Ask anybody who knows anything about New York food to name the 3 most popular Jewish delis in the city and you’ll probably get the same answers: Katz’s, Carnegie, and 2nd Avenue Deli. They’re like the kosher triumvirate.
Over the years though, one spot has been trying to sneak its way into that coveted group. Sarge’s goes so far as to stay open 24 hours so that you can satisfy your cured meat craving anytime in the city that never sleeps. But seriously, who gets a craving for tongue at 2 in the morning? On second thought, don’t answer that.
In 1964, a retired NY city cop named Abe Katz, opened this deli so people had a place to eat late at night. He called it Sarge’s. Probably because the name Katz’s was already taken. I imagine late at night is the most interesting time to come to Sarge’s. Is it crowded? And who are their late-night clientele in this sleepy neighborhood? I’d be very curious to find out, but since I’m trying to keep myself as healthy as possible (forget all the deli sandwiches I’m consuming), I figured it was best to come to Sarge’s when I still had plenty of wake hours to burn off all those calories.
When I entered the restaurant (at a reasonable hour of 5pm), it felt like not much has changed in forty years. The fluorescent lighting, the vinyl covered booths and dark wood paneling walls give the place a seedy, old vibe. The clientele were mainly older folks who probably spend most of the day sitting in these booths. The whole experience felt like a museum that has not been maintained in years. But I guess that’s part of its charm, right?
The menu is huge in every sense. It was almost comical looking through such a big book just to settle on the combo sandwich that I knew I’d order in the first place. But they do offer a diverse selection of traditional Jewish deli food and American diner fare. Everything from pickled herring to a turkey burger.
My eyes caught the soup and half sandwich special. When I asked for the corned beef and pastrami combo in the half sandwich size, I got a refusal. Even when I offered to pay extra, the waitress said it wasn’t possible because she couldn’t figure out how to put it in the computer. What?? Everything else here is archaic but when it comes to making substitutions, the excuse given is because of the computer?
I let it go and ordered the full sandwich, but strangely enough, the waitress returned and said she felt bad and they’d be able to do it for a 2 dollar extra charge. I guess she must have done it “old school” and just asked somebody! Fine. 2 bucks is a small price to pay to save one more of my arteries. From here on out, the service was surprisingly friendly. The hostess even came over and asked if I was “having a good time.” It was a nice gesture at hospitality, but it struck me as strange and overeager. I wonder if my camera tipped them off to my blogging habit.
The matzoh ball soup arrived first and was decent. The balls themselves were tasty (it could have used more dill), but the broth was slightly bland.
Although it didn’t arrive steaming, the sandwich ended up being pretty good. I guess if their decor is from the old world, then the recipes must also have stood the test of time. The corned beef was delicious. It had deep rich flavors of salt and garlic and was very tender. The pastrami was a bit drier but I appreciated that it was lean and most of the fat seemed marbled throughout rather than a big hunk on the side. The rye bread was fresh and I loved the big pieces of caraway seeds throughout.
I’m not sure if Sarge’s will ever be considered one of the big three. But they do make a good sandwich and have that nostalgic deli feel that transport you to a simpler time when health concerns weren’t such an issue, atmosphere wasn’t as hip, and you didn’t need a computer to tell you how to order your sandwich.
Is Sarge’s the best corned beef/pastrami in NY? They get points for being open all the time and for making a tasty combo sandwich. And so 7 out 10.
