David’s Brisket House

Delicious. Absolutely worth a trip out there. The brisket was so tender and flavorful and the meal was just so simple. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Much better than Katz, especially because it was a good portion. They don’t give you the entire beast, you walk away full yet satisfied, not sick. The inside is very spartanesque but you won’t mind because you’ll be too busy eating the best brisket in New York.

very good sandwich. neighborhood is not pretty. In fact, the inside of this place was dark, and dirty, but the staff is on point and the sandwiches are worth the trip.

AMAZING lunch spot. The brisket on rye is a monster meal that is so damn satisfying. It comes out quick and hot. Plenty of fuel to last you most of the day. If other sandwiches are on par with that, then this place has a lot going for it.
I wouldn’t be super crazy about dining-​in; it’s small, a bit dirty. I mean it’s fine, but pretty unwelcoming. Take it to go if you live in the area.

Nice deli with slow but friendly service. Decent value, byob, quite a diamond in the rough considering the neighborhood.
value ⁴⁄₅
service ⁴⁄₅
location ¹⁄₅
food ⁴⁄₅

The bomb dot com
I briefly lived in this neighborhood, and David’s is one of the the highlights. Pastrami is great but for me it’s all about the corned beef (on rye, with more mayo than I’d admit even to my bff).
Solid every time! The kind of place that you can think about wistfully on the long train ride home from wherever and then be sure to walk away from satisfied, with one sandwich in your belly plus a heavy paper bag for tomorrow (or a *very* lucky roommate).

Ay. This was my fourth time coming to David’s, but I finally got around to providing a review. I tried the brisket, egg, and cheese this go ’round and that shit was too bomb. Yo, they made my egg over easy like I asked, and that shit was OOZING. The cook melted my Swiss cheese on that egg so proper. The shit almost made me shed a single tear feel me?
I copped an order of french fries and they brought out steak fries. Talk about an added bonus. I’m definitely gonna holler at them again.

This place is really pretty perfect. It’s a Jewish-​style deli, but without the insane and outrageous prices — not to mention the arcane ordering systems — of the ones in Manhattan. Fast, friendly, efficient. Great place.

Some of the best pastrami, corned beef, and yes, brisket, you can get anywhere. And for much less than what they’ll charge you at any of New York’s more famous pastrami hawkers.

Quick and tasty! Never had a bad meal! All the meat is very good, fresh and juicy.

Fabulous as you usual guys! David’s never disappoints. And the prices for the quality puts Katz to shame!

Sandwiches aren’t really my thing. In general, I like fork and knife foods. Sometimes I crave a banh mi, but I’ve never been one to jones for a ‘wich.
That may have changed since my recent visit to David’s Brisket House.
I could eat that pastrami sandwich all day. Even days later, I regret not going for the large. And also splitting it with my boyfriend. The pastrami was perfect. The rye was perfect. The mustard was perfect. Everything was so perfect.
I’ll definitely be back to try the brisket, but I’ll probably skip the Reuben. Usually, a Reuben is the only sandwich I can see myself eating*, but this lacked flavor. Maybe the kraut was off, maybe it was the corned beef. I didn’t spend much time analyzing because I was so overwhelmed with pastrami.
*except banh mi.

Brisket & Pastrami sandwiches are very, very good here and on par with the infamous Katz Deli in Manhattan for taste, freshness, sandwich thickness and now prices!
Over the years I’ve frequented this place and watch the prices creep up but they’ve been in this same location for like ever so I guess the price increase is for the renovations of which needs to be renovated again in my opinion. Seating area is very dark and not in a warm ambience way. People coming in to order is standing in your eating space which is a little to close for comfort for me! I stop in and wait outside till I think my orders done, Pick up my order and high tail out of there with the quickness. I just can’t stand tight seating and standing room places.
But the Pastrami and pickles are still very good now $ 17 and I think Katz is the same in price but gives you a wee bit more meat.
Worth a stop if your in the neighborhood.

This place would get 5 stars if it were only based on the pastrami.
Get it on toasted rye with extra extra mustard.
You don’t even need to look at the rest of the menu. Actually don’t, because besides the smoked meats the rest of menu looks questionable.
I wish they would use a better quality rye bread — it looks like they use the cheap stuff, which is usually filled with horrible chemicals in order to make it rise faster. Look up potassium bromate. Potassium bromate is illegal in China and Europe because it is linked with cancer and neurological problems. You know where its legal? The US.
Dear Davids Brisket House —
Please use natural breads that are baked locally without any additives.
Yum.

I really don’t know what the hub bub about this spot is. The brisket sandwich is ok but it’s got the dimly lit interior of an 80’s cop movie. There’s not much appetizing about this place unfortunately.
The food ain’t bad which is about the only nice thing I can say. Avoid the vegetable soup, it was a bit thick and not much to call home about.

David’s makes one great pastrami sandwich! I call it «Katz East», because the pastrami is as close to that iconic sandwich as you can get outside of Manhattan! And the prices, though not cheap, are less expensive too!
The pastrami is always delicious, juicy and flavorful, with just the right ratio of fat to meat. If you’re a brisket kinda person, David’s is equally as scrumptious! And unlike fast-​food joints, their sandwiches actually look as good as the photos indicate.
There’s cole slaw, macaroni and potato salads, fries, burgers, (though why anyone would order a burger is beyond me… considering the quality of the pastrami/brisket…but hey, to each his/​her own) and an assortment of beverages. They even make a «Brooklyn Cheesesteak Sandwich» (made with beef brisket) that is incredible!
It’s a small place, with only a few seats (most people take their to go), and the parking can be scarce (meters), but if you’re in the area and you do find a space, or if you’re just walking by… check out this little know spot. I highly recommend it!!!

The half sandwich and soup for $ 8 is a good idea. My pastrami sandwich was good. The soups I tried with the lunch special (chicken noodle and lentils) weren’t great. I would have rather just had a double again from A&A.
And odd atmosphere. Definitely disappointing.

Don’t let the storefront fool you. This place serves some of the best pastrami in the city right at the heart of Brooklyn.

good food — one of the best pastrami — not too lean not too fat. have mostly ordered on friday afternoon office lunches. they are closed on fridays from 1 to 2 due to their prayer service. they have a monster pastrami on rye for $ 15 and its BIG. the $ 12 regular ain’t bad either — filling as well. only jewish pastrami deli owned and run by muslims. halal.

I’m kind of puzzled by the raves here. true, Dave’s has a cool backstory, and is an unusual menu for a mostly east Indian & Jamaican area, but comparing this with Katz’s? I don’t think so.
I surmise that the meats are steam cooked well to stay moist but are not salted and rinsed, then cured and smoked over a short time, so the spice rubs can not penetrate, so Dave’s is not even in the same league.
I had the breakfast special (eggs hash browns pastrami toast) and while the texture and colors were nice, even the house coffee was bland and lukewarm as was the rest of the food. This tiny place can barely fit 4 skinny patrons at the same table, and it’s definitely not a date night deli, so best to stop here if you are a frugal person passing through and taking out.
note: the «Newly renovated» February 27, 2012 photo is NOT what Dave’s looks like now, as it’s foolishly been cluttered with several massive diner booths.

Hole in the wall with one of best brisket sandwich. I am a foodie. Do not expect a great décor but the food is very good.

The place was pretty dank, and delivery is a huge drawback for me, but the food was good.

The place could use some sprucing up, but the pastrami sandwich is for real.

To start — the food is absolutely amazing. I ordered the brisket sandwich on rye toast with grilled onions for lunch. The brisket was tender, but not too fatty, and tasted great without condiments.
The problem was with the service. Apparently when you visit the restaurant’s website (i.e. the website prominently highlighted on the takeout menu), you end up at another restaurant (in Bay Ridge) with a similar name, the EXACT same menu, and same prices. If you order online, the order will end up at this other restaurant, in another part of Brooklyn. It appears as though these two Brisket Houses were previously under the same management. Nothing on the website indicates this. But when you place an order online through Eat24, your order goes to the Bay Ridge location.
This happened to me today. I visited the website on the Nostrand Avenue restaurants menu and placed an order online for pick up. When I went to the Nostrand location I was told that they don’t do online orders, and insisted that I made a «common mistake.» I needed to call a number (Eat24) to get a refund. A few minutes later, I received a call from the Bay Ridge location confirming this.
Now maybe its me, but I don’t see how I made a «common mistake.» Why would they have a different restaurant’s website on their menu? And how would I know that they were entirely different restaurants if their menus were exactly the same? This is a consumer affairs phone call waiting to happen.
Fortunately, it was pretty easy to get Eat24 to process my refund. Hopefully, I’ll get my $ back soon.
Lesson — don’t order from this place online. And don’t deceive customers.

Very nice Deli. I’m happy they renovated the place, it use to be smaller with no seats. I tried the chicken sandwich and it taste great. Soft and tender chicken season well. I love this place and recommend it.

I saw this place on TV and wanted to try it for a couple months now. It did not disappoint. I had the corned beef and it was delicious! A short drive from Greenpoint. I will definitely be back! Keep up the great work!

Really good food. If you are a meat lover try their Brisket and Pastrami sandwich on hero bread. Very tender and soft meat. Really nice joint, gives you the true feeling of a neighborhood deli.

Pastrami is a way of life… for me. I’ve had it at just about every famous joint in NY and I eat it at least every other week, if not once a week. Once upon a time, I was so broke, I had to get my fix at Subway. Dark times.
Does that make me the pastrami king of NY? No, it makes me a sandwich away from death. Fuck it, you only go around once.
The meat here is a gift from the ancient aliens. The simple pastrami on rye with mustard was cut thin on the machine and the moist, flavorful, bountiful heap that made love to my tongue sent me back to my childhood when life was simple and wet dreams was my weed.
If you’re in the area, it’s a must. That said, it’s not a deli. Don’t come here with someone who is looking for chopped liver or tongue and a bowl of matzah ball. Don’t bring your vegan friend or that dickhead who order’s a burger at a Chinese restaurant. It’s pastrami on rye with mustard, Felecia. Lastly, don’t bring someone who talks a lot; silence is needed when eating here. As a matter of fact, come alone… just like when you were 12.
The end

Tight booths to wait/​eat in and a slippery/​gaudy floor as they take their time to prep your order, but a superb drink selection in the fridge (including Cheerwine plus your usual deli staple soft drinks). Pretty great brisket beef — pastrami (not to be confused with pastrami — brisket, a distinction the counter guy couldn’t explain) combo sandwich for $ 18.50.
Wish we’d scored the Amazon Local deal last year.

When in NYC there are a few things you must eat… pastrami on rye is undoubtedly one of them.
I made a little bit of a trek at 2:30pm on an extremely hot day but it was totally worth it. It looked walking distance on the map and, while it definitely was, I had to make an extra effort not to stop at every air conditioned café on the way. Hunger will do these things to you.
After reading Unilocal reviews raving about the pastrami on rye and talking to the ladies at the shop doing my nails I was thoroughly convinced that I needed that sandwich. It took me a little bit of time to find it (is it wrong on the Unilocal map?), but I eventually did. Not sure what it’s like in the evening, but it was pretty dead at late lunch time and I decided to go was the best.
Also, what’s this about a $ 7.00 small sandwich? That doesn’t exist anymore. It’s either $ 12 or more, which edges it closer to Katz prices, but I wasn’t going to complain after that walk. Sandwich comes with a pickle but the guy was nice enough to throw in a second one for the road.
The verdict? Delish. The pastrami was tasty, moist, and stacked comfortably high on the bread. My only complaints were that a) mustard overpowered my sandwich, prompting me to scrape most of it off and b) the rye bread wasn’t very rye-​y at all. Pastrami and pickle were truly delicious though.
Yeah, I’d do another round.

While not the place you’d go for a night out, it is a great place to stop by for a quick bite with a friend.
The food was delicious. I had a brisket beef sandwich on rye and it was the stuff of legends. One of the best brisket sandwiches I’ve had in some time.
I highly recommend that you try out this spot. You owe it to yourself.

This place is owned by Duchovny, Spade, Guetta, Hasselhoff, Letterman, and the sculpted God known as Becks. It’s also co-​owned by 2 other Davids, but I can’t tell you their names because I received death threats about it. I just don’t want to Brisket.
What to get: small Pastrami, Brisket Beef or Corned Beef sandwich for $ 7.
What else: everything here is good.
If, like me, you’re disgusted at the prices of the amazing Manhattan delis (Katz’s and Carnegie), not to mention the other popular ones with similar sky-​high prices (Sarge’s, 3^rd Ave), then you need to get your sexy arse over to Brooklyn, pronto. Specifically to Nostrand in Bed-​Stuy, where, nestled amongst all the Caribbean spots serving delicious doubles for next-​to-​nothing, you will find David Brisket House.
This review is dedicated to Karen who loves this place too, and to the guy next door who blares out crazy Black-​Panther-​Politik from his shop by way of a TV that you can hear echoing all over the neighborhood. But don’t get me wrong. This is a perfectly lovely neighborhood, not far from either W-​burg or Downtown Brooklyn, and it’s an absolute must visit, both for the Royal Bakery (best place for doubles and Saltfish Pie), and for the David Brisket House.
The pastrami, corned beef, and brisket beef are all as delicious, as salty, as tender, as juicy and as heavenly as anything you’ll find in Manhattan at the famous $ 20 sandwich places. The bread is just as good if not better. But instead of paying over $ 15 for a mountain of meat that you will never eat unless you’re sharing it 4 ways… you have the option of paying $ 7 for a normal sized sandwich! Yes! Thank goodness! I will never understand why Katz and Carnegie don’t sell $ 7 or $ 8 versions of their monstrosities. Well no, I do understand it. It’s called greed. They’re tourist traps. As good as their products are, they’re trying to make a fast dollar.
Well no such greed at David. Come out to Brooklyn and enjoy a normal-​sized $ 7 version of those monstrosities, that tastes every bit as good, and if you factor in the price, is probably the best deli for traditional NYC Deli Sandwiches in the entire realm of NYC. There are still a few I want to try (such as the one in Bronx that begins with L), but of the ones I have tried, I could not recommend DBH more highly.
And it’s much better than GBH, which will land you in prison. Unless your name is David and you’re one of the «secret Davids» that I was unable to mention in the first paragraph. In which you can beat the hell out of anyone and get away with it. Which is exactly why I will not be naming those Davids. Not now, and not ever. I don’t wanna die over a f***ing Unilocal review okay. Get the f*** out of my face. Like I said before I just don’t want to Brisket.
Okay okay okay fine. You pressured me into it I hope you’re happie. It’s Bowie and Chappelle, okay? And they’ve killed a f***load of people for linking them to this business before. So now I’m a f***ing dead man okay. Thanks a lot. Thank you very very f***ing much. I hope it was f***ing worth it for you. Think of my f***ing dead arse when you’re enjoying your f***ing Bowie-​owned Chappelle-​owned f***ing $ 7 Brisket/​Pastrami/​Corned Beef at this f***ing place okay? F***ers.

The best pastrami sandwich I’ve ever had. Period. They make it the right way: rye bread, mustard with a pickle on the side. Simple and perfect.
I really like the guys who work there too. I only wish they delivered.
They also changed the menu recently, so there are only two sizes for each sandwich, there used to be three. Wish they’d bring back the three-​size system.
If you like pastrami, this really is the best sandwich spot in Bed Stuy.

The first time I visited here was with my brother. We got there at about 1 on a Friday afternoon, when the establishment was closed for prayer. I didn’t know this was a thing, but I guess it is. And while it took me a bunch of months to get back, I’m so glad I did. The pastrami is incredible.
Best pastrami in Brooklyn. It deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of pastrami. Juicy for days. Incredible flavor. Soft bread. Just the right amount of mustard. I’m drooling just thinking about it. I’ll be back as I want to try all the things. All of them.

One of the best pastrami sandwiches I’ve come across. Close to Katz’s quality if this location is easier to get to than LES.
Not only that they serve a very substantial sandwich with even the «small» option for $ 12. It’s helpful having a decently sized sandwich option instead of simply being forced to purchase two meals in one with a huge sandwich.

Delicious sandwich though they’re a little messy and the bread is a little thin. I had the brisket and pastrami and they were both very flavorful and had a nice amount of fat. The guys working there were awesome and extremely friendly. I’ll be back for sure.

Not having been in David’s in about 20 years, I was amazed and slightly disappointed by the total revamp, which made it virtually impossible for me to focus on ordering a simple breakfast sandwich, or anything else.
Amazed because after so many years of delivering food that everyone loves and looks forward to devouring, this neighborhood staple sandwich shop continues to thrive and even changes with time.
Disappointed because the revamp made it difficult to affirm my childhood memories of happily failing at biting down completely on the piled-​to-​the heavens-​high pastrami and brisket sandwiches, even with my father cheering me on, and sometimes «helping me», aka eating my sandwich. Did they really happen? Was the love my father had for David’s real?
Although the space has changed dramatically, probably for the better, I’m sure that the answers to both my questions are yes. I didn’t really get to try the sandwiches but this quick trip down memory lane has made me hungry, so I’ll try them and will report back.