First, we’ve just gotta tell ya: no New Yorker would be impressed with what Marc Katz is doing here in Texas. But who needs their approval? The man who learned the kosher deli business on his father’s knee in Queens has been lording over the memorabilia-plastered dining room of his Sixth Street establishment (and over much of the rest of this town), head shining, grin flashing, 24 hours a day, since 1979. All the while, he’s been helplessly telling kustomers all about it, with his brassy ads, his bright yellow kaddy (license plate 24 HRS), and even his mayoral kampaign in Austin.

So what’s all the talk about? Katz’s serves up some okay kosher-style deli food (but this is not a cheeseburger-free zone). Skip the underwhelming bagel with cream cheese and lox, but the Reuben sandwich is thick, buttery, and juicy, piled high with peppery pastrami and/or corned beef. (By the way, though, there’s no excuse for an underwhelming bagel with cream cheese and lox.) House-made pickles are tart and crisp, while potato pancakes are sweet and crunchy, served with a diminutive dot of applesauce. Breakfast anytime includes some lovely challah French toast that has achieved that chimera of restaurant French toast—the still-soft-and-gooey center—and creamy scrambled eggs.

Katz’s, of course, never kloses, and its Montrose location can invite a pretty mixed crowd in the wee hours. Good thing the night shift always sees plenty of cops chowing down, as well as cabbies, college kids, and buzzed revelers. All of them are apparently willing to dish out excessive amounts of cash ($10.99 for a veggie omelette!?) for some fairly standard deli fare.

However, we gotta hand it to Katz—he certainly knows how to market. And we have to applaud a guy for having the chutzpah to open a Jewish deli in Texas in 1979. But when you consider the state’s love of brisket and pickles, it’s really not so strange.