On weekends the lines twist out the door and onto the sidewalk, and the two spartan dining rooms are filled with customers chowing down on knishes, kreplach and corned beef. The mob scene, the wait, the surly countermen, the heavy Jewish specialties are all part of the scruffy charm of Manny's. If only the food consistently matched Manny's popular reputation. The heaping plates and the huge number of choices seem to outweigh quality considerations with fans. But that quality is hit and miss.
Daily specials are numerous.
Ignore the extensive lists on the menu above the counter. Yes, if you are not interested in steam-table specials, you can move ahead, around the line, to the sandwich area. Brisket, pastrami, corned beef, Reuben and more. Each can tower 5 inches or higher. These temples of shaved meats are crowned with your choice of bread from kaiser rolls to assorted ryes.