Why go
The bacon, egg and cheese is the reason for the queue. Mike's Coffee and Deli is a small Manhattan counter that has been feeding the surrounding blocks for years, and the morning order barely varies: a sandwich in foil and a coffee to carry out with it.
Coffee and a breakfast sandwich
The classic breakfast sandwich, bacon, egg and cheese, is the item to order, and it comes big enough to share. It is simple food done properly rather than a reinvention, which is exactly what a deli counter is for.
Coffee sits beside it as the other half of the routine. Together they make the standard order: sandwich in one hand, cup in the other, eaten somewhere between here and the office.
A hole in the wall with a line out front
The space is small, little more than a hole in the wall, and there is often a line. The room stays relaxed anyway, and the staff are friendly and talkative, so the wait does not read as anonymous.
Most orders leave the building. The format is takeaway-first, which suits its role for people moving through Murray Hill and Midtown on their way somewhere else.
Order the bacon, egg and cheese first
Order the classic and judge the place on it. It is what a breakfast sandwich should be: uncomplicated, generous, and made the same way every morning.
Add coffee for the full breakfast-counter read. Neither is dressed up, and neither needs to be. This is a small New York deli doing one thing well enough that regulars keep coming back for it.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I order at Mike's Coffee and Deli?
The classic breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg and cheese, which is what the counter is known for and comes big enough to share. Coffee alongside it makes the standard order. It is simple deli food done properly rather than anything reinvented, and most of it leaves the building.
Is there usually a wait?
Often, yes. The space is small, little more than a hole in the wall, and a line forms through the morning rush. It moves, and the room stays relaxed while it does, with staff who talk to the queue, so the wait is part of the experience rather than a cost.
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