People divided over $29 'tourist trap' sandwich as it goes viral
Topics: Food and Drink
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: Katz's Deli
Topics: Food and Drink
A lot of people would be willing to splash a fair bit of cash for a good sandwich, which can be so much more than the sum of its parts.
From the bread right through to the condiments, there are important choices at every step.
Some people’s idea of heaven is a subway roll bursting at the seams with sliced meat, salad, pickles and sauce, while others prefer to keep it simple with a classic combo like ham and cheese.
Then there’s the ever-divisive egg mayonnaise, the sight of which can turn a stomach as easily as it leaves one rumbling.
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In New York, there’s one place that has become famous after mastering the art of the sandwich – although it comes at a price.
“The $27 pastrami sandwich from Katz’s Deli, New York City,” a recent tweet said - yes, that is the place from THAT scene in When Harry Met Sally, and yes, the price is actually higher than the tweet's figure.
“The incredibly flavorful meat is carved right when you order it and the sandwich is pretty big.”
Naturally, many people weren’t sold, with one commenting: “$27 for a pastrami sandwich? I don’t care how big it is.”
Someone else wrote: “My goodness gracious!”
A third added: “$27? That pastrami better whisper sweet nothings in my ear.”
According to the Katz’s Deli website, the famous pastrami sandwich actually now costs $28.95, with optional extras.
If you want lean cuts of meat, that’ll cost you a further $3 (and if you’re after ‘extra lean aka dry’, that’s $5).
Changing deli rye bread to club bread tacks on an additional $1, while there are also toppings like Swiss cheese ($1), sauerkraut ($1) and tomato ($0.60).
Condiments are free, although Katz’s warns: "Ask for mayo at your own peril.”
In 2023, it reportedly cost $27.45, which was up $1.50 from the year before.
Over on Katz’s Instagram page, where there are regular videos of sandwiches in construction, others were equally stunned.
One person wrote: “This place is a tourist trap. You have to spend an hour to get a $30 sandwich. No thank you even though it’s delicious.”
Someone else said: “Is that how you justify 30$ price of a sandwich?”
Another commented: “If this is a tourist trap, locals haven’t gotten the message over the last 100 years.”
But the institution has many fans – for a reason.
When the prices went viral (again) a few months back, one Reddit user argued: “Have you had a Katz's sandwich? For what you get, it's a fair price: huge sandwich with at least a pound of some of the best pastrami on the planet, hand sliced, served in Manhattan.”
Another pointed out: “$28 or so for 1/3lb house made pastrami hand cut to order isn’t insane. People just associate delis with super cheap food.”
One other person echoed: "This is enough to feed three people, or two with large appetites. No issue with price. If it’s too much, eat elsewhere."
LADbible Group has reached out to Katz's Deli for comment.