The 137-Year-Old Deli Featured In Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally

Katz's Delicatessen is perhaps one of the oldest still-running delis in the US, although it's hard to know for sure. Originally opened in 1888 as Iceland Brothers on New York's Lower East Side, it didn't become the now-famous Katz's Delicatessen until the brothers were bought out in 1910. The NYC neighborhood was a landing spot for many different waves of immigrants throughout the years since the 1800s. In the early 20th century, the Lower East Side was known as the world's largest Jewish city, where many immigrants ate, socialized, and celebrated the institution serving Jewish food staples.

Nearby Second Avenue eventually became a corridor lined with Yiddish theaters whose performers would frequent the restaurant. Over the years, photos of famous people who ate there populated the walls. Then, in 1989, after over a hundred years of food and celebrity history, it suddenly became the place people all over the world knew as the restaurant from the famous "I'll have what she's having" scene from Rob Reiner's beloved movie "When Harry Met Sally." 

Although Sally, (played by Meg Ryan) ordered a turkey sandwich on white bread, that's not the thing to order if you can only go to Katz's Delicatessen once. While Katz's takes great pride in preparing great roast turkey, it's the deli's pastrami on rye that stands out. It's on our list of best pastrami sandwiches for a reason. The meat is cured for 30 days and cut thick. The Reuben, made with corned beef (or sub in pastrami), Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, is also celebrated. 

You can also get sandwiches stuffed full of roast beef, salami, tongue, and brisket. All the meats are available to take home by the pound as well. Don't sleep on the hot dog  either, as it may be one of the best in the United States. During the holidays, you can order a full Hanukkah dinner to eat in or take home. The meal includes matzoh ball soup, an open-faced brisket sandwich, gravy, a latke, pickles, and for dessert, a black-and-white cookie or babka. Katz's menu is full of many other great foods done well, making it one of the US's best Jewish Delis.