It’s been years since you could get pastrami on rye from the Carnegie Deli. But that changed yesterday.
The legendary spot reopened at a new location in Midtown on Tuesday and is once again serving up its famous giant sandwiches.
The deli, located on Seventh Avenue, between West 53rd and West 54th streets, is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but saw a line of eager New Yorkers beginning at 7 a.m. during its first day of business.
“The sandwiches are humongous. The people are nice, and you’re in the heart of New York. What could be better than to have a Carnegie Deli sandwich?” one local said.
“It hasn’t been here in years, and we wanted to go back and taste it,” another customer said.
“We live in Manhattan, and this is like a New York event, so we have to take part,” a neighbor added.
The original deli was located just blocks away, and the new location keeps Carnegie Deli near its namesake Carnegie Hall.
Like before, the deli accepts walk-in customers only. It is known for its massive sandwiches, award-winning cheesecake and Wall of Fame, which includes celebrities ranging from Jerry Seinfeld to Taylor Swift.
Carnegie Deli first opened in 1937. Milton Parker and Partners took over the business in 1976. Parker became known as the “Corned Beef and Pastrami Maven.”
Today, the deli is owned by Parker’s granddaughter, Sari Harper, a third-generation owner who serves as CEO.
The new 110-seat location also has a connection to another New York deli institution. The space was once home to the Stage Deli, Carnegie Deli’s longtime rival, and later housed Roxy Delicatessen.
Harper said the location was the right opportunity for Carnegie Deli because the owners wanted to remain on Seventh Avenue when they reopened nearly a decade later. She said the goal was also to create a space where customers would immediately recognize the Carnegie Deli they remembered.
“People are so excited because everybody has a Carnegie Deli story and everybody has a Carnegie Deli memory,” Harper said.
Many sandwiches on the menu are named after celebrities, but the most famous remains the pastrami and corned beef sandwich. The Carnegie Deli family recipe uses a meat preparation process that takes roughly two weeks from start to finish.
The deli’s cheesecake is also back, including its signature cookie crust that has been served since 1937.
“People just love iconic New York foods and we have the best pastrami and the best cheesecake, and they’re just happy to come back and get the foods that they love and remember,” Harper said.
New to the menu is the Carnegie Deli Colossus, layered with pastrami, corned beef, turkey, Swiss, coleslaw and Russian dressing on rye.
And the deli is sticking with its famously ambitious motto: “If you can finish your food, you’ve done something wrong.”
Dining and Cooking