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
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Deli in New York New York, NY · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
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This page is the standing record for Katz's Delicatessen (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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.
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