Carnegie Deli

This will be brief, as the mothership has closed and there are times this platform will not allow one to post to a review for a mothership that has closed even if the business has reincarnated itself as delivery. As in, they live, but virtually and on your phone or laptop until UPS pulls into the driveway and out comes the man or woman with The Box and at that point who really cares what's going on with the rest of the world. Because now you have a box of Carnegie Deli.

Since I must be brief, I'll leave the memories for another day. But suffice it to say that Carnegie, while catering to the schmaltz and the footlights, maybe inspired in part by Katz's when Harry met Sally, left no food quality or service stone unturned. Carnegie was delicious w family and friends and especially fun solo, as you got to break rye bread with somebody new.

Not no more, sadly. But. If flavor brings back memories, go to their web site and order yourself some. The family feasted on the sandwich kit that came yesterday with a pound and a half each of pastrami and corned beef, a generous jar of pickles, a loaf of the rye bread and enough mustard for all the sammys and then some. I fed five that day and will feed two more tonight from the leftovers. For the price, for the memories the taste begets, this is a bargain.

The meat was vacuum-packed and frozen. The meal packed in a cool thermal bag in a box with freezer packs you can use again and again. Ordering was a breeze and delivery wasn't an extra charge. Shipping and tracking updates and delivery right when they said it would be here.

Got some memories you'd like to re-kindle? Or maybe just a big hunger for some delicious deli? Check them out. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoyed fabulous deli meats in Baltimore, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and Las Vegas over many years. By far, corned beef and pastrami shipped to me from Carnegie Deli had the most fat. Wife couldn't eat it. The Deli said the flavor comes from the fat, just warm it up and enjoy. I love flavor, but too much fat for me. Pickles were good.

The day has finally come. Carnegie's announced closure date that has been looming for months is here. 2016 has been a sucky year and this is just another straw that will bring down that darn camel. ::long sigh::

So long, you 2" thick overstuffed pastrami and corned beef sandwiches. You were pricey ($19.95), but oh so delicious on your bed of rye slices, dressed in course deli mustard. At times I would drool over you as a Reuben sandwich with sauerkraut and Russian dressing to add to that sweetness. I'll get you to go, eat you long and slow, eat you on the train, I can't get you out of my brain. Sometimes I would just get a knish to go or on a cold NY day, some chicken noodle or split pea soup to warm my soul. I never understood what stuffed derma is though.

I'll miss sitting down under the pictures of all the celebrities that have had their names adorn your specialty sandwiches in the past. They've come and gone eating your heaping piles of meat. What I won't miss are the long lines of tourists trying to get a table. I'll just skip over y'all and go straight to the deli counter to order my pastrami to hit the road. Thank you, Mrs Levine for continuing the 79 year tradition of this genuine NYC institution and Good Luck!

While sitting on the run way to fly home someone tells me the bad news that Carnegie Deli is closing it's doors on December 31st for good. OMG an institution and a part of my life when visiting the Big Apple all my life.
I went yesterday immediately after arriving at my hotel and dropping off my bags. The line was too long as usual so I went inside for take out. While waiting my eyes ate up all the beautiful desserts in it's path. The strawberry cheesecake and the banana cream pie both together to die for.

Once my order was ready I devoured it back in my hotel room. Where else can you go for a half pound kasha knish and the gulden's spicy brown mustard on the side. Accompanied by a Dr. Brown's diet black cherry because you already used all your daily allotment of calories.

Sorry to see you go as you will be missed. xo

I'm so sad Carnegie is closing at the end of the year. 80 years in midtown and one of the most famous outposts for pastrami. I couldn't pass up one more stop in. The pastrami really is delicious and although the sandwiches can get ridiculously pricey ($30 for a Woody Allen) they are enormous and the deli meat really is that good.


The line is long, but unless you need to have the whole experience, the takeout line is much shorter. Since this will be the last time, I grabbed a Woody Allen on rye, a black and white cookie, and two extra pounds of pastrami and brought it all back to share with my dad who grew up with it.

If you get there before it closes, it is worth the hassle for the pastrami and the corned beef.
Extra star for nostalgia.

I will miss you, Carnegie Deli.

Before we say a permanent goodbye to a long standing deli I want to review my most recent visit there. The deli is set to close at the end of 2016.

My son and I stopped here for lunch in late Aug. for lunch. The line was a mile out the door but it moved fairly quickly. Once inside we were seated at a very tiny table in what I would call a row of about 8 tables for two with hardly any space between. We felt like sardines!

My son was willing to take on a challenge and devour one of their gargantuan combo sandwiches all by himself and succeed he did. I settled for an overstuffed brisket sandwich which I basically found bland. Had to keep putting mustard on it just for some flavor. Service is quick because they need to move the people in and out. They still have the take out counter as well as what I would call your giant cheesecakes. The sandwiches are pricey and you get some pickles to go with it. Sharing fees are assessed if you can't eat the whole sandwich yourself and wish to share with whoever you come with assuming they don't order anything.

Needless to say we had no room for their cheesecake considering how much we ate. I will truly miss this NY icon but I have learned that their Madison Square Garden location as well as the one in the MIrage in Las Vegas and the location in Bethlehem, PA will remain open.

You also can continue to order online if you want one of their famous cheesecakes or whatever. The website is still available.

Enjoy the last of this NY icon. Named for Carnegie Hall nearby it will surely be missed when it closes its doors.

CARNEGIE DELI is truly the best deli I have ever been to... PERIOD! I started coming here when I was a young child. The amount of the food seemed gigantic then and it even now it still seems gigantic. A true New York City icon. In NYC there is Joe Namath, there is Howard Stern, there is Donald Trump and there is, or was the Carnegie Deli.

I say WAS because the saddest thing just happened. Carnegie is closing at the end of this year. This is the place that if you've never been you should definitely go. At Carnegie there have been many famous people that loved this restaurant. So many, that you probably know more past famous customers then you have family and friends. Everybody will love this restaurant, except for the price and the fact that they only took cash.

Follow the address below to read why this is so special.

http://ny.eater.com/2016/9/30/13120024/carnegie-deli-closing

Hey

Chicken liver is good

Surprisingly delicious

Wish I could be with friends and enjoy some woody Allen although I hate him.

Bakeries seem so good but obesity prevents my way from eating it.
I am sad when I heard about that ya gone. Wish you the best.

Best,
Tina

Tip: If there is a massive line outside, you can walk in, buy take out, and be out in 3-5 minutes.

This place goes to show that some places are famous for being famous. Its fame and reputation has, for whatever reason(s), reached what Physicists call "escape velocity" and cannot be brought down back to earth. Maybe they were great in the past. Maybe their competition have caught up. Who knows.

We walk by, see a huge line outside, and recalled that in our many trips to NYC we had never been to Carnegie Deli. We walk in, get two pastrami sandwiches, and are out within 5 minutes.

We find a place to eat and it's disappointing. The meat is kind of dry and the bread is unexceptional. I have had better in LA, Montreal, Chicago, and even Indianapolis.

There are too many alternatives in NYC to go here.

A predictable and consistent offering.

Be sure to come early if you don't want to wait too long in line.

You're allowed to share, but there's a minimum spend of $12.50 per patron and a $3 sharing fee.