Katz Deli-When Harry met Sally

There are movie scenes, and then there are scenes. In 1989, Meg Ryan sat down at a crowded deli table, calmly explained to Billy Crystal that men can’t tell when women are faking it — and then proved her point, loudly, in the middle of lunch. A woman at a nearby table deadpanned the punchline. And Katz’s Delicatessen became a movie landmark forever.

The Scene

The film is When Harry Met Sally (1989), Rob Reiner’s romantic comedy with a screenplay by Nora Ephron, starring Billy Crystal as Harry Burns and Meg Ryan as Sally Albright. Over lunch at Katz’s — pastrami sandwiches, obviously — they fall into one of their classic arguments: can men tell when women are faking an orgasm? Sally says no. Harry says yes. So Sally demonstrates, right there in the dining room, pounding the table and going full volume while fellow diners try very hard to look at their sandwiches.

When she finishes, a woman at a nearby table turns to the waiter and says, “I’ll have what she’s having.” That woman was Estelle Reiner, the director’s mother, working as an extra on set — and the line is widely credited to Billy Crystal, who added the punchline during filming.

The Backstory

Long before the cameras rolled, Katz’s was already a New York institution. It opened in 1888 as Iceland Brothers, founded by Morris and Hyman Iceland on Ludlow Street. Willy Katz joined in 1903 (the name became Iceland & Katz), and by 1910 — with cousin Benny buying out the Iceland brothers — it was Katz’s Delicatessen. Subway construction forced the deli across the street to its current corner, and the familiar Houston Street storefront facade went up between 1946 and 1949.

Through it all, Katz’s fed the Lower East Side: it was a gathering place for immigrant families in the early 20th century, and its World War II slogan “Send a salami to your boy in the army” became a national catchphrase. On its 100th anniversary in 1988, with no Katz heirs left, the deli was sold to restaurateur Martin Dell; today his grandson Jake Dell runs it. The result: kosher-style (not strictly kosher) pastrami at a staggering 15,000 pounds a week, and Zagat’s number-one deli ranking in New York.

What to Look For

Katz’s doesn’t let you forget the film. A sign hangs over the famous table reading: “Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had!” The original Film Hunt intel puts it in the middle row of tables, roughly four tables in from the door, hanging directly from the ceiling.

Beyond the famous table, soak in the whole ritual: grab a numbered ticket at the door (you pay at the exit), watch the cutters work behind the counter, and scan the walls of famous faces. Loud, crowded, unapologetic — that is very much the point.

Getting There

Katz’s Delicatessen is at 205 East Houston Street, on the southwest corner of Houston and Ludlow Streets in the Lower East Side.

By subway, the nearest stations are Grand St (B and D trains) and Bowery (J and Z trains), each about a two-minute walk away. The F train at 2nd Ave & Houston is also close — about four minutes on foot.

Trivia

• The line was delivered by Estelle Reiner, director Rob Reiner’s mother, working as an extra on the set — and it’s widely credited to Billy Crystal, who came up with the punchline during filming. When Estelle died in 2008 at age 94, The New York Times called hers one of the most memorably funny lines in movie history.
• In 2013, a flash mob recreated the entire Katz’s scene on location with improv actors.

The Hunt Clue

On Houston Street where the pastrami’s piled high, Sally’s famous scene made the whole deli sigh. Find the table with the sign hanging clear — then have what she’s having, my dear!