Local deli for the older kids from the 'hood. Empty during the day.........this is a pricey spot with food that is "Old School" and not in a good way. I had a borscht with sour cream and boiled potatoes- $6 Spinach- potato knish- $5 Watery canned beets borsht, sort of souless Kinish was heated in microwave and also flavorless Friendly locals talk to you like nice older lady who sat with me...Foodwise this spot is obsolete. read more

It's fine. Its RIDICULOUSLY over priced and the food is good. Just good. But its great having a jewish deli in the neighborhood

Best soup, tuna salad and latkes on the UES! Also, the adorable owner who greets you and brings you soup is the absolute best, so sweet.

Great pastrami sandwich served quickly at the counter right at the mid day lunch peak. Friendly. Clean bathrooms. Right next to Trump Plaza if you need some photos to infuriate your Facebook friends. read more

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Great dogs Good Kenisha's Don't care attitude And Fantastic in store service Lousy delivery No noddles or anything in soup Orders never close to right read more

Was walking by and decided to stop in for a pastrami sandwich. I have been eating pastrami for nearly 50 years so my standards are pretty high. I had not heard about Bernstein's so expectations were low but I was blown away. The pastrami was melt in your mouth, much better than Pastrami Queen and at least as good as 2nd Avenue Deli. Sandwich wasn't as big as those other two but more than large enough, just not the Instagram event type sandwich. I also loved the potato pancake (latka). It was really crispy and served with more than enough sour cream. The waitress was also great. I had trouble using their wifi so she actually took my phone and connected. Overall, great experience. read more

Rudest customer service. Much better to order from 2nd avenue deli. Messed up two deliveries - thought first was a fluke. Never ordering from there again. read more

I've been eating at P.J. Bernstein for 25 years, for the most part I order in. The man who answers the phone with an accent who I believe is the host and the manager as well is the most condescending rude jerkoff I've literally ever come across. It kills me to give them my money strictly because of him. How this dude can still be there is beyond me, he was a douchebag from day 1!!! read more

First off this is no diner. Second, they don't have too many prices listed or even menu options listed. I asked about breakfast sandwiches. They had no turkey or beef bacon or beef sausage. So I ordered bacon and egg on a roll. Notice I said egg. NOT EGGS as in two. I didn't ask for cheese, nor did I get cheese. When my order was cooked it was wrapped in foil. The cashier had to clarify twice what was wrapped in the foil so he could charge correctly.I herd the cook tell him twice but maybe the cashier didn't hear. $6.95 + $.62 tax =$7.57 read more

PJ Bernstein - receipt for breakfast - Delis Near Me - New York, New York

I was a patient at Mt Sinai Hospital for several weeks. Upon getting released from my hospital stay, as a token of appreciation to my hospital caregivers, I sent a deli platter from Bernstein's, the geographically closest deli, to the unit. I have no idea what happened, good, bad, neutral, who knows. I asked a caregiver if they remember receiving a deli platter and they said "yes" with no further elaboration. I thought Bernstein's did not frequently deliver platters to Mt Sinai Hospital and appeared to be very confused about how to deliver there. There were multiple last minute phone calls at the scheduled delivery time. I would not send a platter from Bernstein's deli to Mt Sinai Hospital again. The initial telephone contact and payment were handled well, but the delivery part is a mystery. I hope my platter was delivered correctly and will never know. read more

I have been a regular at PJ Berstein for quite some time now as it is by far the best deli on the Upper East side. You will not find many delis that are nearly as high quality anywhere in the city, and everyone knows how much of a NYC staple they are. Everything I have ordered thus far has been well above my expectations. If I were to recommend one item on their menu the Matzoh Ball soup is the best I have ever had and very possibly the best soup in NYC. Not only is the food spectacular but the staff have always been extremely kind and attentive to my needs. I recently got into an accident and when the staff found out they started sending me my favorite soup while I was in recovery. These acts of kindness blew me away. Everyone needs a spot like PJ Bernstein in their lives. read more

PJ Bernstein's is a great neighborhood Jewish deli. I was in the area and actually looking for something exactly like this place, and it held up to expectations. The corned beef and swiss sandwhich I ordered was stacked tall on fresh rye bread and the pickle on the side was the perfect compliment. The owner/ manager of this place was very friendly and accomodating and let me sit down to eat my sandwhich after making the mistake of ordering my food to go. Though I have only been into this deli 1 time, it was worth my time to write a review and I will certainly go back in when I am in the area. read more

PJ Bernstein - corned beef.swiss.rye.mustard - Delis Near Me - New York, New York

Rude and unpleasant. Delivery is 30 minutes late and they can't even tell you what's going on. Avoid this place

i thought i gave this place 5 stars....i made a mistake its hot 4 stars...it's 5!!!! nothing comes close...go there and thank me later.

The only "real" Jewish deli left on the Upper East Side. Excellent pastrami, matzo ball chicken soup, breakfast all day, coleslaw, potato salad, pickles & much much more. Plus...Great service from Roseanna. read more

Probably one of the best soups I've ever had!!! The Triple Delight was absolutely to die for. The bagel and lox was delicious too. Warm friendly service and owner, Mr. Bernstein is a gem. You will not find better matza ball soup anywhere! read more

PJ Bernstein - Delis Near Me - New York, New York

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Have only 1 thing to say WOW food Wonderful So stop on by and give it a try You won't like the outside but the food is marvelous

I don't know what the rating was when we popped in last week. The place seemed clean. The foods in the case looked good. We had a Dr Brownd diet cream and Rice Pudding. The rice pudding was the best ever. Not to sweet,not a heavy cinnamon taste and very creamy. Hopefully they have all their issues worked out. Everyone was very friendly. read more

The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, a true hive mind mentality. The meat from this deli is phenomenal. A bit crowded during busy hours, but still comfortable. Really feels like an authentic NYC experience, lots of older people being chummy and amazing potato pancakes! read more

Perfect NYC deli! Cold day walking through NY. This is a lace was perfect. The 1/2 soup 1/2 sandwich special was great. The soups were wonderful, the sandwich delicious. The service was fantastic. Great place. read more

Ordered take-out from here and it was so perfect! Just what i craved! A delicious deli sandwich and some home-made chicken soup. I love a good jewish spot especially since there are so few around. There is a reason why this place has been around for so many years- authentic and delicious food, excellent service and food made fast! Highly recommend read more

Well, using their very detailed ordering process I guess that they can't read because they got a lot wrong. Salad had no dressing and no utensils (difficult to eat on a picnic). And no mayo on the sandwich....at $18+ per sandwich, they should get it right. read more

This place is just plain bad, and pricey! Grandma's Chicken Soup consists of lots of salt, water, chicken, and optional noodles! No carrot, celery, onion, herb, or anything else that might resemble Grandma's. Not good. I also experienced a square potato knish prepared by marinating in oil rather than frying. Soggy, though the middle stayed kinda cold and firm. I've given this place a couple tries, because I'd love to have a great deli up the block. I can say with certainty, this definitely is not. read more

Best whitefish salad EVER!!! Thank you Steve!!! Also best chicken liver Pate! Perfect carry out for Shabbat dinner!! Thank you!

Lovely place to eat! Our server was very kind and fun. The food was super tasty w a bunch of options. I would recommend someone looking for a deli to eat at however it is still a bit pricey read more

Went to Bernstein's for pastrami sandwich with my son. Sandwich was $17.95. With a 7up. Asked to log into their WiFi and was refused. These days that's just a common courtesy. read more

Today I bought a pound of pastrami, 1/2 a pound each of coleslaw, potato salad, chopped liver and beet salad. A quart of matzoh ball soup. 90 dollars - the guy helping me asked if I needed utensils I said no thanks just some mustard, Russian dressing and pickles . He tells me I'll have to pay extra for the pickles - I don't care if the food is decent to good ( the pastrami is good enough, everything else mediocre ) - what a stingy greedy way to treat customers - squeezing every penny out of someone who just overpaid for food to begin with. What a bad taste that leaves in my mouth- so many other better places to go where they know how to treat their customers well - I see below the owner responded to other people's reviews by saying anything for our customers - yeah sure anything you can tack on another dime for - Disgusting business model JP Bernstein - I'll be buying my Pastrami and Deli some where else from now on !!! And telling everyone I know that they should do the same! Just below my review the owner is thanking someone for leaving a nice review and offering him A cup of soup on the house - but yet I have to pay for a pickle - unbelievable Please don't patronize me by trying to explain your a la carte menu "aka" rip off tactics, include "pickles" So ridiculous and absolutely cheap, crass and classless to ask a customer who purchased 90 dollars worth of food to "pay" for a pickle - it's the principal of the matter sir! And it's your lack of understanding in how to go about treating customers fairly that speaks eons over any claims of how good your food may or may not be... I've gone to every deli in NYC, Flakowitz in Delray Florida,Harolds in New Jersey where they charge 50 dollars for a sandwich - but no matter what you order they have a free pickle and vegetable bar and it's also included in take out! I can name dozens of places other then your establishment that also charge astronomical prices (which I'm happy to over pay when I'm in the mood for Jewish Deli) but they are smart enough not to haggle or handel customers over a pickle !!! HOWEVER after I've paid my bill and the guy helping me tells me that if I want a few pickles I'm going to have pay again ?!?! - seriously ?!?! Guess what - you saved yourself the cost of giving me the couple of pickles I wanted - guess that savings was worth losing a customer who walks in off the street on a whim to buy a little pastrami to take home and instead buys 90 dollars worth of food Good luck with your penny wise and pound foolish mentality ! I see many other reviews on here where people feel the same. Glad to know I am in good company. Have a great day ! Oh and by the way, I stopped and bought my own pickles somewhere else, they were delicious! Add a photo read more

My girlfriend and I were in town over a weekend and picked this place to experience the joys of good food from a Jewish deli. We both agree that this was our most memorable dining experience of the trip. One of the managers at the store highly recommended the Kreplach soup, homemade just then. Neither one of us had ever heard of it, but we both decided to take his advice. Good decision. The small dumplings were heavenly - thin shells with spiced meat inside. The noodles were perfectly cooked - al dente. The broth was delicious. It blew us away. My girlfriend had the Reuben, which was an open-faced version. I had a half pastrami sandwich. Both were served on warm, soft rye bread, and both came with two varieties of pickle. My pastrami was so very tender and warm and flavorful. I could have eaten twice or three times the portion out of sheer desire. My girlfriend also loved here Reuben, though the open-faced format threw her a bit. We ended with the seven-layer chocolate cake - again, delicious! On top of the great food, we encountered so many friendly people there. The owner insisted that he refill my girlfriend's bowl with soup when he saw how much she was enjoying it. We had laughs with our waitress. Our visit made our day. We would have gone back if we'd found the time. Next visit for sure. read more

There are the fashionable or well known restaurants on the Upper East Side and than there are the ones below the radar screen which might have been fashionable or a place to go several decades ago. Going into PJ Bernstein on Third Avenue is indeed taking a step or two back in time. The walls are adorned with photographs of celebs from another era with personalized signatures if you can figure out who it is. The clientele are older than most in the UES and it seems to be a haven for those who love Dr Browns or extra schmaltz on the chopped liver. For lunch or dinner you can order a large turkey leg like when you were a kid along with a huge potato latke and know it's the best of any deli or diner in the big apple or a fabulous corned beef on rye. I have been in for brunch several times and found their thickly sliced and sweet challah french toast perfectly cooked each time served with real maple syrup at no extra charge; skip the pancakes. Finally, the prices are very modest for an excellent deli that serves up large portions with a great down to earth staff that wants to please you in every which way. read more

Starting off, I really needed to use the bathroom. This place was on my way to my final destination, and honestly I had some time to kill. I came in, they checked my vax card (which is cool), and they got me a seat right away. The two stars are honestly for the fact that my server was really really nice, as well as the gentleman that served my food. The menu looks like they have so much to offer, but in reality they're just different meats and cheeses on sandwich. I ordered a coffee, really watered down. It was like hot water with like 3 coffee beans, but cream helped it out a bit. I then ordered what was I think the "italian" special, which featured pastrami, salami, and some other meat. Which is a big problem, because im pretty sure the last meat was bologna. The sandwich arrived in about 10 minutes, and it was really thick, but like really thick. It had like 1 slice of cheese, and it was cold. It was biting into a cold hot dog, but a really thick hot dog. Barely any flavor, and the mustard didn't do it much justice either. This was a solid place, but if this is what a traditional delicatessen is supposed to be, I'm not impressed. 2 stars for the service. read more

All good no matter what mood you are in, So I went for breakfast. Great potato home fries; side of smoked salmon and eggs. I liked the coffee and the service is friendly. read more

The food is fine but very expensive. The servers behind the counter are very disorganized. How do you get a hot dog order wrong?

Fantastic soups! Wonderful sandwiches! I miss not dining indoors where everyone is so friendly, but delivery is second best. Bernstein is our main deli go-to. Tip: they make an incredible tuna melt! read more

Awful service, ordered delivery and the food came late and inedible. Beef stew had splashed open in the bag and was disgusting, pancakes were burnt to a crisp. Would not recommend anyone order from here unless you're ready to spend an evening hungry and waiting. It's possible that this is an isolated incident, but I wouldn't risk it if I had seen this before ordering. Both the food and the service from PJ Bernstein are garbage. read more

PJ Bernstein - Burnt apple pancakes, completely inedible. - Delis Near Me - New York, New York

Great pastrami , the best matza ball soup, and chopped liver to die for. Surprised the reviews aren't perfect. Comfortable dining on a raining night read more

Wasn't feeling up to snuff so looked for a place near me to get chicken soup. A pint was $8.50 which seemed steep. Then I got home and ate it. Loaded with tender chunks of chicken and lots of noodles. Absolutely delicious. read more

The food is amazing, I have walked by this deli several times, and always heard good things, but i was still suprised at how great the matzah ball soup was. I also had the salmon which was phenominal. there is a long history in my family of enjoying great Jewish Deli's, and this is going to be a frequent dining spot! read more

Overpriced bad food. Used to be decent...new owners raised prices and cut the quality. They have their regulars but don't waste your dough. The demise is indicative of the current sad state of Jewish delis in NYC. I get it that between the gouging landlords, the corrupt restaurant inspectors,and the outrageous minimum wage requirements for unskilled kitchen help, the grasping politicians will eventually put most medium priced restaurants out of business. You can see the trends today. But that is no excuse for poor management! read more

Never, ever again. Been going to Bernstein's off & on since the 70's. I understand ownership has changed recently. Food is fine, but not that good. Servers are pleasant and were present until we were trying to get the check and pay. Place was not busy on a Sunday at @ 3:00 PM. Finally got the check. There was a charge under the tax line that was the equivalent of 3% of the subtotal listed as 'CC Charge'. After no one came to collect my payment, I walked to the front with my guests to pay. I asked the man who greeted and seated us in a pleasant manner if I could pay and questioned the 'CC Charge'. I was told it was a credit card charge. When I asked why they would think I would want to use a credit card vs cash since nobody asked, he became rude and belligerent; told me he already explained it was a credit card charge and never answered my question. Told me it was posted on the wall. Didn't want to get into a big thing. I was tempted to just pay in cash to see how they would handle it, but just decided to pay with a credit card and leave. BEWARE and check your bill. read more

I love, love, love it here. The food is excellent and the burgers are much nicer than other neighborhood places like JG Mellon etc. What's more, the staff are very sweet and helpful and I always feel welcome and well served here. read more