Heritage Delicatessen — Restaurant in Town of Smithtown

I hate to give a negative review to a small business but in this case I believe it is warranted. I live in walking distance of Heritage Deli but have rarely been there.

This week my kitchen was under construction so I decided to order lunch from Heritage. We have the menu somewhere but I jumped online for convenience. I called in by phone and ordered the Hot RB (hero) with Cheese and Onions. When I went to pick it up I was served by two very competent, pleasant, and friendly female workers.

The problem? I was charged $17.50 for a lunch sandwich. I questioned that on the spot and was advised that the price had just gone up. The website was inaccurate apparently.

The moral of the story?? Simple - $18 for a lunch sandwich in the boondocks of stripmall Long Island is an outrage.

I hear the echo in the distance of social media responses citing “supply chain issues” “we are in line price wise with our competitors” and “our costs have risen exponentially!”

No - it is greed and gross misalignment with reality. $18 for a basic deli sandwich on Long Island is an outrage.

Was it special?? Not even that - it was bang average....

I have been rooting for this deli to do well as the people are really nice and if they get your order right the food is very good. But that’s the problem. They consistently get it wrong. I order scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage and cheese. For 8 bucks I get scrambled eggs and bacon - no sausage, no cheese. This has happened more than once. I’ve ordered their empandas which are excellent but beware. I have never ordered them filled with eggs but have gotten home 4 or 5 times only to find the beef empanadas are filled with eggs or some other filling. My brother-in-law was over once and bit into the eggs and had to spit them out because he’s allergic to them. Not coming...

No issues here. Just a basic deli where you can get a sandwich. We visit every few weeks, and while the store seems pretty clean, the staff can look a little rough, with dirty aprons and grungy T shirts. This place could jump up a star or two if they start to pay attention to their image and appearance.

Update: Stopped in today, and while the store previously seemed pretty clean, today it sparkled. The store was spotless and the employees were wearing fresh, clean black polo shirts. The display cases which hold the cold cuts and salads were spotless as...