New York Deli Ii - West End

Delicious! Half the family is from NYC and this little deli is a favorite. They have limited hours and do things their own way which I respect. It takes years of work to get there. It's hard to find a good rueben sandwich around here. Highly recommended.

I ordered two sandwiches: a Reuben and a Philly cheesesteak. The Reuben was excellent, but unfortunately, the Philly cheesesteak fell short. While it contained a good amount of roast beef, the cheese was just a cold clump, and the peppers and onions were more like a spread. Overall, the sandwich was cold. To make matters worse, the loud TV made for a disappointing dining experience.

This is not a New York-style deli at all! Having grown up just 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, I believe I have a good grasp on what makes a great hoagie or sub. Unfortunately, this place falls far short of the standards you'd find in northeastern Pennsylvania and New York.

Although the staff wore gloves, they handled the register and took notes on receipts before touching the food, which was unsettling. The bathroom was also unclean. When I exited, I was greeted by a mop bucket filled with dirty, black water right outside the bathroom. Changing that water occasionally wouldn’t hurt. I was shocked to see that even 12 years ago, this place had similar complaints on Yelp, which makes me wonder how they've managed to stay in business without improving their practices. The only recommendations I can make are to grab the chips at the front and bottled drinks from the side, as I suspect the soda machine isn’t cleaned properly either. Additionally, there was a standard street garbage can inside and a smaller trash can overflowing with garbage. The lack of maintenance is appalling. I strongly advise against eating here, and I would be very surprised if I don’t end up feeling sick after this visit.

Fantastic customer service! It truly exceeded my expectations. I was already fond of this place before we even tasted the food, thanks to the lovely woman who took our order.