Happy Birthday Pastrami Queen (Boca Raton)
***** Happy Birthday Pastrami Queen, 7132 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433 (561) 391-8989.
Back on September 12, 2008 I told you guys about Pastrami Queen which was a brand-new “NYC-Kosher-Style” deli that had just opened in Boca Raton. Save me some-time and read that writeup and check the joint’s website www.pastramiqueenofboca.com for menu/prices.
My original review was a “rave” review…I absolutely loved the food and NYC deli “ambiance.” Here we are, 1-year later (give or take a few days)…and I have to tell you that Pastrami Queen is not just some some flash-in-the pan…For sure, pastrami, brisket, corned beef, turkey off the bone are all “personal” picks, but having eaten in/taken out from this joint at least 30 times…I’m gonna make a call here…Pastrami Queen is the best South Florida—New York Style Deli that I have been to during the past 18 years. There are some worthy competitors, but the PQ’s amazing consistency gets the nod.
If you check Jeff Eats…I’m no slouch when it comes to eating at bagel and deli joints. Trust me on this…and I really mean it, I know good deli stuff. Pastrami Queen makes outrageously “good everything”…pastrami-corned beef-brisket-turkey-roast chicken-cabbage/matzoh ball/beef & barley soup, corned beef & cabbage, french fries, mandel bread…you name it and it is top-notch.
All I can say, is “Happy Birthday Pastrami Queen.”
Your original post got 50 or so comments. I’m 20 miles south of there so ate there just once. Best pastrami I’ve had in ages.I’m pretty sure the owner was at the register that day. He was quite friendly
Like you I am a former New Yorker. Going on 64, I’ve been in Boca for 23 years. For those up north who think that we don’t have good pizza or deli think again. Chinese, now that’s a whole different story. Without doubt PQ is the best deli in this area. It really is quite that simple.
we love this place.
owners waiters counter people as nice as can be.
great sandwiches
french fries delicious
they make a cabbage soup that is one of the best i’ve eaten.
Jeff’s original PQ review from a year ago—>> http://jeffeats.com/2008/09/12/pastrami-queen-boca-raton/
With 76 comments, a record for this blog and they are still streaming in. Some are from this month of September 2009!
You are 100 percent correct PQ is the best deli in the Deerfield-Boca-Delray area. How anyone could even consider going to Ben’s after it made the county’s dirty list is beyond me. Ben’s was PQ’s only real competition. Restaurants like 3 G’s are okay but they don’t serve the best quality. The only deli that I can think of that might give PQ a run for the money is Pomperdale on Commercial Blvd, its food is really good.
I suggest that readers looking for a great deli sandwich and other deli specialties give PQ a try.
I cannot say enough about the Queen! We’ve been back there a couple of times since returning from the cold wet northlands and have enjoyed some of the best pastrami and tongue ever. And the knishes – homemade and delicious, both potato and kasha. This is genuine New York style deli at its finest right here in S Florida. Thanks again for the recommendation.
love the food. the decor kind of boring.
Thanks for this recommendation.
First time last night at Pastrami Queen.
Some fo the best pastrami I have eaten in a long long long time.
Also the steak sandwich was awesome.
Terrific French fries.
Great find.
best deli in florida
Food A
Service A
Prices B
I enjoyed the food. Actually thought it to be quite good. But I found the prices rather high. Come on $11.95 for a deli sandwich. This isn’t midtown Manhattan, is it? Now don’t get me wrong the food is good. The pastrami sandwich was very good but almost 12 bucks, give me a break. PQ recently ran specials. That’s when this restaurant was a value, but for right now, good food overpriced.
hey jeff
my business has me all over florida. i have been following many of your recommendations and recently found myself at pastrami queen. this has to be one of your finest moments. sensational food.
My wife and I have been eating at PQ since it first opened. Not sure on exactly how many times we have been there but I’m going to figure that we eat there on average once a week. As native New Yorkers we really enjoy good deli and PQ is a good deli. Over the years we have tried numerous Florida delis and PQ is by far and away the best. PQ’s food is excellent. There is a big difference between the quality food that PQ serves and that served by so called delis like 3g’s, Too Jay’s, Flakowitz, just to name a few. Those are bargain places where quantity over quality is the name of the game. There is absolutely nothing fancy about PQ. The ambiance is that of an old NY deli. Friendly countermen cutting meats right in front of you. PQ is a throwback to the delis that NYC literally had on every corner in the 1960s. PQ has personality.
All I can tell you is that if you want top deli food you have to give PQ a try.
pastrami queen is as close to a nyc deli that you will come to in florida. from the decor to the countermen to the food.
jeff, there are bagel stores and there are real delis. pq is the real deal. delicious food. the only other florida deli of note is pomperdale in ft lauderdale.
Finally got a chance to try PQ.
EXCELLENT!!
Best pastrami I’ve had in a very very long time.
Everyone enjoyed the delicious turkey and stuffing that we got from PQ for Thanksgiving.Can’t recall a better holiday turkey.
Took food out the other day. Great meats. Great sides. Reminds me of the real NY delis like Katz and 2nd Ave. Best in Fla.
i love the food.
i love the service.
the prices are okay.
Dinner this evening at PQ. PQ around 7:30pm was busy. Have eaten here before and the food is consistently delicious. No question in my mind this is the best deli in Florida. If you haven’t eaten at PQ you are missing out on great deli.
best deli.
really that simple
jeff, our tastes seem to pretty compatible. matteo’s, gianni’s, carolina’s, we seem to agree on what good restaurants are all about. you are also right on the money with pastrami queen being a terrific deli. keep the picks coming.
Takeout last night from PQ, lb of corned beef, lb of brisket, lb of pastrami. Food is excellent with the brisket being in the fabulous category. Lovely counter folks.
Yesterday had the most delicious pastrami on rye that I have had in a really long time. Great fries also. Finally, a top deli.
Hadn’t heard about Pastrami Queen until I read about it here. Haven’t had a really good corned beef sandwich in years as the meats sold in bagel places isn’t the best quality. The other day I had a PQ super lean corned beef and it was delicious. This is my new restaurant for deli.
This evening took food out.
Excellent pastrami and turkey off the bone.
Same goes for the split pea soup.
best deli in boca.
Super Bowl party, food by PQ. Delicious. Not much more to say.
Was over eating at one of your other favorites Nino’s and decided to take some food home from Pastrami Queen which is a few doors down. Bought pastrami, corned beef and chopped liver and the food was excellent. Nice folks at the counter and reasonable prices.
We went to Pastrami Queen today based on your review and you were right…fantastic pastrami. We will definitely be back. Thanks for leading us in the right direction!
My family has been in Boca Raton for over 31 years. We were originally from Brooklyn. We have seen all types of restaurants come and go during those years.
During the past years Boca has only had two real delis Ben’s and Pastrami Queen. There have been loads of bagel stores but only two real delis with first quality food.
We eat in both Ben’s and Pastrami Queen. Don’t kid yourselves both are very good. Ben’s is a big operation while Pastrami Queen is more mom & poppish.
One thing I can tell you is that Pastrami Queen makes one of the best turkeys that we have ever had. I have been to friends homes as well as having had the turkey at home and it’s excellent.
Our area has some really good bagel-delis like 3G’s, Poppies, Flakowitz, Bagelworks but their deli operations are no match for Ben’s on Pastrami Queen.
If you live further south the only other real deli in the area is Pomperdale on Commercial Blvd. Like the other two its a real deli with excellent food.
First time in PQ this past Friday for lunch.
One of the best pastrami, ff combos I have had in a long time.
Although the corn beef is probably the best in Palm Beach County, me and many of my friends will not be going back to your deli. In a word: the sandwiches are very skimpy. You have to make a sandwich like they do at 3g’s in DelRay if you want to survive. It may be slightly below in taste, but it is a New York sandwich!
I suspect that the guys behind the counter didnt like Mr. Barney because whenever I have eaten at PQ which has been at least 15 times my pastrami or corned beef sandwich has been piled high. I think that Mr. Barney is probably one of those old coots that live at Century Village and are always crying and complaining over something just to keep busy.
PQ food rocks and you get plenty for your money.
Hands down the best deli.
Use to be a major fan of Ben’s in Boca but PQ is better.
Use to drive down from Boynton to Pomperdale for a good sandwich, no more, PQ is closer.
Ben’s is good, Pomperdale is good. PQ is better, it really is that simple.
Absolutley amazing pastrami and corned beef. Love the french fries.
I went on friday night after seven. It was jammed but I got seated right away.A charming red haired gal seated me. I got a dish of pickles and coleslaw (small) I waited a little too long for a sandwich that didn’t require cooking. It wasn’t very big as I had been led to believe .I had been to happy hour so I did enjoy it. The bill came and they had charged me .75 or a dollar more for kaiser roll. I won’t go out of my way to return unless I’m dating a Jewish girl (or New Yorker)
Looking around Jeff Eats I find that PQ has the most comments far and away from any other review. Let me add my two cents to the debate.
I have been a Boca resident for over 47 years. My kids were born here. My wife and I were here long before most of you even knew that a Boca Raton even existed.
When we moved here from Forest Hills, you do remember Forest Hills, don’t you, Boca Raton was close to being a farm town. There wasn’t a CVS or Publix on every corner and Blockbuster didn’t even exist.
We have literally seen every restaurant that Booca has ever had. We have also eaten in almost every restaurant.
PQ is by far the best deli that has ever come to town. Ben’s is good but PQ is better. On the bagel front, Way Beyond Bagels is the best of breed.
Try PQ and you will see what I mean.
Visiting friends in Boca. Sorry I brought so much rain with me from Queens. My friends had pastrami, corned beef, brisket, turkey and chopped liver from Pastrami Queen and they are as good as anything that I have eaten at home. I especially enjoyed the turkey which was outrageously good.
what can i say. tried it and loved it. best pastrami on rye in fla.
I live in Manhattan. This past week I’ve been visiting with my parents who live in the Broken Sound Country Club in Boca Raton. I love good deli and have been to most of New York’s famous ones like Carneige, Stage, Katz’s, Second Avenue. The other night we had food brought in from Pastrami Queen, corned beef, pastrami, brisket, turkey, cabbage soup, potato knishes and chopped liver. The food is as good if not better than the food that I get from the delis that I previously mentioned. In addition, the prices are about 40% less than what those delis charge.
Over the years, when ever I visit my parents always have me trying this or that restaurant or bring food in. Pastrami Queen’s food made one of the best meals I have had in 11 years of visits.
Off topic, but Nino’s which is in the same shopping center as Pastrami Queen has always been one of the most consistently good restaurants, same accolades go to, Tom Sawyer’s for breakfasts, Matteo’s for Italian, Park Avenue for bbq which I see just opened a new location in Boca, Bagelworks for breakfast and Carol’s Kitchen for wonderful diner food.
Seder dinner last night. Food catered in from PQ. Great brisket and turkey not to mention chopped liver and matzo ball soup. I highly recommend this restaurant.
On Tuesday night I had dinner at a friend’s house for Passover. The food served came from Pastrami Queen and included sweet & sour cabbage, chopped liver, brisket, roast chicken, potato kugel, matzah ball soup. This was one of the best Passover meals that I have ever had. The food was delicious.
The other day I was in Joe & Mario’s Barbershop which is across from PQ. There was a guy there who recommended PQ saying that the pastrami, turkey, brisket and corned beef were as good as the best NYC delis. After getting a great haircut from Joe I went across Palmetto Park Road and tried PQ having a pastrami on rye. The guy was right. My sandwich and fries was a s good as anything that I have had at the 2nd Avenue Deli just to name one NYC spot.
Hi Jeff..me again! Another “joint” that we both like…PG is one of our favs..there last week started with the “mish mash” soup…(they put matzoh balls, kreplach, kasha and bowtie noddles in it) that was incredible…then we had stuffed cabbage/kasha varniskasha and steamed string beans…soooo good!!! (the stuff cabbage was like my bubbys who owned a luncheonette in Brooklyn..so I know what I’m talking abt…
Off topic “What do u think of Dixon Li’s in Lake Worth?”)
ny2boca: Just had a chance to read your post.
PQ is one of my favorites. Food is absolutely delicious.
On Dixon Li’s…I ate there years ago. When Jeff Eats “crashed” a few years ago, that review was erased. If memory serves me correctly, I enjoyed the food. What’s your thoughts?
Thanks for reading…
I’m not a big fan of Chinese food to begin with (especially down in Florida) but for me Dixon Li’s (new location by the way) has the best egg drop/wonton soup and spareribs all of South Florida..the rest for me is not so good…but the people of Boynton/Lake Worth love it…also not so cheap for Chinese; but they give u the soup, ribs or chicken wings, dessert as a combination dinner around $17.00..you should try it again!
This has to be best the deli in Florida. The food is as good as the top NY delis. I recently had pastrami, brisket, turkey and corned beef platter and the food is sensational.
Ben’s is no match for this resaurant.
by far and away best nyc deli food in florida. did catering for mother’s day and the food was sensational.
This evening my wife and I had dinner at PQ. Real simple meal. I had a brisket on rye and she had a pastrami on rye and we shared an order of french fries.
Let me tell you, the food is as good as the top NYC delis that we use to frequent.
This is a must try.
outrageously good food.
forget the others.
get yourself over to pq.
you will thank jeff.