Zabar's, the famous landmark New York supermarket known for its delectable specialty foods, is now adding online delivery service. New Yorkers can now order their favorite appetizers through Instacart and have them delivered within two hours.
Long before competitors such as Citarella, Gourmet Garage, Whole Foods and the like invaded Manhattan, Zabar's has been serving high quality foods from its Upper West Side Location on Broadway and 80th Street, where it has stood since 1941. The store is so well known that it has constantly been referenced in popular culture. Besides being featured in the 1988 hit film You've Got Mail, Zabar's has been featured on such iconic TV shows as Will & Grace, How I Met Your Mother, Mad About You, Friends, Sex and the City, The Nanny, Seinfeld, The West Wing, 30 Rock, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Law & Order and Gossip Girl, among others.
Zabar's is best known for its appetizer department, which offers a large selection of cheeses, olives, bagels and smoked fish, especially salmon (known affectionately as "lox" to many New Yorkers). Despite the fact that Zabar's is a New York institution, its owners have never opened another store, choosing instead to focus on quality in the one and only flagship.
Now, New Yorkers craving a Zabar's Bagel and lox or one of its other treats don't have to make the trek to the store, as Zabar's is now offering delivery online via Instacart. The delivery is currently limited to New Yorkers living between 42nd and 135th Streets, but general manager Scott Goldshine hinted that the service may eventually expand to include downtown areas as well.
In 2011, Zabar's was involved in a widely publicized controversy regarding its lobster salad. It was revealed that the item did not actually contain any lobster in it, despite its name. Instead, the concoction actually consisted mostly of salted crawfish and mayonnaise, and Zabar's was criticized not only for the apparent deception but the hefty $16.95 per pound price tag attached to the spread. After the controversy, Zabar's changed the name of the spread to "Zabster salad," and it can now be delivered on a bagel directly to your home courtesy of Instacart.
