Reviews

Based on 20 reviews

phillycmc

Much Improved

The new owners have done a good job of revitalizing this fading gem. They've CLEANED, which the place really needed. They also freshened up the menu and added new dishes.

Be warned the portions are now Huge! Every dish the four of us had could have easily been shared by at least two people without either feeling hungry afterwards.

The cookies at the end are smaller, yet still good. But, who has room for them anyway after all that food?

posted at 07/03/06

dave1945

Famous Jewish Deli

This is a unique place to enjoy Jewish food ...I live in Kansas City,Missouri but whenever I visit Pa.I always make sure I visit my favorite deli...See you soon,Dave

posted at 08/27/06

bunkerman

Good Chow with Seriously Cranky Waitresses

Famous for huge portions, decent deli food, and surly staff. Take the corned
beef over the pastrami, and be prepared to take half home. The potato pancakes
are a bit overfried, but the bagels and pastry are fine. It's an experience to
eat there - the waitresses are incredibly rude and uncaring. A recent breakfast
there ended in a huge fight with a very cranky waitress named Joyce. We might
come back for take-out, but for not the abuse dished out by her.

posted at 10/23/06

nezhy

Great Deli

Hard to find a real deli in the city...here is one of the few good ones.

Great sandwiches, authentic Jewish/eastern european hearty food. Hungarian Goulash, all sorts of Deli meats, sandwich combinations make this place.

posted at 10/29/06

lyndalee

Awesome corned beef sandwiches

My fiance and I had stopped there after a long day of chaotic flights on a Friday night. We told the waiter we were tired and in a hurry to get home. He promptly took our order and within in minutes our hot corned beef sandwiches arrived. The pickles are my favorite treat with my overwhelming sandwich. Absolutely awesome sandwich that for the price cannot be beat anywhere.
Course, if you can actually eat your way through one of their sandwiches than you have go to try one of their desserts. Incredible! and reasonably priced!
This place certainly fits a family budget.

If you have a large appetite and want satisfaction without going broke this is the place to go.

posted at 11/04/06

maskman22

FAMOUS FOR RUDENESS

My wife and I had occasion to visit Famous today 6/14/07 to get something to take home. We had been customers for many years, but no longer. The deli clerk who later identified himself as one of the owners waited on us. My wife asked for a 'heavy half pound' of corned beef. The clerk apparently did not understand her and she repeated the order. She then explained that she wanted about .60 of a pound and that she knew that .50 was a half pound on the scale. At that point he stated 'I don't feel like waiting on you, good bye.' My wife said nothing that a deliman would normally hear in the course of a day, he was apparently hard of hearing. I know that the amount of money that he lost won't hurt him, but, I hope this blurb takes away some of his bluster. The food WAS usually good, but there are MANY more places to get a corned beef sandwich without the rude owners.

The previous paragraph was, in retrospect, much too kind. I have found out that the owners name is Russ Cowan...the rest of the staff of the deli were, in the past, entertaining and interesting. The food, while much too much (amount & price) was usually tasty. But, no customer should be 'dismissed' with an 'I don't want to serve you", ever. What happened to the adage, the customer is always right? Mr. Cowan, take your obnoxious attitude back to New York, if I want obnoxious I can go to Hymies. If I want quality food and treatment I will go to Murray(s) or Pumpernicks. I am still being kind, if I was able to do so in this forum, this and the previous review would be liberally peppered with words beginning with F and S...funny...F-amou-S...begins and ends with those letters...prophetic. STAY AWAY FROM FAMOUS PS: The clerk who claimed to be the owner, was not...I later found a picture of him and they weren't the same...possibly a son, manager, or whatever? No matter...Don't go.

posted at 06/14/07

mcteacher

In response to the previous post on 6/14:

I Just wanted to post a friendly note to all that ownership of this restaurant changed several months prior to this last revierwers experience. Under past owner Russ Cowan, I experienced excellent service and fantastic food. I have not patronizerd the restaurant since it changed hands, but I just wanted to clarify that the blame should not be on Mr. Cowan. To experience his high quality service and food, try his new location- Mr. Bills, which is on the way to the shore!

posted at 07/08/07

mccartb2

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Famous 4th has the best chocolate chips cookies I have ever had!!! If you have a sweet tooth this is your place!!

posted at 07/22/07

kasha5

THE OWNER IS BACK

For your information....Russ cowan has taken over. He is back at Famous. Six and half months of a different management team did not work out. Some new additions to the menu and the food is still good.
Hours 8am to 9pm Monday thru Sunday.....

posted at 09/28/07

phlfrdm

deli gem in Philly

When I used to live in NYC, the 2nd Ave Deli was my fave. Since those days, it's been tough to find an NYC-style Jewish deli in Philadelphia. Well, my search has ended! With matzoh ball soup to die for/just like my grandmother's (with matzoh ball the size of softballs, btw), heavenly, heaping pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, flaky (not greasy!) latkes,, AND the best kashe varnishke I've had, 2nd Ave Deli is a surefire treat. Service is fast and friendly. Be prepared to take home leftovers...and eat them for several days....portions are humongous. If you even save room for dessert, be sure to try the monstrous raspberry and chocolate rugulach - the BEST ever. They even give you two, hot, melty chocolate chip cookies AFTER your huge meal!

posted at 12/24/07

betsyann00

You'll leave FAT and even happier!!

Do NOT go here unless you are prepared to eat 2.5 times your weight in delicious, delicious food. Everything is piled mile high. Get the french toast - you will not be unhappy. I've had this super thick and filling challah bread french toast and it's FABULOUS everytime! Slightly crispy outside, thick dense, tasteful challah, perfectly (not overly) sweet... absolutely amazing. Order it - it'll be the best french toast you've ever had. Yum... I want some NOW!

posted at 03/29/08

SureShot88

Owner is a tool

The owner Russ is a tool, he is always opening and closing businesses. If you've ever worked for him, make sure you get your last week's pay in product because he will stiff you on the "other" pay usually handed in an envelope. If you know what I mean.

posted at 04/23/08

sarahrose4

extra grease on the side

Frankly, I was completely disgusted by the food served here. The meat was mostly fatty and my reuben consisted of about 1 lb meat, a few strings of sauerkraut, lots of dressing and a slice of swiss on what they claimed to be rye bread, but looked like wonderbread. Big Macs and Whoppers look like mini-sandwich snacks compared to what is served here. For anyone who is health conscientious, I would not recommend this restaurant.

posted at 06/10/08

Dean59

If you are hungry this is THE place

My wife and I have been here twice and once you get a table the service is fast and pleasant. The amount of meat on a sandwich, in our case turkey, defies belief! The shrimp salad platter is also something to write home about with a large quantity of nice sized shrimp. We could not eat everything either time we were here. Its the only place I have ever taken food home from.

posted at 06/19/08

tenderbelly

Huge portions of disgusting food!

I have never heard anything good about this place with the old or new owners, but a friend wanted to try it, so I thought I should be open-minded.

The food at this place is disgusting. I had a ham & cheese scramble for breakfast with a side of bacon. The ham & cheese were cold-cuts(!?!), and the eggs were oily. I could only eat a third before I started feeling sick. The bacon should have been advertised as a thick smoked leather belt cut into 5 inch strips. Only ate 1/2 of a strip and I've been tasting it all day.

They eggs came with fries and I didn't even taste them because the were burnt and totally saturated with oil.

My friend wanted a grilled cheese and we couldn't figure out how anyone could screw that up, but they managed it. Any diner in Philly makes a better one.

This place is the typical NYC tourist trap deli. A normal deli makes a sandwich that costs them no more than $2 and sells it for $5. They figured out that if they add another dollar or two worth of cold cuts they can charge you $12-$15. So people come to Philly on buses and order these monstrosities that are bigger than their heads. Go to a normal deli and order two sandwiches for $10 if your that hungry, and maybe you'll see sense before you start the second one.

This place is gross, gross, gross. Only go there if you want to feel like you drank a 12oz can of used fryer grease for the rest of the day. AVOID!

posted at 06/22/08

bettyandbob

Good Place to try out

Love this little Gem in Queen Village. Good Food and worth every dollar. Friendly Staff too. Sometimes our Governer has breakfast there too.

posted at 07/05/08

jcreek2004

Best pastrami reuben I have ever had!

I dropped by at lunch the other day with no idea of what I was about to experience. I ordered their pastrami reuben. It was the most incredible sandwich I have ever had. I have had a lot of reubens and none of them come close to this sandwich. The pastrami practically melts in your mouth. The size of the sandwich is enormous. The bread is delicious and they serve it at a perfect temperature. The only thing I had a problem with at first was the price. I ordered it and thought, "Damn fourteen dollars, it better be good". It was worth every penny.

posted at 09/20/08

Silverchild57

The Best Jewish Deli in Philly

I am a New Yorker by birth and upbringing-until I ate at Famous 4th Street, I had not experienced the real deal in Philadelphia. Best bagels and lox, and best corned beef, pastrami, etc. anywhere in the region outside of New York.

Gigantic sandwiches-nobody could eat a whole one in one sitting! From pickles to rugelach a wonderful eating experience-the service is great too!

posted at 12/24/08

CJG29

BEATS OUT NYC DELIS

Never had a bad meal here -- my family stops in weekly. Great for kids. Try omlettes, sandwiches, salads are not to be beat! Don't leave without trying a slice of cheescake. Great neighborhood deli -- with politicos known to stop by.

posted at 01/02/09

phillymedrep

Extremely Rude Do Not Visit

I joined citysearch solely to post this review. I sell medical supplies, and on a daily basis I would purchase cookies from the deli (not the bakery next door, but the deli). My order would vary between one dozen to three dozen cookies depending on where I was traveling, but always chocolate chip. One day I ordered two dozen chocolate chip cookies (over the phone) and when I arrived they had prepared two dozen oatmeal raisin cookies. Apparently, they had no chocolate chip cookies (which they did not tell me over the phone) and decided to substitute my chocolate chip order for oatmeal raisin. I told the person who took my order that I did not order oatmeal raisin, did not want oatmeal raisin, and I would not pay for oatmeal raisin cookies. On aside, I took a look at my credit card statements over the past three years, and I had spent over $3,000 in cookies! They would not budge on their mistake so I begrudgingly paid for the cookies, left, and told the waitress to have her manager give me a call. Two days go by, and the manager never calls. I call the deli and get the manager on the phone, and get nowhere with my situation. I told him, I wanted two dozen chocolate chip cookies for free (to compensate for the two dozen cookies I paid for that I did not order or want). I reminded him of my business to the store, and he said they have a store policy that nothing is to be given for free. I said if you do not give me the two dozen cookies for free then I will never purchase cookies from the deli again. He refused, so I am never going back. I am not the biggest customer to frequent the deli, but they are losing 1K a year. They are rude, unaccomadating, and a horrible business. DO NOT VISIT.

posted at 08/29/10

Review This Business

Famous 4th Street Deli

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Reviews

phillycmc

dave1945

bunkerman

nezhy

lyndalee

maskman22

mcteacher

mccartb2

kasha5

phlfrdm

betsyann00

SureShot88

sarahrose4

Dean59

tenderbelly

bettyandbob

jcreek2004

Silverchild57

CJG29

phillymedrep

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