Jewish Deli Houston: 9 Delis, Bagel Shops and Kosher Spots
Date Published
Houston's Jewish deli scene is centered in the Meyerland and Bellaire corridor of southwest Houston, with Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen in the Galleria/Uptown area standing as the city's most acclaimed full-service deli. The Hillcroft Street and South Braeswood Boulevard stretch holds the tightest cluster: New York Deli & Coffee Shop, Bagel Shop Bakery, and several certified-kosher restaurants all sit within a two-mile radius. You can eat your way through pastrami on rye, hand-boiled bagels with lox, shakshuka, shawarma, and a kosher smash burger all in a single afternoon.
How we chose
Every spot on this list was confirmed open by checking current hours on its official website or verified social media presence as of October 2026. We focused on places with a distinct Jewish or kosher identity — full-service delis, bagel bakeries, and certified-kosher restaurants. Casual spots with vaguely New York-style menus are not included.
Hours change. Many kosher establishments close Friday afternoon and all day Saturday for Shabbat. Always verify hours at the official site before you drive.
The Meyerland connection
Meyerland — the southwest Houston neighborhood anchored by Braeswood Boulevard and Fondren Road — became Houston's Jewish community center in the postwar decades, as families moved outward from the older Jewish neighborhoods near Midtown. The community institutions, synagogues, and kosher groceries all followed. Harvey flooding in 2017 hit the area hard, but the food corridor along Hillcroft and South Braeswood has largely rebounded.
The revealing fact: the founder of New York Deli & Coffee Shop on Hillcroft, Eugene "Chick" Kornhaber, learned bagel-making in New York right after World War II and opened a Houston shop in 1975. That single bakery has anchored the Jewish food scene here for 50 years. Most newcomers to the city don't know it exists — they just go to Katz's.
Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen
Galleria/Uptown, 1743 Post Oak Blvd · open daily 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
This is the anchor of Houston's deli conversation. Kenny & Ziggy's serves sky-high pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, chopped liver, hand-rolled matzo ball soup, Hungarian stuffed cabbage, cheese blintzes, challah French toast, and egg creams — all in a dining room that feels transplanted from Sixth Avenue.
Owner Ziggy Gruber is third-generation deli royalty: his grandfather Max co-founded The Rialto Deli on Broadway in 1927, often described as the first Jewish deli on Broadway. Ziggy himself trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London and worked at the Michelin three-star Le Gavroche before deciding to carry on the family trade. Houston businessman Lenny Friedman recruited him from New York; the deli opened here in 1999. Ziggy was featured in the 2015 documentary Deli Man.
Order: the pastrami on rye with a side of half-sour pickles, then a slice of cheesecake. The egg cream is not optional.
Pair with: the Galleria/Uptown restaurant guide if you want dinner options nearby.
Katz's Deli & Bar
Five Houston-area locations — open 24 hours
Katz's is the city's most accessible Jewish-style deli, with five Houston-area locations including Montrose (616 Westheimer Rd), the Heights (2200 N Shepherd Dr), the Galleria (5930 Westheimer Rd), Memorial City (10321 Katy Fwy), and The Woodlands. Every location is open around the clock — the "Never Kloses" motto is earned.
Note: this is a Texas-born chain, unrelated to the famous Katz's Delicatessen in New York. It has been a Houston institution for more than 40 years.
Order: the hot pastrami or roast beef sandwich, or the Reuben. Matzo ball soup and kosher all-beef hot dogs are on at all hours. The late-night crowd orders the chicken and waffles.
Best for: a 2 a.m. pastrami craving or a post-concert stop. See late-night food in Houston for context.
New York Deli & Coffee Shop
Meyerland / Hillcroft corridor, 9724 Hillcroft St · daily 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
This is the 50-year anchor of Houston's Jewish food scene, and it is almost unknown outside the community. Eugene "Chick" Kornhaber opened the bagel shop in 1975 after decades of bagel-making in New York; the full deli side opened in 1981. It has been a community anchor for 50 years.
The bagels here are New York kettle-boiled — not the bread-roll imposters sold at coffee chains — in 30-plus varieties including everything, cinnamon raisin, and sun-dried tomato. A busy Sunday morning draws as many as 400 people. The full deli menu runs to cheese blintzes with sour cream and applesauce, lox with all the fixings, corned beef hash, Reuben sandwiches, and matzo ball soup.
Order: an everything bagel with lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, and capers. Or the challah French toast on a weekend morning.
Best for: Sunday brunch with the community. Cash is helpful; it gets crowded. See our best brunch in Houston guide for neighborhood comparisons.
Bagel Shop Bakery
Bellaire, 5422 Bellaire Blvd · Mon–Fri and Sun 6 a.m.–4 p.m. · closed Saturday
This standalone bakery grew out of New York Deli's bagel operation and is now the go-to for certified-kosher bagels in the area. It holds Mehadrin Kashrus of Texas certification (dairy and pareve). The shop opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays — earlier than any other spot on this list — and closes at 4 p.m.
Order: a bag of fresh-boiled bagels, a bialy, and a tub of house-made whitefish salad. The challah on Friday morning goes fast.
Kosher note: certified dairy/pareve by Mehadrin Kashrus of Texas. Closed Saturdays for Shabbat. Check hours before going on a holiday weekend.
Saba's Restaurant
Fondren / Meyerland corridor, 9704 Fondren Rd · Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Fri 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. · closed Saturday
Open since 2001, Saba's is the oldest continuously operating certified-kosher restaurant in Houston. It is a dairy and pareve restaurant (no meat) certified by the Houston Kashruth Association (HKA). The menu mixes Israeli staples with American-friendly options: shakshuka, personal pizzas, kosher sushi rolls, fish dishes, baba ganoush, and paninis.
Order: the shakshuka for brunch, or the baba ganoush and a fish plate for lunch. If you need a kosher meat option, the sister restaurant Saba's Grill & Wok (see below) is a few minutes away.
Pair with: the Meyerland restaurant guide for the surrounding neighborhood.
Saba's Grill & Wok
Meyerland, 5413 S. Braeswood Blvd · Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. · closed Saturday
The meat-certified sister to Saba's Restaurant, opened in 2017 to fill the gap in Houston's kosher meat dining. The HKA Glatt Kosher certification means the menu is fully supervised. The fusion concept leans Israeli-Chinese: think shawarma, schnitzel, falafel in pita or laffa, beef and chicken stir-fry, and burgers.
Order: the schnitzel plate or the shawarma laffa. The Israeli-Chinese stir-fry is an oddity worth trying.
Dave's Crunch House
Bellaire, 5711 Bissonnet St · Sun–Thu 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. · closed Friday and Saturday
This is the newest certified-kosher restaurant on the list, opening in February 2025. Dave's is certified by both the HKA and Mehadrin Kashrus of Texas — the most thoroughly supervised spot here — and it takes an American fast-food approach that Houston's kosher scene lacked before it. The format is build-your-own burgers, sandwiches, and salads with mix-and-match proteins.
Order: the Chili Burger (smash burger with beef chili, Dave's Secret Sauce, caramelized and crispy onions) or the Loaded Dog (a Romanian hot dog topped with BBQ pulled beef, pickles, and coleslaw). Craft beers rotate on tap.
Best for: families who want a casual kosher option that isn't a sit-down restaurant.
Casa Bar & Grill
Bellaire, 5711 Bissonnet St (same building as Dave's Crunch House) · Sun–Thu 4 p.m.–10 p.m. · closed Friday and Saturday
Certified Glatt Kosher meat, Casa takes its cues from Latin America rather than the deli counter: slow-braised beef birria tacos, molé chicken flatbreads, and a wagyu hot stone starter. It shares an address with Dave's Crunch House on Bissonnet — the two restaurants occupy the same building, which has become a small kosher food hub.
Order: the beef birria tacos. The Latin-kosher combination is unusual enough to be worth the trip on its own.
Dino's Mediterranean Cuisine
Meyerland area, 9419 Glenfield Ct · Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.–5 p.m. · closed Saturday
HKA-certified, Dino's serves Middle Eastern and Israeli staples — falafel, shawarma, hummus, and kebabs — with late hours compared to others in the corridor. The 11 p.m. close on weeknights is useful if you're eating after an event.
Order: the falafel plate or a shawarma sandwich with all the toppings.
Save this: the Meyerland deli crawl
Everything in the cluster below is within a 10-minute drive of each other. Bring a cooler if you plan to take home bagels or smoked fish.
- Morning (9–11 a.m.): Bagel Shop Bakery on Bellaire Blvd for fresh-boiled bagels and a bialy. Grab a bag to take home.
- Late morning: New York Deli on Hillcroft for lox and cream cheese or challah French toast. Expect a wait on weekends.
- Lunch: Saba's Grill & Wok on S. Braeswood for schnitzel or shawarma, or Dave's Crunch House on Bissonnet for a kosher smash burger.
- Evening (if weekday): Dino's on Glenfield for falafel — open until 11 p.m.
For the full city-guide picture, see our best restaurants in Meyerland guide and the best bagels in Houston guide.
More eating nearby
The Bellaire and Meyerland corridor also holds Houston's main Chinatown and Asiatown corridor along Bellaire Boulevard. After your deli crawl, the best restaurants in Bellaire guide covers what else is in walking distance. The living in Meyerland guide has neighborhood context if you're newer to the area.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Jewish deli in Houston?
Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen at 1743 Post Oak Blvd in the Galleria area is the most acclaimed full-service Jewish deli in Houston. Owner Ziggy Gruber is third-generation deli royalty — his grandfather co-founded The Rialto Deli on Broadway in 1927.
Where is Houston's Jewish deli neighborhood?
The densest cluster of Jewish delis and kosher restaurants in Houston is in the Meyerland and Bellaire corridor of southwest Houston, along Hillcroft Street, South Braeswood Boulevard, and Bellaire Boulevard (roughly the 77096 ZIP code). Kenny & Ziggy's is the main outlier, located in the Galleria/Uptown area.
Are there certified kosher restaurants in Houston?
Yes. Saba's Restaurant (dairy), Saba's Grill & Wok (Glatt Kosher meat), Bagel Shop Bakery (dairy/pareve), Dave's Crunch House (Glatt Kosher meat), Casa Bar & Grill (Glatt Kosher meat), and Dino's Mediterranean are all certified by the Houston Kashruth Association (HKA) or Mehadrin Kashrus of Texas as of October 2026.
Is Katz's Deli in Houston the same as Katz's in New York?
No. Katz's Deli & Bar ("Katz's Never Kloses") is a Texas-based chain that has been open for more than 40 years and has no connection to the famous Katz's Delicatessen on Houston Street in New York City.
Which Houston delis are open on Saturday?
Kenny & Ziggy's and all Katz's Deli locations are open on Saturday. The certified-kosher establishments — Bagel Shop Bakery, Saba's Restaurant, Saba's Grill & Wok, Dave's Crunch House, Casa Bar & Grill, and Dino's — close Friday afternoon or Saturday for Shabbat.
Where can I get bagels in Houston?
New York Deli & Coffee Shop at 9724 Hillcroft St (open daily 7 a.m.–4 p.m.) and Bagel Shop Bakery at 5422 Bellaire Blvd (closed Saturdays) both make New York-style kettle-boiled bagels. Our full guide to the best bagels in Houston covers more options across the city.