FEATURES: Eat at The Brooklyn Deli

Just a sample of what can be found at
The Brooklyn Deli/ Photo by Mindy Simmons

By Mindy Simmons and Codie Walsh

Lancaster Boulevard is quickly becoming the new place to be when it comes to food. In the attempt of trying to be more adventurous, fellow staff writer Codie and I decided to try a new restaurant. Being a sandwich lover, I suggested The Brooklyn Deli, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I made all year.

After a long day of being stuck in a classroom, we were ready to pack in the calories. Upon entering we were a bit taken aback by the prices, being used to Subway’s $5 foot long sandwiches; $13 seemed to be pushing it. In the end we ordered a number two and split it, as recommended by the friendly man behind the counter. It’s pretty much a triple-decker sandwich: the top half pastrami, and the bottom half turkey with daily baked rye bread. It was worth every penny.

We soaked in the atmosphere while waiting for our order, which was clean, cozy and tastefully decorated. After talking to fellow customers, the majority raved about the house specialty, which was their pastrami. Rightfully so, too, because it was hot, perfectly seasoned and not over peppered. The meal came with homemade kettle chips, dill pickles and a soft drink. If I were crazy enough to not like the sandwich, I would still go back for the chips, which were fried to a perfect crunch.

Possibly the best part of our experience was the dare at the end. When we arrived, we kept on saying things like “I could eat a cow, I’m so hungry,” and “can we get cupcakes after this.”  The man working at the deli told us that splitting one of these triple-deckers would do the trick. This is where our competitive edge got the best of us. “Are you kidding, we could eat the whole thing!” we both say in unison. He only chuckled and said, “Prove to me that you can finish what you have.” We finished it, showing him our empty tray and beaming with pride. He then asked if we thought if we could eat another one. We said we could, but the problem was the lack of cash in our wallet. “I’ll give you guys another one, on the house, if you guys finish it,” he offered. Challenge accepted!

Scenes from The Brooklyn Deli/ Photos by Mindy Simmons

After being completely intoxicated with food, slightly light-headed and full, we finished it. We were almost expecting to get a Polaroid of us put on a wall along with a shirt saying “I conquered the triple-decker!” He didn’t really take to the idea. Still inebriated with our success, we accepted our fate and vowed to come back again.

All in all, The Brooklyn Deli was fantastic. If you’re ever starving, their hand-crafted original sandwiches will certainly fill you right up, and the fun atmosphere will keep you occupied between bites. That’s all you really need.