Union Deli

Location: 142-01 38th Ave., Flushing, NY 11354
Cuisine: Deli, American, Korean, South American
Phone: (718) 461-4110
Prices: variable
Credit Cards: All major

Food: 8
Service: 7
Value: 7
Environment: 5

Frequency: All the time

Downtown Flushing changes its store front fairly often, but Union Deli is one of the constants as it is one of the oldest businesses on Union St. Back when we were kids, my sister and I would get snacks there while we were helping out at my dad's office. It was always a first stop when my friends and I would head out for a day in Manhattan. I would also often pick up breakfast there when I used to commute from Flushing to Manhattan.

I had this place in mind when I created the label, "Restaurants and Food." It's not really a restaurant, but you can get a full meal there. In Manhattan, there's one of these places at every intersection, but you'll find that this is the only one in the downtown Flushing area. They offer the standard deli items... cold cut sandwiches, salads, wraps and hot items. There's also a food bar that mixes American, Korean and South American cuisines. The prices are OK. They're lower than most delis, but high compared to other meal prices in the area. It's understandable though because... where else can you get a balsamic chicken wrap?

Service here is pretty good. The cooked food is prepared quickly, made up of fresh ingredients and is not microwaved. Occasionally, the line can get disorganized when there are too many customers. The staff is friendly. The appearance can use some work, but is slowly improving all the time. The place used to be very stuffy years ago. Since then, they've rearranged all of their products to create more space and opened up the window area for more natural light.

Note: This review only applies to the prepared foods.