deli Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining

Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

When it comes to my wish-list for restaurants, I definitely had a delicatessen for Raleigh on the list. Lo and behold, I get word that a new Jewish deli has opened up on Davie Street, Reuben’s NY Deli. I’ve had a couple of chances to visit for lunch and I can say for sure that I am glad to have them here in the Oak City. And the crowds at Reuben’s NY Deli makes me think there are a lot of people who agree with me. Read on if you love deli sandwiches piled high and want to know what to expect for your visit to Reuben’s NYC Deli!

Order counter at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

From the outside, Reuben’s NY Deli doesn’t look like much with a plain storefront on this busy block, the Oak City Meatball Shoppe is right next door. Inside you’ll find a simple order counter set-up with white, cartoon font menus hanging overhead. Reuben’s NY Deli has a short menu focused on breakfast, sandwiches and bagels given its 7am to 7pm hours. You’ll find special eats like latkes, knishes, matzoh ball soup, reubens and more; pretty much typical of many Jewish delis but different for Raleigh. With prices in the $5 to $12 range, it’s all pretty affordable at Reuben’s NY Deli!

Brunch menu at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Salad and sandwich menu at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Hot sandwich and breakfast menu at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

As a popular new restaurant, just be careful about trying to pop in between 11:45 and 12:45 during the work week, Reuben’s can get pretty busy for lunch and there will be a line at the counter. I’d recommend the hot sandwiches and particularly its namesake menu item, the reuben. I’ve tried out both the D.D. reuben (turkey, corned beef pastrami) and the Johnny (pastrami). Once you order at the counter, grab your drink and your food will be brought out to you. Note, Reuben’s also has some sidewalk seating which is perfect in nice weather.

Deli meats and soda case at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Seating at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

The dining room is pretty casual with prints and images of New York City on the walls. The addition of Dr. Brown’s root beer and cream soda makes Reuben’s just a bit more authentic given the popularity of those sodas up north. All meats are sliced to order and fresh so it may take a bit of time to get your food. But when it does make it over, wow!

D.D. reuben at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

The Johnny (pastrami) at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Reuben’s uses a thinner, light rye for its bread which is slightly toasted and substantial. And the bread has to be solid given all the meat on their sandwiches! Thinly slice corned beef, pastrami and more are stacked on the bread with some nice melty cheese and shredded sauerkraut on top. It all makes for a wonderful, soft bite with a bit of savory meat, sour and umami from the cheese. The pastrami meat shows off a slight and subtle spice (typically pepper, coriander, mustard, etc) but all the salt is pretty mild which works well for me since I’m very salt-sensitive. Sandwiches are served with house-made potato chips or you can order up some classic potato latkes served with applesauce and sour cream on the side, very traditional.

Service at Reuben’s is efficient and effective but don’t expect that Southern hospitality! Which is fine by me because we’re talking about an authentic NY deli in all its glory. The food here is durn good at Reuben’s and those stuffed sandwiches will keep you smiling with each bite. It’s so nice to have a taste of NYC in downtown Raleigh and we were long overdue. Thanks for the great eats Reuben’s and welcome to the Oak City!

Reuben’s NY Deli

170 E. Davie Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.803.8592

Location on Google maps

Front of Lucky's Delicatessen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Front of Lucky’s Delicatessen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

When you talk about deli sandwiches in the Triangle, you really don’t have a ton of good options. About all we’ve had in the past is Neal’s Deli out in Carrboro but that’s a bit out of the way for most of us. But now you can add one other option to the list, the new Lucky Delicatessen in downtown Durham! Brought to you by the team led by Chef Matt Kelly (Mateo, Mothers & Sons), this corner of W. Chapel Hill Street is slowly being taken over by his cluster of excellent dining choices. Open from 11am to 8pm every day but Sunday, I was able to slide in for a quick lunch recently and was really impressed.

Counter area at Lucky's Delicatessen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Counter area at Lucky’s Delicatessen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

Going into my visit, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. With a short menu offering up 6″ subs at $9.50 and 12″ for $18, I was actually pretty concerned. Prices seemed to reflect the downtown Durham premium pricing and seemed a bit high. But Chef Matt has delivered some really good concepts so I was hopeful! Out front, Lucky’s Delicatessen shows off its old-school roots with a retro neon sign, large pane glass windows and stool seating out front. Stepping inside I see a short line (a good sign) and plenty of staff behind the counter and up front. They’re all decked out in informal “uniforms”, white behind the counter, green t-shirts and darker colors in front and quite a few of the women have head-scarves tying their hair back, very cool! Stamped white metal ceiling along with red hanging lamps above make for a stylish scene. And then the menu overhead in black with press-on white letters along with the large refrigerated cases; it all says throwback and old-school in my book.

Salads and sides at Lucky's Delicatessen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Salads and sides at Lucky’s Delicatessen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

Ok, enough about the decor at Lucky’s Delicatessen cause it’s all about the food, amiright? And given Lucky’s short menu (7 hoagies, 12 sandwiches, salads, hot dogs and soups) it’s not hard to choose. I go with the pastrami sandwich ($12) which to me is a classic deli choice along with some kettle chips. Lucky’s offers up some other classics like matzoh ball soup, lox (smoked salmon) along with chopped liver. I grab my number and head over to the soda-pop case to grab a spicy Blenheims ginger ale for my lunch!

Pastrami sandwich at Lucky's Delicatessen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Pastrami sandwich at Lucky’s Delicatessen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

It takes about 10 – 15 minutes for my sandwich but when it shows up all I can think is that it was worth the wait. Thin, light rye bread wrapped around a thick, dense wall of pastrami and paired up with a tangy dill pickle, yum! Lucky Delicatessen’s pastrami is awesome, very tender with a bit of fat and a light spiced flavor. It may be some of the best pastrami I’ve ever had and while I could eat up the whole sandwich, I exhibit some rare self-control and bring half home with me. And I went home happy and full, there’s something to be said for a good deli sandwich paired with a great ginger ale, eh?

Leaving Lucky’s Delicatessen I was very pleasantly surprised. While the prices ARE a bit high, the portion size and quality of eats here more than makes up for the cost. And they’ve done a great job creating a refreshed version of an old school deli here in Durham. Chef Matt Kelly continues to impress with all his attention to detail and how well his restaurants are run. Given his rapidly expanding restaurant group and his success at running both the front and back of the house, I like to think of him as the Ashley Christensen of Durham which is high praise indeed. So if you’re a fan of deli sandwiches, make that trip out to downtown Durham and enjoy. I’m already trying to figure out what I’m going to eat at visit #2 to Lucky’s Delicatessen

Lucky’s Delicatessen

105 W Chapel Hill Street

Durham, NC 27701

919.864.8841

Location on Google maps

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