Attman's Delicatessen in Baltimore: Old-School Jewish Deli Still Built on Corned Beef
Attman's is a Jewish delicatessen on East Lombard Street in the former Jewish neighborhood of Baltimore, operating since 1915 and still hand-slicing corned beef to order. It anchors a food landscape dominated by casual chains and modern quick-service concepts, offering counter seating, takeout, and sandwiches built the way they were made a century ago.
What Attman's actually is
This is a standalone deli counter operation, not a full-service restaurant. You order at the register, watch your meat get sliced, and eat at a handful of tables or standing at the counter. The space is plain—no tablecloths, no ambiance beyond the operational core—which is the point. Attman's survives on doing one category of food exceptionally well rather than competing on decor or concept novelty.
Sandwiches and menu pricing
The corned beef sandwich is the anchor. A regular comes with roughly three ounces of hand-sliced meat, mustard, and rye bread; expect to pay around $11 to $13, depending on current pricing. You can upsize to a large for roughly $14 to $16. A pastrami sandwich runs similar money. The deli also stocks turkey, roast beef, and brisket; prices vary slightly by protein, with turkey at the lower end and brisket near the top.
Sides include pickles, coleslaw, and potato salad. Combination platters bundle a sandwich with two sides and cost roughly $16 to $20. Prices reflect supply chain shifts and are worth confirming when you visit. The menu has no drinks beyond vending machines or nearby beverages you bring in.
How Attman's compares to other Baltimore delis
Baltimore has lost most of its Jewish deli presence. Chap's Pit Beef, located in northeast Baltimore, is arguably the closest peer in deli-style takeout culture but focuses on roast beef and barbecue rather than cured and steamed corned beef. Chap's operates more as a full barbecue counter with broader sourcing; Attman's is narrower and older. Carne Chophouse operates a fine-dining model that sources quality beef but charges exponentially more and offers no counter experience. For straightforward pastrami or corned beef on rye in the style Attman's has held for over a century, there is no direct local equivalent still in steady operation.
Who it suits and who it does not
This works for people seeking an authentic, no-frills Jewish deli sandwich made from corned beef that is cooked in-house. It suits lunch crowds, tourists with roots in Baltimore's Jewish history, and anyone craving old-school delicatessen food. It does not suit diners looking for ambiance, table service, or a menu beyond cured and smoked meats. Vegetarians have no reason to visit.
What the first visit involves
Walk in, join the line at the counter, and order by name of sandwich. Watch the person behind the counter pull a brisket or corned beef from a steamer, place it on the slicer, and cut your portion by hand to thickness. Grab a napkin dispenser and rye bread. Sit at one of the small tables against the wall or eat standing up. The experience is transactional and fast; a sandwich takes roughly five minutes from order to hand-off.
Hours, parking, and access
Attman's operates Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays. Hours can shift seasonally, so confirm before a special trip. Street parking surrounds the location on East Lombard Street; the neighborhood has public parking infrastructure and is accessible by car or ride-share. Public transit via MTA local bus routes serves the area.
Attman's endures because it has not chased trends or expanded its mission. It makes corned beef sandwiches the way they have been made since the early 1900s, when Baltimore's Lombard Street was the center of a thriving Jewish community. That specificity is what keeps it relevant in a city with infinite other food options.
