40 Years in Business and Still The Best Pastrami Sandwich in Town

On the busy intersection of Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue, there is a bevy of men’s formal wear, furniture stores and West Indian restaurants, clustered together at the AC station - sidewalks covered in fruit stands and windows plastered in advertisements.

But unexpected in this Bed-Stuy hub is a small deli that has occupied Nostrand Avenue for almost 40 years: .

By noon on any day, there is a line of customers eagerly awaiting their gigantic all-meat sandwich, a Jewish delicatessen classic of corned beef, brisket or pastrami on rye, with a layer of mustard slabbed on each slice of bread and a sour dill pickle on the side.

I have to admit, I am not a deli meats connoisseur. I always figured if it was a deli, the meat was fine. And as long as the sandwich was smothered in condiments and topped with cheese, lettuce and tomato, it was a good sandwich.

After eating at David’s Brisket House, I am embarrassed for having lived in this city for so long without understanding the art of cold cut meats.

David’s Brisket House, you’ve opened my eyes.

For one, if the meat is good, and I mean really good, you don’t want to overpower the flavor with a bunch of condiments, some shredded iceberg, and a flavorless tomato. And while it’s hard for a huge cheese fan like myself to say this, even the slice of provolone or swiss is unneccesary.

Second, the rye bread is fantastic. I’ve never loved rye, and I think it was because it has a strong flavor that stands out too much when paired with a lot of milder sandwich ingredients, or anything sweet like jam or vinagrette. But with David's sandwiches, the sharp, strong flavor balances out the saltiness of the meat and the mustard.

Third, mustard is the only condiment that I will ever add to pastrami or corned beef ever again. And dill pickles, strangely, are a great way to clean your palette.

Similarly to pickled ginger and sushi, the pickle should be eaten between bites, not as part of the sandwich. David’s honors that by sticking an individually wrapped pickle in every take-out bag.

And finally, and most importantly, the meat: My favorite is the pastrami, which, at David's, is the best tasting pastrami I’ve ever had. The meat has a thick, peppery crust, and is filled with soft, tender, fatty, pink meat that will melt as soon as it reaches your tongue. You really haven’t had pastrami until you’ve tried this.

The brisket is milder than the others, but offers a salty, smoky flavor, and is slow-cooked to the point of being unbelievably tender and almost buttery tasting. You can opt for some gravy to heighten the flavor of the brisket, but I think it is great with just a little mustard.

The corned beef has also been perfected, stacked in thin, moist, slices, and overloaded with flavor. Corned beef is not quite as sharp as the pastrami, but is saltier than the brisket, and makes for a wonderful meal.

Keep in mind that these sandwiches are, well... huge! Even the small portion (pictured) is a large meal. But the sandwiches come in regular and large as well.

By the end of the day, David’s has often run out of most of its meat, and since it takes so long to make, they often don’t replenish until the next day. Get there early if you want options, and the meat is fresher earlier, anyway (which I think has a lot to do with it's wonderful tenderness).

And if you could ever, possibly eat more after a sandwich at David’s, they do have lemon meringue, chocolate and coconut cakes - $2 or $3 for a slice the size of your head. All three offer a sweet end to a salty meal.