The Yummiest Delis in Houston

Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (1719) • $$

"I was in town visiting family and decided to stop here for breakfast!! I must say what a pleasant surprise. If you are a NY bagel fan you can get your fix here. Yes, the owners are native New Yorkers! I got the lox and it was pretty darn tasty. Make sure you do not leave out the scallion cream cheese! It is not to be missed. I also tried a latte which was just alright. I think the winner here is their food. The restaurant is HUGE and great for bringing loved ones. It did get pretty busy in there and loud. So, if a bustling diner feel is not your thing maybe go elsewhere. Phenomenal service as well. I will say I did like it enough to return. I sat around the espresso bar solo and had a lovely time chatting it up with the baristas."

Tony's Italian Delicatessen

★★★★★ 4.9 (836) • $$

"I have had Tony's bookmarked for years now after it won best restaurant in the US from Yelp several years ago. I rarely get up this way and when I did had other plans but last Saturday I finally made it for lunch.I found the restaurant in an old and small strip center with limited parking. Inside it's a counter service eatery with attractive decor and two dining areas. One area is as you enter that is brightly lit and decorative and the other room dimly lit which is where the self serve soft drink and tea area is located.I decided to go against the norm here and not order a traditional meat sandwich but instead ask for the DiCaprio (all of the sando's here have Italian celebrity names) for $12. I added a bag of Zapp's chips for another $2 and a soft drink. With tax the entire meal was $16 and change. The DiCaprio is Tony's chicken salad sandwich with spring mix, bacon, American cheese, marinated Roma tomatoes mayo and sub oil on crunchy Italian bread. Mine was ready in 5 minutes after ordering and it was huge. Like big enough for 2 people to eat and be satisfied. Its size was impressive and absolutely delicious taste wise. I love a good chicken salad sandwich and this was one of them. The chicken salad was creamy and flavorful with grapes, nuts and a very smooth taste. With the other additives every bite was a pleasure to eat. While the oh so important bread is called crunchy Italian it's actually very fresh and soft. It was quality as was everything in that sandwich. Leonardo would be proud to have this named after him. During the meal, I sat in the dimly lit area and also enjoyed the good Italian music being played. The sandwich was excellent in taste and its size and cost represented very good value. I would very much like to return but this location is difficult for me. Going all of the way to Conroe and then it's a full 10 minute drive off of I-45 but for those that live closer they are the lucky ones. I'm not sure about this deserving to be the #1 restaurant in the US but it is an excellent Italian sandwich shop."

The Grove Donutz & Deli

★★★★☆ 4.3 (464) • $

Mandola's Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (337)

"I have been wanting to try this place for years and I finally ordered take out and got the fried lasagna because I had to eat it in the car. It is SOOO good! Crunchy on the outside and soft ooey gooey on the inside. The marinara dipping sauce is so good that I wish I could buy it in bulk. I will be back to try more for sure."

Little Jimmy's Deli

★★★★★ 4.6 (268)

"You can really tell the culinary attention that goes into Little Jimmy's sandwiches. The bread is soft and sweet, and the combination of ingredients/sauces is well thought out. I recently had the Hot Pastrami sandwich, and it was unlike one I had ever had. It was like Absolutely Excellent.(1) The Gyro Sandwich - Absolutely great gyro, love that this is an option here... honestly you would think you had ordered from a Greek restaurant(2) The Hot Pastrami Sandwich - It was like if a philly cheesesteak and a pastrami sandwich mixed into one... but even better. (3) The Turkey Sandwich - Love the apples with the sweet/tart finish(4) The Chicken Salad Sandwich - Solid(5) The BLT - which was on the heavy side, but a solid BLT nonetheless"

Ekko's Greek American Deli

★★★★☆ 4.2 (267)

"If you're looking for a place that serves authentic gyros, this is the place to go. I've been to Ekko's Greek American Deli multiple times. My go to is the gyro plate which comes with a side of fries and salad. Most times I substitute the fries for extra salad. Portion sizes are great for the price!"

Katz's

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (532) • $$

"Late night stop in! Restaurant was clean, bright and inviting. We were seated right away, drinks and food came out in a timely manner. No complaints! Great late night eatery!"

Ploughman's Deli & Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 (201)

"Yes and Yes and Yes and Yes and an itty, bitty tiny no.Loved this place, food and Star Wars decor on point. Sad its taking me so long to try. So many soup/sandwich days gone that I can't get back. Small menu and venue, but quaint and easy to talk to people here. Came with a few friends and all orders were praised highly. Monday special grill cheese with a nice warm cup of tomato basil soup, YES. Meatball sub with a side of pesto salad, YES. Brewben with a Beer and a side of pesto salad, YES. Service and friendly patrons, YES. The spicy ginger slaw....the itty bitty tiny no. Though I heard it was popular, but none of us were fans.Need to stop by on a Wednesday for ppls choice sandwich, the Philly...everyone said it was there favorite."

Bagel Bob's

★★★★★ 4.7 (187) • $

"I love bagels but it's tough finding a place that does bagels right in houston. Ive passed this place a couple times now and I figured I would give it a shot. This was hands down the best bagel I've had outside of New York. I got the bacon, egg & cheese with the everything bagel and it was so delicious. So glad I stopped by. The service was very kind and fast. Can't wait to bring my family here!"

Victor's Deli & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (258) • $$

"100% the best Rueben in town. I felt like I was in a NYC diner. The soups are all incredible- definitely made from scratch and several options daily - just pick your favorite. And while I'm personally not a fan, my dining companion raved about the liver and onions. Cookie, one of their incredible servers, makes every visit memorable - truly one of the best of the best. And the sangria made from her mother's recipe is a must try! The restaurant is known for their breakfast, but we're always here for their excellent lunch and dinner specials. The portions are huge - I usually take half of whatever I order home. We always have to take our black and white cake to go - too full but so totally worth it in a few hours! The dining room is spacious with lots of comfy booths. Excellent food, excellent service, great prices, huge portions - the best!"

Rao's Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.5 (336) • $$

"If you're looking for a bakery, a real authentic bakery, with actual choices from everything from gelato, to macaroons, to puff pastries to decadent looking cakes and delicious coffee to wash it all down with, this is the place you need to be. I cannot say enough good things about this place. I've been here a few times and each time it's been for something sweet and a coffee. I've never considered myself as someone who likes sweets, normally I would rather have a bowl of mashed potatoes over a bowl of ice cream, but something about this place just reminds me of growing up in Chicago and hitting the bakery stores with my grandma and my aunt Liz, it just brings me back to that wonderful time and I can't help but indulging. Houston has a lot going for it, but bakeries was definitely not one of them in my opinion, that is until I found Rao's. Take it from an old Italian, this is where you want to go to impress anyone with an array of desserts or simply a coffee and a break out of the house. Take yourself to Rao's and enjoy your afternoon"

Kingwood Bagel & Sandwich

★★★★☆ 4.4 (208)

"All I can say is if you're from Ny and enjoy a good bagel go here! Ask for the bagel buttered and grilled and you will be a happy camper . Quick and easy spot to grab breakfastPatio tables outside and some seating insideIt can get busy but moves fastNothing special about the set up totally no frills but worth many visits"

Two Guys Pizzeria

★★★★☆ 3.7 (282) • $$

"The pizza game in Houston is a tough pill to swallow for overall credibility of the food scene and no place epitomizes this more than Two Guys Pizzeria. As one of several pizza spots (#1) in the immediate vicinity, this might seem like a good sign for West U / Med Center pizza lovers. Unfortunately, I can't give them my blessing given how subpar the pizza is and more importantly, the unpleasant service.Med Center Plaza has a number of bizes plugged in and Two Guys is located between Southwell's (#2) and SportsClips Haircuts. On the surface it looks like an ideal casual eatery to come in, enjoy a slice, and chill out. There's outdoor seating and decent number of tables and chairs on the interior. There's always a steady flow of people, but it's never that busy.Normally, I try to grade on a curve when it comes to H-Town pizza. Whenever a place calls themselves a New York pizzeria, I have to grade them on how close they are to the real thing and here's the verdict: This is not New York pizza.And in some ways, it's not even good pizza. Granted the schtick here is their giant slices, but this is hardly comparable to giant slices even in NYC (#2). The pizza here is messy in that the cheese doesn't necessarily hold well, the crust is gummy, and the sauce is very mediocre. I appreciate novelty in many forms, but never with poor execution. I would highly recommend adding peppers and parm to bring it to form, but that's not enough to save this pizza.There's more than just pizza but their calzones, subs, and pizza rolls are not their primary attraction and it shows. The subs are kind of just slapped together and unlike the pizza, is not exactly an abundant combo of fixings. Their pizza rolls and calzones are stuffed quite well, but a semi-salt bomb flavor wise.The service leaves a lot to be desired. I've seen mishaps for pizza toppings or charges in my takeout experiences here but they're usually resolved quickly upon noticing. However the issue is that I've had to check *every* time and more often than not, something is up. The staff behind the counter isn't the warmest, which would be a non-issue if the food was outstanding.One is looking at about $60 for a full giant pie and roughly $25-30 for the others. Slices range from $5-9 and toppings are .75 extra. They have a range of other little things such as auto-gratuity for 4 people or more, no coupons accepted, and 49 cents for credit card usage. __________(#1) It might not look like it, but there might be a half-a-dozen pizzerias in just these 2-3 blocks.(#2) This is how you do it. Exhibit A: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/koronet-pizza-new-york?select=vimS24S37lbEn-BKpse11Q"

Tony's Italian Deli

★★★★★ 4.5 (178) • $$

"We went Sunday afternoon for the first time and I will say everything was good the sandwiches were giant and we made multiple meals of each of them! Good flavor but unfortunately a bit far from our house, while we won't be regulars due to distance we will be back when we are in the neighborhood! DELISH!"

Pete's Fine Meats & Deli

★★★★☆ 4.1 (192)

"The meat at Pete's used to be FOINE, but now it's just... fine. Specifically, the prime rib roast I ordered for Christmas Eve dinner. And with what almost turned into a huge screw-up, it looks like I'll have to find a new butcher.I called to reserve a 5-rib roast a couple of weeks before Christmas. Service over the phone was excellent as usual. My scheduled pick-up was noon on December 23rd. When it was time for me to pick it up, I called ahead to make sure the roast was ready. To my surprise, they couldn't find a record of my order. They were nice enough, but after ten minutes of searching, they still couldn't find it. I was in complete panic. They finally came back and said that both the name and number on my order had been jotted down incorrectly and that my order was ready. The mistake could have put me in a huge bind, but I was relieved that they found the order.Picking up was a little strange. I went up to the butcher counter and they promptly brought my roast over to the register. The woman tending the register didn't acknowledge me and walked away for a good ten minutes. I stood there very awkwardly the whole while. Mind you, I was the only person in line and the store was not bustling as I'd seen it before. I bought the roast without any real issues, but the long wait was pretty weird.Come Christmas Eve day, I was so looking forward to cooking and enjoying the roast as I had years prior. When it came time for the big reveal, I was pretty disappointed in the quality of the meat. The ribeye cap was comically small, and the outer fat layer was scarce. The group agreed that although the meat was cooked very nicely (med-rare), it was tougher than we'd expected.If I'm paying almost $30/lb for beef, I expect so much more. I could have paid $10/lb less at Whole Foods and gotten a really nice cut of meat. Contrary to the claims on their storefront window, it turns out that Pete's meat CAN be beat!"

Angelo'z

★★★★☆ 4.2 (143) • $$

"Angelo'z is a simple and basic neighborhood sandwich shop. I had lunch here a couple of weeks ago and ordered the chicken salad for $8.20 and made it a combo with chips and a soft drink for another $3 and change. The food was ready in about 5 minutes.The bread was fresh and the chicken salad inside was good with some cheese added. For the price and taste it was a good meal. Nothing fancy here at all but it met my expectations. It's counter service and friendly. I would return."

Bagel Express

★★★★☆ 3.8 (156) • $$

"Cute place!! Mom & pop shop. Ordered lox bagel on jalapeño bagel and daughter had strawberry cream cheese sesame bagel. Bagels were freshly toasted, made in house and so light. Friendly service. Good coffee too."

Katz's

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (260) • $$

"Heights location same deli fare and great service. The cocktails was my vegan option. To be fair they had vegan burgers, my cocktail was well made and flavourful my flexitarian partner opted for breakfast. The latkes were flavourless bland like frozen. But here eggs were fine. The service outstanding"

Huvar's Artisan Market

★★★★☆ 4.3 (115) • $$

"Food is good, service is slow. Nice spot for lunch downtown. If you're on a limited lunch break, definitely order ahead or to-go, or you'll be late getting back to work."

Deli Deluxe

★★★★★ 4.5 (83)

"Indian breakfast!*Being able to procure upma and idli for breakfast during my work week is such a treat. I could eat it every day, though I restrain myself. The Indian omelette "po boy" is tasty as well.Chai or a mango lassi rounds it out.The lunch options here are also top notch.*The above review still stands, but now we're in the middle of a pandemic.Most of downtown has shut down and people are working from home, if they're still fortunate enough to have a job.This Deli Deluxe location, in the McKinney Tunnels, is still pushing, along with the Shipley's next door.I decided this morning to call in an order of upma and an Indian omelette. Unfortunately, no masala idli today. It's been four months too long.I was overjoyed to see Manish and Gaby today. They are masked and gloved and the shields are up. They are ready to feed you from early morning until 3P, Monday-Friday. Calling it in and picking it up is ideal.Please support your local businesses. They need you now more than ever."

Q's Deli

★★★★★ 4.9 (70) • $$

"Why 5 stars? Because the amazing rating is justified. --- --- ---At the time of my writing, Q's has 56 reviews and a 4.9 rating. Fifty-two 5-stars and four 4-stars. That's hard to do. But after one visit, I get it.I was tempted by just about every item on the menu, but couldn't resist the reuben. It was the top highlight on Yelp and what the owner recommended. One of my friends mentioned that he just wasn't a big fan of sauerkraut, which is why he opted for something else. I had the same thought on sauerkraut, but I rolled the dice. And it paid off. You could barely even taste the sauerkraut. I loved every bite of it. I'm always a fan of toasted bread and it was great in this instance. I was torn between wanting chips or fries, so I went full fat guy and ordered both. The fries were better than you might expect.I nearly ordered a cookie too, but my friends were already giving me a hard time about ordering both chips and fries, so I passed. But as we were wrapping up, the owner brought us three cookies that were freshly warmed up. I snagged the macadamia nut and it was heaven. The perfect finish to a great meal.Awesome food + friendly owner = 5-stars!"

Honey Bee Ham & Deli

★★★★☆ 4.2 (92) • $

"As many times as I've seen these places I have never thought to actually eat at one, but wow was it worth it. The sandwiches were amazing and the staff was very nice and patient. It was actually quite a busy establishment, and I felt a little bad for never giving it a chance before. I have been clearly missing out!We got a burger and a toasted ham sandwich and they were both delicious. I mean my mouth was still watering after I ate here. Great place to come for a quick lunch or even if you wanna bring a treat to work! Absolutely amazing place! I just wish I would've found it sooner :)"

Nielsen's Delicatessen

★★★★☆ 3.7 (111) • $

"I have been here twice. The first time, I made the "mistake" of purchasing the regular size turkey sandwich. It was TOO MUCH for me and I ended up discarding some of the turkey. The second time I knew to order the "junior". The junior is more fitting for me (still maybe a bit much but I almost finished the whole thing).Sandwiches come with Nielsen's signature Mayo and mustard spread. You have to add cheese, lettuce, tomato at an extra cost (understandable). I look forward to trying the chicken and egg salads. Maybe even try their tuna salad one day. I will order the deviled eggs next time, I have heard great things about them. Will be back many times!"

McAlister's Deli

★★★★☆ 3.8 (102) • $

"I find this place Deli-teful.It's a good Deli, and although it's not cheap, I like the service here. I have mixed feelings about the food, and it is of course a chain, but it's not a bad location of the chain. It's definitely somewhere I'd come back on a regular basis for lunch in Rosenberg."

Jersey Mike's Subs

★★★★☆ 4 (91) • $

"Meat and I are very off and on. Right now we're on. I was craving a delicious deli sandwich on crusty bread with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard. I'm trying all the sandwich shoppes near me and it was Jersey Mike's time. I think it is my first time trying this chain and I was not disappointed. I ordered a club sandwich with ham, Turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato. They gave me a good serving of mayo too. I ordered a regular but could have gotten away with a mini. I did not want the bacon on it. I also grabbed a bag of salt & vinegar chips to put in my sandwich. The white bread is soft and a bit crunchy. It tastes good, delicious.I have dinner for two days. The sandwich is a little sloppy in a good way. Yum!"

Manena's Pastry Shop and Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (66)

Jason's Deli

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (117) • $$

"Not to be confused with Jason's Delhi, which is in India.Not a very good Jason's Deli and they do tend to mess up a lot of things, but some of the service is nice and some of the products are good and healthy. Barbi wanted to give it a four star because she still likes Jason's Deli despite all the times that they have gotten stuff wrong when we've ordered from here, despite their salad bar not being great, and also other locations thatshe likes, but I insisted on lowering it to a three because they are a major chain and they should know better."

Droubi's Bakery & Deli

★★★★☆ 4.3 (67)

"This is our go to place for pita, falafel sandwiches and falafel spices, fresh spinach pies, shawarma and more. The pita is amazing. Baked fresh daily, so many choices from thick to thin loaves, plain or covered with feta or Za'atar spices. Supplied so many family restaurants for so many years. Need spices? Great selection of Mediterranean spices from cumin and coriander to black and white sesame seeds. Making falafel? Check out their falafel spices. Grab a large jar of tahini to make a fantastic hummus at home or drizzle on your falafel. Grab a jar of olives, pickles and roasted red peppers to add to salads and sandwiches. Don't feel like cooking? Falafel, shawarma, rice, veggies and salads are available as a takeout for a family meal at home. Grab some baklava, date filled maamouls, or harissa as a sweet ending to a delicious dinner. Nice family owned and operated Middle Eastern grocery store, bakery and restaurant. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the neighborhood."

Jersey Mike's Subs

★★★★☆ 4.1 (73) • $

"Gotta get the Big Kahuna Cheesesteak! If you don't have to have mushrooms, the normal one would probably be fine especially since If you're not a fan of jalapeños. The extra cheese is delicious (and probably so not healthy) but mmmmm good! They also only have Pepsi products at their soda machine so Mountain Dew all the way!"

Jersey Mike's Subs

★★★★☆ 3.9 (80) • $

"Love this place it's a decent hoagie. Cut fresh right in front of you. They are always polite and good customer service which is huge to me!"

Jersey Mike's Subs

★★★★☆ 4.1 (71) • $$

"What's not to like about this place. Every time I show up it's clean, organized, and the people are beyond friendly. I don't eat a lot of bread because of how just unhealthy bread is overall for folks. It really is bad. But I digress. When I do eat bread there is a other sub show that does things their "way" and then there is Jersey Mike's who does it the right way. Let's start with I cannot stand subways commercials. They turn me way off and makes me not want to refresh. Your stuff sucks. JM is awesome because you can watch them cut your meat right off the meat slicer like in a deli. Tons of sandwiches and even have a few on a hidden menu you can ask about or Google. I either get the original Italian or the 99, which is a spicy with extra cheese cheese steak. Both are amazing but sometimes you want a traditional sub. Toppings are fresh. The folks are great, talking to you Corey, and the restaurant is clean and welcoming. I've already been back like 10 times. Just get ova here already. Say it like you're from Brooklyn. It's fun."

Jason's Deli

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (113) • $

"My first experience with Jason's was when I worked in the Medical Center. It was love with the first bite. It was my to go breakfast and lite lunch spot. It was a three to four times affairs each week. But I stopped going after I started a family and needed to save money. Over twenty-five years later, with an insane long line at Grill City, my wife and I decided it was time to revisit Jason's. My wife went with a turkey muffuletta. I went with a classic cold cut Italian. We both picked the seafood gumbo cup to go with the sandwiches. The gumbo was full of flavor. The broth was not too thin nor thick, nice consistency. Both sandwiches tasted delicious with protein and bread ratio in harmony. The greens in both sandwiches were fresh. The sandwiches were hand-made on ordering and arrived quickly. Friendly employees were constantly clearing and cleaning tables. It was good to eat at Jason's again."

Papa Joe New York Deli

★★★★★ 4.7 (46)

Jason's Deli

★★★★☆ 3.7 (74) • $

"I've lived here for 9 years going on 10. Really shocked that I haven't received this place. I am not huge on sandwiches but if I want an amazing sandwich this is the place! Really not sure why anyone would ever go to subway. This place is soooo much better! On so many levels. The staff is always friendly and fast. They do a great job here. The tables and lobby are always clean. They stay open super late! The club royale and California club are my favorites. The soups here are good. So are the Salads. The desserts are just as good. I've never had a bad meal here. They are consistently good. If I loved sandwiches I would be here more often. Always don't forget they stay open super late. Probably better options here than McDonald's lolOh free ice cream too!"

Jason's Deli

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (83) • $

"Owned by Jason from Freddy vs Jason fame. Apparently.This is a pretty good location of Jason's Deli, and one which we come to on a fairly regular basis, and one which we appreciate. They're tasty and get the job done and not too expensive. I don't like the chain in general but it's better than some others. Not too bad."