Brooklyn Deli

I love this place.
I don’t buy many items here, usually just milk, lottery tickets, and the occasional sandwich. The store itself is pretty small, and it has all the essentials, including a fairly large selection of beers, plus ice creams by the counter at the front.
Their sandwiches are actually delicious and a fantastic deal: their sandwiches are large enough to fill you if you’re very hungry, or large enough to last you two meals if you’re not too hungry[1]. And at $ 6 apiece, they’re one of the best deals you can get along this stretch of Franklin Avenue.
Also, a shout out to all the people who work here: People at the deli counter are super-​fast, the lady at the front is always friendly[2], and like it when they call me «papi». They’re representative of a vibrant, friendly, hard-​working Dominican community that has been living around these blocks of Crown Heights for a couple of generations.
And they’re always open, no matter the weather. A couple of times after a snowstorm they let me borrow their shovel to dig my car out.
Perhaps I’m old fashioned; perhaps I just like these corner delis/​bodegas that add character to a neighborhood, and give you a sense of community if you live nearby. I’ve seen too many little bodegas along Franklin Avenue like this one close down to make room for bagel shops and Verizon stores; let’s hope Brooklyn Deli continues to be what it’s always been.
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[1] I highly recommend the salsalito turkey.
[2] And a real beauty, which always puts me in a good mood any time of the day.

This «Gourmet deli» is our go-​to spot for essentials like $ 2 bottles of Schweppes, and the $ 5 cc minimum is only adhered to by some staffers. Note there are actually 2 corner entrances right near each other, and there’s technically a longer name than this listing.

Grilled sandwiches made to order, best prices in this whole area. tuna fish is always fresh, good selection of breads, whole wheat rolls and toast. Dominican lady at the front is always sweet and friendly. Not alot of these deli’s left. Enjoy them while they last!

Full disclosure– I’ve only ever had the breakfast sandwiches from here.
That said, it is a breakfast sandwich that makes my heart sing. I usually get a bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel. I don’t know where they get their bagels from and the guy that makes the sandwich always pretends not to understand English when I ask, even though we all know that’s a lie because he understands when I ask for a tomato with a little salt and pepper, but whoever their supplier is, it’s a sweet bagel hook up. There’s cheese on either side of the bagel with a mountain of bacon and an egg in between, resulting in this otherworldly good melty bacony cheese monument. It’s not gourmet or fancy by any means, but for a bodega deli it is the jam.
Also, the lady that works the front counter is so dang cheerful early in the morning that I defy you to be cranky when you walk out.

Although I give them points for originality and trying to give you the most for your money, they don’t really know how to make a proper sandwich.
I’ve ordered from here on a few occasions and regardless of what kind of sandwich I order, they’ll always mess it up. Most recently, I ordered a Philly cheese steak with peppers, provolone and no onions. Simple, right? Not really. After I got home, I discovered that what I got was a Philly cheese steak with provolone, peppers, onions, lettuce, tomato, oil, pepper, salt, adobo and mayonnaise.
That’s definitely not a Philly cheese steak. I can accept a mediocre cheese steak, but not a cheese steak inspired product.
The prices are so low that I shouldn’t really complain, but this wouldn’t be the first time they have botched up an order for me. Outside of the grill in back, the rest of the deli is quite nice, with a good selection of food and drinks, and it is well maintained and clean. It’s the chef making the sandwiches that you really have to keep an eye on.