A Sandwich a Day: Pastrami at Pastrami Queen

In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Craig Cavallo]

Is Pastrami Queen the Upper East Side's best option for a pastrami sandwich? It's been turning out a fine rendition ($17) on 78th and Lexington since 1995.

The passive rye bread does little to interfere with (or boost) the flavor of the tender, fatty, subtly smoky meat, which is less salty than most pastrami. The meat is cured and smoked offsite—as is the case with almost all New York delis—then steamed for four hours until it's fall-apart tender. It's a more than satisfying sandwich even if it doesn't rank with Katz's.

We'd go much farther than 78th and Lex for a pastrami sandwich, but the price tag here has us wondering: Is this the best pastrami on the Upper East Side, and how much are you wiling to pay for one?

Pastrami Queen

1125 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10075 (map) 212-734-1500
pastramiqueen.com

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