Katz's has occupied the corner of Houston and Ludlow since 1888, surviving two world wars and the Lower East Side's transformation from immigrant tenement district to boutique hotel corridor — and the pastrami has not changed. Hand-carved in thick, peppery slabs onto rye bread with nothing but mustard, it is the axis around which the entire New York deli tradition rotates. The neon sign — 'Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army' — dates to the Second World War. The room is fluorescent-lit, linoleum-floored, and operated on a ticket system that bewilders first-timers. There is no table service at the counter — you eat standing or carry your tray to a communal table, and the cutter will offer you a taste before he builds your sandwich.
Location
Lower East Side, New York
Insider Intel
Pastrami on rye with spicy mustard — the canon, and no deviation improves upon it. Accept the taste slice the cutter offers; tip him a dollar or two for a generous hand. The matzo ball soup for cold days. The hot dog is underrated. A Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda is the traditional pairing.
Weekday lunch avoids the worst of the tourist crush. Weekend mornings before 11am are manageable. Late night — Katz's stays open until midnight or later — is the insider move. Expect a line at peak hours; it moves faster than it looks.
205 E Houston Street, Lower East Side. Second Avenue station (F train) or Delancey-Essex (F, J, M, Z), five-minute walk. Walk-in only. Do not lose your ticket — you are charged a fee if you do. Sandwiches 24-28 dollars. Cash and cards. Tip the cutter at the counter. The ticket system: take one at the door, hand it to the cutter, pay at the exit.