Sarge’s Delicatessen
548 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016-3597
(212) 679-0442
Since 1964

Author David Sax recently released his book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen. Apparently New York had, at one time deli’s numbering in the hundreds. Today there are less than 20 authentic kosher Jewish deli’s. For some time I was under the impression that Sarge’s was one of the few remaining pure, authentic, kosher deli’s. I was only partially correct. Like it’s Lower East Side brother, Katz’s, Sarge’s is kosher-style. This means they carry all the essentials of a kosher deli – pastrami, tongue, knishes, chopped liver, pickled tomatoes, etc, but due to the fact that they serve both meat & dairy (& sometimes on the same plate) they cease to be kosher and are relegated to being treyf – Yiddish for not kosher. But I digress – this isn’t about kosher vs. non-kosher vs. kosher-style. This is about Sarge’s!

Sarge’s has been turning out quality sandwiches, steaming bowls of matzoh ball soup, and the hidden delicacy pickled tomatoes since 1964.  At one point they opened up a branch in Syosset, Long Island near where I grew up.  My family and I would go there for special family dinners where we’d feast on traditional Jewish salted cured meats and Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda’s – my dad would drink the Cel-Ray – a staple of any kosher meal. 

A few nights ago I found myself on 3rd Avenue with my wife looking for a place to have a bite before Goonies Trivia night at Duke’s.  Duke’s serves food too, and even though I like it, it doesn’t like me.  I spotted Sarge’s  a block away and suggested it half jokingly.  To my pleasant surprise she liked the idea. 

Upon entering you’re informed to sit where you like.  We chose a cozy booth in the middle of the joint.  Few other tables were occupied, mostly with men who looked to be my father’s age or older, and clearly Jewish – we know our own.  Photos of celebrities – a mixture of old-school A-listers, B, and C-listers alike dot the walls.  The waitresses aren’t the old beehives I have come to love and expect from a Jewish deli.  These girls are younger, but they’ve adopted the attitude – a jive which wouldn’t flow in higher class restaurants, but expected in these places.  And I immediately recognized the familiar aroma of chopped liver in the air.

We were immediately given a bowl of pickles – a mix of sour & half sour (luckily I like the sours, and she prefers the half-sours therefore eliminating any pickle fights), a bucket of cole slaw, and two small dishes.  I dug into a pickle and perused the menu.  They have all you would expect of a kosher or kosher-style deli – corned beef, brisket, kasha varnishkes, etc.  I decided to go traditional and ordered a pastrami sandwich on rye with a baked potato knish and a black cherry soda.  The wife went with a patty melt on toasted rye – a burger with melted cheese, and sauteed onions & mushrooms.  Almost as quickly as the waitress took our menus away did she bring us the biggest surprise of my day, week, month!  A plate containing a hearty scoop of chopped beef liver and two slices of challah bread.  To me this was heaven.  To the wife – a Catholic with little taste for the soul food of her husband’s people was not so impressed.  She’s tried it before and has not enjoyed it.  I dared her to try again.  She did.  And this time she enjoyed it!  We destroyed the plate.

Already feeling happy on the liver, pickles, and cole slaw – probably enough to have gotten me through the evening – the sandwiches and potatoes came.  The pastrami was picture perfect!  I drizzled some spicy brown mustard on the meat and on the knish plate.  The pastrami was tender, salty, and succulent.  The knish – crispy and delicious.  I even tried her clearly non-kosher patty melt and was very impressed with the results. 

The pig that I am, I finished every last bite of both the sandwich and knish.  These sandwiches are no joke when talking about size.  And that’s why they’re priced the way they are.  Considering the amount of food the total price of the meal wasn’t that bad though.  For the two sandwiches, the knish, her fries, and two drinks the total was about $35.  You pay a heck of a lot more at Katz’s, and you don’t get the free cole slaw or chopped liver. 

Sarge’sis a not-so-hidden, but clearly under-appreciated gem especially when compared with placed like Katz’s, Ben’s, and the 2nd Avenue Deli (which, by the way is no longer on 2nd Avenue.)  Can we expect a resurgence in the popularity of the kosher deli anytime soon?  Probably not.  No complaints here though – I don’t mind not waiting for a table.  Ess Gezunt!

~Sam