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NY Deli Fort Lauderdale

NY Deli

3916 N Ocean Dr
Fort Lauderdale FL, 33308
954 566-2616
Overall Rating
2.1
Food
Service
Ambiance
Value
Last Review
07/03/2015

Details

Hours: 7 days, 7am-4pm, Sun 7am-3pm
Attire: Casual
Parking: Private Lot
CC: Yes
Alcohol: None
Outside Dining: No
Reservations: No
Delivery: Yes

Pros

Free Parking

Cons

Bad recipes
Cheap with Pickles and Cole Slaw
Incompetent Service

Critic's Review

Review 7/3/15

NY Deli Lauderdale By the Sea

I was just driving around on this sunny pseudo holiday, and there aren't many choices in this area. I decided to give NY Deli another try. I stopped in just after ownership changed, and it didn't remind me of a NY Deli at all. I thought I'd see if they made any progress.

The specials sign baffled me a bit; not exactly NY Deli items. BBQ sauce makes everything fit for the 4th of July?

NY Deli Specials

They have a menu in the window with pictures of overstuffed sandwiches; I didn't want to pay $12 for a sandwich in this place, and I didn't want a huge sandwich, I saw the soup and 1/2 sandwich option; all Jewish Delis have them, and that seemed more like it.

It was after 3pm, and they close at 4, but I had plenty of time. There are 4 booths in the back and 3 of them were empty, so I grabbed one and waited. It took someone a while to bring me a menu. I ordered an iced tea.

NY Deli Inside

The server came back with the tea and I ordered the 1/2 sandwich and soup; the soup of the day was manhattan clam chowder, which was more appealing than the matzah ball soup. The tea came out and I ordered the soup and sandwich.

NY Deli Ice Tea

Now in a real NY deli you get a plate of cole slaw and pickles when you sit down, but there's none of that here. Music is nostalgic with "Sister Christian" and some Supertramp detected.

The soup came out right way in a bowl much smaller than expected (Ben's and Bagel Snack give you a full bowl with the soup and sandwich). It didn't look as red as expected. The first spoonful was somewhat sandy; luckily it wasn't a trend.

NY Deli

It wasn't a bad tasting soup, but it didn't really taste like Manhattan clam chowder. Not enough thyme, hardly any vegetables. Sort of like a clam and potato soup with some really big potato chunks. It was well seasoned.

When the sandwich came out, I knew I'd been snookered. They have pictures in their window of these big overstuffed sandwiches; this certainly wasn't one. And not even a whole pickle? And a crappy half sour one at that?

NY Deli 1/2 Pastrami with 1/2 half sour pickle

The pastrami was good quality, and they at least had Gulden's mustard. That's all I have to say.

NY Deli Pastrami w/Mustard

I really can't believe they gave me a stinking 1/2 pickle.

So I'm done eating and my tea is empty and the waitress is consumed taking an order from some late arrivers. 3 tables and she's completely overmatched. She had no ability to multitask, and to add insult to injury, she had to stop and yak it up with the couple next to me in between tasks. I see here with a bill in her hand, and she again stops to talk some more with the couple. At this point I have my sunglasses on and my credit card is out. Finally she puts the bill on my table; I immediately put my card on top and slide it to the end of the table. Meanwhile she's talking to the couple again. Then, she heads for the kitchen without taking my check.

NY Deli Empty Plate and Glass

So now the owner is sitting at the table next to me, facing my table; there's an empty glass, an empty plate and a bill with a CC on it on the table for minutes, and he doesn't say a thing to me or the server. A totally amateur operation. By now I really want to get the hell out of here; the server stops by and grabs my card "Oh, do you want more tea". Not now, that was a question to ask 10 minutes ago. I can see the light at the end of this long tunnel. Finally.

Conclusion

You can name a place NY Deli, but it doesn't make it so. This place is the opposite of a NY Deli, where offering a quality dining experience is the first and foremost goal of the owner. If you ever went to Pomperdale with the Vogel's owned it, you know what I mean.

When they nickel and dime you on the pickles and cole slaw, it's time to go somewhere else. They charge the good deli prices but they don't deliver on the service, the portions or the authenticity of the experience. And the service is pitiful even in an empty store.

Review 9/3/14

NY Deli LBTS

A couple from Weston bought this place in April; why they couldn't find a business closer to home is a question worth asking; but I skipped breakfast this morning and they serve breakfast all day here. I thought I'd see if the place was any better.

Inside, the place is exactly the same as before, minus the mustard on the table, which was the first sign of trouble. A few booths in the rear and a bunch of tables in a small room. Luckily there was a booth available.

NY Deli Interior

Service is a bit disorganized. It take a couple of passes to get me a menu. Finally I got one and ordered coffee.

NY Deli Coffee

I was going to order my usual with sausage, but I figured that corned beef has made more sense in a "NY Deli". I ordered two eggs with corned beef hash, potatoes and a bagel with cream cheese. I forget exactly how much is was; they've raised their prices since the menu we have. With coffee it came to $10.49. Not bad considering they charge $2.79 for a bagel with cream cheese.

They have crooner, old-time type music here; a forced NY atmosphere that didn't remind me of NY at all.

A couple sat near me while I was waiting; clearly they were not NYers; They discussed whether they should get wheat or rye bread with their pastrami. Very entertaining.

The food came out fairly quickly.

NY Deli Eggs with Corned Beef Hash

First thing I noticed was that I got 3 eggs. I can't say that's ever happened before. I tasted the hash, and I didn't like it. Either the meat was a day too old or they put something in it that they shouldn't have. I also didn't like the potatoes, which I can't blame on spoiled meat. One thing about food in NY is the KISS doctrine: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It's impossible to ruin home fries when you stick to potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and oil or butter. There was something on these that I didn't care for. I ate most of the potatoes, but I couldn't eat the hash.

The bagel was a good one by South Florida standards; I got a sesame bagel and it was served toasted.

NY Deli Bagel

With 3 eggs, the bagel and potatoes I had enough food, but the hash was a loser.

Conclusion

I get the impression that they're trying, but they need to do some more research. Maybe take a trip up to Ben's in Boca. The couple who ordered the pastrami didn't get a plate of pickles; the place doesn't remind me of NY. If they can rework the hash and home fries they have a chance; what I got would have been a good value if the food was better.

Review 6/10/13 (Previous Ownership)

A place with the name NY Deli has a lot to live up to; Deli's in Florida are few and far between compared to NY, and there aren't very many good ones. There are a few in Delray, a couple in Boca and there used to be just Pomperdale's in Fort Lauderdale, before the long time owner passed away. I figured I'd pick up a sandwich and see what I got.

I walked in thinking it was just a counter, but they had some booths, so I decided to take a seat. It's a small place, but big enough to sit at a table and have some lunch, and they have waitress service.

NY Deli Inside

I ordered an iced tea and decided between chicken salad, Pastrami and a Rachel, my 3 go-tos. The tea came in a big glass with a little strip of lemon, the latest restaurant trick to try to squeeze customers for a few pennies.

NY Deli Iced Tea

I ordered pastrami on rye and asked for some more lemon. There's not much ambiance in the place. With only 1 other customer in the place, the sandwich came out right away.

NY Deli Pastrami Sandwich

"Doesn't that look delicious?" my server said. "Not really", I thought. Seemed kind of fatty. I squirted on some mustard. They made it look like a stuffed sandwich, but it was all pushed up to the front.

NY Deli Pastrami Close-up

Not great pastrami, but not awful. A decent amount of meat for $9.95. The cole slaw was creamy and only slightly sweet. Edible. The pickle was a disappointment; one small half sour that was shriveled on one end. It should have been thrown away or given to staff. No plate of pickles like you get in a real NY style Deli. They do serve breakfast all day.

A decent lunch spot for this part of town, but you won't be going out of your way for this place. It's faux for sure.

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