Frankel’s

Should You Book Frankel's? The Verdict

If you're weighing Frankel's against Katz's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side, the answer depends on what you want from the experience. Katz's gives you a cavernous, tourist-saturated room and lines that can stretch past the door. Opinionated About Dining placed it on their Cheap Eats North America list in both 2023 and 2024, ranking it at #355 in 2024. For a Jewish deli that earns sustained recognition without the Midtown circus, Frankel's is the right call.

What Frankel's Is

Frankel's is a Jewish delicatessen in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, run by Alex Frankel. It operates Tuesday through Sunday, opening at 8:30 am and closing at 3 pm each day, which means this is firmly a breakfast and lunch destination. There is no dinner service. Monday is closed. If you're planning a visit around a specific window, build your schedule accordingly; the afternoon cutoff at 3 pm catches people out more than the Monday closure does.

The OAD Cheap Eats recognition is the clearest signal of what you're getting: this is a venue where value is part of the proposition. Jewish deli cooking at this level; house-cured, deli-counter-style food with consistent execution, tends to reward repeat visitors who know what they're ordering. First-timers should expect a focused menu rooted in deli classics: the format is the category, not a departure from it. If you're arriving from elsewhere in the country, it's worth knowing that other well-regarded Jewish delis on the OAD list include Attman's Delicatessen in Baltimore and Brent's Deli in Northridge, Los Angeles, both useful reference points for calibrating expectations by region.

Groups and Private Dining at Frankel's

Frankel's is a neighborhood deli, not a private dining venue. There is no confirmed private room in the available data, the format, tight hours, daytime-only service, a community-facing room, does not suggest a strong infrastructure for large group bookings or event hire. For a group meal, the practical answer is to arrive early (opening at 8:30 am gives you the leading chance at space before the lunch peak) and keep the party to a size that a deli counter can realistically accommodate. Groups looking for a dedicated private dining experience in Brooklyn or across New York City should look at venues built for that purpose. Frankel's strength is in the quality of the food at the counter, not in event logistics.

For context on what New York City's dining scene offers across price points and formats, see our full New York City restaurants guide.

Practical Details

For broader neighborhood context in Brooklyn and across the five boroughs, see our New York City restaurants guide, hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.

Who Should Go

Frankel's suits food-focused visitors who want to eat well without paying destination-restaurant prices, Brooklyn locals who want a reliable deli within reach of Greenpoint and Williamsburg. It is not the right venue if you need dinner, want a late weekend lunch past 3 pm, or are planning a large group event. For a first visit, arrive within the first hour of opening, the combination of full menu availability and less crowded seating makes the early slot worth prioritizing. Comparable New York delis worth benchmarking against include Ben's Kosher Deli, Pastrami Queen, and Sarge's Deli, each of which serves a slightly different part of the city with different hours and pricing.