Would appreciate any comments on Artie's Deli on the upper west side. Worth a visit? Do their deli sandwiches rank?

Food's good! If you are looking for Deli on the Upper West Side, I'd go there. It's local - not a destination Deli so to speak.

I think Lansky's is far far better for deli meats and Barney's Greengrass is better for smoked fish.

I totally agree with SueNYC's assessment. Good, solid deli food. If you are looking for the ultimate NYC deli sandwiches, there are better choices, but it is a good choice for the neighborhood (try the pastrami). It's very popular (and often overrrun with little kids Sunday brunch time).

I doubt that the pastrami at Artie's will be as good as Katz's, and my guess is that mclaurie's right that Barney Greengrass (or Russ and Daughters, which is a shop and not really a deli) will do better with smoked fish. But I think you'll do fine at Artie's nonetheless -- I very much enjoyed eating there.