Arnie’s Manhattan Restaurant & Delicatessen

We ordered the vegetarian and roast beef sandwiches for take out. Both sandwiches were huge, so props to that. I enjoyed the vegetarian sandwich more (it had a LOT of cheese). The service was fast also, which is always a plus.

This place has gone downhill! I remember coming here with my dad a few years ago and loved it but went there recently and was extremely disappointed! The matzo soup is now bland, lacks any saltiness and the vegetables in it were hard and undercooked. The lox appetizer was served with a cold un toasted bagel. The potato salad side tastes like chemicals and was inedible. And finally when I opened this pickle jar on the table there was a piece of a napkin shoved in there! I should’ve just left after that red flag! Worse of all my total bill was like $ 60! WTF?!

There is a certain oddly satisfying savagery I feel when consuming a sandwich composed of two thirds of an animal squeezed in between two slices of bread, a delicate sense inside that says «you’ve evolved from the keenest hunters and made it to the top of the food chain and here is the proof». The Reuben here invokes that feeling. Rye bread grilled to be delightfully crispy on the outside with a just-​the-​right-​amount spread of thousand island stuffed with delicious pastrami (or corned beef, you pick), sauerkraut, and melty Swiss cheese served up with coleslaw and fries demonstrate this deli’s mastery of the sandwich. While you’re here try one of their home made pickles in the jar at your table or some matzo ball soup as an appetizer.

Price= a little high.
Service= Prompt & courteous.
Food= Good but not outstanding.
Seating= uncomfortable booth
Crowded= it was packed for lunch
I went here for the first time with a friend who had been there many many many times in the past and swore by the beef dip as her go to love it sandwich. Thus, I ordered the Italian sausage sandwich, ha ha. However, this visit was not outstanding. The beef dip that my friend ordered was tough, fatty and overcooked. She said it was nothing like what she has had in the past. She advised the waitress who could not have been more courteous about the issues. The kitchen made another sandwich. Unfortunately, The next sandwich was not any better than the first. The chewy meat was just not coming apart with each bite. We can chalk this up to a bad cut of meat. Part of me, though, wonders how the experienced kitchen staff wouldn’t notice the quality difference. She ate what she could and we paid the full bill. No, we did not ask for a refund or bill adjustment. My friend did not feel like going through the trouble. I’m not likely to go back soon since I don’t think the quality justified the price.

A little hidden gem… This is as NY deli as it comes… Big generous sandwiches = includes a side = whhhhaaaaa, latkes (double fried), tons of choices! And Black & White cookies!

Food was just OK. What really upset me was a charge of three dollars to share a meal and not being told about the charge. Overpriced and not worth it. You expect better quality food for the price you pay.

Built my own Sandwich! They have the best corned beef, pastrami, pickles, and rye bread flown in from NY. The service is amazing too. Best deli in OC.

Farmhouse Chicken Sandwich is so good! Thank you boss for lunch :)

Stopped by in a rush and grabbed a cheeseburger to go. Exceptional. Large burger, very high quality meat with a hand patted patty. Well cooked and fries, Coke slaw were top notch as well. While pickle as well. I didn’t try that
Center is a bit run down but that means parking is easy which is another big plus
Very fair price. Will bring others with me soon

Food was good, really liked how the vegetarian sandwiches had sprouts and avocado in it. Best part was the service, super friendly staff is always a plus, especially for out of towner folks like myself!

My co-​worker recommended Arnie’s Deli, and I said to myself, YTF haven’t I heard about this place before?! Arnie’s is located on Dove off Birch in Newport Beach (not too far from JWA).
I’m pretty boring when I go to a deli, so we both ordered the basics: Matzo ball soup ($ 8 [one of the soups was $ 6 w/​sandwich]), and we shared a supersized pastrami sandwich ($ 16.95 [$ 14.95 + $ 2 for pastrami]). Arnie’s also offers junior sized sandwiches ($ 11.95), but charges $ 2 more for corned beef or pastrami.
Firstly, the soup was OK and the matzo ball was decent sized. However, the broth was a tad salty. In addition, it did not contain chunks of chicken and noodles like recently reviewed New York Deli in Torrance. The latter’s version of this soup has a larger matzo ball, and costs $ 6.95 in comparison: 3 Stars. On the other hand, the pastrami sandwich was excellent. The pastrami was made in-​house, was nicely seasoned, and it was stacked w/​meat. The only downside was the price. The $ 2 upcharge is unnecessary: 4 Stars.
Regarding the ambiance, it is in a strip mall, so the inside doesn’t have much character. Nonetheless, they offer garlic pickles at the table that have a nice flavor: 3.5 Stars. On the other hand, the service was really good. Our waitress was attentive, and a hawtie. She brought us extra napkins w/​o being asked, and the food came out quickly: 4 Stars.
I’ve found my go to deli close to the house. I like Katella Deli in Los Alamitos, but it is so far compared to Arnie’s. BTW, Arnie’s is open on Sat til 3!

Mr. B’s always on the hunt for a good tongue sandwich. And his, on a good rye bread, was the prize of the day. His sandwich came with a thick pile of good tasting, thinly sliced tongue. But they serve it dry, so be sure and tell them of the condiments you prefer.
Don’t forget to dip into the pickle tub set on your table. These are nicely garlicky and crunchy.
My order was not so great. I am always on the hunt for a good stuffed cabbage roll. Jewish deli… Hungarian cabbage rolls… a natural assumption of goodness. But nope. I found theirs to be really underseasoned, over handled, super lean ground beef, plated on a bed of shredded, strongly flavored sour cabbage. If it was sauerkraut, which I love, it was not pleasant to eat. One roll was all meat, the other had been combined with rice. It was strange. It also came with a tomato based sauce that was supposed to be sweet and sour, but was way too sweet. On the up side, it did make this dish slightly more palatable, but not repeatable.
Afterthought. I wish I had been in the mood for the Pastrami Reuben. Usually that is a better meal for this kind of deli. As it was, I was quite unhappy. After this let down, I can barely bring myself to a 3-​star conclusion.

I’ve been coming here for years. It’s close to the John Wayne Airport so if I’m coming home from a trip and it’s in the afternoon I usually stop here to grab a bite. I recently took a coworker who is from New York here to see what he thought. He said it was legit and thought the flavors and portions of the sandwiches were spot on.
They have homemade pickles for you to eat while you wait for your food and the sandwiches are top notch! My favorite is the turkey pastrami. My wife likes the soups and corned beef sandwiches. Everyone I’ve taken here has loved the food.
Service is always really good here too. Since it’s located in a business park area, they understand that it’s important to get you in and get you out quickly.
If you’re looking for an East Coast type of deli, check this place out. It’s good and you won’t leave hungry.

2.5 stars
Forget a smaller carbon footprint, I try to minimize any impact on my fellow diners. I live in my own culinary world of lean, well-​done meats, let others indulge in bloody, fatty cuts, & never the twain shall meet.
I paid a premium for lean pastrami here, & to my lunch partner’s chagrin, he received the exact same cuts. Doubtful it was the waitress’ fault because she double-​checked our requests, so who in the back was too lazy to cut up two separate orders?
He ordered two meats in his sandwich, with juicy corned beef being the second. The pastrami was dry & rubbery, which «lean» doesn’t have to be.
Chocolate egg cream was expensive & not especially delicious. Complimentary pickles didn’t have a nice, satisfying crunch. Contrary to its name, this restaurant wouldn’t survive a week in Manhattan.

No denying how good the food is and courteous the service is, but the prices make you feel a little taken. ½ sandwich and salad for $ 12.50 isn’t bad at all, but that’s where they get you.
Tack on $ 3 for a fountain soda and $ 1.95 for cheese on the sandwich??? C’mon…

My coworker took us here. Small restaurant known for their sandwiches.
I went for their Reuben since it’s one of their popular items on their menu. It was ok — you have to ask for extras if you want it. Otherwise, you’re just getting bread and meat.
One thing that stands out the most is their bottle of pickles. Now that was pretty darrn good!

Thumbs up on potato pancakes tastes hand grated potatoes and fresh applesauce, schmear with sour cream. Corned beef w crispy cut potatoes seasoned w Lawry salt.
I was so looking forward to brothy matzo soup, but it was watery and not shredded but cubed chicken. It’s not Canters or Jerry’s Deli for sure but still good local deli spot.
Come for the complimentary pickles at the table and those black n white cookies.

Split the Reuben and the Meatloaf sandwiches with a friend.
The Reuben was okay. The corned beef was a bit dry and tough. I couldn’t bite through the meat, so I ended up taking all of the meat in my half of the sandwich in two bites. I was left with a whole lot of bread, sauerkraut, cheese, and Russian dressing. The sandwich as a whole wasn’t bad, but I’ve definitely had better Reubens.
The Meatloaf sandwich was more to my liking. Though the sourdough bread fell apart throughout, the meatloaf itself was moist and delicious. I got a side of the gravy, and that added more flavors to it, as did the grilled onions I requested (the sandwich comes dry, so you can pretty much add whatever you want to it). We got the Super-​sized sandwich, which was quite filling.
The potato salad was good, but the cole slaw was even better. I rarely find cole slaw I like, so I was pleased with this one; good crunch and just the right amount of mayo.
Overall, Arnie’s Deli serves up some decent sandwiches.

If you are looking for a righteous Pastrami in the JWA area in Irvine, Arnie’s Manhattan Restaurant & Delicatessen fills Irvine’s void.
A coworker in my office suggested we hit up Arnie’s when I expressed my malcontent with Irvine’s offerings in the Pastrami realm one morning. Walking in I really didn’t know what to think, it was almost like a warehouse repurposed as a restaurant and there are paintings on the walls of all the cliché NYC landmarks you can think of. The service made the grade throughout the meal and you could easily see that 75% of the patrons were regulars. The hallmark of impending greatness in delicatessen gastronomy.
Each table comes loaded with house cured pickles readily available in a small box and they are a great start to any Pastrami. I really enjoyed the snap of the exterior and the kick of garlic they had in the finish.
As for the Pastrami, the portions are out of control. The $ 13.95 «Super Sandwich» would easily feed two if not the starting string for the Ducks. The meat is stacked to the point of absurdity (think Shaquille O’Neal’s fist) with Boar’s Head’s delicious take on the classic brined meat and a pair of Rye acts as a delivery method. I like mine with a smear of course ground mustard and that is exactly what I got.
No nonsense, simple, delicious.
I spied the Corned Beef sandwich that was equally Herculean in size and may have to try that on my next time back to Arnie’s Manhattan Restaurant which is hopefully sooner than later. Check it out.

A jar of garlicky pickles on each table, house-​cured and smoked pastrami, corned beef and ham, awesome rye bread and black and white cookies from NY! I had no idea this was all available at Arnie’s. If I did, I would have definitely made it to this restaurant and delicatessen sooner!
This place has been in Newport Beach forever, tucked away in a weird strip mall with restaurants on Dove Street. You really would have no idea this place was back here. I drove past it once trying to find it. I met up for lunch with bud, Cathy S., here. I ordered my favorite deli meat, corned beef, on rye bread. It was a tasty sandwich. I love rye bread and this rye was a nice lighter rye on very soft, fresh bread. The sandwich was delicious. I opted for the jr. size (5 oz of meat) but you can also order the super if you are hungry which is a whopping 8 oz.
Loved the kosher pickles on the table. A jar on the table is definitely my kind of restaurant as I LOVE KOSHER DILLS!
We saw an ad on the table for authentic black and white cookies shipped in from New York. I could not resist this. I purchased several. I ate one when I got home. Totally awesome is how I would described these. More like cake than cookie and topped with white and dark chocolate goodness. They were divine. I would drive back to the deli just to purchase more of these!
Service was attentive and friendly. I would give this place five stars but wish they would have longer business hours. They are closed on Sundays and only open Monday through Saturday to 3 p.m. which means I really only can visit this place on Saturdays or if I happen to have a day off during the week. Maybe it is a good thing, because if they were open for more hours I would have probably have bought hundreds of those black and white cookies by now ;)