Essen NY Deli

I'd noticed them in my trips around the area and put it in the back of my head. Finally went and was very happy I did. This spot is closed Friday night and Saturday. So plan accordingly. Address says Coney Island Avenue but actually on Ave J. Somewhat of a throwback to the kosher deli's of the 60's and 70's. It has a somewhat retro feel to it. My sandwich was spot on pastrami was good ( tho a bit to lean). My potato knish could have been hotter but was still very good. Cole slaw and pickle exactly what they are. Service was somewhere between "yo buddy and and my mother serving me food" They had this interesting looking potato salad ( looked liked mashed) I'll have to try it next time I need my arteries blocked up. But I will go

This place def shkd not be in the top 10 NYC Jewish delis. But - does NYC even have 10 Jewish Delis left ? The prices are insanely high, as you are paying for them to be Glatt kosher certified - a racket. That being said, they are the one and only Jewish deli near me, & when I need a brisket sandwich & kishke w/ a Dr. Brown's, "It's You Or No One".Note: a peep from David's Brisket House opened a sister place w/ almost the same menu in Flatbush - Moe's Pastrami. It's awesome, & their deli sandwiches crush Essen. But - they don't have the whole Jewish deli menu. Just the sandwiches & seltzer.

I've been here twice and I'm definitely coming back!! I don't have to travel far now because they make the best pastrami sandwiches I've ever tasted. The Cole Slaw and the Caesar Salad are delicious, too. Hoping to bring the rest of my family to enjoy next time!!

It needs to be stated up top that Essen is in no way seeking to compete with Katz's or Pastrami Queen or any of the other many more well-known delis across the city. You may not see them on the Food Network or written up on Eater or even blurbed by any of your favorite celeb chefs. Now that that's out of the way, let's get to what you *can* expect from Essen NY Deli, which is a phenomenal lunch. Essen serves the type of food that simply hits the spot. I had been craving pastrami, but not necessarily the "scenes" at some of those other spots I mentioned earlier. I just wanted a sandwich. Essen offers a fantastic lunch deal which includes a half sandwich, soup or fries, and a soda. I pounced. I went with obvious choices -- matzah ball soup, pastrami sandwich (lean), and a ginger ale. There was a bit of confusion by the server as he first brought my soup, then delivered a full corned beef sandwich. When I stated that wasn't my order, he speedily corrected it, apologized, then threw in the fires for me to make up for it, so I ended up with both fries AND soup, but take note, this is not the norm.The soup was bright, flavorful and teeming with noodles that swam around a gargantuan matzah ball that was perfectly tender to the bite and dense. I would've appreciated a carrot or a parsnip or maybe some dill to perfectly even out the dish, but c'est la vie. Next was my pastrami sandwich, which was perfectly overstuffed. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Essen does not make their own pastrami, opting instead for a purveyor or maybe even the cold cut stuff. No matter, it was still delicious and again, it hit the spot. To counter any dryness of the meat I loaded it up with deli mustard (that is brought upon request.) Again, my lunch hit the spot and I enjoyed it very much.I removed one star simply for quality of food, which is not to suggest it was bad but that it is not on par with a place like Katz's, which sets a very high bar. My four stars are for the excellent service, the lunch deal, and for what the food provides, which in this case was a full stomach and a satisfied customer!

I've been dying to have a Jewish deli pastrami sandwich and I went here. Good choice. The sandwich was great. The pastrami was soft, hot and tasty. I ordered the junior size and it was still big. I also ordered matzo ball soup. It was very good. The service was great. Even though there was an orthodox wedding going on in the next room the servers set me up and served me immediately.

Excellent square potato knishes. I love the lunch special. Pastrami or corn beef sandwich on rye with mustard, matzo ball soup, celery soda makes for a great lunch. Sandwiches are so hearty, I can only eat half. No worries because the other half makes for a great snack to take home. Service is good, servers and staff/owners are nice. It's hard to find a good kosher deli nowadays. Glad this place exists.

food is relatively good but service is awful. You can wait forever for your order to be taken. Normally only 1waiter who tries his best but it is impossible to provide good service when more than 3tablespoons are occupied. Last time We went it took a half hour just to have our order taken,Unless you can devore 2+ hours to get a sandwich and soda forget it.

Great deli there sandwiches are great.Try the pest Rome sandwich it's super.They have a great assortment of things.Worth going out of your way for.

I myself cam with my 14 year old son and a handicapped gentleman he felt that he couldn't even finish his food because he felt that the waiter and waitress is waiting for the credit card and felt that he's being pushed off the table the food was okay the hot dog was ordered twice because the waitress got it wrong and a bunch of ketchup on the top and not done after spending almost $100.00 please call and apologize please give a $100. Food voucher because he feels terrible and not stopping that he was cheated Charles Opels 718-510-5865

My husband and I, and a couple of friends of ours, went to Essen Deli, based upon the wonderful reviews here. We are kosher, but will eat in kosher restaurants not labeled Glatt. This is far from the first time we have been terribly disappointed by the quality of the food at a Glatt kosher restaurant, especially one highly recommended. Maybe many who only eat Glatt kosher have no idea of what good food is We had pastrami that was tasteless, loaded with fat, a residue taste of grease left on the tongue, and rye bread that bears no resemblance to a good kosher rye. The turkey dinner ordered was too dry to eat and the grilled vegetables were burnt. Give me any time, deli food such as served at the Mill Basin deli, Second Ave deli, or at Ben's deli. Shame on the Glatt kosher establishment for serving poor food for exorbitant prices.