A Yelp badge on the wall nods to Tony’s early buzz. Credit: Brooke Viggiano

Tony’s Italian Delicatessen didn’t become a viral sensation by accident. The New York-style deli got its start in Montgomery, where it racked up serious buzz, including a stint as Yelp’s top-ranked restaurant and a spot among the highest-ranked sandwich shops in the country. Five years ago, it expanded to the Spring/Tomball area – the location I visited – and has been drawing a steady crowd of hungry sandwich enthusiasts ever since.

The menu breaks down Tony’s Carnegies – its take on classic Italian deli sandwiches.

During peak hours, staff call out orders and stack their signature sandwiches, here called Carnegies, at a fast clip. There’s a drive-through for easy pickups and a handful of tables inside and out if you want to eat on-site, though these sandwiches travel well. I took mine to a nearby park, which felt fitting. While waiting, I noticed that everyone around me looked pretty happy….always a good sign.

The Sinatra, a cold-cut Carnegie layered with genoa salami, sopressata, fresh mozz and pesto.

The real strength at Tony’s is the ingredient selection. There’s a deep lineup of Italian deli meats, thick, milky fresh mozzarella, and thoughtful extras like roasted red peppers, olive smear, and housemade basil pesto. The Sinatra comes cold and stacked with genoa salami, sopressata, marinated roma tomatoes, fresh mozz, and that zippy pesto on a crusty Italian roll. The flavors are big and classic, even if the bread doesn’t quite hit that ideal New York balance of crackly exterior and pillowy interior. 

The Beef Melt Carnegie hits its stride on toasty bread with roast beef, melty provolone and roasted red peppers.

I usually avoid toasting sandwiches – I don’t love warm deli meat – but the Beef Melt made a strong case otherwise. Filled with thin-sliced roast beef, sharp provolone, razor-thin red onions, roasted red peppers and a healthy dose of balsamic, the toasting actually improves the bread’s texture, making this the stronger of the two sandwiches I tried.

Beyond subs, the menu is rounded out with pickles, chips, antipasto and caprese salads, and Italian desserts like cannoli and tiramisu. All told, Tony’s Italian Delicatessen is a rare and welcome thing: a legit NY-style Italian deli thriving in Texas and doing most things right. So yes, it lives up to the hype.

Tony’s Italian Delicatessen

Spring/Tomball: 24504 Kuykendahl

Montgomery: 16283 Highway 105 West

This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.

Brooke Viggiano is a contributing writer who is always looking to share Houston's coolest and tastiest happenings with the Houston Press readers.