475 S 3rd St.
Columbus, OH 43215
614.228.3354
website
Popular for its convenient locations in the German Village and the North Market, Katzinger’s Deli has spent 30 years slinging sandwiches to hungry Columbus residents and these delicious sandwiches are now well known much beyond the immediate downtown world. Best known as the place that serves you pickles — literally out of a barrel — and for the enormous sandwiches. Downtown has a lot of sandwich options and there are more than a few good sandwiches in the picture. But this place is iconic for Columbus and it’s definitely a special kind of experience.
By and large, people grab sandwiches and go with them, and lunch tends to be the best time to do that.
- Mom & Granny’s Harbor Hero: Homemade chicken salad, Muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato on a challah. Creamy chicken salad is a staple of the deli sandwich world, and the creamy cheese is a huge plus. Toast this sandwich for best results, it’s huge and fantastic.
- Here’s Jeanne Again: This would be the local take on the classic New York-style lox bagel. Smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato and red onion on a bagel of your choice. Probably best if you order this one hungry; it’s best when it’s fresh and that cool salmon and the crunchy bagel adds some saltiness, with the cream cheese is spot on. Perfect for the cosmopolitan taste.
- Pickles: Not kidding about that, these pickles are served out of the barrel! Pick one up with your sandwich, because they come in a few different flavors. They’re great as a side dish, definitely go well as a counter-balance to those sandwiches as far as texture goes. Like any deli, this one has bagged chips as a side though so a lot of salt.
- Carrot cake: Thick and sweet but with plenty of veggie love. This one is best when shared but also a sweet couple’s treat.
Both the deli and the North Market stand have a nice kind of affect to them, more of a stand where you grab your food and go, with almost a grittiness. This is a dyed-in-the-wool Columbus dive, and it’s got the flavors and the pride to match. Prices are about normal when you look at your high-end deli experience, but as far as value the food is still pretty good. Delicious in fact, and with plenty of memorable things on the menu there are a few reasons to keep coming back.
Columbus has a lot of sandwich shops and lunch has a huge number of options. This one is very memorable. Give it a go.
Recommendations
- The sandwich menu is huge so there are plenty of choices. A good place to take someone who’s indecisive. Health nuts might not find as much here though.
- Pickles are served out of the barrel if you like. And I suggest you try them. Delicious!
- If you can get the sandwiches toasted, I highly recommend doing so. It just amplifies the deliciousness.
Another Food Critic 