If you love to nosh on Jewish deli meats, Steve Stein's delivers. The nova lox, belly lox, Romanian pastrami, and corned beef are all delicious--easily rivaling anything you'll find in the United States (outside of New York, of course). The pastrami is pleasantly fatty and well-seasoned; when gently heated, it melts in your mouth, a rare sign of basturma greatness. The lox is optimally salted and thin-sliced by hand to order. (I wish I'd ordered some sable). Also, given the quality of the meats, the prices are very reasonable, especially if you're accustomed to paying Houston Street or 80th Street prices. The only downside: the bagels are just okay. Maybe I came on an off-Sunday, but the sesame, garlic, and plain bagels were all average. The crust was a bit too soft, and the texture wasn't ideal. (A friend of mine who grew up in Boro Park, Brooklyn, in the 1950s wasn't impressed, either.) Still, Steve Stein's is easily a 5-star deli in my book. As a DC resident, it's the best Jewish deli I've found to date within a three-hour driving radius.
(5)
Bob R.
Visited here 3 times after the move. While it's not the greatest deli in the world, true, it's not bad at all. The corned beef and pastrami are especially noteworthy. Counter folks are nice, and the salads and fish -- at least what I've tried, are very good. The stuff here seems to be a lot fresher than the other well-known deli up on Bustleton Ave. It could be a bit -- just a bit -- cleaner. Is it as good as Carnegie in NYC? (BTW, Mike, you obviously haven't been to Katz's in a while. It's garbage now) Of course not. What is? That's, frankly, a pretty foolish comparison. Carnegie is the benchmark. But if you feel like Deli, you can drive to Grant Ave instead of Manhattan. Or even Center City.
(4)
Elliot P.
It's definitely difficult to identify this place because they moved recently and I think there's another business in the area with a similar name. This review is for the deli that opened up a little while ago in Grant Plaza. As far as the restaurant is concerned, I really liked this place. It's simple and cheap and the food is good. I had a baked salmon and whitefish salad platter and it was delicious and the portion size was good. Usually when you order a plate like this at other places you get 30% more food, but you pay twice the price. And it's not like you don't get enough food, but you will certainly not be stuffing yourself either. As far as the deli, it is awesome and huge! Tons of different meats which are priced fair and it looks minimally processed and made fresh there. The turkey and corned beef are especially good. They also have a lot of salads, like whitefish salad and tuna salad. They have an area where you can select fresh produce and grocery items. They also have a delicious bakery. I had a bunch of cookies - they were super fresh and tasty. There is a day old bakery items cart, I would definitely check that out for the desserts, but not for the bagels. Those bagels were as hard as rocks. But yeah, for sure looking to coming back.
(4)
Lou D.
In all fairness, I have never been a fan of this place. All I can say is that the food is all right and the veggies are priced pretty well. I have never been a fan of back-talking employees, and I see that about half the time I have been there. Maybe it is because these employees have known the customers for years. But I do not find most of the staff to be what I call friendly, from the bottom to the top. They recently moved and this place is much better than the dump they were in before. However, with the wide selection of delis in the area, (every supermarket even has a deli), Famous is going to have to do something to keep customers. Most of their older customer base is dying off, some of their kids shop there, but the older customer's grandkids (I do not mean little kids, I mean people in their 20s-40s) are not flocking to the store. I give this place five years tops if they don't change their ways.
(2)
Pamela F.
I went in 15 minutes to closing. I realize maybe this isn't ideal, but they were still open. My experience - I get in and the floors are being mopped. AROUND MY PERSON. As I walk up and down the food cases, they mop up my shoeprints. Way to make someone feel welcome. The guy behind the deli counter who helped me was very nice and helpful. For him - I keep my rating at three stars instead of 1 or no stars. So I go pick out bread / rolls. I find some by the bakery section where there is a miserable teenager just leaning on the counter as another customer is trying to get her attention and failing. So sad. As my deli order is being completed I see the miserable bakery girl again, this time with her arms full of many loaves of bread. I go to take one since I'd prefer that over the rolls. She said I can't have those, and I have to take one that has no price tag. She gets me one. The loaf that was sold to me was $2 more than what her arms were full with. Perhaps I got the fresher loaf, but what happened to first in, first out? I didn't need the fresher bread, though I guess I appreciate it, though do not like paying $2 more unnecessarily. Meanwhile she is shouting out to other miserable co-workers, "Can't we just close!!" I am sure there are other people who would be grateful for her job. Then I get rung up. Another miserable person. This girl at least wasn't rude like the bakery girl. She just turned her back to me completely once I was done being rung up. I would probably go back, considering the food here is very fresh. I was once the miserable teenager working that kind of job, so I get it. But I would never make someone feel that un-welcome in a store. Smile once in a while, people! I eventually left, it's not like I was staying the night! Unacceptable.
(3)
Eric B.
If you're not 60+ yrs old & Jewish I would never come here. You will be treated like a 2nd class citizen. Employees are rude and lazy. Place is filthy. In 10 years when all the "regulars" are deceased this place will go under guarantee by the way they treat non-regular customers. Btw I've been here maybe half dozen times in the last year and my experience has been the same - HORRIBLE! See ya never again Steins..
(1)
Dee M.
This place is a Northeast Philly staple! Over the years the location has moved several times and each time it gets better and better. I LOVE coming here for weekend brunch. It is mostly a take out deli but the most recent location has a small restaurant in the right corner. The fish platters for 2 are delicious, filling and reasonably priced for quality fish and stuff. I enjoy their soups (a cup of mushroom barely alone is SUPER filling and like a $1.50, you cant beat that!) The location is convenient with a nice amount of parking. Staff is nice and helpful.
(5)
Stuart J.
This is your quintessential Jewish deli. Everything is great from the corned beef to the garlic turkey and everything in between. You want fresh cut lox this is the place to go. Steve, Lee and their staff are the best.
(5)
Zach M.
The food is great! I love it here!!!!!!! The sliced buffalo chicken is so good. The homemade liver knishes are just about the best I've ever had. The fresh produce is great which has a great selection of fruits and vegatables
(5)
Rick H.
On the recommendation of a coworker I tried Steve Stein's Famous deli while working up In the great northeast. Walking inside I find this deli is huge, reminding me more of mini supermarket. But I was there to get lunch, so after looking over their large menu I chose the Italian hoagie. It wasn't all that, It came on a seeded roll which was fresh, the could have been a little more generous with the meat. All though it was tasty, it was more roll than anything. But this was my first time here and will try some of their other items on the menu and maybe I'll find out what they are famous for.
(2)
Michael R.
I've been going here for over 40 years. If stein is the "godfather of deli" or "mr. deli", it is either self-anointed or just because of his small pond. seriously, has he been to new york and tasted the quality of deli meat at katz's deli or carnegie?have any of the reviewers tossing out 4 and 5 stars? how about harold's in jersey? there are at least 10 delis he could learn a lot from in nyc. he's a big fish in a small pond. what else do people in the area have to compare to... ben n irv's? you're comparing gala apples to braeburn apples. the second location on buck road serves smaller portions than ben n' irvs and stein definitely isn't managing the dirty place. in nyc, lox is the same price but much fresher. you might pay 2 times the price at carnegie for a sandwich, but they literally put a pound of the highest quality meat on a sandwich compared to thinly sliced mediocre quality meat that's just a couple steps up from boars head. pick up your game stein and raise the bar... if not on your food, how about the bagels? if you want the title- earn it. this is, after all, "steve stein's" famous deli.
(3)
Samuel C.
Famous has reopened a block away from its old location on Krewstown Road. The fish selection is the best in Philly and you would be hard pressed to find better until you reached North Jersey. Try the classic whitefish salad. Steve Stein has been behind a deli counter longer than most of us have been alive. He knows there is more than one way to cut fish and if you tellhim what you want you'll get it.
(4)
Zach M.
The food is great! I love it here!!!!!!! The sliced buffalo chicken is so good. The homemade liver knishes are just about the best I've ever had. The fresh produce is great which has a great selection of fruits and vegatables
(5)
Rick H.
On the recommendation of a coworker I tried Steve Stein's Famous deli while working up In the great northeast. Walking inside I find this deli is huge, reminding me more of mini supermarket. But I was there to get lunch, so after looking over their large menu I chose the Italian hoagie. It wasn't all that, It came on a seeded roll which was fresh, the could have been a little more generous with the meat. All though it was tasty, it was more roll than anything. But this was my first time here and will try some of their other items on the menu and maybe I'll find out what they are famous for.
(2)
Michael R.
I've been going here for over 40 years. If stein is the "godfather of deli" or "mr. deli", it is either self-anointed or just because of his small pond. seriously, has he been to new york and tasted the quality of deli meat at katz's deli or carnegie?have any of the reviewers tossing out 4 and 5 stars? how about harold's in jersey? there are at least 10 delis he could learn a lot from in nyc. he's a big fish in a small pond. what else do people in the area have to compare to... ben n irv's? you're comparing gala apples to braeburn apples. the second location on buck road serves smaller portions than ben n' irvs and stein definitely isn't managing the dirty place. in nyc, lox is the same price but much fresher. you might pay 2 times the price at carnegie for a sandwich, but they literally put a pound of the highest quality meat on a sandwich compared to thinly sliced mediocre quality meat that's just a couple steps up from boars head. pick up your game stein and raise the bar... if not on your food, how about the bagels? if you want the title- earn it. this is, after all, "steve stein's" famous deli.
(3)
Samuel C.
Famous has reopened a block away from its old location on Krewstown Road. The fish selection is the best in Philly and you would be hard pressed to find better until you reached North Jersey. Try the classic whitefish salad. Steve Stein has been behind a deli counter longer than most of us have been alive. He knows there is more than one way to cut fish and if you tellhim what you want you'll get it.
(4)
Ryan R.
If you love to nosh on Jewish deli meats, Steve Stein's delivers. The nova lox, belly lox, Romanian pastrami, and corned beef are all delicious--easily rivaling anything you'll find in the United States (outside of New York, of course). The pastrami is pleasantly fatty and well-seasoned; when gently heated, it melts in your mouth, a rare sign of basturma greatness. The lox is optimally salted and thin-sliced by hand to order. (I wish I'd ordered some sable). Also, given the quality of the meats, the prices are very reasonable, especially if you're accustomed to paying Houston Street or 80th Street prices. The only downside: the bagels are just okay. Maybe I came on an off-Sunday, but the sesame, garlic, and plain bagels were all average. The crust was a bit too soft, and the texture wasn't ideal. (A friend of mine who grew up in Boro Park, Brooklyn, in the 1950s wasn't impressed, either.) Still, Steve Stein's is easily a 5-star deli in my book. As a DC resident, it's the best Jewish deli I've found to date within a three-hour driving radius.
(5)
Bob R.
Visited here 3 times after the move. While it's not the greatest deli in the world, true, it's not bad at all. The corned beef and pastrami are especially noteworthy. Counter folks are nice, and the salads and fish -- at least what I've tried, are very good. The stuff here seems to be a lot fresher than the other well-known deli up on Bustleton Ave. It could be a bit -- just a bit -- cleaner. Is it as good as Carnegie in NYC? (BTW, Mike, you obviously haven't been to Katz's in a while. It's garbage now) Of course not. What is? That's, frankly, a pretty foolish comparison. Carnegie is the benchmark. But if you feel like Deli, you can drive to Grant Ave instead of Manhattan. Or even Center City.
(4)
Eric B.
If you're not 60+ yrs old & Jewish I would never come here. You will be treated like a 2nd class citizen. Employees are rude and lazy. Place is filthy. In 10 years when all the "regulars" are deceased this place will go under guarantee by the way they treat non-regular customers. Btw I've been here maybe half dozen times in the last year and my experience has been the same - HORRIBLE! See ya never again Steins..
(1)
Dee M.
This place is a Northeast Philly staple! Over the years the location has moved several times and each time it gets better and better. I LOVE coming here for weekend brunch. It is mostly a take out deli but the most recent location has a small restaurant in the right corner. The fish platters for 2 are delicious, filling and reasonably priced for quality fish and stuff. I enjoy their soups (a cup of mushroom barely alone is SUPER filling and like a $1.50, you cant beat that!) The location is convenient with a nice amount of parking. Staff is nice and helpful.
(5)
Stuart J.
This is your quintessential Jewish deli. Everything is great from the corned beef to the garlic turkey and everything in between. You want fresh cut lox this is the place to go. Steve, Lee and their staff are the best.
(5)
Elliot P.
It's definitely difficult to identify this place because they moved recently and I think there's another business in the area with a similar name. This review is for the deli that opened up a little while ago in Grant Plaza. As far as the restaurant is concerned, I really liked this place. It's simple and cheap and the food is good. I had a baked salmon and whitefish salad platter and it was delicious and the portion size was good. Usually when you order a plate like this at other places you get 30% more food, but you pay twice the price. And it's not like you don't get enough food, but you will certainly not be stuffing yourself either. As far as the deli, it is awesome and huge! Tons of different meats which are priced fair and it looks minimally processed and made fresh there. The turkey and corned beef are especially good. They also have a lot of salads, like whitefish salad and tuna salad. They have an area where you can select fresh produce and grocery items. They also have a delicious bakery. I had a bunch of cookies - they were super fresh and tasty. There is a day old bakery items cart, I would definitely check that out for the desserts, but not for the bagels. Those bagels were as hard as rocks. But yeah, for sure looking to coming back.
(4)
Lou D.
In all fairness, I have never been a fan of this place. All I can say is that the food is all right and the veggies are priced pretty well. I have never been a fan of back-talking employees, and I see that about half the time I have been there. Maybe it is because these employees have known the customers for years. But I do not find most of the staff to be what I call friendly, from the bottom to the top. They recently moved and this place is much better than the dump they were in before. However, with the wide selection of delis in the area, (every supermarket even has a deli), Famous is going to have to do something to keep customers. Most of their older customer base is dying off, some of their kids shop there, but the older customer's grandkids (I do not mean little kids, I mean people in their 20s-40s) are not flocking to the store. I give this place five years tops if they don't change their ways.
(2)
Pamela F.
I went in 15 minutes to closing. I realize maybe this isn't ideal, but they were still open. My experience - I get in and the floors are being mopped. AROUND MY PERSON. As I walk up and down the food cases, they mop up my shoeprints. Way to make someone feel welcome. The guy behind the deli counter who helped me was very nice and helpful. For him - I keep my rating at three stars instead of 1 or no stars. So I go pick out bread / rolls. I find some by the bakery section where there is a miserable teenager just leaning on the counter as another customer is trying to get her attention and failing. So sad. As my deli order is being completed I see the miserable bakery girl again, this time with her arms full of many loaves of bread. I go to take one since I'd prefer that over the rolls. She said I can't have those, and I have to take one that has no price tag. She gets me one. The loaf that was sold to me was $2 more than what her arms were full with. Perhaps I got the fresher loaf, but what happened to first in, first out? I didn't need the fresher bread, though I guess I appreciate it, though do not like paying $2 more unnecessarily. Meanwhile she is shouting out to other miserable co-workers, "Can't we just close!!" I am sure there are other people who would be grateful for her job. Then I get rung up. Another miserable person. This girl at least wasn't rude like the bakery girl. She just turned her back to me completely once I was done being rung up. I would probably go back, considering the food here is very fresh. I was once the miserable teenager working that kind of job, so I get it. But I would never make someone feel that un-welcome in a store. Smile once in a while, people! I eventually left, it's not like I was staying the night! Unacceptable.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Ryan R.
If you love to nosh on Jewish deli meats, Steve Stein's delivers. The nova lox, belly lox, Romanian pastrami, and corned beef are all delicious--easily rivaling anything you'll find in the United States (outside of New York, of course). The pastrami is pleasantly fatty and well-seasoned; when gently heated, it melts in your mouth, a rare sign of basturma greatness. The lox is optimally salted and thin-sliced by hand to order. (I wish I'd ordered some sable). Also, given the quality of the meats, the prices are very reasonable, especially if you're accustomed to paying Houston Street or 80th Street prices. The only downside: the bagels are just okay. Maybe I came on an off-Sunday, but the sesame, garlic, and plain bagels were all average. The crust was a bit too soft, and the texture wasn't ideal. (A friend of mine who grew up in Boro Park, Brooklyn, in the 1950s wasn't impressed, either.) Still, Steve Stein's is easily a 5-star deli in my book. As a DC resident, it's the best Jewish deli I've found to date within a three-hour driving radius.
(5)Bob R.
Visited here 3 times after the move. While it's not the greatest deli in the world, true, it's not bad at all. The corned beef and pastrami are especially noteworthy. Counter folks are nice, and the salads and fish -- at least what I've tried, are very good. The stuff here seems to be a lot fresher than the other well-known deli up on Bustleton Ave. It could be a bit -- just a bit -- cleaner. Is it as good as Carnegie in NYC? (BTW, Mike, you obviously haven't been to Katz's in a while. It's garbage now) Of course not. What is? That's, frankly, a pretty foolish comparison. Carnegie is the benchmark. But if you feel like Deli, you can drive to Grant Ave instead of Manhattan. Or even Center City.
(4)Elliot P.
It's definitely difficult to identify this place because they moved recently and I think there's another business in the area with a similar name. This review is for the deli that opened up a little while ago in Grant Plaza. As far as the restaurant is concerned, I really liked this place. It's simple and cheap and the food is good. I had a baked salmon and whitefish salad platter and it was delicious and the portion size was good. Usually when you order a plate like this at other places you get 30% more food, but you pay twice the price. And it's not like you don't get enough food, but you will certainly not be stuffing yourself either. As far as the deli, it is awesome and huge! Tons of different meats which are priced fair and it looks minimally processed and made fresh there. The turkey and corned beef are especially good. They also have a lot of salads, like whitefish salad and tuna salad. They have an area where you can select fresh produce and grocery items. They also have a delicious bakery. I had a bunch of cookies - they were super fresh and tasty. There is a day old bakery items cart, I would definitely check that out for the desserts, but not for the bagels. Those bagels were as hard as rocks. But yeah, for sure looking to coming back.
(4)Lou D.
In all fairness, I have never been a fan of this place. All I can say is that the food is all right and the veggies are priced pretty well. I have never been a fan of back-talking employees, and I see that about half the time I have been there. Maybe it is because these employees have known the customers for years. But I do not find most of the staff to be what I call friendly, from the bottom to the top. They recently moved and this place is much better than the dump they were in before. However, with the wide selection of delis in the area, (every supermarket even has a deli), Famous is going to have to do something to keep customers. Most of their older customer base is dying off, some of their kids shop there, but the older customer's grandkids (I do not mean little kids, I mean people in their 20s-40s) are not flocking to the store. I give this place five years tops if they don't change their ways.
(2)Pamela F.
I went in 15 minutes to closing. I realize maybe this isn't ideal, but they were still open. My experience - I get in and the floors are being mopped. AROUND MY PERSON. As I walk up and down the food cases, they mop up my shoeprints. Way to make someone feel welcome. The guy behind the deli counter who helped me was very nice and helpful. For him - I keep my rating at three stars instead of 1 or no stars. So I go pick out bread / rolls. I find some by the bakery section where there is a miserable teenager just leaning on the counter as another customer is trying to get her attention and failing. So sad. As my deli order is being completed I see the miserable bakery girl again, this time with her arms full of many loaves of bread. I go to take one since I'd prefer that over the rolls. She said I can't have those, and I have to take one that has no price tag. She gets me one. The loaf that was sold to me was $2 more than what her arms were full with. Perhaps I got the fresher loaf, but what happened to first in, first out? I didn't need the fresher bread, though I guess I appreciate it, though do not like paying $2 more unnecessarily. Meanwhile she is shouting out to other miserable co-workers, "Can't we just close!!" I am sure there are other people who would be grateful for her job. Then I get rung up. Another miserable person. This girl at least wasn't rude like the bakery girl. She just turned her back to me completely once I was done being rung up. I would probably go back, considering the food here is very fresh. I was once the miserable teenager working that kind of job, so I get it. But I would never make someone feel that un-welcome in a store. Smile once in a while, people! I eventually left, it's not like I was staying the night! Unacceptable.
(3)Eric B.
If you're not 60+ yrs old & Jewish I would never come here. You will be treated like a 2nd class citizen. Employees are rude and lazy. Place is filthy. In 10 years when all the "regulars" are deceased this place will go under guarantee by the way they treat non-regular customers. Btw I've been here maybe half dozen times in the last year and my experience has been the same - HORRIBLE! See ya never again Steins..
(1)Dee M.
This place is a Northeast Philly staple! Over the years the location has moved several times and each time it gets better and better. I LOVE coming here for weekend brunch. It is mostly a take out deli but the most recent location has a small restaurant in the right corner. The fish platters for 2 are delicious, filling and reasonably priced for quality fish and stuff. I enjoy their soups (a cup of mushroom barely alone is SUPER filling and like a $1.50, you cant beat that!) The location is convenient with a nice amount of parking. Staff is nice and helpful.
(5)Stuart J.
This is your quintessential Jewish deli. Everything is great from the corned beef to the garlic turkey and everything in between. You want fresh cut lox this is the place to go. Steve, Lee and their staff are the best.
(5)Zach M.
The food is great! I love it here!!!!!!! The sliced buffalo chicken is so good. The homemade liver knishes are just about the best I've ever had. The fresh produce is great which has a great selection of fruits and vegatables
(5)Rick H.
On the recommendation of a coworker I tried Steve Stein's Famous deli while working up In the great northeast. Walking inside I find this deli is huge, reminding me more of mini supermarket. But I was there to get lunch, so after looking over their large menu I chose the Italian hoagie. It wasn't all that, It came on a seeded roll which was fresh, the could have been a little more generous with the meat. All though it was tasty, it was more roll than anything. But this was my first time here and will try some of their other items on the menu and maybe I'll find out what they are famous for.
(2)Michael R.
I've been going here for over 40 years. If stein is the "godfather of deli" or "mr. deli", it is either self-anointed or just because of his small pond. seriously, has he been to new york and tasted the quality of deli meat at katz's deli or carnegie?have any of the reviewers tossing out 4 and 5 stars? how about harold's in jersey? there are at least 10 delis he could learn a lot from in nyc. he's a big fish in a small pond. what else do people in the area have to compare to... ben n irv's? you're comparing gala apples to braeburn apples. the second location on buck road serves smaller portions than ben n' irvs and stein definitely isn't managing the dirty place. in nyc, lox is the same price but much fresher. you might pay 2 times the price at carnegie for a sandwich, but they literally put a pound of the highest quality meat on a sandwich compared to thinly sliced mediocre quality meat that's just a couple steps up from boars head. pick up your game stein and raise the bar... if not on your food, how about the bagels? if you want the title- earn it. this is, after all, "steve stein's" famous deli.
(3)Samuel C.
Famous has reopened a block away from its old location on Krewstown Road. The fish selection is the best in Philly and you would be hard pressed to find better until you reached North Jersey. Try the classic whitefish salad. Steve Stein has been behind a deli counter longer than most of us have been alive. He knows there is more than one way to cut fish and if you tellhim what you want you'll get it.
(4)Zach M.
The food is great! I love it here!!!!!!! The sliced buffalo chicken is so good. The homemade liver knishes are just about the best I've ever had. The fresh produce is great which has a great selection of fruits and vegatables
(5)Rick H.
On the recommendation of a coworker I tried Steve Stein's Famous deli while working up In the great northeast. Walking inside I find this deli is huge, reminding me more of mini supermarket. But I was there to get lunch, so after looking over their large menu I chose the Italian hoagie. It wasn't all that, It came on a seeded roll which was fresh, the could have been a little more generous with the meat. All though it was tasty, it was more roll than anything. But this was my first time here and will try some of their other items on the menu and maybe I'll find out what they are famous for.
(2)Michael R.
I've been going here for over 40 years. If stein is the "godfather of deli" or "mr. deli", it is either self-anointed or just because of his small pond. seriously, has he been to new york and tasted the quality of deli meat at katz's deli or carnegie?have any of the reviewers tossing out 4 and 5 stars? how about harold's in jersey? there are at least 10 delis he could learn a lot from in nyc. he's a big fish in a small pond. what else do people in the area have to compare to... ben n irv's? you're comparing gala apples to braeburn apples. the second location on buck road serves smaller portions than ben n' irvs and stein definitely isn't managing the dirty place. in nyc, lox is the same price but much fresher. you might pay 2 times the price at carnegie for a sandwich, but they literally put a pound of the highest quality meat on a sandwich compared to thinly sliced mediocre quality meat that's just a couple steps up from boars head. pick up your game stein and raise the bar... if not on your food, how about the bagels? if you want the title- earn it. this is, after all, "steve stein's" famous deli.
(3)Samuel C.
Famous has reopened a block away from its old location on Krewstown Road. The fish selection is the best in Philly and you would be hard pressed to find better until you reached North Jersey. Try the classic whitefish salad. Steve Stein has been behind a deli counter longer than most of us have been alive. He knows there is more than one way to cut fish and if you tellhim what you want you'll get it.
(4)Ryan R.
If you love to nosh on Jewish deli meats, Steve Stein's delivers. The nova lox, belly lox, Romanian pastrami, and corned beef are all delicious--easily rivaling anything you'll find in the United States (outside of New York, of course). The pastrami is pleasantly fatty and well-seasoned; when gently heated, it melts in your mouth, a rare sign of basturma greatness. The lox is optimally salted and thin-sliced by hand to order. (I wish I'd ordered some sable). Also, given the quality of the meats, the prices are very reasonable, especially if you're accustomed to paying Houston Street or 80th Street prices. The only downside: the bagels are just okay. Maybe I came on an off-Sunday, but the sesame, garlic, and plain bagels were all average. The crust was a bit too soft, and the texture wasn't ideal. (A friend of mine who grew up in Boro Park, Brooklyn, in the 1950s wasn't impressed, either.) Still, Steve Stein's is easily a 5-star deli in my book. As a DC resident, it's the best Jewish deli I've found to date within a three-hour driving radius.
(5)Bob R.
Visited here 3 times after the move. While it's not the greatest deli in the world, true, it's not bad at all. The corned beef and pastrami are especially noteworthy. Counter folks are nice, and the salads and fish -- at least what I've tried, are very good. The stuff here seems to be a lot fresher than the other well-known deli up on Bustleton Ave. It could be a bit -- just a bit -- cleaner. Is it as good as Carnegie in NYC? (BTW, Mike, you obviously haven't been to Katz's in a while. It's garbage now) Of course not. What is? That's, frankly, a pretty foolish comparison. Carnegie is the benchmark. But if you feel like Deli, you can drive to Grant Ave instead of Manhattan. Or even Center City.
(4)Eric B.
If you're not 60+ yrs old & Jewish I would never come here. You will be treated like a 2nd class citizen. Employees are rude and lazy. Place is filthy. In 10 years when all the "regulars" are deceased this place will go under guarantee by the way they treat non-regular customers. Btw I've been here maybe half dozen times in the last year and my experience has been the same - HORRIBLE! See ya never again Steins..
(1)Dee M.
This place is a Northeast Philly staple! Over the years the location has moved several times and each time it gets better and better. I LOVE coming here for weekend brunch. It is mostly a take out deli but the most recent location has a small restaurant in the right corner. The fish platters for 2 are delicious, filling and reasonably priced for quality fish and stuff. I enjoy their soups (a cup of mushroom barely alone is SUPER filling and like a $1.50, you cant beat that!) The location is convenient with a nice amount of parking. Staff is nice and helpful.
(5)Stuart J.
This is your quintessential Jewish deli. Everything is great from the corned beef to the garlic turkey and everything in between. You want fresh cut lox this is the place to go. Steve, Lee and their staff are the best.
(5)Elliot P.
It's definitely difficult to identify this place because they moved recently and I think there's another business in the area with a similar name. This review is for the deli that opened up a little while ago in Grant Plaza. As far as the restaurant is concerned, I really liked this place. It's simple and cheap and the food is good. I had a baked salmon and whitefish salad platter and it was delicious and the portion size was good. Usually when you order a plate like this at other places you get 30% more food, but you pay twice the price. And it's not like you don't get enough food, but you will certainly not be stuffing yourself either. As far as the deli, it is awesome and huge! Tons of different meats which are priced fair and it looks minimally processed and made fresh there. The turkey and corned beef are especially good. They also have a lot of salads, like whitefish salad and tuna salad. They have an area where you can select fresh produce and grocery items. They also have a delicious bakery. I had a bunch of cookies - they were super fresh and tasty. There is a day old bakery items cart, I would definitely check that out for the desserts, but not for the bagels. Those bagels were as hard as rocks. But yeah, for sure looking to coming back.
(4)Lou D.
In all fairness, I have never been a fan of this place. All I can say is that the food is all right and the veggies are priced pretty well. I have never been a fan of back-talking employees, and I see that about half the time I have been there. Maybe it is because these employees have known the customers for years. But I do not find most of the staff to be what I call friendly, from the bottom to the top. They recently moved and this place is much better than the dump they were in before. However, with the wide selection of delis in the area, (every supermarket even has a deli), Famous is going to have to do something to keep customers. Most of their older customer base is dying off, some of their kids shop there, but the older customer's grandkids (I do not mean little kids, I mean people in their 20s-40s) are not flocking to the store. I give this place five years tops if they don't change their ways.
(2)Pamela F.
I went in 15 minutes to closing. I realize maybe this isn't ideal, but they were still open. My experience - I get in and the floors are being mopped. AROUND MY PERSON. As I walk up and down the food cases, they mop up my shoeprints. Way to make someone feel welcome. The guy behind the deli counter who helped me was very nice and helpful. For him - I keep my rating at three stars instead of 1 or no stars. So I go pick out bread / rolls. I find some by the bakery section where there is a miserable teenager just leaning on the counter as another customer is trying to get her attention and failing. So sad. As my deli order is being completed I see the miserable bakery girl again, this time with her arms full of many loaves of bread. I go to take one since I'd prefer that over the rolls. She said I can't have those, and I have to take one that has no price tag. She gets me one. The loaf that was sold to me was $2 more than what her arms were full with. Perhaps I got the fresher loaf, but what happened to first in, first out? I didn't need the fresher bread, though I guess I appreciate it, though do not like paying $2 more unnecessarily. Meanwhile she is shouting out to other miserable co-workers, "Can't we just close!!" I am sure there are other people who would be grateful for her job. Then I get rung up. Another miserable person. This girl at least wasn't rude like the bakery girl. She just turned her back to me completely once I was done being rung up. I would probably go back, considering the food here is very fresh. I was once the miserable teenager working that kind of job, so I get it. But I would never make someone feel that un-welcome in a store. Smile once in a while, people! I eventually left, it's not like I was staying the night! Unacceptable.
(3)