A deli sandwich can trade its bread for two potato latkes, and that alone makes me reconsider my lunch plans.
Add house-cured pastrami, piled-high corned beef, and a sandwich actually named Mile High Pastrami, and the usual desk lunch starts looking pretty dull.
Pennsylvania’s old-school deli menus leave plenty of room for curiosity, with Jewish deli classics sharing the spotlight with Italian subs and creative sandwich combinations.
I love that you can follow a craving for rye and mustard, then discover whitefish salad, challah French toast, or fresh mozzarella along the way.
The useful part is knowing which counter fits your plans, because market lunches, early breakfasts, and afternoon takeout call for different stops.
A little planning leaves more time for the real decision: choosing the sandwich that sounds best, figuring out whether soup belongs beside it, and deciding how ambitious your first bite should be.
Famous 4th Street Delicatessen, Philadelphia, PA
A piled-high pastrami sandwich makes a pretty convincing case for giving lunch your full attention. At Famous 4th Street Delicatessen, generous portions belong alongside matzo ball soup, bakery treats, and a traditional Jewish deli menu.
You can make the sandwich your main event, then choose a side of pickles for a simple companion. Corned beef offers another classic direction, while the soup gives you a reason to slow down between bites.
The setting adds its own character, with famous faces and family photographs covering the walls. That vintage style suits a deli established in 1923, though you don’t need a history lesson to appreciate lunch.
Breakfast brings another set of decisions, including challah French toast and corned beef with eggs. If your sandwich plans become brunch plans, you’ll still have plenty of familiar deli choices to consider before ordering.
Save dessert space if jumbo cookies or an apple turnover sound tempting, rather than treating sweets as an afterthought. I like a menu that lets the bakery side compete fairly with the sandwich side for your attention.
You can dine in with table service or choose takeout when your Philadelphia schedule calls for a portable meal. Reservations aren’t accepted, so avoid building your day around a guaranteed table at a particular minute.
The listed daily hours run from morning through evening, giving this Pennsylvania stop more flexibility than a lunch-only counter. Check hours before heading over, and let your sandwich choice determine how much else you order on the side.
Address: 700 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Hershel’s East Side Deli, Philadelphia, PA
House-cured pastrami gives you a strong reason to make a deli counter your market destination. Hershel’s East Side Deli prepares its own pastrami, corned beef, and brisket inside Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market.
Start with the grilled pastrami Reuben on rye if you want a clearly defined sandwich target. Rachel sandwiches and brisket provide other directions, so you can follow your favorite deli meat instead of choosing by habit.
The generous sandwich portions put the meat at the center of the meal, exactly where a deli enthusiast wants it. You don’t need to turn lunch into a contest, though; the small soup and half sandwich option offers another approach.
Matzo ball soup and chicken noodle soup make useful companions when you want something beyond bread and filling. Potato knishes, latkes, and kugel also give you room to explore the menu without abandoning its traditional deli roots.
Counter service shapes the visit, so expect to place your order rather than plan around a server at your table. Dine-in and takeout options let you choose between a market meal and food to carry onward.
Dessert deserves a separate decision, especially when New York-style cheesecake and Jewish apple cake enter the conversation. I appreciate that the choices reach beyond sandwiches without making the sandwich feel like a supporting character.
Use Reading Terminal Market as your destination when navigating, since address formats for the market can vary across listings. Check the counter’s hours before traveling, and remember that its market setting calls for a different plan than a standalone restaurant.
Address: Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Smallman Street Deli, Pittsburgh, PA
Two potato latkes standing in for bread give the sandwich category a wonderfully unexpected twist. Smallman Street Deli offers that Rachel variation alongside the pastrami, corned beef, and Reubens that anchor its classic menu.
You can stick with the Smallman Street Reuben when your craving calls for a familiar deli standard. Corned beef, pastrami, and roast beef are cooked on site, giving those sandwich choices a clear connection to the kitchen.
The menu also includes an egg salad sandwich, a grilled chicken sandwich, and a Harvest Veggie Wrap. That range helps when your lunch partner wants something different, without requiring a second stop somewhere else.
For a more playful selection, consider the Pastrami Deli Burger rather than treating deli meats as sandwich-only territory. Read the menu before deciding, since the names alone won’t answer questions about ingredients or substitutions you might need.
Matzo ball and chicken noodle soups offer another route through the Jewish-style menu at this Pittsburgh address. You can build a meal around soup and a sandwich, or keep your order focused on one substantial choice.
Plan this Pennsylvania visit for daytime, since the deli closes during the afternoon and doesn’t open on Sundays. Published closing times differ slightly, so checking before departure matters more than trusting an old saved schedule.
Dine-in, takeout, and delivery give you several ways to fit the deli into your day. Free parking is listed, but your best preparation remains simple: pick your sandwich direction before the latke option changes your mind again.
Address: 2840 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Carson Street Deli & Craft Beer Bar, Pittsburgh, PA
A build-your-own option means your sandwich can follow your appetite instead of somebody else’s blueprint. Carson Street Deli pairs that flexibility with substantial sandwiches and a menu that includes several creatively named choices.
The Classic Italian Sandwich gives you a recognizable starting point when you prefer a traditional deli direction. The Balboa Sandwich and Three Little Pigs Sandwich offer other options, but ask about their fillings rather than guessing from names.
Locally sourced ingredients form part of the deli’s approach, adding a regional connection to the sandwich menu. You can appreciate that focus without needing to turn a straightforward Pittsburgh lunch into a lengthy food lesson.
Customization makes this stop especially useful when you know what you want your sandwich to include. Before ordering, explain any dietary needs clearly and confirm available choices, since a flexible menu doesn’t establish specific accommodations.
Soup of the day gives you a possible companion for the sandwich, depending on what the kitchen is offering. Ask about that day’s selection before planning your meal around a particular soup or ingredient combination.
The casual setting supports a sit-down lunch, while takeout and delivery provide alternatives when you’re keeping a tighter schedule. Paid street parking is listed, so allow for that practical detail if you’re arriving by car.
Unlike several afternoon-only counters on this list, the posted schedule includes evening hours throughout the week. Check the day’s closing time, choose a named sandwich or build your own, and leave the complicated decisions for another meal.
Address: 1507 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Abe’s Delicatessen, Scranton, PA
Corned beef and chopped liver share a sandwich here, which makes plain lunch plans seem a little underambitious. Abe’s Delicatessen serves a traditional kosher deli menu with sandwiches, breakfast dishes, and hot entrees in Scranton.
Pastrami on rye provides a classic starting point when you want the deli experience in its simplest form. Grilled turkey pastrami offers another choice, while rare roast beef with lettuce and tomato takes your order in a different direction.
You can pair your sandwich with a knish or pickles rather than automatically reaching for the usual side. Potato pancakes also appear on the menu, giving the meal another connection to familiar Jewish deli cooking.
Breakfast deserves attention here because matzah brei, pancakes, and French toast expand the possibilities beyond a midday sandwich. Weekday opening hours begin early, making this a useful choice when your food plans start before a typical lunch counter opens.
Vegetarian and vegan menus add flexibility for a group whose preferences don’t line up around corned beef. Ask about the preparation of your chosen dish if you have specific dietary requirements, rather than relying on its name.
Table service and seating let you settle on a fuller meal, while takeout offers a simpler alternative. Reservations are accepted, which may help when coordinating a group meal instead of leaving the timing completely open.
Finish with hamantaschen if you want a sweet note after exploring the savory side of the menu. Check that day’s hours before going, since afternoon closing times make this a better daytime plan than a late dinner destination.
Address: 326 N Washington Ave, Scranton, PA 18503
Syb’s West End Deli, Allentown, PA
Whitefish breakfast and hefty sandwiches give you two good reasons to rethink the timing of your deli stop. Syb’s West End Deli serves classic breakfast dishes and hearty sandwiches at its Liberty Street address in Allentown.
Pastrami on rye with mustard fits the traditional sandwich mood without asking you to decode a clever menu name. You can keep the order straightforward and let that familiar combination guide your lunch choice at this neighborhood deli.
The breakfast menu includes challah French toast, giving you a different answer when you’re craving something sweeter. Whitefish salad adds another deli staple, so an earlier visit doesn’t have to mean skipping the foods that brought you here.
Soups, salads, and desserts broaden the meal beyond sandwiches, which helps when your appetite calls for a smaller mix. Ask what’s available that day before choosing your extras, rather than expecting a particular soup or dessert.
Indoor and outdoor seating provide options for eating on site, though outdoor plans naturally depend on the day’s conditions. Takeout is also available, while delivery isn’t listed, so arrange to collect your meal if you aren’t staying.
The weekly schedule needs a little attention because the deli closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday through Friday service runs into midafternoon, Saturday ends earlier, and Sunday closes before one, making timing especially important.
Free street parking is listed, adding a practical detail for readers traveling across Allentown by car. I like the breakfast-or-sandwich dilemma here: you can decide which craving wins without pretending either choice needs a grand occasion.
Address: 2151 Liberty St, Allentown, PA 18104
Cara Mia’s Delicatessen, Dunmore, PA
A sandwich named Mile High Pastrami doesn’t exactly suggest a timid approach to lunch. Cara Mia’s Delicatessen combines that deli choice with Italian subs, paninis, wraps, salads, and pizza at its Dunmore location.
You can follow the pastrami craving or take the Italian route with a hoagie or sub instead. The range gives you room to choose by appetite, rather than treating one signature sandwich as the only sensible order.
A Chicken Caesar Wrap offers another direction when you’re in the mood for something different from a traditional deli sandwich. Check the menu for its specific ingredients before ordering, especially if you need to avoid a particular food.
Fresh mozzarella is part of the deli’s offerings, adding another Italian staple to the selection. Soups and salads also belong in the conversation, whether you want an accompanying dish or a meal that doesn’t center on bread.
Pizza makes this a practical stop when your group can’t agree on sandwiches for lunch. You can keep the order varied without making separate stops, though availability and individual preferences should guide what you ultimately choose.
Takeout is offered, and delivery isn’t listed, so plan to pick up your food rather than depend on a delivery order. Street parking includes free and paid options, making posted signs worth checking before you leave your car.
Schedule your visit Tuesday through Saturday, since the deli closes on Sundays and Mondays and finishes service during the afternoon. Then let the name Mile High do its persuasive work, while you make the final sandwich decision for yourself.
Address: 210 E Drinker St, Dunmore, PA 18512
