Carnegie Deli - NY
 

My friend recommended this place as one of the must do's in New York. However, I just read a lot of negative reviews on citysearch as it being touristy, over priced, rude service, etc which does not sound appealing at all. Wanted to get New Yorkers' opinions on this deli and perhaps recommendations for alternatives. Thanks!

Yes the service is rude, that's the schtick. Yes, it's touristy, it's in Midtown near Time Square. Yes, it's overpriced. But you are a tourist and Carnegie is a "must do" because it is legendary, which means you are paying for the experience, not the food.

Rude service is considered the part of ambiance of any New York deli. You won;t find one without it. The food is deli food - not gourmet fare - but not what you find in delis anyplace else in the US. And yes - it's touristy - but you're a tourist.

Would I eat lunch there - no. But it's something everyone should expreeince once. If you prefer you can do Katz's or one of the downtown delis. But - the basic deal is the same.

If you don;t want to try a deli - it won;t ruin your New York experience.

the guy above said it all...just go order the woody allen ( i think thats the cornbeef and pastrami) and order extra rye so that you can make extra sandwiches as its silly to try to eat it as one sandwich...its a great sandwich...focus on that

we made the mistake of eating here last time we were in nyc and never again. the service was beyond rude, food was terrible - eggs were undercooked and my husband got an awful case of food poisoning. do yourself a favor and stay away..

We went to Katz Deli and had a great time. The service was brisk, but there were a lot of people to serve, so obviously they need to be quick about it. We had a pastrami sandwich that was really tastey, deli pickles, and some other stuff. I would definitely go again.

Brusk service I can live with, but the way too-big portions, huge prices and steep sharing charges are enough reasons to never go again. $16 for a sandwich I can't possible eat? Seems silly. And who wants leftovers on vacation.

Back in the bad old days when New York was perpetually dark and gangs and wolves roamed mid-town, The Metropolitan Museum was empty, and danger was everywhere (1978), the Carnegie was great. You had to be able to dislocate your jaw to bite into the delicious roast beef and chicken liver sandwich. But you could walk right in, be seated, and begin the battle of wits with your waiter.

Nowdays the portions are too large, the food is unhealthy ;^), you have to wait in line, the prices are too high. Only the great waiters remain. Skip it.

Katz's is still good. Much less expensive, with smaller portions, in a part of town which still has a bit of a reputation -- it's near the Bowery -- and an irradiated look from post-war urban renewal. Sadly, Skid Row is mostly a memory. Only problem is the waiters. The gruff old Jewish guys are gone, and you have to settle for the usual out-of-work actor types. Of course, they can be amusing, too.

I think the only reason to go to the Carnegie is if you like pastrami. They're known for it, make their own but one of the main differences b/w their pastrami and Katz's is the thickness of the slices (one hand slices and one uses a machine so it's thinner). I don't eat pastrami, so I can't tell you one way or the other, but to me, it's not worth going for "regular" deli and certainly not worth going for eggs. The sandwiches are much too big to eat for one person. Share a sandwich, order extra bread so you can make another sandwich and pay the surcharge for sharing and the bread.

Thanks everyone. It sounds like if we do go there, we should share a sandwich. Would it be better to take it to go? I really hate the idea of paying a minimum and dealing with rude waitstaff.

I'm answering as a tourist who had heard about Carnegie Deli also. We ate breakfast there once (food was good -- stuff we don't get at home, like cheese blintzes) and the service was fine. We got carryout sandwiches to take on the plane the morning we left and split them. Glad I saw the place since I had heard about it. We were staying in the neighborhood.

We also went to Katz Deli (wanted to see where the "scene" was filmed from Harry Met Sally). We got a pastrami sandwich and split it (they let you split them there without charge). You can get in line to order your sandwich, put a tip in the jar and they give you some to taste while you are waiting. You can then take your food and sit in the middle of the restaurant. If you want a waiter to serve you, you sit in the seats along the wall. We thought the food was good and enjoyed the experience.

We have a couple of deli's where I live where "rudeness" is part of the "show". Kind of like the soup nazi. I'd go to one of them, it's not that bad (and you know about it ahead of time).

Not a New Yorker, just a similar tourist who visited and thought I had to go to Carnegie Deli. We went in and got seated w/out much trouble, but looked over the menu and didn't see much in our budget or our taste. Maybe I am missing a delicacy, but we don't eat tongue sandwiches in the South. We saw bugs floating in the pickle juice and that was the deciding factor. Am I glad I walked by and SAW the Carnegie deli? Yes. Am I glad I didn't spend $14 for a sandwich I might not be crazy about? For sure.

Well - it is traditional New York deli - which is ethic food - pastrami, corned beef, tongue, brisket, blintzes, knishes - bread is rye or pumpernickel (not Wonder) and you don;t put ham with cheese (or have ham at all - not Kosher) or butter or mayo on sandwiches.

Certainly some people don;t like it. Just - recognize it as another type of ethic food (Jewish/eastern european) - don;t think of it as the "deli" you may have in your home town.

Well, I echo McLaurie & Brian - the portions were a turn off for me. Although I might not order some of the menu items myself, I liked the idea that it was an ethnic deli (and not a Subway!) but a mountain of meat on a sandwich that would feed a family of 5 was not attractive.

I am a born and raised New Yorker. I grew up on the Carnegie, Stage, Second Ave. and Katz's. Katz's does the hand cut corned beef and pastrami. Carnegie does the thin cut. If you go to the Carnegie and share a sandwich there is a charge for sharing unless one orders a sandwich and someone else orders fries or a knish or soup, well you get the idea. Enjoy, it's totally worth it.

Although I am usually opposed to ginormous portions, I actually thought it was funny to watch the faces of people at Carnegie being served their sandwich mountains. Furthermore, the prices are reasonable for the quality and amount of food you get. Forewarned is forearmed--split a sandwich between at least two people, marvel at what true deli meat is supposed to taste like, as well as a real half-sour pickle, etc.

(As for bugs in the pickle juice, well, the pickles are served in the traditional deli way, in bowls on the tables, pullled out of open vats, so you can see how the odd flying critter could die a garlicky death. Doesn't mean the place is unsanitary, and won't hurt you.)

It is something you gotta do once. Very touristy and mediocre food, but do it just to say you've been there, done that. Then go to Costco's deli section and buy the Carnegie Deli pastrami and make your own sandwich.

I live in NY and recently had lunch there.I loved it.The style of ethnic food caters to NY's and I did not find the service rude.This is definitely not a fine dining restaurant and hope it remains the same as it is, truly an old time NY restaurant.They served us right away and the food was great.Check it out and have fun.Be prepared to see the biggest sandwiches ever.

The comfort food of my youth. Pastrami and tongue the way it's supposed to be. It is nothing if not an authentic New York delicatessen (when did people start saying deli? and weren't they really talking about some other experience altogether?).