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Kahn's Deli
Categories: Restaurants Delis Restaurants Sandwiches Food Delis, Sandwiches, Food [Edit]
2429 Rice BlvdHouston, TX 77005
Neighborhood: West University
(713) 529-2891
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:30 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Kimson D. said: "Good lord do i love me some gelato. But have u ever tried a gelato cake????? I freakin love this place. The selection is ridiculous and nearly every flavor is a must try. I was very impressed by the flavors -- unique, very rich,…" read more »
31 reviews for Kahn's Deli
Review Highlights
"The corned beef was juicy, and the sauerkraut was tangy."
(in 4 reviews)
"...shocked to have possibly the best reuben I've ever eaten."
(in 11 reviews)
"all i know is that the alpine reuben kicks some serious ass."
(in 3 reviews)
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Shawn E.
Houston, TX
1/20/2012
OK, My wife and I have been going to Kahn's for years. Yes, it has new owners as of spring 2011. We experienced the "new" Kahn's for the first time today. The first thing we noticed was a retro looking bar with stools. This is good in our opinion. The bar offered a lot more seating and it was comfortable. As far as the food goes, yes it's a bit pricey. (I had a pastrami on rye for 12 bucks and my wife got the tuna melt (can't remember how much it was). This is Rice Village though and we already lost Houston's (the 4th largest city in the country) ONLY brewpub due to high rent. The rent is pretty damn high in the village. It's an awesome area though and if local businesses can provide a good product for a bit more for a meal is worth it IMO.
They also are great supporters of craft beer and local breweries. They have all the local Houston breweries' beers.
So, I would say -- Go there. The food is good but spendy but the place is cool with good customer service and the area/neighborhood is great. -
Review from Patty C.
12/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
More than $10 for a third pound rueben with only half a pickle and no side? Yeah, I think not. The sandwich builder went a little crazy on the Russian dressing, and it looked like I had an abortion on my finger after taking a bite. Everything tasted fine, but I didn't find it particularly spectacular.
Food took quite awhile in coming out even though no one ordered before us. There were a scatter of people sitting around, none that were still eating.
The interior is kind of interesting with some graffiti art on the main wall and an ultra high ceiling. They also have some fresh baked cookies and giant fluffy brownies for dessert, and they have Mellow Yellow in the can. But even those cannot sway me to come back. Paying so much for some bread and deli meat isn't going to fly with me. I understand that they are in Rice Village, and stores run a bit pricier there, but that sandwich just left me sad and still hungry. A lot of their sandwiches looked like good combinations, and the place shows a lot of promise, but I am not coming back for an expensive dinky sandwich. -
Review from Michael F.
Houston, TX
10/24/2011
Went to Kahn's Deli today for a quick lunch while in Rice Village. Looking over the menu, most of the sandwiches were in the $9-13 price range which is what I expected for deli sandwiches as they are traditionally stacked high with meat. Wrong! I paid $12.99 for a sandwich (no chips and just a cup of water) that was no bigger than what you would get at Arby's.
When I was finished, the manager asked me how I enjoyed my sandwich , and I told him it was a bit expensive for what I got. He stated that they use on the best beef and artisan bread. Granted the bread was tasty as was the roast beef, but certainly not enough to justify the price. I wasn't even filled up after eating it... won't be back! -
Review from Rosemary P.
Knoxville, TN
1/6/2012
My husband and I went to Kahn's Deli during our trip to Houston this past Fall. I used to be a weekly customer of Kahn's and was anxious to get back! (We made sure it was our first stop!) The updates that have been made in the past few years definitely give it a modern feel! The staff was very helpful - I explained that I was pregnant and needed the deli meat steamed to 160 degrees so it would be safe for me to eat - this wasn't a problem at alll! My husband and I both devoured our sandwiches and talked about it for the entire rest of the trip! I wish we had a deli like this in Knoxville!
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Review from John S.
10/11/2011
I remember coming here when I was in school at Rice... I swore by the Ruben as the best in town... by far better than anything else... and I'd bring my friends in here for lunch all the time....
Well, I had not been back in years... so, walking along the sidewalk, I couldn't find the place.. why? It has dramatically changed from a standard deli into a sports bar with big LCD tvs everywhere.
Honestly, it's lost a lot of it's charm that it had before. The ruben tasted good, but it just wasn't the same. Simply put, you can follow a recipe, but it doesn't make it the same... and the price was a bit steep ($12 for the 8oz Mike Kahn Reuben) too...
I really wanted to like this place... I even bragged about it for a long time.. hoping to find myself in the neighborhood to try it again... Sadly, it just wasn't the same. -
Review from Geoffrey A.
Houston, TX
9/20/2011
$12 for a hot pastrami sandwhich plus chips and drink. The combo is mandatory? What restaurants do that?
Also the food was ok, but not great. The place was ugly and dark.. but not in an intentional way.
The owner/manager had a super nerd PC plugged into the wall with AC adapter. It kind of gave the place a "I don't really care since I know there are people who will always come and eat here and I don't expect business this time anyway.." vibe. Or maybe more of a "we've been here for a long time and Rice students will always eat here" smugness. -
Review from El Rauncho Grande G.
Houston, TX
7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
No doubt there were people who decried the passing of the torch from Alfred's (Mike Kahn's father's deli) to his son Mike's eponymous restaurant, just as many now lament the change from the last owner of this establishment, Mike Kahn, to the present one (and the redesign of this decades-long Rice Village landmark). I do not count myself among those who resist change, quite the opposite, but I must say, the changes made to this place after Mike sold out have been disastrous.
Plasma TVs you should find in a deli? Oy gevalt!
When I stopped in, they guy (goy) at the counter was quick to volunteer that the new owner was planning to bring back Mike Kahn to consult. If so, that's great news, and it can't happen too soon, because the Alpine Reuben is a sad and fading echo of what it used to be. And, OK, I'm a little traditional: I miss the pots of purple horse radish on the tables and the clean, spare look of the old place. This isn't Kahn's. No part of it is Kahn's. And I don't think even Mike can fix this. A shandeh.
I do wish them well, but I'm not holding out much hope. The present owner woulda done better to change the name and leave the decor (and ESPECIALLY the food) ALONE.
Srsly--plasma screens? Quick, someone, what's Yiddish for dumbass?
El Rauncho Grande. -
Review from Mid G.
Houston, TX
7/22/2011
So my colleagues and I had been talking for weeks and weeks about a great deli we could all meet up at. After much searching and researching on Yelp, we came to the conclusion that we would dine at Kahn's. We decided that on this one beautiful Thursday afternoon we'd all take a stroll down to the village.
Quiet honestly, I don't understand why that entire first paragraph needs to be in this review. Second, no one gives two horse poo who you went with, on what day, if you were in a crappy or horny mood to dine anywhere and what the weather freaking looks like. I just want to get to the point.
Ordered the BLT here and substituted it with a croissant instead. Croissant was toasted to perfection. The bacon in the BLT kept it's tasty texture along with it's crispiness. I paired it with Chicken Noodle Soup. Very flavorful with a proportioned amount of chicken, noodles and veggies. Clean establishment.
I give this a 5-star due to the demeanor of the staff, food quality and temperature and the price. -
Review from Danielle S.
Houston, TX
10/8/2011
This place is da bomb, and makes us wish we lived closer to Rice Village again. My husband will still make the 15-minute drive from our house to get one of their great sandwiches for lunch. They have remodeled & updated the interior, so it has sadly lost that old school New York deli counter type of vibe, but the food is still great and the setting is now clean & modern. This may be the best deli in Houston, which is a category that my fair city is sorely lacking in overall.
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Review from Arnel S.
11/17/2010
Stop and really look for Kahn's Deli, or you won't see it amid the coffee shops, toy stores, furniture emporiums, and other specialty places in Rice Village. Luckily for me, it was a windy day, and, while I paused to look for the place because I was meeting my sister there for lunch, the dry-erase board Kahn's put up to list the specials tipped over by the wind and hit me on the back, as if to say, "Hey ya mo-ron, we're right here!"
The place has character, that we've-been-here-a-long-time character, with brick walls lined with photos from years gone by and booths peppered with old, tiny women enjoying their sandwiches.
Approaching the sandwich counter, my sister and I were kindly greeted. After answering our questions, my sister and I split the reuben sandwich, the tuna salad sandwich, and a bowl of the matzo ball soup.
Our sandwiches and soup came out quickly. They looked good, but I was a bit disappointed. They looked like regular sandwiches. I know that sounds odd, but you come to expect deli sandwiches to be huge...or at least not the size of something you can fix at home. Especially after spending about $25 for two sandwiches and a bowl of soup.
It was my first time having matzo ball soup, and it was okay. It reminded me of chicken soup but with a huge ball of soup-soaked bread in it.
The reuben was good. I'm going to jinx myself by saying this, but you really can't mess up a reuben sandwich. The corned beef was juicy, and the sauerkraut was tangy. The toast wasn't too toasted where it scrapes the skin off the roof of your mouth.
The tuna salad sandwich was just all right. They put a lot of tuna salad in the sandwich, but it didn't taste that great. I've made better at home.
If you're in Rice Village and want a deli sandwich, Kahn's is the place to go, but don't expect it to be Texas' answer to Carnegie Deli. -
Review from Dora T.
Los Angeles, CA
7/3/2011
I joined a few friends here for lunch. The place had a wide array of sandwich selections for me to choose from. I was pretty sure it would take me an hour to decide, but my friend was smart enough to ask the counter for their recommendation. We both ordered a Judy's, which was a smoked turkey-ham-salami-lettuce-other-ingredients-I-don' t-remember sandwich. The best part: it came with a free bag of chips and a refillable fountain drink. All this for a reasonable $10 after sales tax. The sandwich was a bit too meaty for my preference, but after pulling out a few slices of ham, it was a fresh, tasty, and satisfying sandwich. Oh, and I must not forget to mention for pickle-lovers like me, we get a whole pickle to go with all this goodness. Kahn's Deli does take-out, so I made sure to grab a menu print-out as I made my way out.
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Review from Buddy G.
Pittsburgh, PA
1/15/2010
This review shall be known as "The Great Sandwich Debacle" or "Being taught a lesson I didn't want to learn, from my smarmy roommate."
Today, after much consternation the decision on a lunch destination was finalized at Kahn's Deli. The sandwiches there are reminiscent of the kind of lunchtime fair you can acquire every other block in cities up North. Simply put, there are just not enough Kosher-style delis in town serving up really proper demonstrations of sandwich technique. On the ride over to Rice Village I was still on the fence and offered up other lunch options. My roommate stood firm, even regaling me with stirring tale of a sandwich called the "Olajuwan." Let me tell you something he wasn't kidding; the Olajuwan is a monumental reuben that includes a hotdog. Kahn's is proud of this thing too; the half pound version will run you 15 bucks.
Knowing all along today was a reuben day, I mulled over the 5 options finally choosing the Alpine, my roommate effortlessly ordered the Texan. Watching these guys at work makes you really question how anyone at Scrub-way could be referred to as a "sandwich artist." Akin to comparing Jeff Koontz and Andrew Wyeth; one is an abomination the other a modern master. There is steady precision of thoughtful attention, the meat is heated, jokes are made, introductions are exchanged, condolences are given, congratulations are offered, quandaries pondered, unsolicited advice is levied, and babies are kissed. Then finally your sandwich is ready!
The Alpine is a turkey reuben, with sauerkraut, coleslaw, Russian dressing, melted cheese, on fresh rye. I triumphantly tore into my warm Alpine, like a skier discovering a deserted trail of virgin powder. Nam, nam, nam...I looked over at my home boy's sandwich and it looked amazing too! And then, in a completely unnecessary and idiotic gesture of goodwill, I offered my roommate to trade remaining sandwich halves. He looked at me, cool as a cucumber and agreed. Then like a rube at a bordello, I handed over the remaining half of my Alpine.
Now my friends, not all sandwiches are created equal. My first clue might have been the cold feel of the bun and the cool taste of the roast beef, this was definitely a step down from my lofty Alpine heights. My fears were confirmed by the twinkly eye and the sly smile creeping onto my roommate's face as he took his first bite, I knew this swap was a disaster. I felt like the Indians after trading away Manhattan Island for some trinkets, pots, pans, and measles infected blankets; not too good.
As my roommate basked in the glory of his Alpine moment, elegantly nibbling each bite, savoring its subtleties, I could only sit and watch. The lesson of this story, it's a good idea to second guess yourself if you make your crumby roommate an offer and he doesn't bat an eyelash when accepting. You will not have to face the indignity of feeling like that guy at the end of the Sting, when he realizes he's just been had.Comment from joanne m. of Kahn's Deli 1/19/2010
Hi Buddy G.....Kahn's has never had such a well crafted… More » -
Review from Gretchen P.
Houston, TX
2/18/2009
The shops in the Rice Village tend to rotate pretty frequently; but there are some lifers in this great shopping center. Kahn's is one of them.
This location has been open since 1984, but the family has been in the deli business since 1948. Yes, when I found out that bit of information, I thought Orwell, too. (1984 was written in 1948, that's how Orwell came up with the title of his book. Anyway...)
Apparently last year there were some renovations. I'm not certain what it looked like before, but it appears that the ordering counter is close to the same. Also, it has a nice character inside, even if it seems to be wearing a newer, but cheaper dress. Hmmm. I mostly say that because the booths are a little awkward and cheapish-looking. The food was great, but the setting had a bit of that fast food eating area vibe to it.
I met some yelpers here for a great Sunday Brunch UYE extravaganza; it made for a nice lazy Sunday. It was one of those preciously beautiful days Houston affords five times a year. It was a bit windy, so we ate inside.
I got the Soho. Turkey toasted with Swiss on wheat with lettuce, tomato, and cranberry paste. It was a good, solid sandwich.
While my sandwich was being made, I wandered. They have a glass display case at the very end of their counter filled with Boar's head meats and cheeses and various cookies and brownies. -
Review from Shazia C.
Washington, DC
4/19/2009
Moving to Houston I heard everyone raving about this place , that Oh how they are utterly distress and sleeplessly sad how this place is under renovation. I was kind of sick of hearing the tales of this deli's brilliance that when it opened I thought of giving it a try.
Let me just sum it up. I was fairly disappointed. This place is no different/better than most sandwich places here in Houston. As a matter of fact I can name 5 places in one breath which are far better both taste and service wise than Kahn's Deli. I was kinda of disgusted seeing one of the workers eating the toppings (cucumber) while chopping.
They have taken breakfast off the menu. All you have now are mediocre sandwiches, stale breads and boring toppings. You can create your own sandwich , pick your own meat , toppings , cheese etc like anyother deli sandwich.
So much renovation and for what? They should have remained shut.
PS: Best sandwichs? Central Market ! -
Review from Jodi M.
8/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Last week I had a casual business lunch at Kahn's Deli with my boss. It has free WiFi and wasn't very busy or loud, so it was a great meeting spot.
The only problem was that the servers werent very knowledgable and it took forever to get our order right. They kept having to ask us questions about our sandwiches. Then, they overcharged us and it wasn't even that satisfying!
A little dissapointed to say the least. -
Review from Cory O.
Houston, TX
9/12/2007 1 Check-in Here
So, I'm not a sandwich person, but I'll try to give this place a fair rating by combining my so-so experience with my husband's out-of-this-world experience.
The location is great--Rice Village always has plenty to see and do so you can find an excuse to head over there. Yeah, the parking isn't that great, but since you're going to be walking around anyway, no big deal.
This place is tucked away and may be the narrowest store I've been in. Evidently this is more New York deli-ish than more sandwich places and I'll give them props for that. However, my sandwich was just so-so (I believe I got turkey). My husband evidently orgasmed (and thus was the downfall of our marriage--a sandwich) and couldn't get enough. He tells me that I don't have the palate for sandwiches and that I should stop reviewing delis since it isn't fair to the readers. Hence I've added his opinions into this to give all my loyal fans views from both sides of the fence.
Regardless of the food (can you say that in a restaurant review?!), the place had a strange homey feel to it. Sure, it is cramped and a little messy, but I almost felt like I was at someone's home with the workers talking to us like family members. Plus, there's always a bunch of interesting things to read on the wall. -
Review from Lisa A.
Austin, TX
3/14/2009
WARNING: Despite the delicious sounding breakfast menu on their web site (Challah french toast, oatmeal, granola, bagels, scrambled eggs) they DO NOT serve ANY type of breakfast food (yet). Very disappointing when you show up to a place expecting breakfast and they don't serve it....seems like their web site shouldn't mention Challah french toast if don't actually serve it. AND? No bagels! At least not this morning...
It was hard for me to find something to eat because a.) I wanted something breakfast-y, and b.) apparently when you're pregnant you're not suppose to eat deli meats (unless they're heated?), and c.) did I mention they didn't even have bagels with cream cheese? I ended up with a BLT. It was just okay. The S.O. got a ginormous corned beef sandwich complete with coleslaw and Russian dressing. He thought the meat was of good quality.
Also, FYI, this is counter service only. I guess I thought it was a NY deli with table service since the web site said they have breakfast but it's very much just a sandwich shop. -
Review from Marlene C.
Houston, TX
6/1/2011
Best deli in Houston. Love tmem, love them LOVE them. Only place for pastrami in Houston if you like the classic stuff.
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Review from Morgan N.
Updated - 4/15/2009
I went back today while craving a tuna melt on challah. To my dismay, they were out of tuna at 12:15. Are you kidding? How can you be out of tuna when 4 customers are in the entire place. Something happened to the food. There's no more love, it used to be fantastic. I wonder why....
I ended up getting chicken salad on challah. There was wayyyy too much mayo in it. They also couldn't toast it due to health reasons? what?!
I hate to put a business down, so sorry.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/1/2009
I'm normally not a big fan of deli food because of the large quantities of meat. I got the reuben… Read more »
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Review from Linn B.
Atlanta, GA
8/9/2009
Kahns is now discusting.
I didn't know about the renovation or the new owner.
This is now just a sandwich shop with a previosuly good name and rewards hanging on the wall it doesn't deserve. Only one person supposedly works for the new place that did for the old how sad. Hopefully they quit tarnishing the legacy of kahns and either shut it down or change the name nothing is what it is supposed to be. I can't believe that Alfred thought it would be this when he sold it. -
Review from Christopher B.
Houston, TX
This place is getting better and better. Prices are lower but the sandwiches are delicious as always. If you had given up on them due to past owners I can only recommend coming back now.
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Review from Tiffany S.
Highland Park, NJ
9/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
My sandwich (the Matt) was decent, but the service is not up to par. I went with a friend and we ordered right after each other. His sandwich came out about 5 sandwiches before mine. No explanation why, but the sandwich maker did apologize for the wait. Also, the cashier argued with me over the price of the sandwich, which was clearly printed on all the menus. She said the menus "must be old." Seriously? Then update your menus! I ended up getting the printed price, but it was not a very pleasant experience.
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Review from Schuyler W.
Suitland, MD
2/13/2011
This place was best when it looked like a tiny NYC deli incarnate. The decor was scant and the food the main outfit. Though there have been renovations, the food hasn't changed thankfully. The sandwiches are full and packed tightly with good meats and potent dressings. My only gripe is the cost which is bit high for a sandwich. But for the authenticity and flavor, I'll pay the price every time.
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Review from Fran B.
Houston, TX
2/16/2010
Try tjeir cornbeef sandwich. Not as good as the cornbeef from Alfred's but it's the next best thing -- Kahn was Alfred's son.
Very casual. -
Review from Steve C.
3/22/2009
Maybe because it's close to home, or such a small place, or because there was no one else there when we entered at noon on Sunday, but for some reason I wasn't expecting too much. So i was totally shocked to have possibly the best reuben I've ever eaten. All the elements were just right - nice light rye bread, lean corned beef that still had plenty of flavor, swiss and cheddar cheese, wonderfully fresh-tasting sauerkraut, and Russian dressing that instead of that thick gloppy orange stuff was thin, red in color, with just the right flavor. I'd give it a nod over Kenny & Ziggy's if you just want a sandwich, and I love that place.
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Review from victoria r.
Houston, TX
8/27/2009
so, being a new kid, i have no old kahn's to compare with the new kahn's. so i'm not disgruntled by the renovation, the lack of bagels & lox, or the apparently scant variety of sandwich fixings.
all i know is that the alpine reuben kicks some serious ass. the dark rye was excellent, the turkey is wonderful & moist & all covered in the melty cheese, the sauerkraut is crisp & the russian dressing is this beautiful, flavourful pink stuff that makes the alpine toasted heaven. this with a yummy little pickle & their iced tea (which is pretty good, by the by) = quite the satisfying lunch.
i'm sorry everyone's lost an old haunt from high school or whatever, but i'm thrilled to have that awesome 1/3 of a pound of deliciousness within walking distance. -
Review from John P.
Sugar Land, TX
4/8/2009
Careful when you go in here! The reuben is not only exceedingly delicious, it's as big as your head!
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Review from Matt H.
Houston, TX
11/9/2009
Hands down, Kahns is the best deli in Houston. I'm on the road with my job every week, but every weekend that I'm in Houston I make it a point to stop by (at least once) for their world famous Reuben. The service is the friendliest in town and the portions are large enough for the hungriest Houstonian. If there is an award for "Best Reuben in America", it should definitely go to Kahns. I visit local delis around the country and no one stands up to Kahns' performance!!
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Review from Dave L.
Houston, TX
10/22/2008 1 photo
Oh happy day! Kahn's Deli finally reopened after remodeling their tiny little restaurant that has been a staple in Houston for two generations. I think the guy who owns Bronx Bar (amongst others in Houston) went into Kahn's Deli one day and talked to the owner about parntering together to re-do the whole restaurant. Bam... after a few months of gutting it out they've reopened and it's better than ever. Although it's sometimes sad to see well established neighborhood joints like this get "makeovers" this one was sorely needed and the new place looks great. Has nice exposed brick, much more seating and the same great menu. They have an unbelievable reuben sandwich and my stand-by is the hot corned beef. Oh and these guys bake their own bread every day! What they don't sell they donate to the local food back. How cool is that? I'm so happy Kahn's is back, I missed my corned beef on rye.... Thank you Jesus!
Listed in: Cheap Eats
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Review from Paul S.
San Diego, CA
8/8/2010
This place is no different than a Jason's or Schlotzky's! Houston truly lacks real deli joints like those in NY and CA!
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Review from L S.
Houston, TX
12/7/2009
Kahn's deli used to be somewhere I would take anybody to, now I wouldn't feed their food to my dog. It has gone DOWN HILL and I will never set foot in there again. Management sucks (or the lack-thereof) because the employees all complain to each other behind the counter while making your food. Potato salad used to be good, now it's not. Like I said, I would never recommend this place to anyone...if you want to try true Jewish food, or if you're just looking for a great Reuben sandwich, try Kenny and Ziggy's on Post Oak; they have great customer service, a real deli feel, and you actually get what you pay for there.
