Fight The Urge To Commit This Ordering Faux Pas At A Jewish Deli

The Jewish deli is a truly delightful subgenre of restaurants that is unique in both what it serves and how it serves it. With a storied history tied intricately to New York City for over a century, knowing what's in store at one of these establishments is highly important to avoid creating an awkward situation that you'd much rather avoid. Likely the easiest mistake you could make when it comes to a Jewish deli comes down to trying to customize perfection — the pastrami on rye. While some other delis across the country might allow you to modify each of their menu items to perfectly fit your tastes, asking for special changes at a Jewish deli is usually frowned upon and should be avoided.

Now, while there isn't technically a well-established rule that says you can't modify your order, it's generally agreed upon that the way each deli serves its food is the correct one and shouldn't be corrupted in most cases. For example, if you find yourself ordering a pastrami sandwich — which is massively different from a corned beef sandwich – preparing to eat it on rye with spicy mustard is a must, as any additional ingredient is considered a departure from the sandwich's ideal form.

While the belief that the sandwiches are perfect the way they are at Jewish delis holds true among many restaurants — and you might get a dirty look if you modify a sandwich in specific ways — the two changes that are especially forbidden are getting sandwiches on white bread and adding mayonnaise to them. This is because mayonnaise and white bread are typically associated with White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) culture and don't mesh with the strong flavors that Jewish delis traditionally provide. For this reason, Katz Delicatessen — one of the best Jewish delis in America — offers a list of potential modifications for a pastrami sandwich on its website and warns that you "ask for mayo at your own peril" when ordering (per Katz's Delicatessen).

Nevertheless, the lack of customization is certainly not a reason to avoid trying out a Jewish deli for the first time. Instead, if the idea of a pastrami sandwich with just spicy mustard or a corned beef with dressing and coleslaw (aka the Reuben) doesn't suit your tastes, most Jewish delis have a wide assortment of options that should allow you to find a dish that will satisfy your needs without needing to be modified — or at least that doesn't need mayo.