I Love New York Deli

4−20−14. Anyone know if they have opened another shop elsewhere? The kids who manned this place were kinda weird and uninformed about almost anything food. Sad.

I stopped in at the «I Love New York Deli» after reading about their sandwich in the Seattle magazine sandwich issue a couple years ago only to find out I was passing it all the time.
When you walk in, it really does feel like the no-​frill Jewish delis one would find in NYC down to the Dr. Brown’s root beer AND cream soda! I ordered the Reuben on marbled rye. The corned beef was REALLY well done, as was the sauerkraut. However, the sandwich really lost me due to it’s MESSINESS factor. It got everywhere. I know that this is a plus for many people, but this is a huge MINUS for me. I like for my sandwiches to stay together allowing me to have a bit of every aspect of it to really get that Reuben feel. No chance of that hear. By the time I got a few bites in, russian sauce was dripping everywhere and had soggied by once perfectly toasted marbled rye.
I wouldn’t count these guys out, but definitely grab napkins.

I really DO love this deli. Wow!
I don’t want to give away any secrets here, but if you’re a regular and you happen to accidentally order just past their delivery hours and you’re within 2 – 3 blocks of the business, chances are they’re going to delivery to you anyway. But I can’t make promises. This has just happened to me more than once and it’s really made my day.
On game night in the U Dist at a friends house, we often order take out or delivery so we don’t have to move our fat, lazy butts off our chairs. This is where I Love New York Deli comes in handy. It’s not intentional that we’ve called 5 – 10 mins late on two occasions but both times they gladly offered to deliver anyway. Talk about amazing service! **Again, I still recommend calling and ordering during their delivery hours. I just wanted to point out that they sometimes bend the rules and go above and beyond.
Even if that weren’t the case however, their sammies are great. Because the menu is so extensive and you have various bread, cheese and toppings options, the easiest thing to do it order a variety of sandwiches and cut them up at home. We do this so everyone can have a try of something new. Big, giant, fresh ingredients, tasty little sides and pickle spears make everything just slightly better. I want to plan a new game night just so I can order from here again soon.

I’m definitely no New Yorker, but I do love my deli sandwiches and bagels. This review is for the latter.
I had read the reviews for I Love NY warning about prices, but I figured a bagel couldn’t be THAT bad… or could it? I mean, the online menu sounded about right at $ 2.25 per bagel, so what the heck? I strolled over early one morning (it’s very convenient to the U) and took a stab at it.
I’ll be honest, the prices (which appeared to have gone up, even compared to their website menu) kinda turned me off, but I still grabbed a raisin bagel with some flavored cream cheese and an OJ. Actually, the guy ahead of me in line even commented on the price increase (at which the cashier merely shrugged).
While I waited, I grabbed a chair and took in the surroundings. The place has a lot of quirky novelty items, although they’re nothing fancy. It looks like the place is trying too hard to mimic a classic NY deli by shoving a bunch of random stuff you’d find in several delis all into one place. I don’t know, not working for me.
Finally, my bagel! The guy behind the counter who served me wasn’t too pleasant (maybe mimicking the NY attitude), but whatever, I got my food, that’s cool.
The bagel itself was a decent size and had a TON of smear on it, although it was kinda all on one side of the bagel (probably the way I pulled it apart, not their fault). It was pretty standard, like any bagel I’ve had. No complaints there, although for the price I guess I would want a little more.
Bottom line: I don’t know, it’s close to me and would be good for bagels, but the prices and place just don’t cut it for me. Maybe I’ll give the sandwiches a try and see how it goes.
Readers, you’ve been informed, make your call. I say try it once and see; after the sandwich test, we’ll see if I want to come back.

I ate the exact same breakfast here for 4 days in a row and it was delicious, satisfying, and perfect EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
If that’s not an endorsement, I dunno what is.

This place has improved a lot.
They are using reusable plates and recycling and their bagels taste fresher.
The black and white cookie is also much better. It used to be stale… like it had been found under a couch somewhere,… but now it is cakey and yummy!
I’m glad they do a good business and offer low cost options for working folk.

So after downloading the
app I noticed that I Love New York Deli delivered breakfast and lunch to my house. Elated that a different type of cuisine delivered here I decided to try it.
Ordered the Cheese Omelet, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich, Cheese Blintz, and a knish. All in all it wasn’t up to par.
The cheese omelet was your usual fare, same thing goes for the sandwich and the knish. However, the cheese blintz was horrible. For $ 6.95 I got 1 smashed blintz with a heaping side of sour cream, a skimpy amount of cheese filling, and no strawberry jam which was advertised on their website.
The other downside was that delivery was over an hour and everything was cold when it arrived. Also the guy that delivered it, while nice, was dirty, had stains on his pants, and holes around the neck of his shirt. It made me hesitate to eat the food…
Not coming here again.

although, i have never been to the east coast, i feel like this place might be legit. there’s knishes that are like piroshsky’s for 3.75. Also, there’s NY style bagels that are tasty but i can’t tell the difference between NY bagels and regular bagels. i looked it up and there is a distinct flavor between NY bagels and regional bagels, many think it’s NY water. the dirty water adds a distinct flavor. whether or not this is correct is beyond my rollerdeck of experiences. therefore, i will apply teabagger logic and despite having no knowledge, empirical or otherwise, i will say that, yes, this is true. NY bagels taste different and ergo, better. it is really hard to go wrong with bagels and lox.
i also like all the hebrew signs. i’ve always been fond of Jewish food. Coming from Hawaii, we’ve never had it or at least i’ve never seen a Jewish deli. so, it’s great to try something new.
i’m coming back to the sandwiches. especially the pickled beef tongue sandwich. the service is nice and friendly. there’s also the monkey pub and pierced hearts tattoo across the street. so, it’s nice to load up before a drink and a tattoo. definitely, the best food joint, for value and taste, in that block of bars and eateries.

Having never been here before, I asked the gal up front about a «hot pickled tongue» sandwich. She said, «it’s interesting.» I asked her for a suggestion. She stared blankly at me as though the five pounds of weed she had probably smoked on her break had suddenly hit her. No opinion whatsoever. Don’t you work here? Do you hate sandwiches or something? How about the bread — what kind is the best with it, or what’s your favorite? Again, no opinion.
Really? Sandwiches aren’t rocket science. I don’t expect you to love your job making sandwiches, but I do expect you’ll have SOME opinion.
I ended up ordering the «hot pickled tongue» sandwich. The meat was tender, juicy, and plentiful, and the bread was decent. However, the bread was sliced fairly thin (so the juices from the meat were making it fairly unmanageable) and there were zero veggies on it at all (just meat and bread and mayo). There just wasn’t anything exemplary about it.
The pickle was really good, though. I could have eaten 20.
For something that sounded as interesting as what I ordered, I would have expected more. It was okay, but I don’t think I will be going back.
Not sure if this is how «New York» sandwiches are served, but if it is:
1) I’m not a fan;
2) I don’t understand why New Yorkers aren’t all morbidly obese, and;
3) I now know I like mine «Seattle» style instead — loaded to a point of absurdity with veggies.

I am glad that i did not let previously pessimistic reviews hinder my coming here with my dad for lunch, even though it was on the Entertainment coupon site (we’ve been using coupons for our meals out together since recent financial avalanches… or, «financialanches»). I printed off the one offering a buy-​1-​get-​1 «overstuffed sandwich», saving the breakfast coupon for a different time. I’m not a sandwich girl, but I really dug the food we ate at the real NY deli my dad and i went to years ago, so i was looking forward to the caloric sacrifice.
I met up with Pops and we scratched our curly heads over the menu, drooled at the photos of the glossy-​meated sammies on the wall, and ogled the deli treats behind the glass (smoked fish, knishes, chopped liver mousse, baked goods). The (cute and polite) guy at the register graciously offered me a taste of the liver mousse to help me decide. It was delicious, but I was so set on hot tongue (try telling a cute waiter that without laughing) that i asked if i could get the Empire State subbed with tongue (the Empire comes with brisket, melted cheddar, caramelized onions, and horseradish cream sauce) on toasted marbled rye. So I was charged only $.75 for each add-​on, making my Perfect Sandwich not too much more than the hot pickled tongue plain ($ 10.95.)
Pops ordered a hot corned beef and pastrami on a soft kaiser. They both came with a pickle spear and side choice, mine of which was the pasta salad and dad’s the potato salad. GOOD-​BYE TOP BUTTON ON MY PANTS, HELLO PAJAMA JEANS!
Mercy me. I don’t think I have ever loved a sandwich so much. Crispy yet chewy warm marble rye, layer upon layer of meat slapped in tissue-​thin layers underneath (they put brisket AND tongue on mine! *squeal*), an ACTUALLY hot horseradish sauce on the side, zesty cheddar running down my fingers… sweet, candy-​like onions oozing out in protest even after I stuffed them back in with my saucy fingers. I probably looked like a sandwich serial killer. I didn’t care, and neither did my dad, who was in between scarffling down the giant pink-​and-​white skyscraper quivering on his plate, and stuffing half in MY face («Ya gotta have a bite, ya gotta taste it… go on, havalittle taste!» Agh, just like my Mom-​Mom.) I did try it and was impressed. My dad would not shut up about how much he loved it. He also said theirs was the best potato salad he’d ever had (it’s home-​made there). I took the other half of my sammie wrapped in foil from the counter and ate it for supper later.
Pops even bought me a kasha knish and a chocolate-​covered marshmallow for each of us for dessert. The knish at home would have been perfect with a little side of gravy, since kasha needs a bit of a moisture and flavor boost. But i still liked it.
Pops and i are going back there for next week’s Dad-​and-​Daughter-​Dinner/​Lunch deal, because we finally found a place that caters to my out-​of-​the-​box demands (tongue, liver, whole smoked fish, etc.), while not scaring my Dad. He can relive his old memories from growing up in Maryland and going to NY in his younger days and seeing his old Jewish favorites. We plan on trying the cheese blintzes, and the eggs benny on top of latkes with lox instead of ham! Doesn’ that blow your deli-​loving mind?
I told my dad people complained on Unilocal that it isn’t authentic. He laughed and pretty much said that was bullshins. All I know is that I found a new place to go for some hot tongue action.
*joy

Oi this place is the richtiker chaifetz «the Real McCoy»! Well, as real as you’ll get-​being that we are the antithesis of where a lot of the product comes from…
My east coast originated partner and i waltzed into this little deli on the corner to try something new and were pleasantly surprised. He ordered the Reuben on marbled rye and i chowed down on the Russian with sourdough. Yes, there was tons of meat which i appreciated especially if i’m going to pay $ 10 for a sammich (comes w/​a side & half a pickle)! Well worth it IMO. It was messy, but i loved it. The pasta salad i had was utterly nomtastic. Also, i’m a pickle lover (who’s picky about her pickles) and i quite enjoyed their unique flavor.
Oh, and thanks alot ihrtNYD-​as soon as we stepped outta the place he reverted back to his e coast ways while walking home: P (accent, attitude, general demeanor etc.)

I really want to like this place, but I leave disappointed every time. I’m a reuben lover, and while I appreciate the authentic rye bread and thousand island dressing, the corned beef was flavorless. So I went with a turkey reuben the next time, and the turkey was also flavorless and way too dry. Their breakfast sandwiches are better than their lunch sandwiches, but still left me unsatisfied. The watered-​down coffee this morning was the last straw; this place has run out of chances.
Keep going south on Roosevelt to Café Koinonia (41^st St) or Le Fournil (across the bridge in Eastlake) for your sandwich/​breakfast needs.

This was not a great experience! After hearing about how good the pastrami was in the Seattle magazine, my parents were in town and I decided to treat them to some good sandwiches.
We were driving through and placed a phone order for a couple of pastrami sandwiches, both with swiss cheese. For 20 dollars, we got two sandwiches, both without cheese and both of them were just bread + meat. I’m sure if the sandwiches come with any mayo/​sauce/​dressing by default or if it’s extra, but they were mighty dry without anything. And the «side?» It’s about a ¼ cup serving.
Overall, was totally not worth the money, considering for 20 bucks we could have bought some better pastrami and make our own sandwiches.

Yo! YOU TALKIN TO ME!!! I’m an Original New Yorkah with a N. Y state of mind and a NYC-​size appaetit that just doesn’t quit. This review goes out to all my fallen heroes, NYC F.D. Also I *loooove* new york hardcore, the true tstuff that just makes your gums BLEED Irish blue. This place also sells Menoarsh and Semitic items. What’s that got to do with Savory Salami, Nanies Chopped Liver, Lady Liberty Roast Beef Sanwich, etc? Answer: VERY LITTLE! But damned if it didn’t get my mouth a-​waterin’!!!
I ordered Overstuffed Sandwhiches. Choice (not making this sh*t up: Hot Pickled Tongue Homemade Here, Hot Raoatsted Beef Brisket Very tender, or the one I got, ROAST TURKEY ½ TURKEY BREAST on Dark Brown. Bread, that is– It was black germany Rye, so, it was just dark bread. It was like,…uh…
CONDIMENTS: I told them «easy mayo» and they put on mustard. They didn’t put tomatoe and lettuce and it says «with mayo tomatoes and lettuce». It says it right there on the menu, you Weinerschtizels. So this dude that made the sandwhich, they put one tablespoon of mayo and a whole bunch of mustard, you know, dude. I said LIGHT MAYO and I didn’t ask for MUSTARD and that wasn’t listsed as a topping. Yet TOMATO and LUTTICE are and I got… NOTHIN’!!! That just chaps my New Jersey hide. Not that I like vegetables too much but c’mon ALLOW ME TO MAKE A SUGGESTION– you’re gonna write WITH LETTUSE AND TOMATOE on your menu you put it on the sandwhcih. DUH!!! (Also offered on menu: «JEWISH PENICILLIN» huh!!! what da f%^%%!!!)
OTHER ITEMS ON MENU: Could have gotten Single Frank $ 2.95. I’m like, ewwww. Also featured: Lite Cream Cheese, Fresh New York Soda, Hot N.Y. Deli Meats, Hash Browns & Juice, and Manhatten clam chowder (no joke that’s how they spell Manhattan!!! Can You Say P. S. #245 dropout!!! And I’m from the Bronks!). The Seattle-​Times said the salad’s tasted like they were from COSTCO
Exactly. And MY Potatoe Salad had gone bad. Like it was curdled. how can you make potato salad go bad. Like it smelled bad, tastsed bad, and made me and my kids sick. I’m gonna call them 523‑0606 and complain, I still have the receipt.

I came in on a recent week-​day morning to try one of their breakfast sandwiches — went with the Little Italy Omelet which was italian sausage, egg, onion, peppers and provolone on a kaiser roll for $ 3.29. This was a typical run of the mill breakfast sandwhich however a tad lighter than other actual New York based establishments. I ordered a Yoo-​hoo as well (12oz can) for $ 1.99 which seemed a tad pricey compared to the other neighborhood establishments.
Order came out in about 7 minutes and delivered to my seat as I was the only customer in the establishment.
Being from the East Coast (New Jersey), it’s unrealistic for a Seattle based restaurant expected to realistically compete and have the same exact quality.
While this was a nice place; I wouldn’t make a trek out of my way to visit this establishment. One of the nice bonuses was the free-​wifi and a variety of New York based snacks.

Sorry but just can’t get give this place the cudos that everyone else seems to give. Had a corned beef on rye and asked for the coleslaw on the sandwich. Coleslaw was served on the side. Guess they’ve never been to Brooklyn. Ok so I loaded the slaw myself. The real problem was the corned beef was both lacking in flavor and it was loaded with fat and gristle.
The deli section look good and it was nice to find Dr Browns cream soda on the fridge.
2 corned beefs, 2 extra pickles and 2 cream soda’s came to $ 27.00 before tip.
I’ve had better. If you are really in the mood for deli and are in the neighborhood and have cash to burn give this place a try.

Whoa, how long has this place been here?
I stopped by today for a hot pastrami sandwich (or, since I got it to go, a slightly-​above-​room-​temperature pastrami sandwich). Turns out they’re selling them for $ 5.95 this month, probably in honor of National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day (January 14; just missed it). The normal price is $ 3 higher, but includes a side. You get to choose from several kinds of bread, including four kinds of rye. Or you could just ‘um’ and ‘er’ for a while, in which case you’ll probably be given the Zissel rye.
The sandwich itself was simple and satisfying. A large pile of meat between two slices of good rye, and some decent mustard. Large, but structurally sound; I had no trouble keeping it intact while eating it. If your experience with pastrami is mostly with the insipid supermarket stuff, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The portion was generous, but most people with a healthy appetite will have little trouble putting the whole thing away.
Also on the menu: soups, knishes, hot dogs, bagels, breakfast sandwiches. And what good would breakfast food be without coffee? They brew Café D’Arte (though there’s no mention of coffee on their website*). They also have a few NYish grocery items, probably of interest mostly to NYC transplants.
On the whole, perhaps a little on the pricey side for a lunch spot, but a good place to pick up some breakfast, or get the occasional pastrami fix.
*

So far I’ve only tried one item, but the atmosphere (Sirius XM 60s on 6 music, New York kitch, classic condiments and good looking food all around) make me want to come back.
I had a pastrami, egg, and cheese sandwich. Not only would they make it for me in the late afternoon (they weren’t busy at the time, though) it was delicious and a bargain at just over $ 2! This deli came from the original «I Love New York Deli» inside Pike Place Market. When the former delicatessen (German, I think) retired, they purchased the place and made a nice facelift.
I can’t wait to go back and try some soup. There are knishes, lots of sandwiches and a variety of New York (and Jewish) delicacies — pickles, soda pop, Drake’s cakes, cinnamon Babka (now I know what that thing from Seinfeld looks like) and more.

Hands Down the Best Reuben in Seattle!
OK kids put your eating dress on you are about to get fed
we went here today for lunch, a couple weeks back we went to the location in the Pike Place Market, and the kid working there told us about them opening a sit down location in the U District
so we were in the mood for Pastrami and didn’t feel like going to the East side in the rain, so we headed over here and we are both happy we did
we got the Reuben and Potato Salad and a Dr Brown Root Beer
the Potato salad was nice and creamy and had just the right little kick to it it was like a German potato salad minus the Bacon, wouldn’t be Kosher with Bacon tho
Now the Reuben was packed with meat and it had just the right amount of Sour kraut, 1000 Island Dressing, and Horseradish Sauce, that they all complimented each other with out one being more over bearing than the other, we both got it on the Marbled rye Bread, my Favorite Rye
they have a great selection of Kosher Products also, Hot Dogs, Sausages, Smoked White fish, Salmon
they also have about 7 different Bagels and 3 or 4 Smears, also had about 12 different Knishes I want to try the Coney Island Deep fried Knish, will be back for that for sure

I went there for lunch for my first trip to either of the I Love NY Delis. The location was nice: bright and cheery and the minute you walked in, your sense of smell awakened to the aroma of tasty, tasty meat. It was bustling with costumers but ordering and waiting for our food wasn’t too bad or too long.
I got the Rachel (hot pastrami, cheese and coleslaw on rye) and it was delicious. Big sandwich, big taste. The pastrami was tender, juicy and flavorful. This location is pretty close to my work so I’ll be back! There’s plenty to choose from and the breakfast menu looks enticing too.