Old-school Jewish kosher deli, in Westchester for 50 years, suddenly closes

Epstein's of Yonkers has permanently closed. This kosher deli is not to be confused with Epstein's of Hartsdale , which is completely separate and remains open.

The closing was reported on the door of the restaurant with a note saying how much the owners and staff cherished serving the community for more than 50 years. "The time has come to close our doors," reads the handwritten sign. "We thank you for the loyal patronage and the memories we made."

One writer on Yelp wrote: "Broke my heart to see they closed. Been going there all my life. Even when I moved out of state anytime I came back it was a must."

Two Westchester restaurants close: One in biz 28 years, another for four

The classic deli, with a mom-and-pop vibe, was long known for its fresh roasted turkey, pastrami on rye, chopped liver, matzoh ball soup and brisket, among other things (the kosher pickles were also legendary).

This leaves only two old-school-style Jewish delis in Westchester: Epstein's of Hartsdale and the recently opened Liebman's in Ardsley .

Also closed in that same Central Plaza Shopping Center on Central Park Avenue in Yonkers: the fast casual barbecue restaurant Whole Hog, which ended its almost three-year run in December, citing lingering pandemic problems and high costs.

Written on their Facebook page: "We started in 2019, with our goal to open the Spring of 2020. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we did not let the pandemic deter us and were finally able to open October 1, 2020. Since then, we have worked extremely hard to keep Whole Hog Café operating and have been able to survive to see our third-year anniversary.

"However, COVID-19 economic pressures such as high food costs, labor shortages as well as other social factors have kept our sales at levels that we can no longer afford to operate. As we look to the future, we will seek new opportunities that will allow us to continue serving Whole Hog Café Championship Barbecue. We would like to thank you for all the support and love you gave us."

The closing of the two is not a huge surprise considering Lidl, a German-based 29,208-square foot supermarket has plans to combine smaller stores within the existing shopping center when it opens, at a still not announced date.

More closings

The two eateries, one in business for decades and the other for just a few years, are examples of what's happening across the county, whether it's due to development, high costs or simply "just time."

Piero's Restaurant in Harrison, in Port Chester for 21 years and most recently in Harrison for eight and a half, just closed as did Salsa Bembe, which had been in Yonkers just shy of four years .

That's on top of two spots in Hartsdale that lasted less than a year: Mamajuana Cafe Prime, a Latin fusion restaurant, and Constantino's pizzeria.

That's a total of 16 closings in Westchester and Rockland in 2024 alone, many of which have been a result of higher rents and the increasing cost of business. They include Oscar's in Blauvelt; Java Love in Suffern ( now a new Italian spot called Lavagna); Dog Haus in Mohegan Lake (rebranded as Craft Tacos and Tequila ); Meso Mediterranean in Rye; River City Grille in Irvington (which reopens under new ownership next week as Club Car Grille) and Riviera Bakehouse which shuttered its larger location in Ardsley but remains open in Tarrytown.

There are also a few I have my eye on that say they're renovating but have been closed for a while.

Got food news?

Know of any opening or closing? Email JRMuchnick@gannett.com .

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter .

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Old-school Jewish kosher deli, in Westchester for 50 years, suddenly closes