Funny enough, I actually posted about this place almost three years ago to the day. I say a few somewhat blasphemous things in that post, so you don’t have to click over… but it’s pretty funny seeing how far I’ve come in a short three years.
In any case, needing something to refuel in between comic-hunting and panels at Comic Con, I led BF over this way since it was fairly close by and we both do enjoy sandwiches. I’ve taken him to one or two other locations of Ben’s as well, so this seemed a nice option, a bit away from the Con itself as well. And of course, as soon as you’re seated, they bring out a big bowl of pickles – half sours and what I call “super sours” – along with
a big tray of cole slaw. BF immediately dug in ad served me, what a darling, as he knows I love cole slaw and really enjoy the cole slaw here. It remains some of the best cole slaw I’ve ever had (standard, nothing fancy, cole slaw).
I also love root beer, so I opted for the house-made root beer. It’s pretty good, but I long ago learned that if a place makes their own root beer, it’s probably pretty good (why slap your name and label on something that is just so-so? Might as well just stock branded root beer then…).
BF tried to order “tuna salad on white toast” but they don’t stock plain white sliced bread. I tried to whisper to him that this wasn’t a diner, but he said he knew this… but that’s what he felt like eating. So he ordered it on club bread and said it was alright, but it was his fault for “ordering wrong” ie not ordering something more along the lines of what Ben’s is known for.
(See his t-shirt? Can you read what it says? Heh, it says “I CHOOSE to live in the basement, it’s CLOSER to my COLLECTION!” Hahahaha, we bought that at the convention, so cute – on the back it says New York Comicon 2009.)
The fries were decent, but BF remarked it would have been better if they were hot.
And of course, I ordered corned beef on rye, tomatoes on the side. Quite blasphemously, I continue to add a slick of mayo to my sandwich in addition to mustard, but everyone has their own personal tastes, so please step off and don’t try to tell me I’m wrong. 🙂
Look at the ginormity of my sandwich! Not convinced?
I’ll put my finger next to it. How about now? That’s my index finger which measures… 4″ tall! (Yes, I have freakishly long fingers, and I’ve heard the ET joke a million times – what, you don’t know it? Oh man, I’m getting old, how do you not know who ET is?!)
So, what do I think? I like Ben’s Deli, for a lot of reasons. It’s tasty, it’s priced about right, the service is always smooth and friendly, the place isn’t a madhouse… there’s table service *cough cough* and the food is good. It’s always the same as it has been over the past 10 years since the first time I went and made that horrible faux pas, and it just works for me. In the time since that last post, I have indeed been to two other kosher delis, one of them Katz’s and while yeah, that’s an experience and a half, it isn’t a place I foresee myself returning to over and over again. Ben’s, however, is much warmer and more welcoming, with a more relaxed atmosphere that’s more conducive to just enjoying oneself at a leisurely pace. The corned beef, pastrami, roast beef, various soups, are all delicious on a regular basis and you just know what you’re getting when you walk in. I’ll keep going to this place when I’m nearby.
Yvo says: Yummy, why wouldn’t you go here? Especially if you’re at a convention nearby, or work in the area, it’s really delicious and even if you prefer the other places… they’re far away. 🙂 This is a great spot, I recommend it to anyone who likes this sort of food.
recommended
Anonymous says
Surrrrre…torture me with corned beef [damn] and the pickles looked yum – I wonder tho’ – what happens to the pickles you don’t eat? Do they get recycled to the next table?
Just wondering.
Rochelle says
Good god, that is a lot of bread on the upper bit of BF’s sandwich. Yours looks amazing.
BS says
yummy! I love ben’s…the matzo ball soup is pretty awesome too.
Hungry bitch says
Yvo: phone home
Peter says
When you get the chance, you should head up to Liebman’s in Riverdale.
BIll says
We ate at Liebman’s recently and I think the sandwiches are better than Ben’s. The pickles are excellent as well. The cole slaw is very good, but not quite as good as Ben’s.
Feisty Foodie says
I’ll have to check them out! I actually have since discovered a place I like even better and it’s close to home; Ben’s Best in Rego Park. But I’ll try to get over to Liebman’s soon. Thanks!