Luigi O'Grady's is an the best deli in the area and probably my favorite of all time. Yes, there are a few things that can use improvement, but my rating is based on the food. My family and I have been coming here for years and as long as I can remember, this was always our go to deli no matter what the occasion was. I still consider them to be the best at what they do despite some of the bad reviews they may get.
Things here have changed a lot in the last several years including their store which was once a tiny whole in the wall. There would be lines thru the door so I guess the owners got the hint and finally moved a few doors down where there is now a large immaculate open space filled with cooler fridges of soda, pre-made sandwiches, salads and frozen foods. To your right are tables of fresh baked goods, Italian specialty items and various Boar's Head items. To your far right is where all the magic happens....the deli. Depending on what time you go, it can get extremely busy which will cause a wait. I always call ahead to avoid this because there have been times I have waited a while for my food.
I have never had anything bad from here. Since I was a kid, they have always had the best Italian heroes money could buy. They were stuffed beyond anything you would get anywhere. Everything was always perfect from large amount of cold cuts to the freshness of all of the toppings and most importantly the excellent bread from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. As far as I'm concerned, the best bread either comes from Arthur Avenue or Rockland Bakery. Either way you have a real winner. Most deli's not in New York tend to bake their own breads or get them from another place that just doesn't taste as good as what is produced here in New York. I tend to see that at deli's in New Jersey and it just doesn't cut it when I want a great sandwich. Everything they do here is far above your average deli. The bread is fantastic, the spreads I believe are all homemade (the best is the honey mustard), they use the best possible vegetables to top your sandwich, especially the hot peppers and they have every kind of Boar's Head product you could imagine. A side from the Italian hero which has never disappointed anyone I know, the options of sandwiches are endless. Other favorites are roast-beef with horseradish sauce, buffalo chicken cold cut with everything spicy and the chicken Caesar salad wrap. They do a great line of deli salads, my favorite being the red skin potato salad. I recommend their chili too, they top it with cheese and it is fantastic. There is a reason they've won best chili so often. They do serve breakfast (bagels from the mighty Nyack Hot Bagels), lunch and dinner so they are open for most of the day.
Although I rave about the food and can go on endlessly about it, there are some thing at the deli than can be changed. The first thing would be that the place is very slow if you order there in person. You can wait up to 15 minutes from the time your sandwich has been written down. The place gets packed and it only gets worse the further you are down the line. They should really higher a permanent staff of trained individuals as opposed to kids in high school who really could care less about making you a sandwich and giving you great service. There have been times I've called ahead (even giving extra time) that I've waited ten minutes for my food or to even be addressed by someone. Despite that, the food is just too good not to wait. A second issue that kind of ties in with the first is the place is unorganized. It's like no one knows what do when they order. Everyone kind of just groups together which cuts off access to the call ahead line which may as well not exist when it's crowded. The line moves faster and more smoothly when the owners are in the front. Lastly, the prices seem to just keep going up. I remember several years ago when the sandwiches were stuffed a lot more and reasonably priced. Now you get a stuffed sandwich (not as big) for between $9 and $10 which is a lot of money for a deli. That's even more than most deli' in the city. It seems that the prices go up, but the product is getting smaller and smaller. Their prepared dinners and take out "deals" are also much more expensive than all of the other places in the area. You're paying for quality and the food is great, but you can get the same quality and portions somewhere else for almost $5-$10 less.
I really do love this deli and I consider it one of the best. Even though there are a few things I wish could be changed, I will continue to support this place because they have some of the best sandwiches money can buy. I recommend trying a sandwich here first before anything else .Everything after that will always be secondary. They are well worth the money and certainly a staple of the area and even of Rockland County. There is something here sure to please even the pickiest eater. Like the deli states, they are "The Best Of Both Worlds." read more
