Sammy’s Gourmet

Concur with the others — the «Taste of Lebanon» counter-​within-​a-​deli is superb — DELICIOUS food made by the nicest man with pride and care. Best shawarma sandwich I’ve had in a looooong while (zippy with pink pickled turnips and lemony sumac) Go!

Best coffee in NYC! I love this place and I come here everyday to get my delicious coffee. The bagels and cupcakes as well as the sandwiches are also great. The price is reasonable and for Madison Ave very cheap. You should try this place, you won’t find better coffee.

The Lebanese food section is hands down the best middle eastern food I have ever had. I am also a tough customer because I have family in the middle east and this food could not be better. The chef, Mohammed, is also super nice and remembers all my orders. This place is outstanding and I cannot recommend it more. The wraps are incredible and the baklava is amazing! Such a hidden gem!

The Lebanese food section of Sammy’s is a delicious relief from the neighboring chain eateries near Mount Sinai. The food is fresh, packed with flavor, and clearly made with love. I’ve had beef shawarma and chicken shawarma sandwiches and they were both stellar. All the magic comes from the man who prepares the food. He’s so warm and friendly and puts his heart and soul into the dishes he prepares. He’s very proud of his dishes and you can taste it! The prices are also great. It doesn’t get any better than $ 5.95 for an authentic and fresh Lebanese sandwich.
This place is definitely a diamond in the rough!

The Middle Eastern food is some of the best food I have ever had in my life. Wow.

So this 5 star rating is for their lebanese food basically. I tried the shawarma (heavenly), the hummus, babaghanouj and tabouleh… And it tastes like I am back to Beirut! My friend tried the falafel and said it’s one of the best ever.
The owner is super nice.
They stop their lebanese corner at 5 or 6 so you better hurry!

I had the sushi here today — it was pretty good.
Has anyone tried the $ 15 all you can eat sushi menu on Thursdays?

Just look at my photos, come in, check out the menu, sit down and enjoy. You’ll know why I gave them five stars!
I’ve never had a problem at Sammy’s. Feels like home and all the same employees for years. They know your face and what you like.
They use the best deli meat and give you a hearty meal for the price.
You’re in an atmosphere frequented by the medical profession. It’s close to Mt. Sinai Hospital. No need to worry if you start to choke (because your enjoying your food too quickly) someone may save you!
I know you’ll be coming. Tell Sammy I said Hi. He’s always behind the counter.

I will start by saying that I frequent Sammy’s because it is across the street from my apartment. The coffee is not great, actually its pretty bad. Usually I just get a mediocre bagel and go to Dunkin across the street for coffee. The quality is lacking, but in a pinch or out of laziness, I will go.

Pretty typical deli in all respects. Everything I’ve ever had from them has been moderately good — nothing has ever really disappointed me or impressed me. I generally lean towards getting the balsamic chicken wrap — it’s about two chicken breasts wrapped along with some fresh mozzarella and sundried tomatoes and a few leaves of basil. My experience with this wrap is representative of my experience at Sammy’s in general — it’s an OK sandwich, but I just keep thinking it could be SO MUCH BETTER; add a perceptible amount of dressing and find another topping than tomato-​flavored leather! They’ve recently started serving sandwiches and wraps with hummus, which are really quite good — but make sure you specify that you want vegetables with the sandwich, as apparently «roast beef with hummus» is taken ultra-​literally.
Prices are reasonable — about $ 6-​$ 7 for a large sandwich. Non-​sandwich offerings consists of some bad-​for-​you treats (cookies, candy, etc), a very sad-​looking salad bar, and a frozen yogurt machine that hasn’t once been running in the two years I’ve been visiting Sammy’s. The drinks they keep in the cooler are never quite cold enough, either — I’d recommend picking up a drink elsewhere. Their bagels in the morning are the by far the best in the neighborhood, but it’s not like there’s much competition. The sandwich guys are pretty friendly, and Sammy himself holds court by the cash register.
Three stars — it’s a pretty run-​of-​the-​mill sandwich shop, but they’re definitely the best choice for a typical deli sandwich within a few blocks. More inventive sandwiches (in much smaller portions) can be had at Champignon, but stick with Sammy’s for basics. It’s a fine, cheap lunch that many people in the area simply ignore, since it fades into the neighborhood background between bodegas. Sammy’s deserves to be incorporated into the typical lunch rotation — it’s nothing special, but they’re fine at what they do.

Yet another standard NYC deli. This was my go-​to breakfast place while I was studying for one of the most absurd tests of my life. Almost every morning for two months, I’d come here for a bagel before heading to the library. The bagels are decent, cheap, and better than most of the other places around, with a good variety and variety of cream cheese and spreads. I’ve only had a couple of the deli sandwiches for lunch, but they’re arguably the best around. They have all the other NYC deli standards too: mediocre coffee, generic baked goods, etc.
Service is kind of rough, as Sammy (the bald guy) just wants to get your order and get traffic flowing, so know what you want before you get in line and don’t waste time. Sammy is known to do a 180 on you if for whatever reason you rub him the wrong way. I really have no idea how to predict this. He’s pretty friendly with me, since I used to show up at the buttcrack of dawn when it was slow, and he remembered me even after I didn’t go for a few months! So, if you’re looking for decent, relatively cheap food while in the area, Sammy’s isn’t exceptional but it’s a safe best.

This is the best deli on the upper east side. They make really good sandwiches that will fill your belly at 1 amazing price. As for breakfast, the bagels are great and there coffee is one of the best I have ever had. I prefer there double cappuccino sprinkled with chocolate. They also have pretty good pastries. I totally recommend this spot to anyone in the area.

It’s not much to look at, but this counter-​service deli makes a mean sandwich. The turkey was sliced thin, the havarti was fresh, the lettuce and hot peppers gave it a great zip, and the soft, chewy hero was the perfect backdrop. There is some seating, but you will be listening to the hum of the coolers while you eat. This isn’t really a place you want to camp out in for very long, but for reasonably-​priced, well-​made belly-​filling sandwiches, you’ll be hard-​pressed to find better on this stretch of Madison.