My first time at Deli Kasbah was with my family. It was during orientation week, my very first year at Stern. My older sister took me and my other sister to a restaurant which she told us was without a doubt “the best restaurant ever.” It was only my second or third day in New York, and since I was still missing home, I ordered the Texas nuggets. The nuggets were large, glistening with a beautiful brown sauce that tantalized my taste buds just by looking at them. Resting in a bed of lettuce leaves, I picked up one of these nuggets with my fork. Upon biting into the nugget, I was immediately greeted with a juicy wave of barbeque sauce that swirled around my tongue and made itself at home along the ridges of my mouth. The taste of the meat enveloped my taste buds and I sank into the notes of tangy sweetness that the sauce offered. After finishing each nugget, munching on the lettuce leaves provided a plain but sweet afterthought to the intensity of the flavorful nuggets. I ordered regular fries with the nuggets which were equally large in size, perfectly crunchy on the outside, and hot on the inside. Each table was set with big bottles of garlic mayo sauce and ketchup to dip our food in, and the fries tasted even more satisfying when adorned with a bissel of the Kasbah garlic mayo sauce. My sisters both ordered wraps and fries, and their meals were as equally as enjoyable as mine.
That was just my first time at Deli Kasbah. But every time since, has been just as incredible as the first. Sure enough, now as a junior three years later, I believe my sister was right and Deli Kasbah in fact is just “the best restaurant ever”.
The restaurant is located on the Upper West side, just nearby the 86th street subway stop on the 1 train. It’s facade is humble with a door that leads down a couple steps. However, once one makes their way fully indoors, they are greeted with a warm, homey atmosphere. The restaurant is dimly lit, which creates a soothing comforting feeling for its guests and the walls are accompanied with book shelves that hold sefarim and other mussar books. The establishment is run by Chabad workers, and has photographs of the Rebbe, as well as videos of his speeches, that are both equally intriguing and entertaining for its viewers . There is an elevated section of tables within the restaurant for various seating options. The restaurant provides to be an ideal meeting spot for YC and Stern students as the Upper West marks a halfway point between campuses.
The menu of the restaurant is bountiful, complete with burgers, steaks, sushi, salads, and wraps. Whatever you want, Deli Kasbah’s got it. As for my personal favorite, the cajun chicken wrap is splendid, especially when paired with sweet potato fries, which are just so crisp and refreshing with the famous garlic mayo sauce. The burgers are great too, and the waiters make sure the meat is cooked exactly how the customer wants it. I love adding fried onions and avocado to my burger. A friend of mine, YC student Chad Shapiro, shared his opinion on the NYC Mixed grill which includes BBQ chicken steak, BBQ ribs, and beef steak: “The ribs are succulent–the meat falls right off the bone. I’d recommend these Kasbah ribs to any carnivore looking for reasonably priced, nicely sauced, rib.”
As if that were not enough, the restaurant boasts two fun features. Firstly, There is a Bring Your Own Booze policy that lets customers bring in their own wine or hard liquor bottles which greatly saves money and makes up for any expensive pricing. One can enjoy food with friends and as much wine as they can possibly fit. Secondly, as a fun restaurant gimmick, whoever gives a dvar torah, gets their table rewarded with a free dessert. There is simply no better excitement than dipping one’s spoon in the molten lava miniature brownie cake and scraping the plate clean to get every last morsel of the chocolate syrup that they sprinkle on. But honestly, what is better than free dessert?! And what better way to celebrate food then by including Hashem in that celebration!
If you can’t tell, I am unabashedly biased in my opinion of the fine cuisine served at this humble restaurant. But one thing is true: Deli Kasbah is all about indulging. They know their prices aren’t exactly cheap. But the portion sizes are large and fit for kings and queens. The menus are overflowing with different interesting meat options of lamb grills, beef grills, and chicken steaks. The options are endless and that’s exactly the point. This is not a place for dieting. But this is also not a place for checking calories. It is a place for celebratory occasions with friends and family. Whether it be a graduating sister, snow day special treat, or a loved one’s birthday, Deli Kasbah is truly a special place fit for great memories. So even if it on the pricier side, it is worth every single bite.