Barney Greengrass

It seems most of the reviewers were not prepared for what Barney Greengrass is. It is not a deli for pastrami and corned beef, although they are available. It is simply the best appetizing restaurant in New York.Its specialties are smoked salmon, sturgeon, lox, white fish, and of course chopped liver, as well as all the things that accompany them - cheese, bagels, bialys, onions, eggs, tomatoes. If you order these items you will never be disappointed. The fresh squeezed orange juice is also great.

I've been told for years that this was the place for classic NY Kosher food. I had a pastrami and my friend had the corned beef. The pastrami was ok, but not what I was expecting. They slice their meet a bit thick, which I don't like and the quality is just so so. It's not up to the quality of the top delis in NY. Same for the CB. I thought the price was actually reasonable, but I didn't try the smoked salmon, which most seem to think is overpriced. I'm going to give that a shot just to see if it's as good as Zabars'.

Ignore the rude service, which is only slightly harder to swallow than the huge bill. This is a fantastic place for a leisurely breakfast. If you can, come during the week when the crowds aren?t so tough. When you get there, order the nova eggs and onions (the lox eggs and onions is too salty), but be sure to ask for fresh onions, not the caramelized ones, which are too sweet and lack the crunchy texture of the fresh ones. The nova platter is also fantastic. Though expensive, the soft, almost buttery salmon is clean tasting and delicious. I personally like the bialys more than bagels, but the nova goes well with both. And any meal here would not be complete without the chopped liver. It is hands down the best in the city. Slightly sweet and impossibly creamy, it comes with finely chopped eggs and goes great on a piece of rye. (Only Nate & Al's in LA has better chopped liver). The orange juice is fresh and delicious, but for 6 bucks, I think water will do just fine. Bring the New York Times and you are in for a treat.

I mean this place is expensive. But the food is pretty good - matzo ball soup is fantastic. We've been here twice, but I'm not really certain why. If you have to go there, it's no big deal. I suppose it is worth a try.

The smoked salmon at Barney Greengrass is both the most delicious and most expensive salmon I've ever had. I now buy it only on special occasions, and even then, only one sandwich worth. I'm also not a lover of the waiters who feel obligated to provide me with the whole rude New York deli schtick (and I've lived in NYC my whole life -- you'd think I'd get used to it), but the counter service for takeout is pretty good. The salmon is definitely worth tasting, but you can't afford to order a pound of it unless you're Dick Cheney or Theresa Heinz Kerry. Closed Mondays.

This restaurant has fabulous fresh H&H bagels but they are overpriced on the lox.

Yeah, yeah, I know what they say about this place, but I couldnt help but feel slightly taken when I ordered my first delivery. Very simple....pastrami on rye, matzoh ball soup and an OJ. I was told on the phone that they prefer larger orders and when my low priority lunch finally arrived it was $19.31. Could've lived with it, but the pastrami was far from lean, and, I now know that chicken fat and water dont mix.