The 5 oldest New York City delis you can still visit today
Few institutions have endured the churn of New York City like its delis. These are more than sandwich counters—they’re living archives of immigration, survival and salted meat. They emerged as essential neighbourhood fixtures during waves of immigration, particularly among Eastern European Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing traditions of cured meats and kosher cooking, which adapted well to the city’s fast-paced, working-class culture. While many have shuttered, a handful of the oldest delis remain, still slicing pastrami and serving regulars who remember when the city had more butchers than banks. These spots offer a taste of old New York, not as nostalgia but as an authentic, unsentimental way to experience the city’s layered history—one sandwich, soup or knish at a time.
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Katz’s Delicatessen (1888) – Lower East Side
The sign still says “Send a salami to your boy in the Army”, and Katz’s still functions with the barely contained chaos that’s defined it since 1888. Opened by the Iceland brothers and later sold to Willy Katz, the deli is best known for its hand-carved pastrami, sliced thick and piled high on rye. The corned beef, matzo ball soup and half-sour pickles also draw loyalists. Despite the tourist queues, locals still come here for the brisket and the theatre of it all.
2nd Avenue Deli (1954) – Midtown East
Don’t let the name fool you—2nd Avenue Deli hasn’t been on Second Avenue since 2006. It now operates out of Midtown East, but the soul of the original Jewish deli remains. Founded by Holocaust survivor Abe Lebewohl, the place is steeped in memory and garlic. The pastrami is solid, but the chopped liver is what insiders come for. Also worth trying: the mushroom-barley soup and kasha varnishkes. The deli is kosher and still family-run.
Barney Greengrass (1908) – Upper West Side
Known as the “Sturgeon King”, Barney Greengrass has been supplying smoked fish to uptown since 1908. The deli’s tightly packed dining room hasn’t changed much in a century, and neither has its commitment to cured fish. The sturgeon scrambled with eggs is the thing to get, though the nova with cream cheese on a bialy is a close second. It’s not a Jewish deli in the Katz’s sense, but it’s just as much a fixture in the city’s food history.
Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop (1929) – Flatiron
After closing in 2021, Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop—a Flatiron staple since 1929—was revived in 2022 as S&P Lunch by the team behind Court Street Grocers. The name has changed, but much of the old charm remains: a narrow, counter-only space that once fed generations of garment workers, office clerks and neighbourhood regulars. The menu honours the original, with tuna melts, turkey clubs and egg creams still in rotation, alongside excellent house-made pastrami. The coffee is strong, the stools are close and the atmosphere is proudly unfussy.
Liebman’s Delicatessen (1953) – Bronx
One of the last kosher delis in the Bronx, Liebman’s has survived by staying exactly the same. Open since 1953, it’s a no-frills spot in Riverdale where pastrami on rye still arrives warm and mustard-streaked. The knishes are house-made, and the hot dogs come split and griddled. There’s a lot of nostalgia packed into the narrow space, but Liebman’s doesn’t trade on sentiment—it’s the food that keeps it on the list of New York City’s oldest delis.
These five institutions have outlived most of their peers, offering continuity in a city obsessed with the next new thing. For anyone tracing the story of New York City through food, the oldest delis are essential stops—less for what they represent, more for what they still serve.
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