Gotham’s Deli

Tried the P dog, with pastrami and a half Ruben, both were great, and both were big. And they take call ahead orders. If you’re traveling and want something different than fast food, this is a great spot. Parking is a little rough, but worth it to find. I was very impressed with how everything was. Will definitely go back on my return drive.

In my opinion, the chicken parmesan sandwich was not «chicken parmesan». It was sliced chicken on a bun. The entire sandwich was assembled and microwaved rather than heated in a oven.

Not sure if this is a real NY Deli or not… don’t care. The food is excellent! Getting there is a pain and parking can also be a pain but the food is perfection!!!

This is a favorite for my wife & I. We stumbled upon this one day driving home from Raleigh. Some of the best subs you’ll ever eat. Their cold pastas are very tasty as well.
please note — the restaurant recently changed it’s name to Gotham’s Deli but still under the same ownership and great taste!

I am not sure what makes this place a NY Deli. First of all it’s now known as Gotham Deli; I assume new owners?
The décor is the same as prior pics; but pretending you run a NY Deli does not mean you actually serve NY Deli style food. I mean I can put on pads, gear and suit up; but the Bears (or given the location) Panthers are not going to put me on the field come Sunday.
My sandwich was low on pastrami and overloaded with slaw and dressing. Then it was served on a HUGE hoagie roll. I had the whole, which was about $ 8.
The sandwich which was noted as being served «hot»; was not, maybe lukewarm at best drenched in cold slaw.
Overall an ok place, but overpriced for the min protein on a roll.

I ordered my 2 sandwiches to go (1 Real Subway, 1 Brooklyn Bridge and a pickle). I ordered them heated as I love when the bread is toasted a little. I paid and then waited. Everyone was friendly and super helpful as they have always been. Then, I heard the beep. I looked up and realized that my heated sub was not being toasted but the meat and cheese were being microwaved. The roast beef was barely still pink. And in my mind I was very confused as even Subway toasts their subs and does not microwave their food. And I’m at Gandolfos, not subway… a huge step up. So I continue to watch and then out comes my turkey and cheese from the other microwave. And thankfully before adding it to my sub, I proceed to watch them drain or squeeze the grease over the trashcan. Fast forward to getting home and taking the first bite. Something is off. Long story short of it, the cheese had been heated to the point of where it was hard and the turkey was wrapped up in it.
Go to subway folks. Or even Sheets. They at least they don’t microwave your sandwiches.

Really mad at Gandolfo’s. One lady employee made an inappropriate and racially tinged remark about my wife how she ordered from the kids menu for my 15 month old son. This employee said it just loud enough for my wife to hear it. She couldn’t believe that my son could eat the sandwich on the kids menu. She thought my wife, who is African (not African American «black»), was trying to cheat the restaurant out of a meal. We bought plenty of kids meal for this boy and he ate it all. On the redeeming side, the other employees were visually embarrassed about this but no one spoke up to her. My wife did not speak up because it’s her nature to not respond to ignorance and risk sounding rude. We love the food but this experience has put a bad taste in our mouth.

One of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. The menu is huge and if you don’t see what you like, they’ll make it! Fresh every time I go there. Great service! Great atmosphere. Very NYC nostalgic.

Driving on the 95 &. Looking for a local non fast food option. Reviews look promising & as soon as we arrived at noon, there was a line of 10 behind us. Nice cashier but sandwiches took 15 minutes to make. Son ordered a knuckle sandwich, I ordered a west, DH a Philly cheesesteak. They were all supposed to be hot. Son’s sandwich meat was still frozen in the middle. We watched the kid making them use the microwave to heat all the sandwiches… really! Even the Philly cheesesteak! My west sandwich was delicious but lukewarm. My DH took one bite & threw the rest away it was so bad. Son only ate ½ of his until he bit into frozen section. Sooo disappointed cause I really wanted to like this place! $ 32 spent without drinks or chips & we still need to stop for a real lunch.

Great quality and variety of sandwiches, salads, soups and dessert! Fast and affordable, friendly staff. A taste of NYC in North Carolina. There is literally something for everyone here!

We were driving along 95 and wanted something other than typical roadside fare. A quick Unilocal search led us to this hidden dive. It’s less than two miles off of 95 and in downtown Smithfield. We parked by the courthouse and walked around the corner. It was small and the walls were covered in NY memorabilia. The sandwiches were cleverly named and after reading over the menu my husband and I decided to share a knuckle sandwich. It was a pastrami with marinated mushrooms and olives on sourdough and not something I would typically go for, but it was awesome. One of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I’m disappointed we don’t actually live around here — but now I know where we’ll stop next time. For kids, they offer a ham or turkey sandwich with chips and a drink for only $ 3.75 — deal! Even the sweet tea was great! Besides pictures of different people and places in NY, there were even pictures of the Gandolph family which adds to the charm. What a great find!

Nice location and unique layout. Very good hot and cold sandwiches! Highly recommend the gyros. Pricing is reasonable and food is great. Will be eating there again!

Yum! I got the tuna sub and it did not disappoint. I got there around 12:00. It was just starting to get busy. When I left the line was at the door. It moves quickly tho. Great prices! $ 7.95 with drink and chips. Plus $ 1 tip. Those ladies work hard. The only downfall is the parking situation. If you’re traveling with a buddy drop them at the door so they can jump in line while you park.

One of my favorite places to grab a sandwich (chicken salad is fantastic).

Great food, i get the knuckle sandwich a lot, but there are many good subs and sandwiches, never had a bad one, just got the knuckle last week and it was awesome

Driving home we didn’t want fast-​food so we looked for a place close to the interstate. Being little over 1.5mi from the exit it seemed like the right choice.
This NYC style deli is just around the corner of city hall making it easy to find.
Filled with NYC paraphernalia and NY sports pics, wood flooring and a deli next to the food counter definitely gave us a feel of the Big Apple.
Service: Nice and honest. I asked if the coffee was fresh. Answer by 16y/​o working at 6:00pm: «it was made this morning? It’s fresh to me… but I don’t drink coffee?» I decided on the freshly made latte after she offered that and it was done well… Too funny!!!
Food: I picked the Traffic Jam. A ¼ pound Nathan hot dog sliced down the center with cream cheese stuffed inside. Then wrapped in bacon and topped with sautéed onions, spicy mustard and ketchup. All served in a French bread bun and it was Dang good!
My wife had the Carnegie Hall. Turkey, corned beef, Swiss, cole slaw, Russian dressing on rye. It could be ordered with double meat, aka deli style, but being a light eater she opted for the regular. It was pretty good too.
Cleanliness: Despite no one being in the place when we walked in the trash can in the restroom needed emptying and the bathroom could’ve used a wipe down. Otherwise the placed looked good.
Overall: Pretty good food shop but not a wow factor. My wife and I agreed on 3.5 stars but where she rounded down I rounded up. II’ve had quite a few dogs at a variety of places across the US and this one was done well from the basics being the quality dog itself and bread/​bun to the toppings. I’m sure if the New Yorkers were working it’d be at least a 4 star sandwich for my wife and I, probably 5… but I have to rate for here and now. 4 Stars and worth diverting from the freeway.

I don’t get the five star reviews here. To be honest, though, I don’t think it’s possible for a deli sandwich to be made that I’d rate five stars, so maybe it’s just because I’m not a sandwich person.
I ate here twice a few months ago while I was stuck at the courthouse for jury selection. Maybe it was the sour mood I had thinking of the possibility of jury duty threatening on the horizon, but I found this to be a very middling affair. My sandwiches tasted exactly like sandwiches, which was neither good nor bad.
I’m being generous with the three because I admittedly had a sandwich & chips two days in a row and didn’t try any of their soups or more freshly made sides. Perhaps my opinion would improve if I did. Until I return (if I return) Gandolfo’s gets a very neutral rating of ‘3’ for serving me a sandwich that tasted like a sandwich. I suppose I got what I asked for, so I can’t complain too much. Even still, not wowed.

This little hidden gem is located downtown Smithfield. I have probably driven by it 100 times and never saw it. I was bringing lunch to a doctor’s office recently and they really wanted sandwiches from Gandolfo’s. The staff sent in their order via fax and told me they would have it ready to pick-​up when I arrived.
Lunchtime– the place was PACKED!!! Everyone was smiling, chomping on their sandwiches, like they were eating the best sandwich they had ever had! The place is really small and with the line of folks waiting for food, it gets even smaller but that is always a good sign.
Sure enough, the staff had the sandwiches, chips, and drinks bagged, labeled by name, and packed for me to take with ease. I added a sandwich to have myself to taste why this place is so loved.
Holy moley, this sandwich was great! I haven’t had bread this great since I ate sandwiches in Philly. Since this place is New York Style, I’m not sure if that was offensive or a compliment to them but my point is that it was SO GOOD! The deli meat is fresh and all the veggies were crisp and flavorful! So glad to have found this place!

This place serves some of the best hot and cold sandwiches I’ve ever had. Do yourself a favor and just order a half sandwich here. Try the Reuben, or anything else for that matter.
My rule has always been «I don’t care how much you charge me, just make sure there is enough meat on the sandwich.» Gandolfo’s delivers, both on sandwiches and service.
The sides are amazing. Their sour cream and dill potato salad is killer, as is their tomato, cucumber, and onion salad.
The folks are that make your sub are friendly and quick, and the bread is amazing.
It’s one of the few places I could eat every day of the week. I’m kind of sad I can’t.

Gandolfo’s is in the center of downtown Smithfield.
The food and service is REALLY good! It’s THE place to go, if you enjoy a New York-​style deli. They have real pickles that they will slice for you, if you ask. There are TVs throughout the restaurant and also photos of New York and NY teams on the walls. A down-​sized Lady Liberty is part of the décor.
You will get NY sized portions too. Ladies, you might consider ordering a ½ sandwich instead of a whole. I ordered half and still ended up having to ask for a To Go Box.
In addition to sandwiches, Gandolfos also offers some baked goods and some deli side salads. Everything we have tried has been excellent.
I have been multiple times now, always at lunch time. I suspect that Gandolfo’s could be REALLY busy in the evenings too.
Seating is limited. If you go during a regular lunch or dinner time, expect to wait for a seat.
There are signs up that indicate that they do catering. I bet they do a super job. I am thinking they’d be a great place to have cater a Super Bowl party or Corporate Lunch Event.
Prices are fair for the quality and quantity of food you get!
We will stay Gandolfo’s customers!