Pastrami Queen

The Upper East Side's Most Decorated Jewish Deli

Three consecutive years on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list; ranked #108 in 2023, #163 in 2024, back up to #119 in 2025; tells you something concrete about Pastrami Queen at 1125 Lexington Avenue. The OAD Cheap Eats ranking is crowd-sourced from serious eaters, not PR campaigns, which makes this kind of sustained recognition meaningful. If you are weighing whether to make the trip up to the Upper East Side for a deli meal, that track record is your clearest signal to go.

What Pastrami Queen Actually Is

Pastrami Queen is a traditional Jewish delicatessen on Lexington Avenue, the kind of place where the visual cues do most of the talking before the food arrives. The room reads as old-school New York deli: counter service energy, no-frills interior, the kind of setting where the quality lives in the sandwich rather than the surroundings. For a special occasion or a celebratory lunch, this is not the choice if you need a formal dining room, but if the occasion is specifically about eating something genuinely good in an authentically New York context, it delivers that experience with more credibility than most places that have been refurbished to look the part.

The service style here is deli-direct: efficient, unpretentious, not calibrated to linger. That approach is consistent with the price tier and the format. You are not paying for tableside attention, you should not expect it. What you are paying for is the product itself, on that basis, the OAD recognition over three years suggests the kitchen is holding its standards. For comparison, Sarge's Deli operates around the clock and skews toward volume; Frankel's in Greenpoint has a more curated, modern-deli feel. Pastrami Queen sits closer to the traditional end of the spectrum, which is a strength if that is what you are after.

Booking and Timing

Reservations: Walk-in format, no booking required, which keeps the barrier to entry low. Hours: Open daily 10 am to 9 pm, including weekends. Dress: Casual, no expectations. Booking difficulty: Easy. Show up, order at the counter, find a seat. Peak lunch hours on weekends will be busiest, so arriving before noon or after 2 pm gives you a smoother experience. The consistent daily hours also make this a reliable option if you are planning around a museum visit or a morning on the Upper East Side.

Is the Price Worth It?

Price range data is not confirmed in our records for Pastrami Queen, but OAD's Cheap Eats classification gives you a clear directional signal: this is a value-tier venue by the standards of serious food criticism. In a city where a casual sit-down meal can run $40 per head before drinks, a deli that earns three consecutive OAD Cheap Eats placements is telling you the food-to-spend ratio is working. For a genuine special occasion with tablecloths and a wine list, look elsewhere. For a lunch or early dinner that punches above its category, has the credentials to prove it, Pastrami Queen makes a strong case.

Who Should Book

If you are visiting New York and want to eat at a Jewish deli that has been independently validated by serious food critics, Pastrami Queen is the Upper East Side answer. It is also a solid choice if you are a local who has been defaulting to lesser options out of habit. Ben's Kosher Deli is larger and more tourist-facing; Pastrami Queen feels more neighborhood-specific, which some diners will prefer. Outside New York, the Jewish deli tradition shows up differently at venues like Attman's Delicatessen in Baltimore and Brent's Deli in Northridge, Los Angeles, but if you are in Manhattan, this is the more decorated option in the category right now.

For a broader look at where to eat and stay around the city, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our New York City hotels guide, our bars guide, our wineries guide, and our experiences guide. If you are planning a wider food trip that includes serious tasting-menu restaurants, Pearl also covers Lazy Bear in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, Smyth in Chicago, Providence in Los Angeles, and Emeril's in New Orleans.