Peter Luger's - no corkage and bad reviews

[Greg_K]

Katz’s is great 3:00 am drunk food.

[Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi]

After reading this review I would never go to Peter Lugers.
Curiosity got the best of me so I checked their website. It seems they have 2 locations and sell their prime steak mail order.
With so many great steak houses and mail order prime steak available from places like Flannery it is another example of an establishment living off the past.

This business will die soon unless they change.

While I agree with most of Wells’ review, it won’t impact Luger’s business. They’ll be fine.

I dunno, I think this could be the straw that break’s the camel’s back. To me, Luger’s has been for a while a classic example of ‘preference falsification’, where various New Yorkers who didn’t think much of it felt compelled to be at the margin laudatory because of its prestige and history. That’s important for the ‘out of town’ crowd to feel comfortable about a visit. Now that the emperor has no clothes, I wonder how hesitant the marginal diner at Luger’s will be to return or even recommend it. We’ll see…

[MChang]

It’d be nice if it were easier to get in. I made reservations right after they became available for my dates and there wasn’t anything between 6-745 on a Tuesday.

[Neal.Mollen]

It’d be nice if it were easier to get in. I made reservations right after they became available for my dates and there wasn’t anything between 6-745 on a Tuesday.

You might be able to get in now!

[GregT]

But 6-7:45 is pretty early for dinner though isn’t it? Who eats at six o’clock?

As far as Katz vs Luger - I wouldn’t make the comparison either. Mostly because I can’t stand pastrami and have no idea why someone would eat it in the first place, much less go out of their way to do so. I guess people had to eat it when they could only get some crappy tough piece of meat and they wanted to turn it into something slimy and fatty, but in Texas they took brisket and learned how to make a righteous meal out of it!

[Ian_Dorin]

The real question is whether the quality of the meat has declined as that was the main reason to go. I haven’t been in well over a decade (too much of a schlep) so I have no idea on whether I would agree with that assessment.

I was last there 12 years ago, and my steak was grey and tough then. The tomato salad was soggy and needed salt. It was a sad meal with mediocre wine is good awful glasses. It was like $2000 for 7 people too.

[Gabe_Berk]

Katz’s >>> Luger’s

I still love Katz’s.

Best part of Luger’s has always been the bacon.

You don’t feel ripped off at Katz’s, even if the pastrami isn’t first class. It’s still real – glaring fluorescent lights and all. My only complaint the last time I was there, a year or so ago, was that it was mostly tourists at lunch time. I hadn’t been in years and feared it might be dying with all the gentrification on the Lower East Side, but it’s definitely holding its own.

If that pastrami isn’t first class, then first class pastrami no longer exists. The claimed parallel between Katz’ and Luger’s doesn’t work for me at all.

$30 for a deli sandwich and Dr. Browns soda screams tourist trapping, which for the most part it is. Good pastrami at Katz, good steak at Lugers. Both of which are places as a local I wouldn’t take a half hour to go to. Taking an out of towner showing them a historic eatery? Yes.

[Neal.Mollen]

You don’t feel ripped off at Katz’s, even if the pastrami isn’t first class. It’s still real – glaring fluorescent lights and all. My only complaint the last time I was there, a year or so ago, was that it was mostly tourists at lunch time. I hadn’t been in years and feared it might be dying with all the gentrification on the Lower East Side, but it’s definitely holding its own.

If that pastrami isn’t first class, then first class pastrami no longer exists. The claimed parallel between Katz’ and Luger’s doesn’t work for me at all.

$30 for a deli sandwich and Dr. Browns soda screams tourist trapping, which for the most part it is. Good pastrami at Katz, good steak at Lugers. Both of which are places as a local I wouldn’t take a half hour to go to. Taking an out of towner showing them a historic eatery? Yes.

To each his own. I think this is 87% wrong. Price is high no doubt. I’d appreciate your opinion on better pastrami in NYC.

[RyanC]

I’m with Neal on this. The anti-Katz sentiment is astonishing to me. Is it expensive compared to other sandwiches? Obscenely. But $20 for a massive and delicious and satisfying and famous sandwich is something most of us on this board can do without issue. And who does pastrami better? There must be someone but it also must be a small group. (I do agree that all non-pastrami food at Katz’s should be avoided.)

Luger’s is totally different (and I’m sort of a Luger’s defender): I can off the top of my head name 20 (maybe more) steaks I prefer.

[Neal.Mollen]

I’m with Neal on this. The anti-Katz sentiment is astonishing to me. Is it expensive compared to other sandwiches? Obscenely. But $20 for a massive and delicious and satisfying and famous sandwich is something most of us on this board can do without issue. And who does pastrami better? There must be someone but it also must be a small group. (I do agree that all non-pastrami food at Katz’s should be avoided.)

Luger’s is totally different (and I’m sort of a Luger’s defender): I can off the top of my head name 20 (maybe more) steaks I prefer.

I’m just excited I am about to learn of all the places that have better pastrami than Katz! Cuz apparently Katz’ only rates a “good.” So definitely excited to learn.

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

I used to like Carnegie, but that is a moot point. People talk about Sarge’s. I haven’t eaten there and would be happy to hear opinions. As to Katz, it seems to me pretty much what it was when I went as a kid in the late 50s and early 60s. There may be less expensive pastrami sandwiches, but if there are opinions as to who has a better one, I’d certainly like to hear them.

[Gabe_Berk]

If that pastrami isn’t first class, then first class pastrami no longer exists. The claimed parallel between Katz’ and Luger’s doesn’t work for me at all.

$30 for a deli sandwich and Dr. Browns soda screams tourist trapping, which for the most part it is. Good pastrami at Katz, good steak at Lugers. Both of which are places as a local I wouldn’t take a half hour to go to. Taking an out of towner showing them a historic eatery? Yes.

To each his own. I think this is 87% wrong. Price is high no doubt. I’d appreciate your opinion on better pastrami in NYC.

To each their own for sure! There is a reason Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors. Big fan of David’s Brisket House & Deli. The pastrami is delish, is half the cost and without heards of tourists. Try it out! I only draw comparisons of Katz & Lugers due to both being eateries that are quasi over hyped, good-not great food, over priced and tourist traps.

[Neal.Mollen]

$30 for a deli sandwich and Dr. Browns soda screams tourist trapping, which for the most part it is. Good pastrami at Katz, good steak at Lugers. Both of which are places as a local I wouldn’t take a half hour to go to. Taking an out of towner showing them a historic eatery? Yes.

To each his own. I think this is 87% wrong. Price is high no doubt. I’d appreciate your opinion on better pastrami in NYC.

To each their own for sure! There is a reason Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors. Big fan of David’s Brisket House & Deli. The pastrami is delish, is half the cost and without heards of tourists. Try it out! I only draw comparisons of Katz & Lugers due to both being eateries that are quasi over hyped, good-not great food, over priced and tourist traps.
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I’m rarely in Brooklyn (100% of my business in NYC is in Manhattan), in the grand scheme of things the cost at Katz is negligible (I mean, that’s a the price of a pretty nondescript bottle of wine and are you going to notice that you spent $20 on a sandwich?), and the tourists don’t bother me at all as long as they aren’t at my table. But if I get to Brooklyn I’l check it out.

[Jay_Miller]

I always liked the pastrami at Katz’s but again I haven’t been in 8 years (more recent than the 15 for Peter Lugers). My plans for this weekend fell through so maybe i’ll try and make it out to David’s.

I still miss Carnegie

[Mark_Golodetz]

The two best are no more. Carnegie and the one at the bottom of 666 5th Ave (the best).
Katz an also ran.

[Jay_Miller]

How about Second Avenue Deli? I haven’t been since they moved locations but they used to be good.

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

2nd ave delhi is dry vs. Katz’s did pastrami battle one day between the two with a 2nd ave diehard who conceded.

[Greg_K]

2nd Avenue deli is all about the matzo ball soup.

I don’t understand the love for Carnegie Deli. Maybe it was good before my time. No one I know in midtown was sad at its passing.

[John_Morris]

How about Second Avenue Deli? I haven’t been since they moved locations but they used to be good.

Meh, or worse. I’ve been dragged there many times by a friend who has a fondness for it. All the meats and the bread are industrial. The liverwurst is terrific, though.

[John_Morris]

I don’t understand the love for Carnegie Deli. Maybe it was good before my time. No one I know in midtown was sad at its passing.

+1

I went once 20+ years ago and couldn’t understand the fuss. I thought the food was lousy.