Shelsky’s Smoked Fish

We get our lox here every week so I can’t speak to their bagels but their fish selection/​quality is top notch! And their coffee selection is local and fantastic!
My only complaint is that the manager speaks to his employees very disrespectfully each time we are in there. He is perfectly pleasant to customers, but as an expat to the service industry, it really irks me.
Also just FYI, they do not carry tofu cream cheese.

I tried my first New York bagel here, and it was amazing! They have a large selection of bagels and schmears. I got a garlic bagel with lox cream cheese. They were very generous with the cream cheese. Service was quick and friendly, and there’s so much interesting things to see in this market!

It is a deli with a «new» feel. They opened this year. The products are niche, hipsterish kosher products, and as such, they are very pricey. Salmon roe is $ 23, artisanal milk, Mexican cocacola, Fentiman’s soda… you get the picture.
They also have 6 different flavors of halva, pistachio being my favorite. The iced coffee is excellent but do not know the brand. They also have a tiny sitting area. The food is very good. I would say it is worth the price in terms of quality and the portions are hearty.
My favorite is the Dr. Goldstein: duck liver with horseradish and minced apples, all between two slices of oily latkes (latkes are meant to be oily). The halva is artisanal but is not made in house. I cannot compare it to nearby Sahadi’s, because I never tried Sahadi’s. Shelky’s halva is from another establishment, and I find it delicious when paired with iced black coffee.
Today the owner was complaining that he is understaffed. However, there aren’t too many customers; every time I go there, I’m pretty much the only one to order and sit in. Maybe he was referring to deliveries… I don’t know… I didn’t get the vibe of it being a busy place. Perhaps it is due to the prices. However, I think that it is the only good kosher place that I know of, in the downtown Brooklyn area.

Awesome smoked fish, awesome bagels and awesome service. The guys behind the counter are clearly enjoying themselves and enjoy sharing their passion with their customers. And the care they take in slicing fish and making bagels shows. Also I like that this is a real deli making real deli food, from scratch. Will I ever order the pickled herring? Probably not. But for some reason it just makes me happy seeing it in the deli case.
You get what you pay for, and if you want a great bagel with great lox and cream cheese, this is the only game in town that I have found.

Warning: living near Shelsky’s can be dangerous for your wallet and waistline… but man is it good! The Gaspe Nova is oily, fatty and delicious. Get it piled high with cream cheese on a tasty bagel from Mill Basin Bagel Café. It’s called the «Member of the Tribe,» and it’s highly addictive. The salads (tuna, egg, whitefish, bluefish, etc.) are all solid and I’d put the matzo ball soup up there with the city’s best — which in my opinion is from the 2^nd Avenue Deli.
Peter Shelsky and his staff are friendly, knowledgeable and take pride in what they’re doing. That makes it a little easier to pay their steep prices. For smoked fish and deli fare, you can’t do much better than Shelsky’s.

I went there with my husband last weekend and we both got a sandwich, the pastrami and white fish one. It was probably one of the best sandwiches I ever had! Very generously filled and delicious!
The place looks clean and is filled with great products…
It made me happy to find a sandwich place that can offer amazing quality and choice! You will never get that kind of quality in a Bagel shop or any sandwich shop. The prices are justified for every bite you take of your sandwich.
I will go back!

Tried this place because of great reviews. The food was good but it fell short of expectations. The smoked fish bagels are like 12 – 15 dollars. I’m ok with paying high price if the product is high in quality. The lox bagel I had was pretty average. Bagel was tiny and not quite fresh. Not as good as Russ and daughters. Sorry bout it.

As a vegetarian who doesn’t belong in a fish place I’d like to say they are still awesome. First there is no overwhelming smell of fish like there is at Russ and Daughters and they also have plenty of things for the veg. Even veg versions of meat things. Great service!

Keeping the star rating, but just adding a note of annoyance–
Shelsky’s, in a shameless attempt at completing the Russ and Daughters ripoff, has added signage outside that is nearly identical, except for the store’s name.
Neon lighting, as well as noting «Smoked fish and appetizers,» just like R&D, is solidifying their position as an unabashed, higher priced and lower quality Russ and Daughters knockoff.
This annoys me to no end. Integrity? Nah.

If smoked fish and tasty appetizers are what’s on your agenda you’ll want to check out this unique (and really I mean there’s only one) spot on Brooklyn.
BEST, and when I say it in caps I do mean the best smoked fish ANYWHERE (sorry Ross & Daughters)
The nova is spectacular and I’ve made it my Saturday habit of getting a «member of the tribe» on a pumpernickel loaf with scallion cream cheese.
Today (blizzard in effect) I was merely walking by and suddenly I hear «hey! Want a free pastry?! Bagel?!
So I did.
Sadly they are closed today for us plebeians but with good reason; they have a catering (yes, you heard/​read correctly) a catering event, and will no longer be open today BUT they literally pulled myself and another couple into the store and offered us the opportunity to take any (and as many) pastries and bagels we wanted.
This is what customer love is meant to be.
815 am, a huge smile, free bagels and basically the sense that you yourself are a «member of the tribe»
Shelsky’s; we love you
This is what

Oh, Shelsky’s. What can I say? I have to stay true. The expectation is that you’re as good as Russ & Daughters and that expectation, sadly, falls flat. The bagels are stale and boring, no flavor. The fish lacks a certain brininess. The toppings are a miss.
I ordered a Member of the Tribe — sturgeon, house-​cured gravlax, cream cheese, tomato and red onion on a bagel. The sturgeon (1 small sliver of it, mind you) was too quiet and lacked the salty bite you would expect. The gravlax… really not that interesting. Even the shaved red onions were wilted and pungent in the wrong way. I want RED ONION, dammit.
You’re better off getting some fresh-​sliced lox from Fairway or Union Market and making your own bagel. Snooze.

No weekend is complete for me with a visit to my physician, Dr. Goldstein. For less than the copay cost of a regular medical appointment, I can see Dr. Goldstein and fill my stomach. Two beautiful duck-​fat-​laces potato latkes with chicken liver in between and a touch of horseradish. Whenever I go with my guy and we place our orders the folks there think the Dr. Goldstein must be for him since it is such a substantial sandwich. But let me tell you it is fit for any lady, and it will sustain you throughout the day. I love this place with my whole heart.

Prices aren’t cheap but this is the only game in town (Brooklyn town) for quality Jewish delicacies. If anyone has other recommendations (for places open on Saturday’s), let me know. I live in Bushwick and I’ll happily drive here again to get the fresh lox and delicious bagels.
There will be a line and rightfully so, but it moves quickly. Take a number and wait your turn! You will have a very tough time trying to decide what to get from the seemingly endless variety of sandwiches but I can guarantee you’ll be very satisfied no matter which one you choose.
I may have married into the religion but I feel like an honorary member of the tribe eating one of these delicious sandwiches. You will too.

Shelsky’s is one of best of the best, and I’m probably just repeating what everyone else said but the fish is SO incredibly fresh and flavorful, it really speaks for itself. I had both the smoked salmon and herring and was blown away. Of course their bagels are also extremely delicious, so their overall ability as a smoked fish house, and sandwich maker are out of this world. I would eat here all the time if I could, it’s really worth it!!!

Came here for brunch
Pros:
— The Great Gatsby and the Brooklyn Transplant are absolutely amazing — everything is super fresh and the flavors are out of this world!
— Try the pumpernickel bread!
— Limited seating area
Cons:
— Didn’t see a bathroom

Quite simply, you get what you pay for.
If you like smoked fish in any form* (or just deliciousness in general), you’re going to like Shelsky’s. Their product is demonstrably better than what you can get at any bagel store in the vicinity. The taste, the texture… there is no comparison. Actually, I guess there is a comparison that I’m making right now, and Shelsky’s is better.
That said, it is also much more expensive. Such is life. If you want to host a fantastic Jewish brunch though (and don’t we all?), this is where you want to go. Lox, sable, whitefish, herring, salmon of all kinds… they do it right. The whitefish comes from Wisconsin, and it tastes like happiness. Into a little spice? I love the Mexican achiote salmon, and the pastrami salmon as well.
If they’ve got a special and it sounds good to you, go for it. Everything I’ve tried has been good. I’m betting Shelsky’s could even make me like gefilte fish, if I was ever going to put that abomination in my mouth.
In addition to having a fantastic name, Peter Shelsky knows his product, knows his business, and knows his flavors… don’t sleep on the sandwiches! The Great Gatsby, the Brooklyn Native, the Peter Shelsky… all incredible, but they will run you over $ 12 for lunch, so it’s not a regular stop for me.
When I want to treat myself (and those around me) though… Shelsky’s is well worth it.
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*My wife doesn’t like smoked fish, but who cares about her anyway?

I knew I was in for a treat when I walked up to Shelsky’s and there was a gathering outside that could only be described as a Jewish congregation on a brunch field trip.
Then you walk in. And it gets better. There’s just walls of pickles. Rye bread everywhere– types I didn’t even know existed. And the smoked fish. So much fish.
By the time I made it to the back to order my sandwich I was so overwhelmed. I finally decided on The Great Gatsby. This, friends, is the best smoked salmon sandwich you’ve ever put in your mouth.
It’s pastrami cured salmon, honey mustard, horseradish cream cheese & red onion on caraway seeded rye. And it’s mother trucking perfect.
I want to go back every day. I want to try it all. I want to live in that deli. Mazel Tov, Shelsky’s!

My and my friends split three sandwiches and they were all incredible. We had the Gatsby, the Brooklyn Transplant, and the Fancy Pants. I think my favorite would probably be the BK Transplant as the apple horseradish spread was really interesting and made for a unique combo. This isn’t to take away from the multiple high quality fishes used in the fancy pants or the fine salmon pastrami in the gatsby though.
I don’t often eat a sandwich on the menu and then plot a plan to systematically try them all, but it might happen here. Also I’m moving back to NYC is a year and Shelsky’s has really made Cobble Hill an attractive destination.

I recently visited Blackseed to see what the hype was about and left extremely disappointed. I was afraid that Shelsky’s might have the same effect. My anxiety was unwarranted. Shelsky’s bagel sandwich was the best I’ve ever had in my life — and I grew up on the UWS with Murray’s and Barney Greengrass… so this is a profound statement.
The first thing I loved was how beautiful the store was. Only two small tables are stationed at the front but since I went on a Friday afternoon, I was able to grab one. The front windows were wide open and it was the perfect spot for people watching and lox devouring.
I couldn’t decide what sandwich creation to try. The prices were terrifying. Truly frightening. I was desperate for The Fancy Pants sandwich but just couldn’t bring myself to shell out $ 16 for a bagel. I went one option down and had the Peter Shelsky on a toasted everything bagel. The price was still exorbitant at $ 13.50 but I reminded myself that it wasn’t the most expensive item on the menu and that therefore I was really quite deserving!
It was so worth it. I’ve never had a bagel sandwich like it. The bagel was soft and delicious on the inside, even after being toasted, and was smeared with scallion cream cheese. On top of that came a solid amount of lox, sable (a type of white fish), and creamed herring. This sandwich brought out the 80 year old Jewish man inside of me and I truly couldn’t have loved it more.
Somehow, even with so much going on, I was able to taste each distinct flavor and savor it. The portion was excellent and extremely filling. This was a beautiful, beautiful sandwich and I am going to have to work hard not to come back here too often. The prices just don’t allow it! But for the next celebratory occasion, I will find my way to Shelsky’s.

Shelsky
NY BK Cobble Hill
10:30am BagelSunday 26^th April 2015
Four Stars
From the plastic sign hanging outside, I thought it was a sushi restaurant. It’s deceptively nice inside with all the trimmings of a good Jewish deli — bagels, pickles, lox, etc. you pick a number and wander until it’s your turn. Number 87. Great Gatsby with toasted Everything Bagel. It came with pastrami cured lox, red onions, honey mustard, horseradish cream cheese. It was a interest flavor profile with sea brine, astringent sweetness, and spicy creaminess. The bagel was enjoyable smaller but well prepared. Alyssa didn’t like the horseradish. Overall, a delicious bagel shop.
I got to try more Jewish deli type places in brooklyn since its biggest Yiddish population outside of Israel.