E & I Deli & Grocery

As many others noted, this is one of the few decent delis in the area. Food quality and selection is fine (unremarkable), but I’m writing a review to complain about their customer service. I frequent this deli because it’s conveniently located. I went in with my 2-​year old, stood on a long line to order sandwiches, and while I was waiting, I let my daughter walk around but was, of course, keeping an eye on her. She walked to the fruits by the cash registers and I watched as she picked up and put down oranges. She wasn’t poking or throwing, just picking up and putting them down. I heard a lady cashier asking her «where is your mommy?» My daughter looked up and came back to me. Then I overhear the same lady telling the other cashier in Korean in an irritated voice, «See? Not all kids are cute and well mannered. Because the parents didn’t properly teach their own kids, strangers have to teach them.» In Korean, she used some pretty harsh language to express this. I don’t care if people don’t think my daughter is cute, but don’t say she wasn’t properly taught manners. If she was doing something inappropriate, I’d be the first to tell her to stop. She was simply picking up oranges and I know her well enough to know she will not throw them or do any damage. I had my eye on her the entire time. LIC is full of families with young kids. I wonder how many other customers (and their kids) these workers are saying nasty things about without them even realizing. Simply terrible!

Not your average deli food
E & I Deli has great fresh salads, cheap and delicious burgers, sandwiches, and rice bowls. The lunch specials are usually on point as well. Being one of the 3 places around where you can get a meal for under $ 10, E&I is a staple. I have eaten there 3+ times per week for a year with no regrets. Highly recommended, even for those wary of deli food.

Phily cheese steak only deserves 2stars but chicken cutlet is a 4 star! For years I enjoyed chicken cutlet and yesterday I just realized «why needs to remain a tradition» by ordering a Philly cheese steak hero: tasteless.
11÷4÷2015, I just discover they have fish sandwich! It is so so sooooooo great!!! Fresh crispy hero, lobster taste like flounder freshly fried with lettuce n tomato, so crunchy the hell! So yummyyyyyy… Heaven in my mouth! A best $ 5.95 fish hero ever. Dare any one can beat it in its flavor and value in NY!
I am going back right now to get one more. My weight scale won’t be happy.
11÷5÷2015, again yes again, 7 stars for my fish wrap and fish sandwich (fish lover on the menu. $ 5.95). I can give up any food for this.

Fairly decent selection. Counter help has the personality and English skills of wallpaper. 10 dollar minimum debit/​CC purchase for a grill? No thanks. Butcher next door or diner across the street much friendlier.

Love love love this place
Great sandwiches delivered to your door in a snap
And here is the shocker they do not gouge you like most every other business in this so called neighborhood
Moving soon this is one place I will miss

I just walked in to order a breakfast sandwich, I am the only person in line, and someone walks in after me. The guy behind the counter proceeds to give my sandwich to the guy behind me in line and tells me «that’s not your sand which «even after I heard the guy order it 5 minutes after me: sketchy place

Impolite Staff. Especially the women.
Their stuff is often stale. I’ve picked up vegetables, fruit and even ham that was bad.

Three stars says «A-​OK» on Unilocal,and that’s exactly how I feel about E&I. It’s close to where I work, which is really the only reason I’m ever here, but it’s a pretty handy little shop to have around. I get bagels or a sandwich here every few weeks, and I have to say, for the price, it’s pretty great. $ 1.50 for a bagel with cream cheese, and under $ 6 for a chicken caesar wrap or chicken salad sandwich. I’m on board. But, it’s really nothing special. Quality is just fine, and the staff is neither rude nor friendly — they’re kind of just there.
Do be warned, like a lot of little delis, their packaged food is totally overpriced. I would never do my weekly shopping here, or really buy anything that I could get at a market instead. But for a quick lunch on the go, or a last-​minute snack, they’re just fine.

Subpar but Convenient, it actually looks kinda dirty but again it’s Convenient and serves its purpose.

Close to the 7 train, so easy to get to after work. Clean and staff is usually helpful.
They have a lot of the products that can hold you over till you go to a larger supermarket. Prices are higher obviously because it is a small business.
Dropped them down a star because you need a $ 10 minimum to use your credit card. Sometimes if I just have to grab one thing, it’s a pain and thus run down to the key food.

Overpriced, rude and watch what they charge you! They make up the prices and add extra to it! They always deliver the wrong items and then say they don’t have have it in stock so they don’t fix the problem. Will somebody please open up a new deli where they are honest and friendly !

The owner is rude, does not know the meaning of customer service. I wanted a salad at 11:45am and the owner said ’ no! salad 11am not now” when all the salad ingredients were ready. I go next door now, they go out of their way for customer.

I am a vegetarian and I use to like this Deli for their salads. I thought the salad bar was great and the price was amazing. One day I decide to try one of their sandwiches and on occasions I eat fish so why not. I order a fish sandwich with L & T on a roll. The person working the grill decide not to tell me they were out of fish and just decide to serve me chicken. Once I bit into the sandwich I realize that they had given me something I didn’t order, I will definitely never return to this place not even to purchase water.

every time I place and order for delivery they do not sell something that they have been ordering for ever. Just say you don’t have something today not we don’t sell that; On numerous occasions the delivery order arrived nothing like the repeated order was given to this company and if they forget something its like is your fault even after the order was placed. continuously changing prices of item. I have tried to be the bigger person but to spend my money at this place is just to much and i refused to do it again.

I love Long Island City but cannot wait until a better deli opens. Used to stop here a lot but the people are never friendly so just avoid it unless it’s my last resort.

I haven’t tried the sandwiches here but grocery shop here from time to time. The only thing this place has going is the lack of supermarkets in the Hunters Point area and the convenience of being near the Vernon-​Jackson station.
It’s good to just pop in and get a few things on the go, but the produce is too often on its way out. Also they don’t provide you with an itemized receipt and ring everything in at the blink of an eye, so you can’t be totally certain they haven’t charged something incorrectly. I would just be mindful if you’re buying many items here.

Because I have no other choice, I do pay the exorbitant amount and shop at this deli more often than I’d like — the selections are fine and it’s definitely convenient since it’s so close to where I live. But I’ve been recently very disappointed with the quality of produce that’s been available.
Just yesterday I purchased a bag of cuties clementines for $ 7.99, but I had to discard half the bag because the clementines are obviously hella old and they really shouldn’t have been on the shelf to begin with. They looked innocuous from the outside but the owners should’ve known better (they probably did, but didn’t care). I’m willing to pay the price for convenience, but I hate the idea of being ripped off. Pls try harder.

E&I is my favorite deli in Long Island City. Its proximity to the 7 train makes it super convenient, but they don’t take advantage of that and stiff on the quality. The store is well kept: there’s always fresh flowers outside and produce inside.
I pick up a tub of tuna salad on the regular, and when I’ve had a late night out, the sandwiches they make here ²⁴⁄₇ are awesome. Any burger or grilled chicken sandwich is worth it.
Bonus: you can get a decent selection of asian seasonings and groceries here (don’t expect Mitsuwa stock, but it’s a good amount for the size of the store).

Best deli in the area. They have a great variety of selection. The reason why I give this place so many stars is because of their consistency and reliability. You will never be surprised by their service. They are always open, rain or shine. They were even open during the blizzards and during hurricane sandy. Their sandwiches and salads are great.
DO NOT GET THEIR COFFEE tho.

Great local deli with just enough grocery supplies to get by at NYC reasonable prices.
I feel like E&I is the perfect Top Chef-​type challenge — you can find all the basic items you need to make all sorts of meals, sans proteins. Living two blocks away, it’s the perfect stop when I need black beans, parmesan cheese, shallots, or canned pineapple. Prices are reasonable too — often only 10−20% higher than the Stop & Shop, which is definitely worthwhile for the convenience.
Solid selection too — refrigerated Udon noodles sits amidst a wide swath of veggies. Decent beer selection in the back too.
The sandwiches are pretty solid too, have only gotten them once.
Open superlate, reasonable prices, good flowers, good selection, and superclose to where i live. Good enough for me!