!
Those were the good old days. We agreed that during my next visit to the big apple, we will forego a visit to White Castle (another favorite from back in the day), and grab a bite at Ben’s instead.
Hopefully I won’t get kicked out if I order mayo for my sammie. ;-)

I came back after 35 years and it was good but not the same from what remember. Pastrami was lean turkey was great tongue. Pea soup was ok derma ok sour pickles ok all in all 8.5 out it 10 Still y’all this was much better than the deli down south where we’ve been living.

After waiting an hour and 40 minutes for my order of two pints of soup to arrive, I called the restaurant to find out about my delivery (which I payed a $ 5 dollar delivery fee for) The lady who answered the phone was incredibly rude and condescending. She told be that the 1 hour deliver estimate was not a guarantee and that she had other customers and proceeded to hang up on me.
To say the least when I received the soups, nearly two hours later, I was completely disappointed. Both the matzah ball soup and the chicken soup with rice had way too much dill. More upsetting however was that the «Old Fashioned Chicken Soup with Rice» had literally NO chicken in it.
Was hoping the famous soups would cure my terrible cold… guess I’ll try Campbell’s

Just OK. Would not come from far away to try this place, but if in the neighborhood it is acceptable.
Tried the fried kreplach that tastes like a cheap spring roll. The pastrami sandwich was OK but kind of small. The tongue sandwich was completely flavorless, and the soup was cold.
Perhaps 3* is too much?

This place is truly a gem. Conveniently located on Queens Blvd, Ben’s Best is very good.
I usually get the hot pastrami sandwich. A sandwich packed out with pastrami on rye bread. I like to lather it up in the mustard cause it’s so damn good!
More recently I’ve been getting their potato salad as well which is pretty good as well. Just the right amount of mayo and very fresh.
You can’t have a pastrami sandwich without the infamous dr. Brown black cherry soda.
The service is always quick. Order 3 mins before you get there and they’ll have it sitting there for 2 mins.
Definitely check this place out. The only downside is can get kind of pricy. But other than that, everything else is on point and if you’re in the Rego Park area, be sure to give them a shot!

I have lived in Queens New York and unfortunately, it has taken me 20 years to find this amazing deli/​restaurant. When I walked in here, I felt as if I had walked into a museum. The history of Bens deli goes back at least 20 years. A classic deli with a very homey environment. The staff were extremely courteous and I was served very quickly. Most importantly, their food was impeccable. I ordered a pastrami sandwich and my buddy ordered a pastrami burger. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. For a kosher deli, the pricing was very fair. Our meals came out to around 34 dollars. The drinks were a little pricy but that was alright. Overall we very much enjoyed our visit to Bens best and would definitely return here. The pastrami is the way to go!

I work in Manhattan and sometimes it’s just nice to get out of the city for some peace, quiet and great food. That’s why I love Ben’s Best.
If you want top notch pastrami and a wide selection of kosher foods, give Ben’s Best a try. Close you eyes and hope that your finger lands on something with pastrami! Get that!
My favorite, so far, is their Rego Bark– it’s a savory frank stuffed with Mandarin Oranges and wrapped with Pastrami on a toasted bun. I also rotate with their Dr. Brown’s sodas.
Coleslaw is complimentary with every meal and it’s some of the best slaw, EVER!
I hope you get Ania as your hostess. She’ll take care of you!
@TheHungersons

Had the Daily News Sports Final Special — just fantastic. Pastrami is sliced thinner than Katz, but this is some damn fine stuff.

This place had great reviews and I love a good soup and sandwich but when I came here, it did not live up to its hype.
The chicken noodle soup was good but generic.
The pastrami sandwich that everyone hyped about was severely disappointing. The rye bread was not heated or toasted and it had an odd sweetness to it.
Not sure if you are suppose to special request heated/​toasted bread but its usually a given at other places.
I was expecting a hot pastrami sandwich but the meat was lukewarm and honestly nothing special.
One thing that they do right was the pickles. Those half sours were pretty delicious.
Sorry Bens Best but you were not even close to being the best and sadly I will not be back.

Good kosher food. They have a big following. Friendly staff. Quick service.
Kosher… So don’t expect cheese or milk :) haa
Prices are way too high. Smallest and least expensive was an apple pie. A lunch sandwich will be sbout $ 20! Darn

The choices for decent food around the Rego Park area seem a bit lackluster, but once Bens Best came up on a search, it was all over. Here’s the place to go to in Queens if you got that craving for pastrami!
–Matzo Ball Soup — Serve something to me in a giant soup mug and I’ll almost love it automatically. Extra points for the amusing «Jewish Penicillin» script on the side of the mug. I had no idea what to expect, but its like a light home-​style chicken noodle soup… plus matzo, minus the chicken.
–Hot Pastrami — Super tender and flavorful meat overstuffed onto rye. Add a touch of mustard and its even more perfect.
–Roast Beef — Although I didn’t mind it, Wifey wasn’t too much of a fan of the rarer style cut of meat. I just wish it came hot like the pastrami sandwich though.
For the record I’ve never had matzo ball soup and cannot remember the last time I’ve had a fresh pastrami sandwich. The real star is the pastrami here, but I have no comparison as I’ve still felt no rush to go to Katz’s Deli. I would’ve ordered another pastrami sandwich to take home if I didn’t feel guilty (plus if only the prices here were a bit more wallet-​friendly too). Nevertheless, definitely worth a visit here if you’re in the area.