Katz’s Delicatessen

Katz’s makes a Lower East Side food day revolve around a sandwich. The deli dates to 1888 and its central attraction remains house-cured, hand-carved pastrami and corned beef. The cutting counter is part of the visit: you are choosing a particular deli experience as well as lunch.

Pastrami is the clearest first order if that is what drew you here. Corned beef gives another expression of the deli’s cured meats, with sides available to turn the sandwich into a larger meal. Portion and appetite are worth considering before adding several extras, particularly if the afternoon also includes bakeries or other food stops.

The room’s activity and counter system give it a character that a takeaway sandwich eaten elsewhere cannot fully reproduce. Keep the ticket issued on entry and follow the service instructions; it is part of how the order and payment work. A first visit is easier when you leave room for that process rather than expect a quick grab-and-go purchase.

Choose Katz’s for a substantial lunch with a strong New York deli identity. The Houston Street area also contains other worthwhile food businesses in this guide, but a full pastrami meal is already a significant stop. Spread those visits across the day or choose a shared order rather than stacking several compulsory lunches.