Henry Winkler Says This Century-Old NYC Deli Serves The Best Pastrami In America

When it comes to celebrity food endorsements, few carry the charm that the sweet and beloved Henry Winkler brings to the table. Although not explicitly in the food industry, somehow, he just comes across as someone we can trust. Born in Manhattan to German Jewish immigrants who escaped the Holocaust, Winkler has deep roots in New York City — and in the food traditions that come with it. And part of that tradition has been kept alive at Katz's Delicatessen. So when the Emmy Award-winning actor behind one (and a couple more) of television's most beloved characters took to X to declare his verdict on the American pastrami scene, the food world took notice, although the location wasn't a surprise. "OMG KATZ' DELI on Houston Street is the best Pastrami in America," he posted — no hedging, no qualifiers, just pure deli enthusiasm from a man who knows his city.

And Winkler isn't alone in that conviction. He joins a long line of legends who have made the pilgrimage to the famous deli,  from Anthony Bourdain, who once said, "You think New York, you think pastrami, you think Katz's," to Andrew Zimmern, who also made clear his love for his favorite deli sandwich. Quite simply, it's impossible to think of the old-school New York deli without thinking of Katz's. Sure, pastrami can be expensive, and there might just be a secret ingredient in New York's famous pastrami sandwiches that sets them apart from the usual. But the price tag for a Katz's pastrami sandwich, currently at just under 30 bucks, while quite high, is well worth it for those thick, peppery, salty slices that you can't get anywhere else, and a single sandwich can easily feed two.

The story of Katz's Delicatessen is a story of New York itself. What would become Katz's Deli first opened in 1888 on the Lower East Side of New York by the Iceland brothers, until a new co-owner, Willy Katz, arrived in 1903, and they changed the name to Iceland & Katz. Then, a cousin of Willy joined the company in 1910, helping to buy out the Icelands to officially name the restaurant Katz's Delicatessen. Katz's moved across the street soon after, where it still remains at 205 East Houston Street. Through every decade of change that reshaped the neighborhood around it, Katz's commitment to quality never wavered — and that commitment is most visible in how the pastrami is made.

The finished product can take almost a month to create. The meat is pickled in Katz's "secret brine solution" for three weeks, then a rub is applied, and it is smoked for three days before boiling in the kitchen for a few hours. Aside from this intensive (crazy?) process, what makes Katz's pastrami a true beauty is the cut — always by hand, and always a heaping portion on the sandwich. If you've never had a bit or bellyful of Katz's pastrami, it's hard to get across the melt-in-your-mouth, super tender texture, delicious (but not greasy) fat content, and incredible brined flavor. And when you go, you should probably get an extra pickle because even Henry Winkler might agree that they're just about the best in the biz.