The Deli Salt Lake City Didn't Have
Most American cities outside New York, Chicago and Los Angeles cannot sustain a serious Jewish deli. The economics are brutal, the product is unforgiving, and Katz's is always lurking in the comparison. So here is the contrarian point about Feldman's, on 2700 South in the Sugar House area: stop grading it on a curve. It is not "great for Utah." Michael and Janet Feldman opened it in 2012, their son John Feldman took over the day-to-day in 2023, and across the handover the kitchen has kept making everything from scratch and slicing the pastrami to order. The result would hold its own two time zones east.
Order the pastrami first. Half a pound of it, hand-sliced, stacked on house rye with mustard and a properly fermented pickle — about $15, which in 2026 counts as a bargain for this much cured meat done right. The corned beef is its equal, and the Reuben is the one to beat in Utah. The matzo ball soup is made daily and the brisket, when it runs as a Friday special, is the sleeper. None of this is life-changing in the Katz's sense, and Feldman's does not pretend otherwise. It is simply honest, from-scratch deli cooking in a city that had nowhere to get it.
The Bagels
The bagels are made in-house and are the correct version of a bagel: dense, chewy, malt-forward, with a crust that gives audible resistance before yielding. They are not the puffy, bread-roll imposters that most American bagel shops produce. Feldman's bagels are hand-rolled and boiled before baking — the New York method that no shortcut can replicate — and available with the expected cream cheese configurations but also with house-made smoked whitefish salad, which is the choice for anyone who wants to understand what the bagel-and-fish tradition is actually about.
The broader menu covers all the deli essentials: pierogi, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, and a brisket that earns genuine consideration as the city's best. The bacon-wrapped meatloaf is one of the more intellectually confusing dishes on the menu — it is unambiguously delicious and entirely non-kosher — and the kitchen knows it and serves it without apology.
Why It Works for Solo Dining
Feldman's is a great solo lunch for the reason every good deli is: the counter, the busy room, the open kitchen, and no pressure to linger or perform. You order, you eat well, you leave. Live music on selected evenings adds a little communal warmth without asking anything of you. A pastrami sandwich at the counter, watching the slicer work, is one of the quieter pleasures in Salt Lake City's food scene — and at $15 it is also one of the cheapest good ones.
For a broader table and a longer evening, Copper Common and Takashi serve similar functions in different registers — both excellent solo dining options in the city.
Practical Notes
Feldman's Deli is at 2005 E 2700 South in the Sugar House area, roughly between downtown and Millcreek. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. No reservations — walk-in and counter service only. There is a small lot adjacent to the building. The kitchen handles takeout efficiently, and the sandwiches travel well for the first thirty minutes.
Skip it if you want a sit-down dinner with table service or a strictly kosher meal — Feldman's is counter-service, kosher-style not certified, and the bacon-wrapped meatloaf is proudly on the menu. And do not come Sunday or Monday; it's closed.
Frequently Asked
Is Feldman's Deli worth it?
Yes — it is the best pastrami in Salt Lake City and one of the few from-scratch Jewish delis in the Mountain West. The Feldman family opened it in 2012 and built a half-pound, hand-sliced pastrami sandwich on house rye that holds up against far bigger cities. At about $15 it is honest value. It is not Katz's, but it is the real thing, and Utah did not have one before.
Who owns Feldman's Deli?
Michael and Janet Feldman opened it in 2012, and their youngest son John Feldman took over the day-to-day in May 2023 when the founders stepped back. It stays a family operation, which is part of why the cooking held steady through the handover — the recipes and the half-pound standard did not change with the generation.
Does Feldman's take reservations?
No — walk-in and counter service only, at 2005 E 2700 S in the Sugar House area, open Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Go early on weekends because the house bagels sell out before noon. For more SLC tables, see our Salt Lake City dining guide.
Also Great for Solo Dining in Salt Lake City
Community Reviews
"I grew up eating at delis in New York and I have genuinely high standards for what a pastrami sandwich should be. Feldman's passes. Barely — but it passes. The bagels might actually be better than what I remember from Brooklyn."
"The brisket special on Fridays is reason enough to drive across town. The matzo ball soup alone is worth the trip. This is the most soulful food in Salt Lake City."
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