TV Restaurants

What Happened to Ben's Best Deli After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 11 Rego Park, New York Closed 2018

Current status

Closed

As of October 2026, Ben's Best Deli has closed — confirmed via dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com, June 17, 2025.

What the source shows: A Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives fan site, updated 2025-06-17, listed the phone as permanently closed and reported the Rego Park deli closed in late 2018. How we decide a status →

What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

On Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ("From Crepes to Kreplach," aired 2011-03-14), Guy Fieri visited Ben's Best Kosher Delicatessen in Rego Park, Queens, sampling kreplach dumplings and the deli's chicken soup with matzo balls, according to a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives fan site. The deli opened in 1945 and became known for a 21-day dry-cured corned beef sandwich and "Ben's Challenge," a one-pound meat sandwich eaten alongside soup, fries, and coleslaw. Dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com, updated 2025-06-17, listed the deli's phone number as permanently closed and reported that Ben's Best closed in late 2018 when its longtime owner retired, ending nearly 70 years in business at the Queens Boulevard location. Regulars were also known for attempting "Ben's Challenge," the site noted, finishing the full sandwich, soup, fries, and coleslaw combination within an hour.

The episode Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 11

Episode 9
Aired
Title: From Crepes to Kreplach · What was featured: kreplach dumplings, boiled chicken soup, and 21-day dry-cured corned beef
How Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives restaurants have fared: 27% closed →

Also in Season 11 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season 11: 21 of 33 still open · 1 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 13 Season 11 episodes →

Nearest open restaurants By distance from 96-40 Queens Boulevard

All 448 TV restaurants in New York →

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Sources we checked 1 reference

  1. dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com https://www.dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com/bens-best-deli-new-york.html
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Record ddd-0415 · checked by Cal Marchetti.