Josh's Deli — Restaurant in Surfside

Last time I go to another restaurant recommended by the best of Miami New Times again. Actually drove over 50 miles looking to try one of the best pastrami sandwichs in Miami.. was so disappointed 😔 the hot pastrami I thought I was getting was actually cold in the middle.. didn't even taste like pastrami tasted more liked bbq smoked beef brisket. I was excited at first bc I told the waitress I heard you got good pastrami sandwiches and I was looking for a ny Katz pastrami and she said the owner was from NY so I was so looking forward to the sandwich and when I took the bite sadness overcame my soul. The rye bread was toasted but the toasted part was inside not outside which made the bread soggy.. the pickle had no flavor and the coleslaw was not good.. the potato latkes were overcooked to the point where a few more seconds frying it would've been burnt.. not appetizing and my wife had some for of breakfast where she didn't like it either.. everything was overcooked and to the point it looked dried out. She did like the French toast thought.. and my pastrami sandwich which I saved half. When I got home and actually cooked the pastrami where it was actually hot and retoasted the rye bread.. it was good but it tasted like a bbq beef brisket sandwich not a pastrami sandwich. They said the pastrami is made in house so maybe they forgot to season and cure the brisket I don't know.. my overall experience sucked especially when we got the bill.. the prices they charge are def not worth it and when you charge that kind of money you expect the food to come out perfect not overcooked burnt dried out and pastrami that don't even taste like pastrami.. oh and they give warm bottles of water out with no glasses of ice and the house juice with all these vegetables in it was overpowered by all the ginger they put in it... This place does not deserve to be in the top of any thing especially from New Times... I'm pretty sure at this point New Times is being paid to put these restaurants in the newspaper bc I been let down every time by them.. def not listening to them any more.. I'm so glad I'm going back to NY and Im stopping at Katz for a real pastrami sandwich.. the waitresses were nice that's the only reason this place didn't...

Do not bother! I drove over an hour on my vaycay to get to Josh’s because I can’t get authentic deli in Arizona. I searched Google maps to find one. The reviews are wrong. What a HUGE disappointment! I spent over $100 on three sandwiches and two knishes and a small matzoh ball soup. The corned beef was so fatty it soaked the garden variety (unseeded) almost Wonder rye bread into soggy oblivion. The pastrami sandwich was not as bad, but barely better. The soup was tasteless, and so oily that trying to open it spilled yellow fat all over the napkin I had (wisely) placed under it. It needed salt. LOTS of salt. The matzoh ball was so hard that I could barely cut into it with the cheap plastic spoon provided. Thank goodness my hotel room had a salt packet somehow left by a previous guest, NOT provided by Josh’s! The pickles were the worst common jar variety from the grocery store. Not garlic kosher. Just a dill pickle from Vlasic, maybe?The potato knish was inedible. My partner spit his (first and last) bite ever of a knish into the toilet. I’ll add a photo of it in the trash because I wouldn’t waste another bite for myself. Maybe we got such horrid food because my obviously non-Jewish friend asked for cheese on his sandwich.( I explained his faux pas to him.) But there is no excuse for such hideously soggily packaged carry out! Also, I asked for horseradish, for which I was charged extra, and got Russian salad dressing instead. Ugh....

What happened? When we arrived out front the hostess was pleasant and actually came out and kept us posted as to the wait. After waiting 45 minutes for a table.for six, the experience went down. We were sat and never given water, utensils or option to order. After trying to get someone’s attention, we were able to order coffees. We got four coffees and then they came a few minutes later with two more with the disclaimer that they had ran out of coffee cups. We asked to order and were told that someone else would come and pointed to the same lady that sat us, who was attending to two other tables, which sat WAY after we had sat. We thought this was odd, but continued to wait. Food looked good at other tables, so we waited. After waiting for 35 minutes for the lady to take order we inquired again and she said I’ll take your order when I am done with other tables. She continued to get waters and food orders for others and kept passing out table. Wait we looked around and oh yes we were the only Spanish speaking table. Wow it is 2020 and this is a touristy area of South Florida. NEVER AGAIN. I am an American and proud, but I am from Spanish decent and will speak Spanish to my friends and family when I am NOT in the presence of anyone else that does now understand. Racist location and waitresses. We paid for our coffees...