Katz's Delicatessen
Best Deli in New York · NY
Hand-carved pastrami on Houston Street since 1888.
Since 1888, Katz's Delicatessen has been the definitive New York deli — a cavernous, ticket-in-hand institution on the corner of Houston and Ludlow where hand-carved pastrami on rye is still the city's benchmark. It is the oldest deli in New York, and after more than 135 years it remains family-run and stubbornly, gloriously itself.
The ritual hasn't changed: take a ticket at the door, order pastrami or corned beef cured and smoked in-house, and watch a carver slice it to order across the counter. Generations of New Yorkers, tourists, servicemen ("Send a salami to your boy in the army") and filmmakers have squeezed onto its Formica tables beneath a ceiling of hanging signs.
Katz's now ships its cured meats nationwide, but the Lower East Side original is the one that earned its place in the city's mythology — and the 2025 Centurion Award for Best Deli in New York.
What they're known for
- Hand-carved pastrami on rye
- House-cured corned beef
- Hot dogs, knishes & matzo ball soup
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Katz's Delicatessen met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in New York since 1888 — 138 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in New York.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: New York has kept Katz's Delicatessen busy for 138 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by New York regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best deli in New York for 2025 for over 135 years of hand-carved pastrami, Lower East Side landmark status, and lines that still wrap the block.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Deli in New York New York, NY · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Katz's Delicatessen
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Katz's Delicatessen.
- Legal / trading name
- Katz's Delicatessen
- Category
- Delicatessen
- Founded
- 1888, New York, NY
- Location
- 205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
- Centurion Award
- Best Deli in New York — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Katz's Delicatessen against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Katz's Delicatessen?
Lower East Side delicatessen founded in 1888, still hand-carving pastrami and corned beef at the corner of Houston and Ludlow.
Is Katz's Delicatessen award-winning?
Yes — Katz's Delicatessen is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Deli in New York, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best deli in New York for 2025 for over 135 years of hand-carved pastrami, Lower East Side landmark status, and lines that still wrap the block.
Where is Katz's Delicatessen?
Katz's Delicatessen is in New York, NY.
Run a business like this one?
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