Manhattan Deli Bakery & Restaurant

They closed :(. No more deli for us here.

I went. I ordered the ruben. It was huge. I tasted it, it was good. Until I got to the kinky hair that was cooked into the cheese. I still gag thinking about it. They did comp the sandwich, but I can’t even drive by the place anymore. The rest of the family was happy with their huge sandwiches, but I’m ruined forever.
Luckily it is now closed.

So closed. So gone. So sorry I am to see you go, Manhattan Deli. My love affair with your pastrami was legendary. You will be sorely missed.

Great selection. Great food. Decent prices. Staff was very courteous.
I think their Unilocal rating is too low.
My only complaint was the TVs. If you are going to have several flat panels in the room, they should be playing some news, ESPN, or something. The day we ate there they were turned off. But that is a small complaint, and doesn’t affect my rating.
We will be back!

My husband and I stumbled upon this place while trying to find radio shack so he could buy some robot parts. All that nerd-​dom was draining on me, so I insisted we get lunch.
The menu is ridiculous. It’s pages and pages worth of pizzas, sandwiches, salads, soups, etc. Eyeing the giant coke sign hanging on the wall, we ordered Cokes. «Is Pepsi ok?»
Bloody hell no, Pepsi is NOT ok! (is what I was thinking when I said «sure, pepsi is fine»).
They brought out a dish of pickles and saurkraut to start. The pickles were delicious, so I had high hopes for the rest of the meal.
My husband ordered the Manhattan works pizza, which, oddly enough, was delivered with extra ingredients. I double-​checked the menu… pinneapple and artichokes were not even listed as being part of the pizza, so I don’t know why they made up 50% of the toppings. My husband despises pineapple and artichokes and wasn’t very pleased. He also wasn’t pleased when he discovered the under-​side of his pizza was swimming in pineapple liquid.
I ordered the salmon salad. Actually, I must say, something this place does right is their salads. Other restaurants are content to give you a platter of lettuce, but Manhattan goes above and beyond. There were baby carrots, sliced carrots, broccoli, olive, onions, squash, zicchini, tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, banana peppers, etc all mixed in with the lettuce. It was a pretty intense salad and I’m a giant veggie lover so I was right at home.
But, every good thing must come to an end, and I realized I never received the bagel that was supposed to come with the salad. And instead of italian dressing, our waitress brought me ranch. I asked her to bring both out to me and got my new dressing… still no bagel.
Because we checked in on Unilocal we got a free dessert (chocolate cake), which I thought was very tasty.
Overall I think the food here is decent, but the service blows. How does a waitress manage to mess up a non-​complicated pizza order, a salad dressing selection, and ignore an entire component of a meal when we were her only customers (yes, we were 1 of 2 couples there are 4 PM on a Saturday)

This is a sister establishment to their location in Palm Desert however I have heard that they recently sold their PD location. I have not confirmed that.
Regardless, if you’re looking for a good and LARGE pastrami sandwich, this is your place. The pastrami is lean, served with crunchy dill pickles and your choice of side. The location in the desert, I made the mistake of sharing my lunch with my son… I did not make that same mistake here. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
If you’re a dessert freak… well they have what you’re looking for. Although I’ve never tried any of them… they have this carrot cake that has my name on it and one day I will go back and cave it to it’s calling.

We’ve been driving by this place quite a few times everytime we go to the mall and decided to check it out one night (also because I didn’t feel like cooking one week night).
Being from the east coast, we’ve been to Manhattan quite a few times and wanted to see if this was the real deal and though we can’t try everything on the menu, base on what they offer, I’d say they are. The menu is extensive and we had such a hard time deciding what we wanted.
Finally, we decided… to start, some buffalo wings and a salad. Then for the entrée, for me, I got the country fried chicken and my husband got the french dip. The wings weren’t your tipical buffalo wings but they were decent. My entrée was very good and heavy, just as suspected. My husband really enjoyed his french dip sandwich.
Our waitress was very friendly and was very courteous. Then, while I was uploading photos to Unilocal,I noticed that we get a free dessert or drink for checking in. So I showed it to the waitress on my phone and she had us pick out a free dessert. Score! My husband picked the danish, which was huge! He decided to save it for breakfast the following day.
We plan to come back and try the other stuff on their menu.

I’ve been here for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Breakfast was terrible. I had the Manhattan Deli Omelette with corned Beef, and the beef was like Rubber. The breakfast menu is pretty thin too. Ritchie’s is still the Diner to beat in Temecula, hands down.
I’ve had a few sandwiches here. Pastrami Reuben, Ham/​Salami/​Swiss, etc. Their Cold Cuts (read: Lunchmeat for you non NYers) aren’t good. The pastrami tasted like it was out of one of those generic bags of «lunchmeat» you get at the grocery store. Boars Head is now in the area, i’m not sure why they haven’t jumped on this yet.
I’ve also had the Brooklyn Dodger Pastrami Dog, which was pretty good. They use Hebrew National or Farmer John dogs, which are pretty good. Again the pastrami wasn’t good, but with all those toppings, it didn’t kill the meal.
Bottom line is, if they invested in Boars head meats and cold cuts, this place would be the best. Portions are huge, and if you’re not from NY, you’ll think this place is the bees knees. They really do a great job with their breads, potato salad, house made pickles, pastries, etc. They’re just missing one key ingredient; Outstanding cold cuts. Ditch the lunch meat!

My mom woke up today craving blintzes; so after Unilocaling blintzes in Temecula, we came across Manhattan Deli & decided to give it a try. I have to be honest, I am a connoisseur of Jewish-​type /​New York delis, so I was skeptical to try this place out.
The restaurant has had no changes in décor from when it was previously Ruby’s Diner, I mean everything is identical… down to the the little car that runs along a track high above the tables. Negative 1 point for not changing the décor from the cheap red booths and white table tops upon takeover of the restaurant.
Don’t worry, I don’t review based upon décor, rather service and quality of the meal. As previously mentioned, we choose this restaurant based on the fact that they had blintzes, so my mom ordered the two side blintzes, with a side order of 2 eggs & I ordered the half order of latkes with a side order of eggs. Our waiter very kindly explained that a half order of the blintz plate would be cheaper than ordering two sides, so we went ahead with his suggestion, because who wouldn’t want to save $$?
A minute or two later the waiter came back apologetically, saying that the restaurant was out of blintzes!!! What??? Seriously… at 11am… that’s why we went to Manhattan! My mom decided that we should stay and we upgraded the latkes order from half a plate (2) to the full platter (4).
Our waiter was very courteous and attentive, filling up our coffee and bringing more creamer while we waited for our food. And then it arrived… but wait, where was the second side order of eggs? I was shocked that our waiter had messed this up as I had explained our order quite clearly to him initially… oy vey! As we waited for the second plate of eggs to arrive, I watched as the hostess and other staff members fooled around in the back kitchen area… not too sanitary, nor professional.
Needless, to say the latkes weren’t thaaatt bad; they were a bit better than decent. All four eggs were cooked over-​easy, instead of over-​medium as we had ordered. To make up for the mistakes of our meal, the waiter only charged us for the half plate of latkes ($ 5.95) instead of the platter, which actually was a nice gesture.
So I think its clear why my rating for Manhattan is only average. I will, however, give them props for their extensive menu selections, including lunch, dinner and dessert. I do plan to stop back for a later meal and hope that the experience and food is better…

I had lunch here yesterday with my mother.
Surprisingly authentic for a deli in greater Riverside County… I was impressed. Had the Chicago Dog and totally enjoyed it. My mother had liverwurst and assured me it was even better liverwurst than Tip Top in Carlsbad which I think means it’s good (?) I have never tasted liverwurst and have no intention of doing so (yuck) so I’ll take her word for it.
I am not giving 5 stars solely because it’s a bit too noisy for me and the portions were too large for me. The size of the dishes were a bit intimidating to me.
Will be returning soon to try the pastrami though.

What did you think of the place?
I was impressed and I thought the food was off the chain. Well, at least what I ordered. The service was pretty good although our waiter took a little too long to fill up our iced teas. Overall, I thought the atmosphere was chill and I enjoyed the flat screen TVs.
To be honest though, I don’t really understand these «Tat-​mecula» reviewers on here who have such low taste in food and low IQs. They give 1 or 2 stars because there wasn’t any mayo on their sandwich? Hello, this is a New York style deli and restaurant!
I visited Manhattan deli with my buddy Nate and his wife. Both of them absolutely loved the place. In fact, I found out about the deli through them!
What did you order?
I ordered the Pastrami sandwich with potato salad and Dijon mustard, a cannoli, and some German chocolate cake. We shared the deserts though.
What was your impression of the food?
Well, I’ve never been to New York but the pastrami was amazing. It was so fresh! And they stack it a mile high as well. The pickles were super crunchy and the Dijon mustard was the shizz.
Would you recommend it to a friend?
Definitely, in fact I plan on heading there Monday night with my business partner and his best friend.

Ordered the corned beef sandwich to go. It was just ok. Very messy and the bread totally fell apart. But the meat was good. They just used regular square white bread. The price was kinda expensive. I don’t think I would return here except for desserts.

*This review is based upon food I ate that was take out … I did not pick it up — I just ate it.*
Everything bagel = horrible. Quite possibly the worst I’ve ever had.
Lox = below average but not horrible.
Corned beef and Pastrami, not too shabby. (although they put both items together in the to-​go same box, which I consider a no-​no)
Pickles = best thing they’ve got going for them.
Rye bread = horrible. A disgrace to rye.
And that basically sums up my side of it. The following is hearsay but this is what I heard from the encounter that went down when ordering to go, deli style:
–We wanted 12 bagels. Came home with 6. Why? Because that’s all they had!
–WTF are all these little cream cheese containers. They can’t put cream cheese in a big container? Come on!
–You took an hour to get the order straight.
–The place is huge and there was no one there.
And there you have it!

I was hoping this place would be good, but it wasnt. I had the monte cristo and it was not very appetizing. The meat was dry and the bread was just not well battered. Noting compared to Studio Diners MC. The wife had a pastrami, turkey and roast beef. Sure, the sammich was huge, but the meat was dry, even the pastrami. How in the world do you make dry pastrami??? The cole slaw was like eating cabbage drowned in milk, it was way too runny. Everything over all was bland.
Took most of the sammiches home and fed to the dogs.
Might be back to try breakfast.

Horrible customer service!
We were seated for 20 minutes before we got tired of being ignored and left.
I wanted to try the sandwiches but after reading these reviews, I think I’ll skip it.

Mediocrity Deli and Restaurant.
Despite the phony reviews, I came here anyway to see what it was about.
The diverse menu has all the standards and some other items like Pizza. I ordered the Reuben sandwich. As others have commented they over grill their sandwiches. The Rye bread was as tough as a croûton, and the corned beef wasn’t properly cut. Fortunately I ordered the ½ soup ½ sandwich so my whole meal wasn’t wasted. The best thing here was the chilled Borscht. A nice cold soup for those sweltering Temecula summers.
The wife and kids ordered the Pizza. It was a little doughy in the center, but they didn’t mind. They gave it high marks.
This is not on par with D.Z. Akins or Sherman’s as far as true Deli’s go.

Gotta agree with NINO R. on this one, I really wanted to give 3.5 stars but hey I round up:) Glass is half full kinda guy and always smiling! Been here twice and the service was still a bit ehhh.
It’s not a deli, you can’t get cold cuts, cheese, etc, there’s no deli cases stuffed with goodness like my all time fav the Mona Lisa Deli in Little Italy, SD!
That being said its a great diner joint, especially for Temecula! Sandwiches are really good and huge! Could feed a small family or one large fat man or a guy who eats like a horse such as myself!
I had the beef brisket with pastrami on an onion roll (aka the triple by pass sandwich) I usually don’t eat much red meat but I had to go for it.
Sandwiches come dry with only the meat and lettuce, tomatoes, etc. ask for mayo on the side when you order or you may have to wait 5 mins like I did while your hot sandwich turns into a popsicle. This is the standard at most NY style delis, they don’t put condiments on the bread
Bakery case has some huge A$$ desserts, but no one should be surprised, everything here is large, fattening and carb loaded!
Haven’t tried the breakfast but 10 bucks for eggs, bacon and hash browns and toast is a little on the high side although they are running a 2 fer special right now, so that’s a good deal.
Over all the place is still working out the kinks and I am sure it will get better… I hope!

Holy jeepers Batman, look at all these 5 star reviews from newbie Unilocalers!
Ok folks, lets get to the bones of it. Yes, I’m from North Jersey and yes I’ve frequented Katz Deli in LES.
Is this Katz?
–No way!
Is it close?
–Seriously?
Well…what is it then?
–Its a diner, not a deli. A real NYC deli sells cold cuts, salads, fruit, and soups to go. There’s no deli counter at this place. There’s no salad/​soup bar. It’s a restaurant/​diner but definitely, definitely not a deli.
Oh but what about all of those 5 star reviews?
–Did you see these people’s stats? I wouldn’t trust it if I were you.
So what did you think of the place?
–I thought it was run well. It would’ve been nice if they had finished restocking their sugar caddies before the doors opened, instead of doing so on the breakfast counter for most of the restaurant to see. But the entire staff was cheerful and friendly and not in that fake way either. The dining floor looks immaculate but the 50’s décor combined with the contemporary uniforms of the staff lack continuity.
What did you order?
I had the sausage and egg breakfast. Two eggs any style, toast of your choice, and a choice of either hash browns, home fries or tomatoes. The hash browns could have been cooked a little longer. I do prefer ultra crispy hash browns, but you can always request it prepared that way so no big deal.
Would you come back?
I would. I’d like to try their desserts and I would definitely like to try their pastrami sandwich. According to one of the reviewers, who’s a former «New Yorker» it’s the best thing going since air conditioning. Call me skeptical, but once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker. I’ve never come across anyone that’s said that they’re a «former» New Yorker. Unless you’re from Schenectady or something. If that’s the case, you must know that upstate people have no idea what a legit nyc delicatessen looks or smells like.
Would you trust any of the other reviewers?
Absolutely. I trust the non-​5 star reviews because they’re from real experiences. Not to slight the other reviews, but come on… seems a bit much.
And one last thing… if there are sooo many New Yorkers trying this place and giving their 5 thumbs up, then why aren’t they reviewing Bongiorno’s Pizzeria? Because if they’re really from NYC, then they’d be all over Bongiorno’s. That’s the closest to NYC you’ll get in Temecula. Just sayin…
But don’t worry folks, I’ll get to the bottom of this. Isn’t that right Robin? You betcha Batman!
Buyer beware…

My favorite place to eat in Temecula!
My entire family is so excited to finally have a real deli in town! We grew up near the San Fernando Valley and always had a local deli, so this is a huge treat for us in Temecula. I’ve been positing it all over Facebook and about 6 people I know have tried it just from my reviews an were all very pleased!!! I wish Manhattan in Temecula great success!!!

Just came back from their soft opening… WOW — The corned beef sandwich was awesome. Melts in your mouth. Didn’t need mustard or anything else. My wife loved the potato pancakes. She said they were probably the best she’s ever had. I also had a cup of the Matzo Ball Soup which was delicious.
Since this was the soft opening they were still working out the kinks, but you would be crazy not to give this place a try.