Kohns Kosher Meat & Deli

I finally tried Kohn’s a few weeks ago. You walk to the counter, order your food, wait and then check out and leave or eat then check out. I ordered the pastrami sandwich. It was truly delicious and I need to be wow’ed with sandwiches. Staff was very friendly so ordering was a breeze.
I went here with a Jewish friend so luckily I had been reminded not to aka for cheese on my sandwich! I’ve forgotten kosher rules since leaving Los Angeles.

Bagels get a 4 star rating…
Killer pastrami is 5 stars…
Wish the chopped liver was more chunky and authentic so probably won’t order that again. Whitefish spread was good. Need to try more deli selections when I go back… And a sanni. Friendly staff and meats look good so I will try them as well.

I recently stayed downtown for a conference and had all my news catered by kohns. The food was stellar and service was great as well. All meals were fresh, tasty and plentiful portions.

My recent lunch at Kohns was a bit confusing despite the fact that I’d been there once about 5 years ago, and that I had read the other reviews on Unilocal.
I decided to order a couple of sides. I selected a bow-​tie pasta with what looked like a tomato pesto, and a vegetable salad which was colorful with diced carrots, cucumbers, etc. Both sides tasted fine, nothing too special.
My sides were given to me in the tiniest paper containers I’d ever seen. Probably held ½−¾ cup at most. I was taken aback by the small portion but then was told that the price was only $ 1.00 for each and it seemed like a fair deal. The total of $ 2.00 was written on a piece of deli paper by the counter person and given to me so I could pay after my meal at the cash register.
My friend ordered a turkey sandwich. She looked around for packets of mayo, and to her surprise, found out that they were out of mayonnaise. Since Kohns is also a small grocery store, I wanted to ask if they would just open a jar but I didn’t.
While my friend was eating her sandwich and I had finished my meager portions of sides, I went to the Bakery to get a cookie for dessert. The counter person didn’t expect me to pay for it until I was ready to leave and said she would just remember what cookie I chose. When we were ready to leave I went to the cash register with the deli paper for the cost of my food. The total came to less than $ 3.50 which included the cookie.
If you really want lunch, don’t just order «sides» like I did or you will be hungry the rest of the day. The sandwiches are big, enough to take home. The ordering and paying for the food is confusing and I’m glad other Unilocalers gave me a heads up. The last comment I’ll make is that my clothes and hair strongly smelled of grease/​food when I left the building. They could use better ventilation. Am I the only one who dislikes cooking odors on their clothes and hair?

Took me back to my youth as a young man in NY.
GREAT food, noisy place, attitudes abounding, friendly counter help.
Went here on a Saturday mid-​day with the entire family. I was the only one in the group who had ever eaten in a Kosher deli and that was 40 years ago. The counter gentleman could tell that we are all gentiles and decided to make our visit memorable.
He explained what we could and could not order, what was available and what was not available as well as what we should try.
While we all waited for the various sandwiches we ordered we were treated to piles of various meats that the counterman provided us. What a treat! The five of us almost got filled up with the amount and variety of meats be provided us as we waited for our sandwiches.
The menu has so many offerings that we made a list of what we MUST try when we return.
Can’t wait!

When I go to Kohn’s I usually go for either the pastrami or a bagel with lox. I have never been disappointed. The portion sizes are generous and the staff is very friendly.
I don’t follow a kosher diet doin don’t have much experience in that department. But I like food and therefor consider myself an expert on that topic. And this is GREAT food.

Amazing pastrami! Wonderful service– they gave my colleagues and I a few samples since it was our first time there. Their counter was full of amazing cold salads, meats, and an array of baked treats. We all got bagels for later since they had just brought them out from the kitchen– they were still warm! Delicious, and filling, lunch.

Ok. My first Unilocal review…
In a nutshell: Out-​of-​town hospitality + better than New York deli.
My story:
I am from New York. Arrived in St. Louis late and close to Sabbath. I was starving.
Arrived at Kohns and they had officially closed. Management let me in anyways and took care of me fully.
I ended up going with a deli sandwich couldn’t decide between corned beef and brisket. Counter guy said «I’ll make you a combo».
Okay, checked out and was thinking the price was cheap [attention other reviewers who claimed pricing wasn’t great: I am from New York so I don’t know what goes on in St. Louis but I think my combo deli sandwich was about $ 6.50−7.00 which is a great price where I come from for Glatt Kosher].
When I sat down to eat my sandwich all I can say is I was confused. I was thinking «Why in the world is a deli sandwich in a small jewish community in Missouri beating the heck out of any corned beef sandwich I have ever had in New York?!»
All I could think was that had I known I would have ordered more to have over Sabbath.
Definitely my go-​to place in St. Louis for Kosher Deli. [Grocery store part seemed fairly well stocked for «out of town”]

I stopped in once a few weeks ago while taking a car to Lou Fusz, nearby. I worked near here for over 15 years and never once found my way in for lunch. I have no explanation for that. Now I have been here twice in a month, this second time with Mr D on what was planned to be Barbecue Wednesday, but we decided on a deli instead. It had been some time since he had been here as well. They have a pretty complete deli selection, you don’t have to just get corned beef, as I do.
My standard in most of these places is to go with corned beef on rye, hot, with mustard and mayo. Kohn’s make their own corned beef and it is very good. It is well flavored, but not overdone with garlic. The meat is cooked perfectly and sliced to order from whole brisket. The trim is right, not too lean, not too fatty. The texture is very tender from well marbled beef. They also make excellent, simple cured pickles.
I have moaned in past reviews that I could not find good corned beef brisket in St Louis, after having been served Boar’s Head and other commercial crap. I now recognize what I should have known, that while St Louis does not have the deli culture that you will find in New York, we have some pretty good choices. I really don’t want to choose one over the other. I like Protzel’s, Kopperman’s, Kohn’s and Carl’s. Lester’s is also quite good, except it’s a sports bar. Pumpernickel’s is not bad, but in Creve Coeur, go with Kohn’s.
Well Kohn’s is the closest to home, so I may stop in once in a while. This might give La Tejana a run for its money when I am on Lindbergh for lunch.

I used to live behind this place and went there once. I stood at the counter for a bit while 2 workers stood and talked for about 4 minutes without acknowledging me so I left. I said to myself I won’t go there again…
Well I went again a few years later a couple weeks ago. MUCH different experience! Not only was my order for a deli sandwich exactly as I asked when I phoned it in, the owner was very nice. He made my sandwich, talked a bit, even brought a photo of his family to show me from his office. The cashier, an other family member, explained that they couldn’t add cheese to sandwiches per kosher law. I asked why and she took her time explaining it to me. So not only did I get what I asked for I also got a little education :)
I now love this place and highly recommend it!

Pastrami is best I’ve tried in town so far. Better than Protzel’s, Pumpernickels, Posh Nosh, Carl’s Deli.

I’ll be honest with you, although I have bought corn beef at Kohn’s. because I don’t live near them I don’t usually think of them when I crave a Reuben or regular corn beef sandwich. Because of that I actually went to Pumpernickel’s first yesterday afternoon. When I arrived at 4:30 PM they were closed. I didn’t see a sign on their door to explain why they would be closed on a Tuesday afternoon, since their posted hours indicate they are open until 5:30 PM.
You know once you get a craving a real food addict like myself has to satisfy it. I remembered that Kohn’s was just a few minutes away so I went there next. They were busy, both with people eating in their small dining area, as well as at the deli counter where you place your order.
I had to wait about 10 minutes before it was my turn to order. During that time I reviewed the menu and when I asked the man behind the counter «Do you do Reubens?» he said, «Yes, but without the cheese.»
I’m Jewish — I should have realized if this place is kosher they aren’t going to mix dairy products with meat. DUH!
Counter Man told me he could put everything on the sandwich except the cheese and I said that would be fine.
While he was making the sandwich he put a small pile of home made pastrami on the counter and said, «Here’s something for you to try while I make your sandwiches, home made pastrami.» I tasted some and it was very good. I didn’t eat the whole pile because I didn’t want to ruin my appetite for my dinner (wow Mom, look how well you trained me).
Someone noted that relatively speaking Kohn’s is expensive. It is. When I saw the price sticker on the bottom of the small container of potato salad I ordered I was shocked to see it was over $ 4.00. That same amount of potato salad at a grocery store would be less than half that cost.
Just about the time I made a silent vow never to return Counter Guy told me, «I’m going to give you 2 extra sandwiches because of the long wait.» Okay, suddenly, my expenditure became very reasonable. I noticed Counter Guy forgot to grill my sandwiches but decided that was actually a good thing — I would grill them at home and they would be nice and hot.
When I got home I added cheese to the sandwiches and grilled them, making them real Reuben sandwiches. They were delicious. The corn beef was lean and flavorful.
I agree with several reviewers who have noted that in comparison with some other bigger cities our Midwestern corn beef and Reuben sandwiches fall a little short. I lived in Detroit for 14 years and remember the «mile high» corn beef sandwiches I used to get at the Bread Basket Deli in Southfield. They were 3 inches thick!
But in the words of House Speaker Boehner: «If ands and buts were candy and nuts everyday would be Christmas». In other words, it is what it is, and Counter Man’s offering of the pastrami sample and the free sandwiches were generous gestures not lost on me.
We don’t have that many deli’s in St. Louis serving authentic kosher corn beef sandwiches. All in all my most recent dining experience at Kohns was good enough to warrant I take the time to post this positive review.

3 words… too damn expensive! Came all the way over here in search of a Jewish deli to get some kosher corned beef to make sandwiches at home and not only was it 19.99 a pound… it is by far the absolute worst flavored kosher corned beef I’ve ever tasted in my lifetime… and I’ve eaten a lot of kosher corned beef. I’m from Pennsylvania so getting kosher corned beef is easy unlike St. Louis. I will stick to the deli in Clayton which tastes a whole lot better and it’s cheaper. What a waste of time and money.

Wow. I just had the best pastrami sandwich in my life. Honest food. The knish and black bean salad were outstanding as well. I must come back and sample some of the other dishes they offer.

This review is for the restaurant business ran out of the deli — I really love this place and wish I could get out there more often.
The Killer Pastrami is really good, as is the corned beef sandwich. I also had the hot dog roll more than a few times and really enjoyed that as well. Portions aren’t east-​coast sized, but your heart and waistline will appreciate that. French fries are good also — they’re unique in that they have a different texture than what I was expecting to find at an independent restaurant.
Service is a bit different from what you’d expect at a restaurant, but keep in mind, you’re at a deli. You’ll end up taking a number at the deli counter, placing your order when called, and when it’s ready, they’ll bring it out to you. You’ll pay at the cash register. I know some people who are not used to this format have been out off by it in the past, so knowing this ahead of time can be helpful.

I had the pleasure of visiting Kohn’s on a nice Sunday morning. We were looking to kill some time before heading to the movies and it was suggested that we go to Kohn’s. I love the quaintness of the place and it felt homely. We were greeted at the deli counter with smiles and warm personalities. The Bison Burger was awesome and the Matzo Ball soup was a surprisingly light and tasty. The gentleman behind the counter let us try the pastrami and I must say that it was a rich, flavorful experience that makes me want more. I have lived in the area for almost 10 years and I am sorry that I have not gone sooner… Definitely a keeper!

Eh I didn’t get it. Sandwich was fine. Decent Reuben. But not even close to places in Chicago, LA, NYC, etc.
If you aren’t expecting greatness it might be a pleasant little surprise given it’s off the beaten path location.

Food: ¹⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Doesn’t average out to ¹⁄₅ stars, but the atmosphere was so unpleasant and dirty that I had to give this place a ¹⁄₅.
A handful of co-​workers and I decided to try this place out since one of our co-​workers could only eat Kosher food. I was excited to try something new (like a kugel or knish) but was incredibly disappointed.
Walking into the deli/​grocer, I was immediately put off by the dingy décor and unorganized layout. Ceiling panels were stained and walking by the dining area, tables and chairs were sticky with a film of … something. Gross.
We walked over to the deli where people behind the counter were yelling at us asking if any of us wanted fries or onion rings with our orders. Nevermind that we had just gotten there and hadn’t decided what we wanted to even order. At least I knew those were cooked to order as everything else was not…
What they had in the deli cases were questionable. There were no signs or descriptions and everything was pre-​made. If you wanted your item hot, they threw it in the microwave.
I ordered a brisket sandwich and was disappointed. The meat was dry and there was barely a smoke ring visible. Nothing memorable about my meal other than I wanted my $ 7 back.
Sitting at the dining area, the first thing I noticed was that the napkin holder had dust all over it. Didn’t want to think about where else that dust would be…
Just as we sat down to eat, a worker demanded that we give up our trays because they ran out in the back. So we all gave up our trays. I just thought it was rude the way he had approached us.
In short, the food was bland and mediocre, for $ 7 I could have made a much better lunch or gone elsewhere… And the service? Well, some of the people were friendly but there was nothing that made the customer feel comfortable.
I definitely won’t be going back.

Today in St. Louis it was hotter than James Spader as Alan Shore on Boston Legal (and I think he is hotter than a 5 alarm fire!). I had a hankering for some Matzo Ball Soup because while watching Keeping up with the Kardashians, I saw Kris Jenner feeding her precious Kimmie-​bear soup. I am easily influenced by TV this way. I looked up Jewish Deli and I found Kohn’s was under 5 miles from my workplace so off I went. When I walked in it looked like a small old fashioned grocery store-​so I asked the girl at the register where to go to order soup. She pointed to the back. I went back and there was a lot of people and commotion all around but nobody seemed to be getting their food in a hurry. I was behind two ladies and I’m not Jewish nor do I know anything about it… but three men cut line and got waited on so perhaps they are like the Fundamental Baptist and men are considered to be superior to woman. …Maybe I assumed wrongly— maybe they are family members or whatever. I took notice and it got my goat! I am sure he was a kosher goat but he was irritated nonetheless. I ended up in line to get a bowl of soup at least 25 minutes… At this point I was committed so I stayed there and waited it out. There were several men working the counter and they were all running silly nilly and seemed to lack a hardcore assembly line way of doing things. They have what appears to be two small microwaves that they use to heat up the Knish, Soup, Knoodles, Hot Dogs, and pretty much everything else they have behind the counter that is bursting with foods I have yet to experience but are curious about. I got a potato knish and matzo ball soup. They were both alright but I have had way better at a Russian restaurant. Matzo ball soup seems pretty simple to me so I may try my own hand at making this for next time I have a urge for comfort food. I think I will go back and get one of the deli-​sandwiches like pastrami for dinner perhaps at least once to see how that is.

I’m in St Louis fairly regularly for business and I always make it to Kohn’s. The place is hardly beautiful or convenient — one really has to want to go there to get there, and the building is somewhat dilapidated inside and out, but the food makes it worthwhile.
The deli has tons of good old fashioned (and Kosher!) deli foods, from pastrami to knishes and from meatloaf to schwarma. While the food is certainly not anything fancy, its pretty darn tasty.
The place is as much Jewish grocery as anything, with a wide selection of Kosher foods — something sorely missing back in Nashville. Each time I find myself here, I regularly spend $ 400 in meats to schlep back home. Lenny, the owner, always remembers me, which I find as a nice personal touch.
So when you are in St Louis, you could do worse than Kohn’s to grab a nosh — and if you are a Kosher head, you probably couldnt do better.