Katz's Delicatessen

My best friend, a native New Yorker told me about Katz's Delicatessen. I have had a strong craving for authentic Pastrami on Rye since I arrived to the city. My friend told me if I was going to go anywhere I would have to go to Katz's.

She warned me they were expensive, but nothing can prepare you for how over-priced their food is until you get there. I honestly didn't care about the price; I thought I was partaking in an ancient part of New Yorker history. So what if I had to dish out $25 for a sandwich with fries! I was partaking in living history right? You can't put a price on that.

If you’re thinking of checking out Katz's Deli do yourself a favor, your wallet a favor and your taste buds a favor by forgoing it. Don't walk; sprint as far and as fast as you can away from Katz's. The place is a total tourist trap. If I am going to pay $20 for a sandwich it better be a good freakin' sandwich. Katz's Deli is barely passable at best. I ordered pastrami on rye, there was no flavor, and the best part of my meal was the pickle. You pay to have a fatty, crap cut of meat, a smear of mustard, some pathetic excuse of rye bread and a good pickle. Definitely not worth 20 bucks!

The place looks like a crappy hole in the wall dump. (Usually this kind of thing doesn't bother me at all. I have eaten some of the best meals of my life in crappy looking places). The way they do sales is archaic, when you walk in you pass through a turnstile and then you’re handed a ticket. If you want to order you have to attempt to navigate which counter you go to and order your food. They have separate counters for sandwiches, fries & drinks etc...When you order something they mark it on your ticket. Next you pick up your food, seat yourself, eat your overpriced crappy sandwich and wait in this huge line to pay for it so you can leave. If you are paying with a credit card you will wait in this line for nothing since this is the cash only line and the credit card line is some place that the cashier vaguely gestures is somewhere in the back. After looking around the back you finally figure out it is the counter with the sausages dangling down. I asked the cashier if their food was organic (I was trying to understand why it was so overpriced). The cashier answered by saying: "Ain't nuthin' organic at Katz's." Then you hand over your credit card and get fucked up the ass. Jokes on you pal; you just paid $25 for a shitty sandwich and old gross, fries.

Don't be fooled by all the celebrity photos and letters on the wall. Celebrities get free food and they can also afford to pay $20 for a shit sandwich it's like pennies to them.

I don't know where the good New York Deli's of the Lower East Side have gone, but this is not it!

Katz's Deli is rated right up there with 3 card Marley, tourists’ traps and every other scam known to mankind.

*BTW if you happen to lose that crappy green ticket you have to pay a $50 fine.