Houston’s most devoted fressers and noshers know what time of year it is: the return of National Delicatessen Month, running through Monday, August 31.
Of course that means a visit (or two or three) to Houston’s iconic deli, Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen in Uptown. And not just to feast on the insanely gargantuan menu of deli classics, but catch up with Houston’s beloved “deli man,” owner Ziggy Gruber.
It was Gruber who helped found National Delicatessen Month, a nationwide celebration of the great American heritage of Jewish delis. This year, the 11th annual commemoration not only recognizes the efforts of historic, kosher, and family-owned delis, it is an opportunity to give back to the communities they serve. Kenny & Ziggy’s raises funds for the Holocaust Museum Houston by donating a portion of sales of a special three-course menu available at lunch and dinner, priced at $48. It’s a deal.
While Deli Month was initially established to recognize the changing landscape of the Jewish deli (many historic restaurants were closing), Houston is blessed with a deli that not only has stood the test of time but enjoys a devoted, loyal following. It remains one of the country’s most successful deli operations.
In celebration of National Deli Month, let’s take a look at the breadth and volume of Kenny & Ziggy’s. Don’t plotz, it’s a lot, and it’s impressive:
Kenny & Ziggy’s By the Numbers
1999: Year Kenny & Ziggy’s opened
2016: Year first National Deli Month began to recognize the great American heritage of classic Jewish delicatessens
18: Number of U.S. delis participating for 2026—plus one in Canada
4,210.06: Pounds of pastrami served in a typical week
3.5: Inches, circumference of an average K&Z matzoh ball
1.8: Pounds, weight of a corned beef Reuben
15: Inches, height of the Zellagabetsky, the 8-decker deli sandwich invented by third-generation deli man, Gruber
5: Number of customers who have successfully completed the Zellagabetsky Challenge (One person—Shaquille O’Neal—ate two in one sitting.)
14: Different styles of bagels sold
75+: Number of different desserts and sweets made by K&Z’s in-house bakery (including cakes, cookies, pies)
3: Special holidays per year that Gruber officially dons his kosher hot dog costume
44: Puns deliberately built into menu titles and descriptions. Hello, “Luck be a Latke,” we’re looking at you!
150: Employees, both front and back of house, it takes to make Kenny & Ziggy’s one of the country’s most iconic deli experiences
45,000: Dollars raised to date from Deli Month promotion to support Holocaust Museum Houston
11.5: Weight in pounds of a whole New York-style cheesecake
2,115: blintzes sold per week
585: Pounds of potatoes per week to make the deli’s famous latkes
1,909,176: Pounds of nova salmon served in Kenny & Ziggy’s first 26 years of business
23: Inches in height of the deli’s physical menu! (9.75 inches wide when folded, 29.25 inches when fully opened up.)
400+: Menu items, including desserts, milkshakes and drinks
511: number of framed Playbills and Broadway posters decorating the restaurant
113: number of years of deli experience in the three generations of the Gruber family history in the business
Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen, 1743 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, kennyandziggys.com
