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One of Bronx's Last Jewish Delis Stays Alive by Taking Care of Customers

By Eddie Small | November 13, 2016 5:54pm
 Loeser's Deli in Riverdale has been serving fine Jewish cuisine since 1960.
Loeser's Deli
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RIVERDALE — Loeser's Deli is not a particularly showy establishment. Its narrow storefront is innocuously tucked into a row of shops in Riverdale, and the inside consists of just a few tables and chairs atop a red tile floor.

But the eatery's simple design has not stopped it from outlasting hundreds of other Jewish New York delis, to the point where it is now one of the last two remaining in The Bronx.

Fredy Loeser, who is 73 and opened his namesake deli back in 1960, credits its unique longevity to two simple factors: good food and good customer service.

"We make everything," he said. "It's always fresh, and we treat people right."

The deli, located at 214 W. 231st St., was initially successful because of his father, who was a professional chef and worked at Loeser's for about 35 years. Loeser described the eatery as a tribute to him and said he brought a lot of life and a lot of people to the neighborhood.

"I built it and opened it to make his dream come true," Loeser said. "So of course he was the cook here.

"He used to make all the Jewish dishes," Loeser continued. "Stuffed cabbage, we’d make briskets fresh every day, which we still do. We carry on tradition."

The understated layout of the deli has not changed very much since it opened, apart from modernizing certain aspects to align with the health code, and Loeser still refers to it as family business despite acknowledging that his sons are not as involved as he is.

Prices have gone up since Loeser's opened, with hot dogs climbing from 25 cents to $3.50 and sandwiches going from 85 cents to about $10.

Loeser is particularly proud of his deli's pastrami, which has been named the best in New York, and he says they have the best brisket and corned beef in the city as well.

His favorite thing about working at the deli is the people, and Loeser's has hosted several famous ones over the years, including mayors Ed Koch and Michael Bloomberg, he said.

"Koch I liked because his father came before him," Loeser said, "and he was yelling, 'Here comes the next mayor: my son!'"

Loeser said he was happy with how The Bronx has been changing over the years, claiming that it was now improving and on the rise.

"I would say The Bronx in general now is coming up at this time," he said. "It went down a lot, but now it’s being noticed. More and more buildings, businesses and major stores are opening in The Bronx."

He was not concerned that Loeser's would have to close down at some point like so many of its contemporaries.

"It won't be an issue," he said, "because we take care of it like family."