Empire Deli

This place… OMG. It’s a little hole in the wall type place, literally. You have to search for it. I attended Douglas J Aveda school and didn’t know about this place until like 2 months in, but I am so glad me and one of my schoolmates found it. It’s so affordable and the subs are sooo good! So much better than these commercial places like Subway. On top of it, the staff are extremely friendly. If you’re new, just ask what they recommend and they’ll tell you. Also, the few times I ate there, I got a discount for going to school downtown. So if you live, work, or go to school downtown, you’ll probably get a discount. Look for the sign across the street from the Tennessee Theater, down a little alley. Don’t worry, it’s safe! They also have great salads and soups!

The people are so nice and helpful!
The last time I went in the server actually remembered my face even though I had only been once.
Clean! Lots of seating and quiet.
I also really like their chicken salad sandwiches.

I love sandwiches so delis make me happy in general. Bread is super important when it comes to a good sand, and I really liked the bread on the little Italy. For Italian hoagies I much prefer prosciutto to ham, but most places don’t do that, so I can’t fault them. It was a good sand and I really like the alley-​way type location.

Most disgusting sandwich I’ve ever had and overpriced. The meat on the sandwich was not fresh like a NY sub and bread was soggy, ended up having to throw the sandwich away. Service was also lacking. I walked in and said hello and the girl at the counter just stared at me, didn’t even say hello back. Will not be going back.

Tried the New York Ruben and the Little Italy Sub. Both were good and reasonably priced (though not cheap), but there are better options in the area. It’s kind of located in an alley way off Gay St. The interior is cute, colorful, and clean, but laid out a little oddly. They’re only open for lunch M-​F and have daily specials.

Empire Deli is situated in an odd place, kind of in an alley way. Walking by it, we missed it the first time, but I’m glad we found it.
With simple décor and set up, the focus is deli sandwiches and salads. The service is pretty quick, the cashiers are friendly, and the place is clean.
But of course, the important part is the food. We each got a sandwich, the Little Italy and the Bloomberg. The Bloomberg is essentially a vegetable sub, but it’s well-​done and pretty solid. The Little Italy is exactly as you’d expect, packed with really great meat, which makes a huge difference.
It’s a bit costly for what you get. I think two sandwiches, two chips, and one coke ran about $ 23. It’s not expensive, but it’s not super cheap either.
Nothing was too spectacular, but it was all very good. Empire Deli is perfect for the area. It’s convenient, well done, and the only deli downtown. If you’re in the area, it’s certainly a great place to check out for lunch.

I like this spot in a hidden little nook off of Gay Street. It is a good lunch option on this end of downtown if you work in or around the court houses or bank buildings and can’t /don’t want to go to the square. The space is clean and simple. There’s usually a daily special of some kind of pasta, otherwise the menu is sandwiches. If you’ve eaten at I Love NY Pizza — these are the same owners and the sandwiches and salads will sound familiar. I usually just create my own sandwich. They have all of the typical offerings in terms of ingredients, and the sandwiches are steamed. I think the price is reasonable for the food, and I prefer their sandwiches to other nearby downtown deli’s such as Lenny’s and Steamboat.

A bit pricey for portion size, but overall tasty and fresh.