Nielsen's Delicatessen — Restaurant in Houston

First, let's start with the positives. The counter clerk that took my order was very friendly and knowledgeable. The person that made my sandwich seemed a little unapproachable but speaking to him he was cordial enough. The can of Mr. Pibb was good.

And that's all for the positives.

The food was absolutely terrible. The pickle that came with the sandwich was soggy and dull in flavor. But it was an absolute delight compared to the sandwich. This sandwich was awful. It was the worst sandwich I've had in my entire life, possibly one of the worst foods period I've ever had, and that includes my dad's cooking.

You know how some foods you can describe solely based on the color they evoke? Like, if I say blue Gatorade you know exactly the flavor even though it's not anything resembling nature. Well, imagine what white tastes like. That's this sandwich. The most bland thing on the planet. The bread was flavorless. The cheese had no salt. The roast beef didn't taste like beef. The clerk said their sandwich sauce was mustard based; I don't think they know what mustard is because this was more like wallpaper paste. Both in flavor and texture. It was more like glue that held this amalgamation together than it was a condiment.

Speaking of texture, that was perhaps the most interesting thing about the sandwich. Not because it was good, but because I'm impressed with how much it managed to alter my preconceived notions of what a sandwich can feel like. The bread, while bland, had the right texture. That's where the sandwich resemblance ended. I've already covered the glue sauce and limp pickle. If I hadn't seen the lettuce myself I'd have assumed I was chewing on limp celery based on the texture. Though weirdly the texture of the celery was less vegetal than the roast beef. I can't even properly describe that texture but the closest I can think of is this. Imagine you mow your lawn while it's overgrown and it's raining, and all that grass is long and clogging up your lawnmower. Grass = beef, lawnmower = mouth.

I cannot comprehend how this place is still in business. There were other people there ordering and ripping open their sandwiches on the way out the door, munching away happily. I can only presume they all have a brain injury or are secretly cattle in disguise, because I cannot fathom being happy while within a hundred feet of one of these sandwiches. I spoke to numerous people who live and work in the area and as soon as I told them where I went they visibly shuddered.

Tl;dr: staff...

I have been coming to the place as child. I was so excited to come back home to Houston and relive my childhood in a way. I was extremely disappointed and saddened. I’m not sure what the problem is but all of the taste profiles of the food are different. The deviled eggs were to over powered with horseradish. The spread on my sandwich was too runny. My potato salad was bland. The butter cookies which I loved looked pale undercooked and for $7 a bag they were extremely skimpy. Not the butter cookies I remember when Mrs Ellen Anderson was alive and well. The herb toast I got with my chicken and rice soup tasted bland. I’m assuming there are new cooks in the kitchen and are not following recipes or changed them. Why change things when they are not broken.

I can say that I did not get my monies worth. When I get great food I do not mind spending money but this food is no...

Nielsen is an authentic delicatessen institution in houston.

Their game are sandwiches with home made cuts and mayo. The whole ensemble is top notch cold cuts sandwiches and sides that is heavy on the mayo. If you don't like mayo there's probably something on the menu you would like but I'm not sure what that is.

I had sweet coleslaw. It was drenched in creamy, sweet sauce and yet still very crunchy (indicating that it appears to be made fresh). I had a wonderful roast beef sandwich on pumpernickel. The roast beef is house made, juicy, and flavorful so it is quite different than your standard roast beef.

When i sat for lunch on weekday there was a constant stream of all different kinds of people that you would expect from a place that's been running as long as this place has. It meets a particular sandwich style and does it excellently. I plan on returning for...