We felt very comfortable walking into @yansdeli and realizing that what we were smelling wasn’t a marketing strategy. It’s brisket. It’s pastrami. It’s onions softening on a flat top somewhere behind the counter. It’s the honest, homey aroma of a deli that understands exactly what it is.

This isn’t a place trying to manufacture nostalgia with Edison bulbs and ironic menu fonts. The nostalgia here is incidental. Accidental, even. It comes from real food made by real people, served without theatrics. All the good things a deli should have? They have them. Pastrami that respects your appetite. Beef bacon that doesn’t apologize for itself. And the pickles. Perfectly brined, crunchy, and just sour enough to make you sit up straighter.

Behind the counter, the vibe isn’t some corporate “brand story.” It’s plastered across the walls in art, photos, random decorations, and a delightful custom Lego set of the building itself. We loved that detail! It tells you everything: they care, but they’re also having fun.

About the food.

🥪 The tuna melt. Generous tuna salad, not gloopy, layered thick between golden, griddled bread that had that perfect crunch.

🍔 The onion brisket sandwich. Deeply savory, tender brisket piled high, carrying that slow-cooked richness. It was bold and hearty.

🥤And then, the milkshakes. “Powerful” feels like the right word. These are not polite, airy shakes. They are THICK. The Biscoff one was bliss in a cup. The baby Guinness frappé—absolutely delicious—balanced sweetness and depth.

The menu doesn’t stop there. Brunch items? Check. Specials? Of course. Alcoholic drinks menu? Yes, because sometimes your pastrami wants a proper pairing. Snacks, things to go, comfort food staples—they have it all.

A deli that stretches into modern territory without losing its roots.

And here’s the part where I speak plainly: I pay for my meals. No comps, no influencer hush money. Just me, my wallet, and my honest opinion. We absolutely loved everything we had here. Truly.

But.

My meal—tuna melt, one milkshake, and three cows in a blanket—came out to $40 plus tax and tip, totaling $53. That’s not cheap. The food was very, very good. But there’s a point where the price-to-quality ratio starts to wobble. At a certain number, it doesn’t matter how delicious the brisket is or how perfectly the pickles snap. It just feels like a lot.

Would we go back? Yes.
Would we go back casually, on a whim, without checking our bank balance first? Maybe not.

Yans Deli is excellent. It’s heartfelt. It’s delicious. It’s doing a lot right. But like their milkshakes, it packs a financial punch. And sometimes, no matter how good the food is, the bill has the final word.

February 21st, 2026 – Sandwich Quest stop 12 – Yans Deli
✨Overall Score 9/10✨
Ordered:
🥪: Onion Brisket, Tuna Melt
🫔: Cows in a Blanket
🥤: Frappé Baby Guinness, Biscoff Milkshake
💰: 💸 💸 💸