Pickle's Deli

Critic's Review

**** As predicted, Pickle's has closed in short order.

Expectations are your enemy, and when you see a place named Pickle's Deli touting "NY Style" it causes an ex NYers ears to perk up; if there's one thing lacking in South Florida it's decent delis. I tried to get something here last week but the door was locked, even though it was supposedly within their hours.

I'm not sure if this place is by the same people who ran the Pickle's that just closed on E Palmetto. I can't find a license for this place, or a Fictitious name filing. I can't find an inspection. No web site. No facebook page. It's very under the radar.

I should have looked at a deli that doesn't have chicken salad with suspicion, but I didn't. I let my defenses down. My second choice was pastrami, which they tout in pictures they've planted on Urbanspoon. I ordered it on Rye with mustard. They have 2 sizes of sandwiches here; I opted for the regular size for $6.95. The girl asked if I wanted lettuce and tomato. Huh? Who puts lettuce and tomato on pastrami? Now I was really suspicious. So I waited.

Inside, the place is pretty nice for a deli. They have a big TV that was on some sort of Animal Planet channel, which probably says a lot about the intellectual level of those who work here. Nothing like keeping informed by watching "In search of Bigfoot".

I had to wait way too long for a simple sandwich. I was the only one in the place. How long does it take to lop off a few slices of pastrami? I should have known something was up. They handed me a plastic container with a sandwich and a pickle and a bag of chips.

As I got to the car, I remembered that the menu said I was supposed to get cole slaw and potato salad. But they didn't ask what I wanted, and they didn't give me anything. The menu clearly implies that you get it. Multiple service stars off for this.

When I opened the sandwich, I thought it was a pretty skinny sandwich. When you advertise "overstuffed" sandwiches, you can't sell a skinny sandwich for $6.95. I tried the pickle first; it was a dried out waterlogged pickle; over marinated and then stored dry. Zero crunch. The pastrami was dry and tough and not hot; good pastrami melts in your mouth. There's no melting in your mouth at Pickle's.

This place is the opposite of a good NY Deli, where they go out of their way to make sure you really enjoy your food. You never feel cheated at a good NY Deli; you might pay a lot but you get top notch food that leaves you satisfied.

So what we have here is a pretty nice place with bad food and bad service; I consider cheating your customers by not giving them what the menu says they're supposed to get to be bad service. With bad food and bad service in this part of town; Pickle's days are numbered.