Liebman’s Deli — Restaurant in New York

Walked in right when it opened on a Tuesday morning at 11am. I was the first to sit down for table service and was quickly greeted by Jodi.

She was very sweet and I told her that I was on a mission to try the Pastrami Rueben so she put in my order along with a Dr. Brown’s Root beer soda right away.

My order came with coleslaw and two halves of deli pickles

The wait wasn’t long. It was about 10 minutes from when I sat down that Jodi was on her way bringing my pastrami. She very kind to hand me my root beer beforehand.

Between two slices of toasted rye, with a nice layer of Russian dressing sauerkraut, stood this mini-mound of delicious looking pastrami. It smelled great because it seemed like when they cut the sandwich in half, I think they press that side onto the flat top making that edge nice and crispy but not disturbing the rest of the soft meat that’s in the sandwich.

It was great, the pastrami wasn’t too hot, nice and warm. The creaminess from the Russian dressing along with the sauerkraut compliments the pastrami very well. The rye although lightly toasted, doesn’t stay very crunchy because the heat from within the sandwhich itself softens it up, yet the bread didn’t get soggy.

The slaw and the pickles add the extra crunchiness that you may be looking for incase the sauerkraut doesn’t suffice. Is it necessary? Maybe some people may find it to be too much food, but for me, you can’t go wrong with slaw and pickles when you’re eating a great pastrami sandwich.

The atmosphere was great, feels like an old-school diner from when I was growing up. From what I saw, there were a number of original art pieces hung throughout the dining room. And it seems as if they were all from different artists.. I’d like to look into them next time I visit.

The lighting is nice. Soft white lights.. compliments the art pieces and it lights up everything nicely. Allows for a nice sit down alone or amongst family and friends.

Overall, I can’t wait to go back. Next time I’d like to bring my family. There is something for everyone on the menu. I’m glad they have a kids menu (for the picky eaters) and they also had a selection of desserts. I shared my pictures in the menu section but I will also share them here.

$ Price-wise… Pastrami and similar meats are not cheap. Am I okay with what I paid? Yes. The food was delicious, the service was great, and the timing was outstanding. I’d like to revisit during a lunch or possibly a dinner rush. I don’t think food quality will be affected but I’m intrigued to see how long my wait time will be. Am I worried, not at all, just as long as the food is good.. and so far they’re batting 1000%.

Thank you Liebman’s, can’t...

Today, April 22, 2023, I took a three hour schlep from South Brooklyn to Riverdale up in da Bronx to Liebman's Kosher Delicatessen & Restaurant at 552 W 235th St, Bronx, NY 10463. Now I have a soft spot for this place, because my aunt Joan and Uncle Bill z"l lived a couple of blocks away and had Liebman's cater all their simchas. Sadly, they've been gone for over 15 years, so it's been a while. I arrived at Liebman's around noon, having left home around 9am and I was hungry. The first thing I noticed is that the place had had a facelift and that it was a lot brighter and cheerful than it had been in the past. Being the last day for the Riverdale Restaurant Week Special, I went for it, ordering a Pastrami on rye, full sour pickles, a square knish and a Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray from my friendly and attentive waiter for the unbelievable price of only $20. By the time I got back from the sparkling clean rest room, everything was laid out at my table and I was ready to feast! The generous standard (as opposed to the overstuffed which would have been $5 extra and worth every penny) 12 oz. of pastrami was machine sliced, but thicker than Sarge's and Pastrami Queen. It was glistening with fat, had a nice crust of spices and a noticeable smoke ring. It was beautifully tender and juicy, nicely smoky and had just the perfect amount of salt. It was the best Kosher pastrami I've had in NYC, and I'd rank it just under Katz's pastrami for flavor and tenderness; definitely worth the trip. The Cole slaw was shaved thin, but retained it's crispiness. It was some of the freshest and tastiest I've had in a while. The pickles, while being juicy and garlicky, were nice and crispy, not mushy like pickles in a lot of places. They made a wonderful palate cleanser in-between bites of sandwich and sips of Cel-Ray. When, not if, I return, I'm going to try the overstuffed version, which at $26.99 is still a bargain for an overstuffed Kosher pastrami sandwich. In my humble opinion, Liebman's Kosher Delicatessen & Restaurant is...

My review is based on an order placed via Goldbelly. Our order came with corned beef, pastrami, rye bread, coleslaw, pickles, potato knish, matzah ball soup, mustard and assorted rugelach.

I don't even know where to start - everything was amazing and delicious and comforting all at once. My pastrami sandwich was easily the best one I've ever had - the pastrami was on another level - expertly sliced thin and just melted in your mouth.....the rye bread sturdy but still soft with a slight chew to the crust and a depth of flavor that should make most rye breads hang their heads in shame.... the mustard creamy and rich with just enough tang - the perfect compliment to the meat and bread. And I believe I'm officially addicted to Liebman's pickles now!

This was also our first time ever trying a knish - I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to that bundle of pillowy carb-a-licious joy! The cole slaw was creamy, crunchy perfection. And the matzah ball soup.....I can't even find the words, so let that speak for itself.

The hardest part of eating this meal is pacing yourself to completely savor and enjoy every last bite. Now if you'll excuse me, I hear the pickles calling...