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205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
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The line at Katz's has two stages. First, a sidewalk queue on East Houston Street just to get through the door; Beyond Borders reports that on a Saturday night you wait outside "before you even see a ticket." Then come the counter lines inside. I Know a Guy NYC reports the wait can run 30-60 minutes by noon on a busy day, while noting it is unpredictable: "3:00pm and there's been no line" one visit, "a 30 minute wait" another.
Inside there is no single line. Every person gets a pink ticket at the door, and the deli runs several hand-carving stations, each with its own queue. Per Beyond Borders, the trick is to skip the crowded right-side stations and head to the far left, where the lines are "almost always shorter" — the nearest station tends to be the longest because most people stop there first. Both Beyond Borders and I Know a Guy NYC warn that losing the ticket costs $50.
The recurring theme across guides is that the line looks worse than it is. Multiple carving stations mean it moves fast once you are inside. Both guides frame the sidewalk wait as a peak-hours-and-weekends problem rather than an all-day one, and report walking straight in during weekday mornings and late nights.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: Katz's takes no standard reservations — the only bookable option is a group reservation for parties of 10 or more via its official request form, which must be made at least one week in advance and is not accepted Fridays 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m. or on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays between 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Walk-ins: Everyone else walks in: each person is handed a ticket at the door (losing it costs $50), then either orders directly from the cutters at the counter and grabs a first-come table, or sits in the waiter-service section in the back. The line peaks midday and on weekends; the I Know A Guy NYC guide suggests arriving before 11:30 a.m. for lunch to dodge 30–60 minute waits.
Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–11 p.m.; open continuously from Friday 8 a.m. through Sunday 11 p.m. — the official site notes 'Now open 24 hrs on weekends!'
Expect 30-60 minutes at peak — weekday lunch from noon onward and Saturday nights, when the wait spills onto Houston Street (I Know a Guy NYC, Beyond Borders). Off-peak is a different story: weekday mornings, the 2-5pm lull, and late nights are typically under 10 minutes, often walk straight in.
Guides point to weekday mornings and mid-afternoons. Beyond Borders recommends 8:00-11:30am on weekdays or the 2:00-5:00pm lull, and reports an under-10-minute wait around 8:15pm on a Monday. Late nights are also described as quiet.
Multiple guides say yes. Katz's runs several hand-carving stations at once, so both Beyond Borders and I Know a Guy NYC note the line moves quickly even when it looks long.
Everyone gets a pink ticket at the door. Cutters mark it as you order at the counter, and you pay on the way out. Beyond Borders and I Know a Guy NYC both warn that losing the ticket carries a $50 charge.
Per the shop's own site, Katz's is open 24 hours on weekends (continuously from Friday 8:00am through Sunday 11:00pm) and 8:00am-11:00pm Monday through Thursday. Visitors describe the late-night hours as some of the least crowded.
Not for regular dining — Katz's is walk-in only for individuals. Its official group reservation form only accepts parties of 10 or more, booked at least one week ahead, and never during peak windows (Fridays 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., or weekends and holidays 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.).
Every person gets a printed ticket at the door; the cutters and counter staff mark each order on it, and you hand it to the cashier to pay on your way out. Keep it safe — per the I Know A Guy NYC guide, a lost ticket carries a $50 charge, and you need a ticket to exit even if you didn't order anything.
Sources: Katz's Delicatessen: Location and Hours (official site) · Beyond Borders: How to Order at Katz's Deli & Best Time to Visit (Avoid the Line) · I Know a Guy NYC: A Guide to Eating at Katz's Deli · Katz's Delicatessen official group reservation request form