Z-Deli - Halal NYC Deli

Do you miss "Halal Pizza and Bakery"?  If you don't know what I'm talking about, it was this great hole-in-the-wall halal pizzeria/deli/"bakery" located on a mid-town Manhattan corner.  It was fast and cheap; $1 slices, $5 deli sandwiches, and although they weren't baking anything themselves, they carried some baked goods too.  It was literally a hole-in-the-wall, because it had no interior customer area. You had to order everything standing outside, and eat standing up outside, rain or shine.  It was open 24 hours, so it was always a great option for a quick cheap halal meal any time, day or night.  Sadly, they shut down a few years back because their building was sold off. Now that I've taken you down memory lane, the good news is I recently discovered the second coming of Halal Pizza and Bakery, known simply as Z-Deli.



The Food

Located in the heart of mid-town, only a few blocks from Times Square, Z-Deli is my new go-to lunch spot when I'm working in the city.  I was a little skeptical about this place actually being halal because when I asked which items are halal, I got the infamous, overly confident, statement "Everything is Halal!"  But when I looked in the display case, this statement was clearly false, because they only sold "Boar's Head" brand cold cuts. I asked another guy, and I got the same "Everything is Halal" response, this time with some stereotypical Middle Eastern hand gestures thrown in.  Turns out, I was just asking the wrong guys. I had asked a Hispanic worker who just didn't know, and an Arab brother that I thought worked there, but he was just a guy hanging out at his friend's business. However, the owners and some of the employees are Muslim, they'll give you an honest response about what's halal and what's not.


Here's what I've learned...

What IS Halal...

• Chicken Cutlets and Grilled Chicken in the display case
• Philly Cheese Steak
• Hot Buffet Items

What is NOT Halal...

• Cold-Cuts, i.e. turkey, roast beef, etc
• Hamburgers
• Pre-made sandwiches in the display case (not sure if these are Halal or not, all I know is that they look old and nasty, so I will just advise you to stay away)

The Sandwiches


For $6, you can get your choice of either a grilled chicken or breaded chicken cutlet (also available drenched in buffalo or barbecue) sandwich, on a long hero, round roll, or wrap, with all the cheese and toppings your heart desires, AND a can of soda.  Halal or not, this is one heck of a deal for mid-town. The fact that it is halal is just awsome!  You really get your money's worth here, because they stuff that roll with several big pieces of moist chicken (although on one occasion the chicken was a bit dry).  You also get to choose the type of cheese you want, I recommend the Muenster, its different and it has a bold flavor. Toppings and sauces are plentiful here.  My wife's favorite is the pesto sauce, again different, but also very good (other sauces include chipotle, ranch, bbq, etc). But even if you just get a regular ole chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and American cheese, it will taste good and definitely fill you up.

Breaded Chicken Hero with Pesto Sauce & Muenster Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

The cheese-steak sandwich is also a solid choice. It's cooked fresh on the grill right in front of you, add onions, mushrooms, peppers at no extra cost.  Have them throw on your choice of cheese, and you got another excellent affordable lunch option.

Hot-Buffet

Also for $6, you can get a small container stuffed to the max with a multitude of Hot Items from the buffet, AND a can of soda. When I say stuffed to the max, I really mean STUFFED to the max.  They really pack it in tight, and even when you think they can't possibly fit anything else in that small container, they'll ask you if you want anything else. I'd say you could get at least 4 or 5 items into a small container. Even though it looks small, you get a lot of food, and another fantastic NYC deal.  There is also larger containers if you're really hungry.

A few examples of items I've seen in the Hot Buffet are below. I've been told on several occasions that all of these items are fully zabihah halal. Believe me, I was skeptical, so I asked on at least three separate trips.

• Buffalo Wings
• Gyro, lamb or chicken
• Rice
• Mashed Potatoes
• Mac N Cheese
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Meat Balls
• BBQ Chicken
• Pepper Steak
• Baked Chicken
• Baked Turkey
• Beef Brisket 
• Buffalo or BBQ chicken tenders, (you won't see it in the display as they keep them behind the counter, so ask if they have them)
• Eggplant Parmigiana
  
• Baked Ziti

I'd give the Hot Buffet 3 1/2 stars out of 5.  I haven't tried everything, but some of the stuff I have tried is good and other stuff is just OK.  The chicken teriyaki, eggplant parm, baked turkey, pepper steaks, wings and buffalo chicken tenders were good.  The mashed potatoes are dry, the beef brisket was chewy and fatty, and the meatballs were decent, but a little bland for my taste. But for 6 bucks its worth giving it a shot if you're in the mood for a hot meal that offers a lot of variety.

Fully STUFFED Small Plate ($6 w/a drink)

From left to right: Baked Turkey, Wings, Pepper Steak (back), Baked Ziti (front)

Other Notable Menu Items

The pizza is $1 a slice. I get it is an appetizer if I'm really hungry and devour it while I'm waiting for my sandwich. Not the best pizza I've ever had, but seriously where else can you get a slice of pizza for a buck?

Cons

My most important advice is to make sure you customize your sandwich with toppings or cheese or something to ensure that they don't just give you one of the pre-made sandwiches on display.  My friend made that mistake once and just asked for a buffalo chicken wrap, with nothing on it, not really thinking anything of it.  They gave him one from the display, and it was extremely dry and just looked old and nasty. In that same outing, I also ordered a buffalo wrap but with cheese, and mine was really saucy, juicy, and delicious.

Who knows how long these have been sitting in the display?!?

The Experience

Z-Deli is a deli/pizzeria/internet cafe/convenience store which stays open 24 hours a day.  The store is messy, cluttered, and has very narrow aisles.  These guys are trying to maximize every inch of space of their pricey mid-town Manhattan real-estate .  There's only about 6 seats, 4 of which are really for the internet cafe, but you can sit there and eat. I've never seen anyone using the computers. There's also a standing counter where you can fill up your pizza with toppings and eat standing up.

Very Limited Seating

The service is actually pretty quick and efficient.  They get very busy during lunch, due to their inexpensive sandwiches and dollar slices. They know how to handle the rush and can really crank out the food at a fast pace.

So, if you've been longing for "Halal Pizza and Bakery" do yourself a favor and check out its reincarnation, Z Deli.  It's also a 24 hour hole-in-the-wall, with sandwiches that although are different from the Halal Bakery cold cut sandwiches, are pretty good and just as affordable. And the $1 slices, although not as good, are still only $1.