I really like how you incorporate the price of food items in your reviews, not just the taste, preparation, and presentation of the food. Most everyday people have to consider price as a significant factor when dinning out....
I agree. being born and raised in ny i regret not going when it was cheaper. But to go for a single sandwich at that price i rather eat somewhere else. Maybe its a one and done. But honestly NYC itself is becoming a one and done tourist trap.
Why is that? I've been told by the media that the Economy is stronger than ever and inflation is quite low. Are you saying that the media is lying? That would make you a conspiracy theorist.
@@SamBrickell nobody is saying inflation is low so you're exaggerating. and u obviously have an agenda with the picture you're trying to paint which is typical of the 'conspiracy theorist' doom and gloom. truth is the stock market has continually risen for the most part which is a positive. employment rate has been at an all time high. inflation is sky high which is a negative. Tensions around the world and domestically are extremely high. It always makes me laugh though how many of you tout alternative media over mainstream, which has its issues, but alt media is far more untrustworthy which is why you're promised all of these smoking guns constantly by alt right media but can never win in court with any of the vast conspiracies you people believe in. It's also why your media outlets have been sued and had to settle out of court on multiples of occasions so far. It's just funny with some of the stuff a lot of you believe.
For a New Yorker it’s not worth it. But for a tourist living out in Iowa who visits New York only one time, it’s a memory that lasts a life time. In that case, it’s almost priceless
@@mitchlu When I moved away from the area, it made me realize how much I took for granted I took. I realize it’s hard for many natives to understand. Living here in the south is very bland and boring. We don’t get the things that’s easy to find in New York. So if I have to over pay for something that’s never available, i think it’s worth it at least once.
Wow!! It increased to $26!! That’s crazy. I had it before covid for like $18. It was the best pastrami sandwich that I ever had and crave whenever I go to city. But $26 is too much.
It's not too much because food prices have doubled and tripled...I know bc I cater. It's crazy 🤪 you get what you pay for. Apparently they are still keeping up with the quality 👌
Yeah when it was $18-20 I think it was definitely worth it but now at $26 I think it’s not worth it. I understand why they brought up the prices but still
You do the best food reviews hands down. What I like about this review is you liked the sandwich but gave an excellent explanation why Katz's is overpriced. Keep up the good work!
That’s actually good news for others who view it from a value perspective and not simply a transaction of meat for cash (this from a guy who’d have to pinch pennies to save up for it). Your viewpoint puts downward pressure on the price!
Ive been there 100 times and ive never waited longer than 15 minutes. The lines move very fast. Its like the soup nazi from seinfeld. Order and move out of the way. They keep it moving
As a former NYer, Katz is always one of my to-do's when I go back. I think it's worth $26, a normal forgettable sandwich is going to cost you $14- $18. So I'll pay it for that wonderful flavor and portion.
If you're visiting NYC, then sure Katz is the move. But at the end of the day a 26$ sandwich is just not sustainable long term, if you're just hungry on any given day, a cheaper sandwich will do the trick. And if you're dining out with friends, $26 can get you a lot more than just a sandwich meal.
@@robbylawlor4259it’s all subjective. $26 for a high quality meat sandwich with complimentary pickles isn’t too far off from other sit down places in the area, but I agree there are a TON of cheaper options in general in nyc
For me the Katz hack is getting the $40.00 meat plate - you get a super generous selection of pastrami, brisket and corned beef, a stack of rye bread and two kinds of pickles. I usually get it to go since I live close but it's easily two meals for three of us and there is always a bit left over. If you do the math it's quite a deal!
The lady at 5:08 has a smile that can light up a room. But anyways, really appreciate your review!!! I haven’t been in years so it’s nice to hear that their food holds up!
Considering a mediocre foot-long sub from Subway is $12-16, paying $26 for thick, homemade pastrami sandwich on good bread isn’t really that outrageous. You get what you pay for
@@uaeats Yes I do. If they were to price $50, they would upset a lot of customers for sure and create many haters, but at the end of the day, there would still be a long line of people. And most of these people would be tourists. They would grumble and complain about the price but would still be here for the experience of being able to say they been to Katz. The movie really did Katz a big favor. So it's not about the food and it's not about the service. I'm sorry, people are really that shallow!
The bright green pickels are called half sours. They are a very different type pickel they are not fermented, the are not preserved with Vinager. Just salt water and a day or two on the fridge. So if your expecting a dill pickel yes they will taste like a cucumber. Now that you know what it is taste it again. You will find a very flavorful pickel that is super crunchy and refreshing and tasty. In fact they may become one of your favorite pickels. Taste them with different expectations. Lucky dog. If you still don't like them I will take yours....thank you!
It’s not overrated. It’s good and has been for 100 years. Is it pricy? Of course. Worth it? Of course. If you want cheap, go to your nearest Walmart or Aldi and buy cheap cold cuts and white bread and enjoy your $3 sandwich. I have no problem paying $20 for a corned beef or pastrami sandwich at Zingermans in Ann Arbor, MI either. When institutions like this close their doors, they will never reopen. Enjoy masters of their crafts while they’re still around. Remember, the roads of good and cheap never intersect.
To me it is worth it as a once in a while treat. I go whenever I visit NYC, but if I lived in the neighborhood, it would not be my regular “go to” spot. I would take out of town visitors or go for a special occasion. BTW, the pickles are not hit or miss, they are actually two different types. Regular and half sour. The half sour is for those who like a fresher tasting pickle without the heavy brine. Also, if you prefer more fat, you can ask the cutter for a fatty cut. I do that and it is SO tender, juicy and delicious!
I was just about to say that about the pickles. Personally, being a pickle fan, these are among the best I have had. Top tier. Both half sour and regular. Also, I'm a frequent visitor not a resident. Of course there are cheaper options, but when you take into account the history, and the taste... $26 is worth it. Find a way to fit it into your budget while on a trip. Most people will never make it to NYC in their lifetime. For me it's an easy trip I make often. If you get the opportunity to visit here at least once. I think trying the pastrami on rye with the pickles is a must.
Your next mission is to find a lower cost alternative that's tastes just as good. You may sample pastrami sandwiches from several different establishments and rank best to worst.
@@rainbowpandasays8851 I would've preffered UA comparing, let's say, the 5 best pastrami sandwiches side by side. Onviously, he doesn't need to eat the entire sandwich. Just a bite will suffice for comparison purposes.
I've eaten a Katz's pastrami sandwich a few times, and fantastic as it is it's priced about 8-10 dollars too much in my opinion. But hey, everything in New York is overpriced! Thanks for the great video as usual UA!
Actually, New York is VERY affordable when it comes to good food. Katz's just happens to have that tourist trap appeal. For the money, I'd say Mamoun's Shwarma is a far better deal.
Despite it being a tourist spot Katz is amazing. Like you said, it's a tourist spot now for a reason. Katz is worth it at 26 bucks. The pastrami sandwiches are also big. I actually think there is too much pastrami on the sandwich for one meal so what I do is take out half of it, get some rye bread and make a sandwich the next day. Worth it. With the brighter green pickles, those are supposed to taste like that! They are a style of pickle called half-sours.They aren't as pickled as regular pickles. I actually prefer them because I like the fresh feeling vs. the sourness of a dill pickle, but I know a lot of people don't.
@@tloco1529 agree to disagree! I live in LA now and have had Langer's multiple times and while I like it I don't love how they slice it thick. Same with his daughter's place on Sunset.
@@jeremyepstein7977 You mean Katz slices it thick Langers sandwiches are well balanced an actual sandwich a human being can put in their mouth without feeling guilty
@@tloco1529 yes I had it flipped! But when I would go to Katz's when I lived in NY it was still sliced fairly thin. The optimal way to eat Katz it is to take off half the meat and bring it home, get some rye bread and you have another sandwich and you can use some for pastrami and eggs. I can easily get 2 portions out of a Katz sandwich and it's a better proportioned bite with half the meat. The bread at Langer's is absolutely better but I still think the pastrami itself is better at Katz. Both are wonderful though. Note that I'm comparing two of the same classic pastrami sandwiches. Many people comparing Langer's talk about sandwich #19 which is excellent but it's not an apples to apples comparison.
@@jeremyepstein7977 yep; at work for lunch we would order extra bread and make 3, sometimes 4 sandwiches. If you factor in the pickles, slaw, and potato pancakes you order on the side you can feed 4 people for $50-$60.
I use to go to Katz's Deli when I was a kid. I would skateboard to Katz's with my friends and we would walk in and right away the carver would give us a free sample of the pastrami. We did not have to buy a sandwich or get a ticket at the entrance, we just ate the complementary pastrami and went on our day. How times have changed when the next generation took over. BTW the sandwich is much much smaller now.
If it was a $15 sandwich, the line would go around the corner and wrap halfway down the street towards the bridge. Nobody wants that. The price is partially a reward for the owners, and partially an acknowledgement that not everything heavenly is a daily indulgence. Some things are weekly rewards, and some are monthly rewards. Katz's is a monthly treat, not something you indulge in every day. The price is to show quality, and whether or not you want to pay for that highest level of quality.
Great video, you are absolutely right about Katz's pastrami. I love seeing and hearing how much you appreciate good food. Just two things -- first, the brighter-green pickles are called "half-sours" because they aren't completely pickled, and I agree with you, to me they are a pale imitation of the yellower-green real thing, but some people prefer them, and they are made that way on purpose. The other thing is, $26 doesn't seem quite so expensive when you figure in A) you are almost certainly going to take half of that monster-huge sandwich home for a whole 'nother meal, and B) you won't be hungry again for two days, so think of the money you're saving on food for tomorrow and the next day. . . Cheers from New York City!
Agree with you 98%, the 2% not disagreement is that the last time I was there, which was just a month ago, my sandwich looked considerably smaller, and I tipped the cutter. So not enough for a second meal or even snack, 😢, maybe the difference is the result of the camera!
I've always split a sandwich with my lunch companion when I've been there, so I look at it as two $13 sandwiches. There's so much pastrami that a half sandwich is plenty. So I think it's worth it.
My father was a New Yorker. As a kid we visited NYC a few times and we went to Katz’s with grandpa. Grandpa sent his 3 boys a Katz salami during WW2. So is it worth$26? Heck yes to take my son there. 3 generations of us have gone! Oh and when dad was in assisted living I send him a cooler with bagels, cream cheese, lox, salami, pastrami, pickles, mustard and rye bread from Katz’s. I know he loved it very much.
I'm Canadian, have you tried Swartz in Montreal? That's the Canadian Katz. But it's our alternative to pastrami which is called "Montreal Smoked Meat" and us Canucks grow up with it. Less sugar, more spices.
The full sour pickle tastes so different from what your used to because they are fermented for six to eight weeks. Commercial pickled are soaked in vinegar to try to recreate that in one day. The full sour in a deli is what a pickle tasted like 125 years ago
Went there a few weeks ago and waited in a big queue outside for like 3/4 minutes max, in line inside for maybe 10 mins tops before getting served. This was at peak time (1pm) found a seat no problem. Was delicious and worth every penny
As a New Yorker it’s the tourists who made it so expensive. You have another good spot that goes under the radar and that’s Sarges deli on 3rd Avenue. Just for the record none of these delis are “kosher” but they still hold to many traditions.
Its a big ass sandwich and you get a whole plate of pickles. Its not like they are just slapping meat on there, they slice it right in front of you and stack it nice and neat on the bread for you to easily consume. I think its worth the price.
Living in NYC -- Katz's Pastrami Sandwich is astonishing! It's EVEN BETTER than you can imagine! The flavor, juicyness, the unbelievable tenderness -- one of the best meals in NYC you can imagine!
That's insane $26. When The Times mentioned the Langer deli in Los Angeles in 1973, the price had risen to $1.75. In 2002, it was $8.50. In just 20 years, the price is now $26?????? Has pizza gone up 3 times????? From $2 to $6???? I don't think so. The all you can eat buffet at Casino Borgata is $24!!! I would rather feed some homeless people and eat at home. Living in luxury when our neighbor is in poverty makes no sense. But I would end it with a girl who bought one of these and didn't share it. At a place in Teaneck which is ten times worse it is $29. You have to be batshit crazy. Their other place closed. I'm going to start a food truck and feed people sandwiches for $5.
Crack cocaine! Been to NY 4 times and it's my main go to...so much so that I buy and send the full $200 pastarmi to my home 3 times a year from their website. I am from Texas and we know meat...BUT the pastrami from Katz's is like meat butter...no teeth needed. Totally worth it....Hell, I pay the same here in Texas for smoked ribs from Franklin's BBQ...It's the same price about $21 bucks a pound...they are both worth it!
$26.00 is a force but this would be something that I would try once or twice a year like he said! I would really spend that amount of 💰 on a BBQ platter down south! Great review!
I eat there a couple times a month for years. I’ll just target the smallest and weakest man and just take whatever he has for him. If it’s ham or turkey. I’ll give it to somebody else to pay it forward. Them walk in and grab a half a sandwich corned beef or pastrami only from a seared customer.
I went there in February 2016 and had the pastrami sandwich and the side of pickles and a couple of beers with my boyfriend and he had the corn beef sandwich and the side of pickles and a couple of beers as well and the bill came out to be like almost $80 but it was well worth it, those guy's work their hands off making those sandwiches and they do an excellent job and the food taste great 👍😊👍🥪🥪🥒🥒🥒🥒🍻🍻❤️❤️
idk why people are saying that Katz'a sandwishes were 18, I remember going to the Deli in 2017 and it was 24.95 then, it was pricey then as it is now, but totally worth it! wish it was still Kosher though.
tried this last week. 26 for the whole sandwich with pickles is relatively ok. i'm asian and considering the size, you can probably have it for two meals (since already cut in half) which makes the price more acceptable. it's a very good product, to begin with.
Places like that, you aren’t just paying for a sandwhich. You’re paying for an experience. The carving right in front, the environment, the history, the commonality between all the customers all there to enjoy the same thing. It’s a dining experience. I do not like big cities, and particularly don’t like New York…. No offense New Yorkers, I’m just a southern rural/suburban boy. But Katz is a gem.
Katz's is an institution. You go for the vibe, as much as for the food. The food is great, Pastrami and COrned-Beef, pickles, all top-notch. But some of that $26 is the hype, the vibe, and the branding.
What vibe? There is no vibe there, but beef is expensive, and it gets more expensive after it's cooked because it shrinks. That being said, the pastrami is very tender, and you do get a large portion for the $26 dollars you're paying.
My wife and I recently took a trip back home to the city and had to stop here. We split the pastrami and photos to salad with a square knish and vanilla egg cream. Came out to about $50 for both of us. I think I would pay $26 for the sandwich for myself with an egg cream.
No, they are not over rated - cost is indicative of demand. The meat ai t cheap and every video like this drives it up. And it is good, real good, real deal and large sandwich 😂
I went there on a weekday in the mid afternoon. Got my pastrami and it lasted 3 meals. I didn't wait in line. It was fabulous. Sometimes you just have to suck it up, butter cup. I live in AZ and may not get back to NYC for a while so I had to do it. I'll go back.
I’ve eaten at Katz’s twice, once in 1983 with my grandparents and once in 2012 when I was in town out of nostalgia. So really, sometimes it’s the memories that matter,
Never cared for their egg creams (and I’m from Brooklyn)-the syrup:seltzer ratio is off, making them too sweet. They slice the pickles now? That’s criminal. BTW, pickles are “sour” or “half-sour.” Wet cucumbers indeed! Second Av Deli is just as good and is a kosher restaurant with hot selections in addition to sandwiches.
Can you make Pastrami at home? Sure you can! Will it taste as good or better than Katz? Definitely not! If you are there visiting, you need to try it at least once! It is worth every Penny! You are not only paying for the experience, you are also paying for the work that went into making it! It is not easy, it’s a process!
I definitely agree that most people will be hard-pressed to replicate the amazing flavor and texture of Katz's Deli. I also agree that it's worth $26 to eat it once. However I would not eat it regularly at that price despite how good it is
Dont always agree with your review or opinion BUT love the enthusiasm, your faces and sounds while eating As far as Katz's, it is awesome.....the food and experience. Is it worth it????not for me to say for someone else. It certainly is for me to go once a year. Would love for you to go to Defonte's in Brooklyn and get the Steak Pizziaola and Philly Roast Pork (Roast pork, Provolone, Sauteed broccoli rabe with all the juice from the pork dripping down your arm)
I’ve only been to NYC once. June of 2022. I went to Katz’s and surprisingly there was hardly anybody there. I just walked right in. I really liked the pastrami, but actually I liked the corned beef at Sarge’s better on 3rd Ave. better.
When you complain about the price of a sandwich that you call “ one of your top 10 sandwiches”, I have to question your ability to distinguish value. Money does not enter into the equation when you speak about top quality items with no equal. It’s best that you take your money sensitive palate elsewhere. How about Papaya King? Not too far from Katz’s and you can get a hot dog for a buck. I will take my Rolex (another bad value, right?) and go to Katz’s tonight. Cheap.
I went to Katz and that had to be the worst Pastrami sandwich I've had... it taste like freaking Cornbread not Pastrami I was so up set..I said something to one of the servers but he didn't give a crap.. that sandwich isn't worth $26 let alone $16.. I'll definitely try another place never Katz's..now that's my take on quality of sandwich not price ..
Noah I agree that sandwich wasn't worth $26 ..I had a Pastrami sandwich there and hated it.. it taste to much like Cornbeef.(they obviously don't know how to prepare a good quality Pastrami)... I'll never refer or go there again...
I love Katz's and will go there every time I'm in NYC. That being said, any of the last standing deli houses that serve proper house made pastrami cost near that price and are worth it. That's because these places are becoming more and more scarce. Every place else is not the same sandwich.
I live in So Cal, an “Authentic” “Jewish” style Pastrami from a “Deli” is $20 (Katella Deli)! The Pastrami Sandwich is thinly sliced not the thick like Katz, not piled on, no complimentary pickles and you don’t get to have a taste to make sure the Pastrami is good! Based on that the $26 Pastrami is not that Bad! You are paying for the Quality, Atmosphere and the fact it is Iconic!
The $26 is slightly misleading. One sandwich is enough to fill two grown adults because of the sizes . I went to Katz’s many times. Native New Yorker here
Most people in the comments have never made pastrami from scratch and it shows. It's a long curing and smoking time plus you have yo pay labour's costs and what not.
Katz has become a Tourist Trap in the last 30 years. My Father grew up on Katz's and Ratners on the Lower East Side in the 20's and 30's and I am a Jew from Brooklyn 28 years there (now 40 in South Florida). I last ate at Katz in 2004 and had food poisoning. There used to be so many better Delis and cheaper in the NYC area and outer boroughs, I don't know if they exist anymore.
Dude 26$ is a bargain, just look at what the top restaurants in NY are charging for a Burger and fries. The average is 60$, but it can go as high as 80$, that's for a burger and fries!!!! A hand cut pastrami on rye that caliber, given the recent rise of inflation is a good deal.
