Katz’s Deli, New York’s oldest Jewish deli and living monument, has reopened a hidden piece of history, adding to its centuries-long influence on the minds and stomachs of New Yorkers.
For the first time in nearly eight decades, the iconic Lower East Side institution has unveiled The Ludlow Room, a restored 68-seat dining room that has been closed to the public since 1949.
Located inside Katz’s corner home at 205 East Houston Street, the dining room was converted into a massive walk-in refrigerator during the postwar years and is now available for use.
As demand for Katz’s famed pastrami, corned beef, and brisket surged, the room became part of the deli’s behind-the-scenes operations rather than a place where customers gathered.
Following a relentless demand for pastrami and latkes doused in Russian dressing and sour cream, the Ludlow Room reopens as a nod and celebration of the deli’s history and to accommodate even more diners during busy hours.
The Ludlow Room will also be used to host private events, something that took the internet by storm last year when DJ Zeds Dead threw a pop-up rave, and even has its own dedicated on-site cutter hand-slicing pastrami, corned beef, and brisket to order for guests seated inside the intimate dining room.
The extensive renovation was meant to breathe life back into a room that held so much significance. The design preserved architectural details that embody Katz’s unique energy, such as original tin ceilings and period-inspired lighting, which is a nod to the space’s early 20th-century roots, according to a press release.
And considering that every single piece of meat served at Katz’s between 1949 and 2026 was weighed on a freight scale inside the now-renovated room, the revival of The Ludlow Room felt bashert.
“We’ve always said Katz’s is more than a deli, it’s a living piece of New York history,” Jake Dell, the fifth-generation owner of Katz’s Delicatessen, said in a statement. “Reopening this room feels like uncovering a forgotten chapter of our own story.”
Katz’s first opened its doors on the Lower East Side in 1888. Founded by brothers Morris and Hyman Iceland, the restaurant was soon joined by their cousin, Willy Katz, whose surname became the restaurant’s eponymous name.
The beloved deli found its forever home on Ludlow Street in the 1920s and has been a mainstay of the downtown real estate ever since.
Over the next century, Katz’s turned into a phenomenon. Known for its hand-carved pastrami sandwiches, fresh mustard, and thick-cut fries, the restaurant’s walls are adorned with hundreds of framed photographs chronicling generations of visitors who adhere to the old-school ticket system when picking up their orders.
Thousands of customers fill their bellies with Katz’s, and hundreds flood social media with photos of the city’s most recognizable culinary landmark. While much of New York’s historic restaurant culture has slowly disappeared, Katz’s has survived changing neighborhoods, economic downturns, and shifting dining trends.
The Ludlow Room is almost a portal into a part of history that only Katz’s can offer.
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