Pastrami King opened in 1956 in Williamsburg, but for most of the century it was located in Kew Gardens, Queens, where it was a fixture of the courthouse dining scene. In 1998 the Jewish deli defied expectations by moving to the Upper East Side and changing its identity to Pastrami Queen. The place was known for its garnet-red pastrami, sliced thick and redolent more of coating spices than smoke. In 2019 it opened a snazzy Times Square branch, intent on exploiting the potential of pastrami as a tourist lure, but the place closed unceremoniously soon after.
PQ replaces the Upper West Side’s historic deli Fine & Schapiro.