The Delicatessen — Restaurant in Phoenix

Came here for lunch today. My first time. What caught my attention was an online ad. I’m always looking for a great deli. So enter to find a host station that separates people ordering bagels, and those ordering from the deli. A bit odd, and confusing. Approaching the registers there were several people trying to view the menu and decide what to order. I stepped up, and had a few questions. Ordering a cup of matzah ball soup — no to noodles. Then ordering the Reuben sandwich (regular). Was rye bread okay? Strange to ask, but yes. If not rye, then marbled rye. I’ve never had a Reuben sandwich any other way. For the side I chose the creamy coleslaw. They have no fountain beverages. A bit awkward getting the bottles of Coca Cola as the case was on the other side of the register. One pays for their order, is given a number, and then find a place to sit. I chose a seat at the novelties bar where they were undergoing training for making shakes and other creations. My order came all at one time. Being asked if I needed anything more… yes, some silverware for the coleslaw. The soup was a mix of good and bad. The matzah ball was good; as was the broth. The vegetables - onions, celery, and carrots - were chopped finely. As for the chicken it was breast meat, and dry. I picked the large chunks out and set to the side. I would have liked more broth, and bigger pieces of vegetables. To the side was a bagel chip that was nice. The coleslaw was nice, but very dense as the cabbage was chopped very fine. The pickle was big, had good flavor, and a nice crunch. As for the sandwich, I’ve never had a Reuben sandwich with a side of brown mustard. I asked if they had the proper dressing, and they weren’t sure; but would check. They came back with what they had as Thousand Island dressing. Not the best dressing. The sandwich itself was small. The meat didn’t have great flavor, wasn’t very tender, and seemed small in portion. In the photos you’ll see the large toothpicks. What that is for I wouldn’t know. I boxed my leftovers to go. The Cokes… the Cokes… made with real sugar (Mexico). There was no fizz, and tasted flat. Almost $5 a bottle. The restaurant is clean and spacious, and well lit. I did not use the restroom, and cannot comment on the conditions. Parking is mall parking. I doubt I’ll ever return here. There’s better delis to go to. Scott’s Generations and Miracle Mile come to mind. I’d drive the four hours to Palm Springs or Palm Desert to dine at Sherman’s Deli & Bakery. Chef Joe might want to take a field trip to see what’s lacking in his Delicatessen. Total after tax: $38.14. The $6 tip was given thinking service was going to be good. Even that was too generous. T.I.P. = To insure...

Very Disappointing Experience at Joey's Delicatessen

As regular weekly customers of other Joey's locations, which are consistently outstanding, we had high expectations for their new delicatessen concept. Unfortunately, our first visit left us deeply disappointed.

Service Issues: The ordering system was confusing and poorly managed. Despite being told that sandwiches go to the right line and everything else to the left, we ordered from the left line menu but were still redirected to the right sandwich line after paying. This resulted in physically standing in line for 20 minutes, which was particularly challenging as a disabled customer.

Food Quality: My turkey mozzarella sandwich, while large in size, was completely tasteless. My husband ordered a Reuben, but they were out of stock and substituted a pastrami sandwich instead. The pastrami was super tough and thick - so inedible that we ended up throwing away half the sandwich. The potato salad was even more bland and disappointing than the sandwiches. For a delicatessen promising "Jewish delicatessen with Joey's flair," the food fell far short of expectations.

Value: At $60 for two people, this meal was absolutely not worth the cost, especially considering we couldn't even finish the food.

Beverages: All drinks, including teas, come only in bottles or cans - no fresh options available.

Management Response: When we approached the manager to understand how the menu system works and what's included in items that don't require physically standing in line, we received only a dismissive "we are working on it" response. This lack of helpful customer service was particularly frustrating.

Overall Experience: We left hungry and with a bad taste - both literally and figuratively. Given the exceptional quality we've come to expect from other Joey's locations, this delicatessen concept needs significant improvement in both food quality and operational efficiency before it meets the brand's usual standards.

We hope management addresses these issues quickly, as we had high hopes for this location based on our positive experiences elsewhere in the...

I was SO EXCITED for this place to open! Being from Brooklyn and loving Chef Joey’s “The Mexicano” restaurant, I was so jazzed to see this opening a few blocks from my house!

Highlights: Nice atmosphere, great staff/service, DEVIL DOGS!!! I was pumped to see Drake’s! Although $15 is pretty outrageous, I guess beggars can’t be choosers.

Disappointments: We came at 5pm on a Friday. I ordered the egg salad sandwich and a cup of matzo ball soup. My husband ordered the smash burger and fries. We took our number and sat down. A few minutes later, an employee came over and told me they’re out of egg salad. He came back again after I thought it over and I ordered the lox and bagel. They were out of bagels.

I settled on the tuna salad sandwich, and was starting to feel a bit down now. My husbands burger and fries came out. He said the burger is “fine, nothing special.” The fries are steak fries and they were fine.

My matzo ball soup came out and it was a dark yellow. I was a bit cautious and took a spoonful. I’m not kidding when I tell you I GAGGED. How they managed to make the world’s worst matzo ball soup is beyond me. I ate a spoonful of OIL. There was about a 1/2 inch thick layer of oil on top of the soup! Fully inedible! I used my spoon to dig out a piece of the matzo ball and tried that. BLAND CARDBOARD.

My tuna sandwich came out. Two long slices of bread with two scoops of tuna. You couldn’t cut that before you brought it out? My butter knife couldn’t even get through it and I ended up ripping pieces of the sandwich off. The tuna tasted good but it needs to be smashed up more - it was too chunky.

Verdict? After not having two menu items I ordered and then have the worst matzo ball soup of my life and mediocre tuna, I wouldn’t go back. To my fellow Brooklynites: don’t waste your money.

I did not send anything back because unlike my fellow Brooklynites, I hate confrontation and prefer to just learn a lesson. But the food isn’t inexpensive so I definitely spent some cash there and learned a...