Katzinger’s Delicatessen (Facebook / @Katzingers / instagram: @katzingers)
475 S. 3rd St. (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 228-3354
Open Mon-Fri, 10a-8p; Sat & Sun, 9a-8p (bfast served all day!)
Accepts cash & credit/debit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/N/N
Kid-friendly? Y
Look, Katzinger’s shouldn’t need much introduction, right? It’s one of the first places you learn about when you move to town. It’s shared with visitors as a must-stop restaurant in Columbus. Its proximity to downtown and its location at the gateway to German Village – not to mention its 30 years in the business – have secured it a lasting place in Columbus’ restaurant scene.
For those that don’t know it, Katzinger’s is an old-school deli, one falling under the “they don’t make ’em like they used to” heading.
The emphasis is on giant deli sandwiches: reubens, BLTs, smoked fish, salads, Jewish specialties. The breakfast menu is limited to corned beef hash, bagels, sticky buns, blintzes, and toast – but it’s served all day.
The first portion of the deli, where you order your meals, is full of – appropriately enough – deli cases. Delicatessens were created originally as specialty food stores, and true to that Katzinger’s offers meats, cheeses, breads, candies, olive oils, and much more. (Fun side fact: if you look up “delicatessen” on Wikipedia, Katzinger’s is on the list of notable delis in the U.S.)
One of their signatures is the big barrel of pickles, both dill and garlic. If you’re ordering a sandwich you can fish one out. They’re big and crispy.
Over a couple visits we’ve worked our way through the entire breakfast menu. The bagels come fresh from Sammy’s Bagels, which are some of the best in town. They carry a few varieties of Sammy’s, but the everything is the best choice.
The cheese blintzes come with sour cream and jam. They’re small and simple but likable.
For our boys we ordered some some scrambled eggs and toast a la carte, and they ended up coming out together as a sandwich. Makes it a little easier to eat.
The menu suggests getting the sticky bun grilled. The sticky bun is just that: sticky and a little overly sweet. It comes out a little caramelized and loaded with nuts.
The corned beef hash gets top billing on the breakfast menu, so of course we had to try that. I’m always on the lookout for good corned beef hash. Too many places rely on the canned stuff, which is a big nope in my book. Katzinger’s corned beef is made in house. The texture is very good: finely chopped corned beef and potatoes, a little bit of onion, all grilled to a very nice crisp. Great with the fried eggs and rye toast. My only complaint: I wanted it saltier. I like a deeper flavor, with a stronger presence from the brine.
Of course, there’s always the old stand-by of smoked salmon on a bagel (it’s a favorite of Mrs. Bfast w/Nick). You get your choice of a Sammy’s bagel (again, pick the everything). On the first visit I didn’t think to specify details like toasting the bagel, and the bagel came out untoasted. (I prefer the crispy texture of a toasted bagel, unless it’s coming straight out of the oven.)
Second time around they asked if we wanted it toasted (yes!), and we asked them to add capers. Just like the corned beef hash, we wanted a little more salt and brine to the salmon. The everything bagel and the capers help.
All in all, Katzinger’s is still a classic. The tiny breakfast menu is worth exploring, and it’s hard to argue with 30 years in the deli business.
