Harold’s New York Deli in Edison

STYLE

Set in an industrial-park area, and easy to miss sandwiched between two hotels, this traditional Jewish deli has a 300-seat dining room with plenty of generously spaced tables. The kitchen is in open view, and mirrored walls make the interior feel even more expansive.

THE SCOOP

Owner Harold Jaffe, who hailed from the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, is known for serving massive portions in his New York-style deli.

[RELATED: Readers Choose Their Favorite NJ Restaurants of 2023]

THE MENU

Menu offerings are presented family style in shareable portions. It takes a minute to compute that a large pastrami sandwich rings in at $45. Then you see that the menu says it feeds one to four people—and it really does. The meat is piled nearly a foot high and comes with eight slices of bread. Nearly every dish is presented this way, with the menu noting how many it will feed. The matzo ball soup serves six, with a single matzo ball the size of a cantaloupe. The menu itself is also supersized. Pancakes come monster size in a tall stack; beef is ground in house for the thick burgers; and dinner entrées like Hungarian goulash and beef ribs fill out the menu. 

HEADS UP

Don’t miss the complimentary buffet pickle bar: sweet, sour, and bread and butter varieties, plus sauerkraut and pickled salads.

No one knows New Jersey like we do. Sign up for one of our free newsletters here. Want a print magazine mailed to you? Purchase an issue from our online store.