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If you ask 10 New Yorkers where to get the city's best pastrami sandwich, you'll probably get 12 opinions. But according to Time Out's newly updated ranking of the best delis in New York City, one legendary Lower East Side institution still reigns supreme—and yes, it's the same place where one of the most famous fake orgasms in movie history was filmed.
Katz's Delicatessen has officially claimed the No. 1 spot on Time Out's own list of the city's best delis, beating out beloved institutions including 2nd Ave Deli, Barney Greengrass, Sarge's Delicatessen and Pastrami Queen.
For anyone who's somehow never made the pilgrimage, Katz's has been serving towering hand-carved pastrami and corned beef sandwiches on Houston Street since 1888. It's one of the city's most enduring food landmarks and it’s one that's become just as famous on the big screen as it is in the culinary world.
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The deli's most iconic pop culture moment came in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally..., when Meg Ryan's unforgettable diner scene cemented Katz's place in movie history. Today, visitors can still sit beneath the sign marking the exact table where the scene was filmed, making it one of New York's most photographed lunch spots.
Of course, the food more than lives up to the hype. "The sandwiches are huge, delicious, and the place is—and I don't use this word lightly—iconic," Julien Levy wrote, adding that even if Katz's has become something of a tourist destination, it's one that "serves genuinely excellent food in an environment unreplicable by any wannabe or imitator."
If it's your first visit, here’s the rec: order the pastrami or corned beef on rye with mustard, grab a pickle and maybe wash it down with a Cel-Ray or cream soda. (And whatever you do, don't lose your meal ticket before you leave.)
The rest of the top five showcases some of the city's finest old-school Jewish delis. 2nd Ave Deli came in second for its classic pastrami and old-New York atmosphere, while Barney Greengrass earned praise for more than a century of expertly sliced smoked fish. Sarge's Delicatessen landed fourth thanks to its house-cured pastrami, followed by the Lexington Avenue institution Pastrami Queen in fifth.
Whether you're a lifelong New Yorker or just trying to eat your way through the city, Katz's remains proof that some institutions really do deserve every bit of their legendary status. Just be prepared to wait in line—and maybe split a sandwich, because these things are famously enormous.