PICKLE REVIEW: Pickles, Olives Etc.

My search for the best pickles in New York begins….

I was about to begin putting together my list of places to get pickles here in New York when I walked by a sign on the Upper East Side. It was like a beacon. The sign read: pickles, olives, etc.

If I hadn’t looked close enough, I might have thought this was a generic deli or bodega. But just through the door, an army of pickle barrels lay waiting for all to try. I actually thought I would have to search harder for pickle stops, but in this case, the pickles found me.

As I spent some time in the store, I started talking to the owner and did a little research. Turns out they used to operate for many years on First Avenue before they moved to their current location on Lexington Avenue. Their pickles are made specifically for them out in New Jersey.

I also observed a ton of neighborhood types come in to chat with the owner and take some pickles home. Businessmen, families, construction workers, everybody stopped in here.

I was the only one that seemed to want to sit at a table and eat some pickles in the store. I can’t imagine that happens very often. My guess is the tables and chairs are more for people who order their salads or sandwiches. But the owner certainly didn’t seem to mind that I was making a meal of three pickles.

Of course, I’m still trying to figure out how this journey will go exactly. But I chose three solo pickles from the barrels: New, Kosher dill, and Full Sour. I wanted to get a range of flavors in the cucumber world. They were about $1 each, but the owner gave me a deal.

Like a wine connosieur, I went from most mild to most fully flavored. So I started with the New (which has not fermented as long as the others). These are generally my favorite snacking pickles (to eat on their own without a sandwich). And I quite liked the crisp flesh flavor these had. Just a hint of salt, but a mild clean finish.

The Kosher dill was much stronger in the vinegar department. There was still a nice level of crispness but the texture was much softer. It had a bit of a sandy quality (could it have been from the salt) that I wasn’t crazy about.

Full sours are the real deal when it comes to pickle. Garlic notes exploded in each bite, but I was actually expecting a much more intense flavor. The pickle was juicy, but very soft without a moment of crispness. It did have a sour funk to it, but I wasn’t crazy about the soft texture. This could mean it has fermented a little too long.

I really enjoyed my experience here, but am not sure the pickles were the best. It’s always difficult to judge the first stop before I’ve tasted others and got my pickle game going. These will do in a pinch and certainly the neighborhood likes them. And I’m glad I randomly crossed their path. But I still have quite a bit of work to do.

Does Pickles, Olives Etc have the best pickles in NY? As stated earlier, there’s still a lot of munching to do, but I found some of their pickles to be a little too soft. They did have a potent flavor so that saves them from being lower than a 7 out of 10.