01/02/09

BEATS OUT NYC DELIS

by CJG29

Never had a bad meal here -- my family stops in weekly. Great for kids. Try omlettes, sandwiches, salads are not to be beat! Don't leave without trying a slice of cheescake. Great neighborhood deli -- with politicos known to stop by.

• Pros: Great Food -- HUGE portions
• Cons: NONE

12/24/08

The Best Jewish Deli in Philly

by Silverchild57

I am a New Yorker by birth and upbringing-until I ate at Famous 4th Street, I had not experienced the real deal in Philadelphia. Best bagels and lox, and best corned beef, pastrami, etc. anywhere in the region outside of New York.

Gigantic sandwiches-nobody could eat a whole one in one sitting! From pickles to rugelach a wonderful eating experience-the service is great too!

• Pros: Excellent food, service, and ambience.
• Cons: A bit expensive, but you get at least two meals out of a sandwich

09/20/08

Best pastrami reuben I have ever had!

by jcreek2004

I dropped by at lunch the other day with no idea of what I was about to experience. I ordered their pastrami reuben. It was the most incredible sandwich I have ever had. I have had a lot of reubens and none of them come close to this sandwich. The pastrami practically melts in your mouth. The size of the sandwich is enormous. The bread is delicious and they serve it at a perfect temperature. The only thing I had a problem with at first was the price. I ordered it and thought, "Damn fourteen dollars, it better be good". It was worth every penny.

• Pros: The food. Isn't that what we went there for anyway.
• Cons: The price seems scary at first but wait till you see and eat the sandwich. You will see the worth.

07/05/08

Good Place to try out

by bettyandbob

Love this little Gem in Queen Village. Good Food and worth every dollar. Friendly Staff too. Sometimes our Governer has breakfast there too.

06/22/08

Huge portions of disgusting food!

by tenderbelly

I have never heard anything good about this place with the old or new owners, but a friend wanted to try it, so I thought I should be open-minded.

The food at this place is disgusting. I had a ham & cheese scramble for breakfast with a side of bacon. The ham & cheese were cold-cuts(!?!), and the eggs were oily. I could only eat a third before I started feeling sick. The bacon should have been advertised as a thick smoked leather belt cut into 5 inch strips. Only ate 1/2 of a strip and I've been tasting it all day.

They eggs came with fries and I didn't even taste them because the were burnt and totally saturated with oil.

My friend wanted a grilled cheese and we couldn't figure out how anyone could screw that up, but they managed it. Any diner in Philly makes a better one.

This place is the typical NYC tourist trap deli. A normal deli makes a sandwich that costs them no more than $2 and sells it for $5. They figured out that if they add another dollar or two worth of cold cuts they can charge you $12-$15. So people come to Philly on buses and order these monstrosities that are bigger than their heads. Go to a normal deli and order two sandwiches for $10 if your that hungry, and maybe you'll see sense before you start the second one.

This place is gross, gross, gross. Only go there if you want to feel like you drank a 12oz can of used fryer grease for the rest of the day. AVOID!

• Pros: Makes you wallet lighter. Encourages you to eat healthy for days after.
• Cons: Everything else. Greasy food. Obnoxiously huge sandwiches. Regret.

06/19/08

If you are hungry this is THE place

by Dean59

My wife and I have been here twice and once you get a table the service is fast and pleasant. The amount of meat on a sandwich, in our case turkey, defies belief! The shrimp salad platter is also something to write home about with a large quantity of nice sized shrimp. We could not eat everything either time we were here. Its the only place I have ever taken food home from.

06/11/08

extra grease on the side

by sarahrose4

Frankly, I was completely disgusted by the food served here. The meat was mostly fatty and my reuben consisted of about 1 lb meat, a few strings of sauerkraut, lots of dressing and a slice of swiss on what they claimed to be rye bread, but looked like wonderbread. Big Macs and Whoppers look like mini-sandwich snacks compared to what is served here. For anyone who is health conscientious, I would not recommend this restaurant.

• Pros: cookies are good
• Cons: you are too full / sick at the end of the meal to eat the cookies.

04/23/08

Owner is a tool

by SureShot88

The owner Russ is a tool, he is always opening and closing businesses. If you've ever worked for him, make sure you get your last week's pay in product because he will stiff you on the "other" pay usually handed in an envelope. If you know what I mean.

03/29/08

You'll leave FAT and even happier!!

by betsyann00

Do NOT go here unless you are prepared to eat 2.5 times your weight in delicious, delicious food. Everything is piled mile high. Get the french toast - you will not be unhappy. I've had this super thick and filling challah bread french toast and it's FABULOUS everytime! Slightly crispy outside, thick dense, tasteful challah, perfectly (not overly) sweet... absolutely amazing. Order it - it'll be the best french toast you've ever had. Yum... I want some NOW!

• Pros: Great bagel/cream cheese/lox, superb corned beef (huge), and LIFE-CHANGING french toast!!
• Cons: crazy busy on weekend mornings, the servers always are busy and rushing everyone around

12/24/07

deli gem in Philly

by phlfrdm

When I used to live in NYC, the 2nd Ave Deli was my fave. Since those days, it's been tough to find an NYC-style Jewish deli in Philadelphia. Well, my search has ended! With matzoh ball soup to die for/just like my grandmother's (with matzoh ball the size of softballs, btw), heavenly, heaping pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, flaky (not greasy!) latkes,, AND the best kashe varnishke I've had, 2nd Ave Deli is a surefire treat. Service is fast and friendly. Be prepared to take home leftovers...and eat them for several days....portions are humongous. If you even save room for dessert, be sure to try the monstrous raspberry and chocolate rugulach - the BEST ever. They even give you two, hot, melty chocolate chip cookies AFTER your huge meal!

• Pros: big portions - you'll eat for several days
• Cons: Noisy