If you’ve never waited in line for a sandwich, you haven’t lived.
At Hershel’s East Side Deli in Philadelphia, the pastrami is piled so high it almost defies gravity. Each slice is tender, juicy, and spiced just right—meat lovers call it legendary.
The line stretches through Reading Terminal Market, and people don’t just tolerate it—they relish every minute. There’s a thrill in watching the deli staff carve, stack, and layer like meat maestros.
One bite and you’ll understand why. This isn’t just lunch; it’s a full-throttle flavor explosion that makes you cheer for a second helping.
The wait? Totally worth it.
A Legendary Deli Inside a Historic Market
Walking into Reading Terminal Market feels like stepping into a living piece of Philadelphia history — and Hershel’s East Side Deli sits right at the heart of it. The market itself has been feeding the city since 1893, making it one of the oldest and most celebrated food halls in the entire country.
Hershel’s found the perfect home here.
The deli blends old-world Jewish deli tradition with the electric, buzzing energy of a marketplace that never seems to slow down. From the moment you spot the hand-painted signage and the mountain of cured meats behind the counter, you know you’re somewhere special.
The smells alone are enough to pull you in from across the hall.
Morning crowds, lunch rushes, weekend visitors — Hershel’s sees them all. Its central location inside the market makes it incredibly easy to find, yet somehow it still feels like a local secret worth discovering.
Whether you’re a longtime Philadelphian or a first-time tourist, stepping up to that counter is an experience you won’t forget. This isn’t just a sandwich stop — it’s a destination.
Pastrami Made the Old-Fashioned Way
There’s a reason Hershel’s pastrami tastes different from anything you’d grab at a chain deli — and it starts long before the sandwich is built. The process begins with premium cuts of navel beef, a fattier, more flavorful section that old-school deli masters have sworn by for generations.
Choosing the right cut is half the battle.
From there, the meat goes through a careful curing process that takes several days. It’s rubbed with a signature blend of spices — typically black pepper, coriander, garlic, and other seasonings — then left to absorb those flavors slowly.
No shortcuts, no rushing. The patience built into every step is exactly what sets this pastrami apart.
After curing, the beef is smoked and steamed until it reaches that iconic tenderness that practically melts on contact. This method mirrors the traditions brought over by Eastern European Jewish immigrants who made pastrami a staple in American deli culture.
Every slice carries the weight of that history. Eating Hershel’s pastrami isn’t just a meal — it’s a small lesson in culinary heritage worth savoring one juicy bite at a time.
Thick, Juicy, and Sliced to Perfection
Ask any serious pastrami lover and they’ll tell you — the slice makes or breaks the sandwich. Cut it the wrong way and even the best-cured meat can turn chewy and tough.
Hershel’s team figured that out early and hasn’t looked back since.
Cutting against the grain is the secret move. When you slice perpendicular to the muscle fibers, you shorten them, making every bite dramatically more tender.
Hershel’s refined this technique after listening closely to customer feedback, adjusting until the texture hit that sweet spot between firm and melt-in-your-mouth. That kind of attention to detail is rare and refreshing.
The slices are thick — not paper-thin like you might find at a grocery store counter. Each piece holds its shape while still being incredibly juicy, stacking beautifully on fresh rye bread without falling apart.
When you lift that sandwich, you can actually feel the weight of the meat. It’s satisfying in a way that’s hard to describe until you experience it yourself.
Watching the slicer work behind the counter is almost as enjoyable as eating the finished product — a small, mesmerizing show before the main event arrives.
Sandwiches So Popular They Sell Out
Selling out of food is usually a problem — unless you’re Hershel’s, where it’s basically a badge of honor. On a busy weekday, the deli can move hundreds of pounds of pastrami before the afternoon even gets started.
That’s not a typo. Hundreds of pounds, gone before dinner crowds even think about showing up.
Lines snake through Reading Terminal Market during peak lunch hours, and regulars know the drill: get there early or risk missing out. By early afternoon, popular items — especially the classic pastrami on rye — can be completely wiped out.
The deli doesn’t overstock just to stay open longer. They make what they make, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
Surprisingly, this daily sell-out cycle hasn’t hurt the deli’s reputation at all. If anything, it’s added to the mystique.
Knowing that something might not be available tomorrow makes people want it even more today. First-timers who arrive too late often come back the very next morning, determined to score a sandwich before the rush hits.
That kind of loyalty is earned, not manufactured — and Hershel’s earns it fresh every single day.
Massive Portions That Live Up to the Hype
Fair warning: do not come to Hershel’s expecting a dainty little lunch. The sandwiches here are famously, almost comically large — and that’s exactly the point.
Regulars joke that one sandwich could easily feed two people, though most manage to finish it solo out of sheer determination and pure enjoyment.
Towering stacks of pastrami get piled onto fresh rye bread until the whole thing looks structurally impossible. Meat spills over the edges.
The bread strains under the weight. It’s a glorious, slightly chaotic construction that requires both hands and at least three napkins to handle properly.
Eating it gracefully is not really an option — and nobody minds.
Beyond the size, the flavor intensity matches the portion. The fat marbled through the navel beef renders beautifully during steaming, coating every slice with richness that builds with each bite.
Add a swipe of deli mustard and a crunchy half-sour pickle on the side, and the whole meal comes together in a way that feels deeply satisfying. First-timers often go wide-eyed at the sheer scale of what lands in front of them.
Longtime fans simply smile, roll up their sleeves, and get to work.
A True Taste of Classic Jewish Deli Tradition
Hershel’s wasn’t built to be trendy. It was built to honor something real — the rich, deeply personal tradition of Eastern European Jewish deli cooking that immigrants brought to America generations ago.
Every item on the menu carries that spirit, from the slow-cured meats to the steaming bowls of matzo ball soup that warm you from the inside out.
The deli’s founding story is rooted in respect for a longtime chef who spent years perfecting these recipes in New York’s legendary deli scene. Bringing that knowledge to Philadelphia meant more than just opening a restaurant — it meant carrying a culinary legacy forward in a city hungry for authenticity.
That mission shows in every dish.
Knishes, corned beef, brisket, chopped liver — these aren’t afterthoughts on the menu. They’re cornerstones of a tradition that stretches back over a century.
For many customers, eating at Hershel’s feels nostalgic even on the very first visit, like reconnecting with something familiar and comforting. Food has a remarkable way of telling stories across generations, and Hershel’s does exactly that.
Every bite is a small, delicious piece of history that Philadelphia is lucky to have right inside its most iconic market.
The Reuben and Rachel Are Crowd Favorites
Pastrami on rye gets most of the attention, but ask Hershel’s regulars what they actually order and two names come up again and again — the Reuben and the Rachel. Both sandwiches have earned passionate fan followings, and for good reason.
They’re bold, layered, and built with the same care that goes into every item on the menu.
The classic Reuben stacks corned beef with tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and creamy Thousand Island dressing between slices of toasted rye. Every element plays off the others — salty, sour, creamy, and crunchy all at once.
The Rachel swaps sauerkraut for coleslaw and often features pastrami instead of corned beef, giving it a slightly sweeter, crunchier personality that fans absolutely love.
What makes both sandwiches stand out at Hershel’s is the balance. It’s easy to overload a Reuben until the flavors compete instead of complement.
Here, the proportions are dialed in just right, so no single ingredient overwhelms the rest. Food critics and casual visitors alike consistently praise both options in reviews.
If you’re ever torn between ordering the pastrami on rye or one of these two classics, the safest answer is simple — come back twice.
Consistently Rated Among the City’s Best Sandwich Spots
Philadelphia is not a city that goes easy on food opinions. Locals take their sandwiches seriously — this is, after all, the birthplace of the cheesesteak.
So when Philadelphians say Hershel’s is one of the best sandwich spots in the city, that’s not a casual compliment. That’s a hard-won title.
Travel publications, food bloggers, and review platforms consistently place Hershel’s at or near the top of Philadelphia’s sandwich rankings. Visitors flying in from across the country sometimes list it as a must-eat stop before they even book their hotel.
The comparisons to famous New York delis like Katz’s come up constantly — and Hershel’s holds its own in every conversation.
What keeps the reputation strong year after year is consistency. The pastrami tastes the same on a Tuesday morning as it does on a Saturday afternoon.
The portions don’t shrink. The bread stays fresh.
In the restaurant world, maintaining that level of quality over time is genuinely difficult, and Hershel’s makes it look almost effortless. New spots open across Philadelphia every season, but few manage to challenge Hershel’s standing as the city’s go-to destination for a truly exceptional, old-school deli sandwich experience.
A Classic Counter-Service Experience
Some restaurants try to recreate the atmosphere of a classic New York deli and fall short. Hershel’s doesn’t try — it simply is one.
From the moment you step up to the counter, every detail reinforces that feeling of stepping into a place that has always existed and always will.
Old-school signage lists the menu in bold, no-nonsense lettering. Staff carve and assemble sandwiches right in front of you, which adds an almost theatrical quality to the ordering process.
Watching a skilled counter worker stack pastrami with practiced efficiency is genuinely satisfying. The line moves fast, the energy is warm, and nobody rushes you once you finally reach the front.
The seating area inside the market is casual and communal — shared tables, the hum of a hundred conversations, the smell of fresh bread and spiced meat drifting through the air. There are no reservations, no dress codes, and no pretension.
Just good food served honestly by people who clearly take pride in what they do. That straightforward, unpretentious approach is increasingly rare in modern dining, which makes finding it at Hershel’s feel like discovering something genuinely worth protecting.
Come for the sandwich, stay for the whole experience.
Essential Visitor Info for Your Trip to Hershel’s
Planning a visit to Hershel’s East Side Deli is easy once you know the basics. The deli is located inside Reading Terminal Market at 1136 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 — right in the heart of downtown, making it simple to combine with other city sightseeing.
Parking and public transit options are both available nearby.
Hours generally run from around 8 AM to 6 PM daily, with slightly shorter hours on Sundays. The golden rule among regulars is to arrive early.
Pastrami and other popular items frequently sell out by early afternoon, so showing up at opening time or just before the lunch rush gives you the best shot at getting exactly what you came for. Waiting until 2 PM is a gamble most first-timers regret.
Both cash and credit cards are accepted, so no need to hunt down an ATM beforehand. Come hungry — portions are enormous and sharing is always a smart strategy if you want to try more than one item.
Expect a line, especially on weekdays between 11 AM and 1 PM. The wait moves quickly and the staff keeps things rolling efficiently.
By the time your sandwich lands on the counter in front of you, every minute of waiting will feel completely worth it.