Deli Boyz has become a neighborhood staple in Harlem and the Bronx, blending West African flavors, soul food, and classic New York deli culture into a spot that feels instantly familiar. Their name Deli Boyz tells exactly how it began: “A bunch of boys in the deli.”
“It was just a bunch of friends. We used to hang inside of a deli. We’d be rolling dice, doing normal stuff that kids do,” Kopa says. “The owner used to kick us out all the time. One day we just decided to ask him, ‘Do you want to sell the store?’ He said yeah.”
Before officially owning the space, the friends were already building something right outside of it. “We were grilling in front of a store, selling lamb and shish kebabs, and we were doing pretty good,” Kopa explains. “So we put our money together as friends and just started it. And then the rest was history.”
Harlem’s deep food legacy plays a major role in how Deli Boyz thinks about what they serve. Growing up surrounded by different cuisines, cultures, and flavors shaped the way Kopa and his friends approach food.
“We just mix our culture with American culture and create diversity,” Kopa says. “We sell a lot of African food and a lot of soul food. We tap into different cultures.” That flexibility is intentional. Rather than sticking to one national cuisine, Deli Boyz pulls from across West Africa and reworks dishes into something personal. “For example, suya isn’t really a Malian thing, it’s more Nigerian and Ghanaian, but we brought it out and turned it into ours,” Kopa explains.
That same spontaneity shapes the menu itself. When it comes to choosing dishes, there’s no rigid planning process. “To be honest, we don’t choose,” Kopa says. “We just wake up, whatever comes online, and we get it done.”
Some of the most popular items were born out of pure experimentation. “Everybody loves the green sauce,” he says. “I was bored one day and just mixed mad stuff together. Then the green sauce just burst. I threw it on top of the meat, and it was delicious. After that, the sky was the limit.”
For Kopa, that sauce has become inseparable from the identity of Deli Boyz, especially when paired with their signature meats. “Steak with the green sauce, suya, lamb, lamb shoulder, and the jollof rice — that’s us,” he says.
For many regulars, Deli Boyz is more than a deli, it’s a cultural meeting point. A place where music, food, and conversation bring people together across backgrounds.
“Food is universal,” Kopa says when asked how food connects him to the community. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from. We listen to each other through music and food. Food is the number one thing everybody wants to try from a different culture. It’s universal.”
That openness is what allows Deli Boyz to resonate beyond any single neighborhood or identity. While the flavors are rooted in West African tradition, the approach is intentionally inclusive, shaped by the diversity of New York City itself.
For Kopa, balancing heritage with experimentation comes down to staying grounded in culture. “Whatever I do, I keep it within culture,” he says. “When I make something like rasta pasta, I use African spices,” making each plate personal and intentional. That commitment to authenticity is what makes Deli Boyz more than just a place to eat, it’s a space where culture is shared, not diluted, and food becomes a language everyone understands.
Deli Boyz is known for their late-night energy, and it is rooted in comfort and care. “I just try to fill everybody’s belly before they go home,” Kopa says.
The goal is simple: food that feels homemade, even at the end of a long night. “Everything we make is out of love. We pour our all into it,” he adds, pointing to the hands-on work behind the scenes, from made- on- the- grill dishes to freshly baked goods.
For Kopa, the takeaway is clear. “Just know you’re gonna get something good before you go home,” he says. “And once you try us, you’re gonna remember us. I guarantee it.”
That same care extends beyond the late-night plates and into how Deli Boyz treats the people who walk through the door. “New York customers aren’t easy, but they’re not hard either. You just gotta have a good sense of humor,” Kopa says, pointing to Shanay, a longtime hospitality professional whose energy has quickly made her a favorite among regulars.
For Shanay, taking care of people is at the heart of the job. “I love taking care of people. Food is the entryway to your soul,” she says. “I have customers I see every day who order the same thing. And it’s not just because of the food. It’s the energy.” At Deli Boyz, that focus goes beyond one visit. “We’re not only about customers coming in,” she adds. “We’re about customer retention.”
Though Deli Boyz has expanded from Harlem to a new Bronx location, Kopa says the growth still feels early. “Right now, I feel like we’re still crawling,” he says. “We haven’t even started walking yet.”
While the team isn’t rushing what’s next, plans are already forming, from merch and bottled green sauce to the possibility of more locations. As Shanay adds, graphic T-shirts are set to drop this summer at both spots, marking the next step for a place that started as friends in a deli and is now something people go out of their way to experience.
