Alleva Dairy

Had a Homemade Chicken Parmigiana. The cheese and sauce were both good. Inside it looks like an extensive cheese shop. I ordered it to-go via their website, under the header "Specials of the Month - Entrees to go". There it states "All entrees served cold", but I didn't notice that, and the staff ask me if I actually wanted it hot, and offered to give me a separate hot entree. I declined since I was fine with warming it at home, but appreciated that they offered this.

Wonderful, friendly, helpful service. Great options for meats, cheeses, and ready-made Italian foods. We had the Italian sandwich (amazing!) and mozzarella sticks (huge and delicious!).

Oh my goodness, I ordered the meatball sandwich and it was pure bliss. The meatballs melt in your mouth, the sauce ratio is perfect, and it is a huge portion. Added fresh mozzarella which took it right over the edge. Classic Italian deli that is making pure joy. Also got the Manhattan special espresso soda to try and loved it!

We bought four Cannolis from the stand attached to the Alleva store. It was 2 Cannoli for $5 - we thought that was a bit too expensive for what we received. The Cannoli itself was slightly dry, while the ricotta was nice - but it could have been more fresh and smooth. I really enjoyed the flavour, which was heavy on the cinnamon in a good way. The general vibe in the area makes me want to give five stars, but unfortunately the Cannoli didn't live up to its environment.

My favorite stop in Little Italy (and probably one of the most authentic). Go early to order your Italian sandwiches. They are a work of art and take time to be hand sliced and put together. Go hungry (or share) they stack them high, so totally worth the wait.

Eric was awesome! He sold me the most delicious cold cuts💚 I couldn’t wait to eat them so I had it in my uber. He also cut it thin it was perfect

heard this place had one the best parm (eggplant & chicken) and meatball sandwiches so decided to try one of them. line was not long and servers were pretty cheerful. got the meatball sandwich. bread was a bit stale though meatballs were pretty good. I guess sandwich would have been better if bought from the shop instead of the stall during the San Gennaro festival. Will certainly make a trip back to try the parm sandwiches

We stopped in to try their delicious mozzarella. Since we wanted to eat something right there we got the mozzarella sticks and the risotto balls. The balls were just ok. We didn't love that they had to heat everything in the microwave even though it was in a heating station, though I get it's mostly a cold cheese shop. The mozzarella sticks are worth coming back for though. I wish I had tried the arancini.

Alleva Dairy has closed their location at 188 Grand Street in Manhattan's Little Italy neighborhood, literally ending an era. Alleva Dairy has been around since 1892 and bills itself as the nation's oldest cheese store. Aleva Dairy is not only a part of its neighborhood, but of New York City in general. It seems that the iconic business fell behind on rent during the pandemic and after a legal battle with the landlord, the owners made the difficult decision to close. I have great memories of Alleva Dairy. It was a wonderful place for not only cheese, but other Italian favorites and I shall forever hold great memories of here. There is talk of them moving to New Jersey, which would be incredible news.

I have waited 3 years to come back to Alleva. Oh how I missed this place. Same amazing quality as always. The meat freshly sliced for eat order. Literally Melts in your mouth. Almost didn't survive COVID but the ppl have spoken and hopefully be around another 130 years!

So family oriented, so traditional, so cute!!! The store is not so much tiktok famous and I am ok with that. I felt very welcomed and comfortable when we ordered. The man and woman that helped us were so polite and I hope they stay open forever. Anyone who wants to try authentic Italian please visit and support. Ps try the espresso cola as well

I went down to the Alleva Dairy in Lyndhurst NJ. No signs paper on the complex windows. Building looks partially closed. Are they even here or they out of business? Someone please reply.

Came here on a food tour The sample we had was exceptional. We feel lucky to have learned about the history of this store. Do a little research before you arrive in little Italy and it'll make everything taste so much better

Please have history, decor, and all the trappings of a really fabulous Italian deli. It was an absolute joy strolling by and seeing their wares in the window. Circumstances being different, had this not been a business trip, I surely would have loaded up with some ingredients to bring home to California on the my day. Unfortunately, my dining experience this time was a chicken parmesan sandwich. It looked amazing! It smelled amazing! Dismayingly, some restaurant anti-magic was used we are all the flavors were canceled out and I wound up with an absolutely underseasoned, virtually flavorless sandwich. I'll surely be back to give them another try, but this visit literally left no taste in my mouth.

sadness. https://nypost.com/2023/02/07/little-italys-avella-dairy-closing-down/ please give some love and business before this institution close. NYC is dying by the minute :(

It's a beautiful roasted beef sandwich I've ever seen. $14 with that much of the meat, sooo good. The 2 ladies that work in store are super nice and fun, made me feel like I visited lovely Italian family shop. Definitely it's a good to go place to pick up fresh quick lunch that you can have another half left for dinner . Definitely will come back

Homemade mozzarella !! Greeeat stafff fresh Prosciutto bread homemade cannolis A real LITTLE ITALY STAPLE

I heard a sad rumor that this great institution in little Italy will be closing in early March. Go give this mom and pop store one big push of support. I personally need to go stock up on the risotto cheese balls

Full disclosure: 11 Little Italy stores participated in the Netflix promotion of the Irishman that happen this past Friday and Saturday, it became a treasure hunt/food tour for me. I always passed by the store though I never walked in. It's one of the oldest cheese shop. With the promotion, I walked into Alleva. While the employee took care of the customers in front of me, I checked out all the cooked/baked items. When it's my turn, I said the secret code: Jimmy sent me. I received a rectangular stick with marinara sauce. After taking a bite, it's a warmed mozzarella stick. Nice! Now I know where to go for a quick snack that isn't sweet. Have to check out the other dishes next time. They have an online delivery service (check it out my tip for your first delivery discount). Thanks Alleva and Netflix!

Got a ham salami roasted pepper and mozzarella sandwich. Bread was delicious roasted red peppers were delicious. My biggest complaint was the layer of mozzarella. It seemed thinner than most places esp a place that prides themselves in their cheese and fresh mozzarella. Place is good just ask for extra mutz on your sandwich

Delightful little shop in Little Italy filled with traditional foods and a friendly staff. I will definitely be back again. Such lovely smells in this spot.

I used to come here when I lived in the city regularly. When I moved back to CA, thought I was out of luck. However I just found out they are able to ship! Order came in two days, everything in perfect order! Meats were sealed, cheeses were cold and good to go! Shipped from NY to CA no problem. Will be placing again!

I wanted to try a new York canoli. The first night went to little Italy it was raining they closed early. We decided to go back the next day. It was worth it. I actually tried two different canoli one was recommended by the person serving. These were by far the best I have ever had. If you are in New York this is a must try place.

On a walking tour of Little Italy, we were recommended to try out 'the oldest cheese store' in New York! Since it was already past 1 pm we decide to have a sandwich instead. The meatball sandwich was sold out so it must have been pretty popular! So we made up our own. We were asked what type of bread, seeded or plain, we ordered seeded. Then he asked what type of meat so we just randomly pointed at a few. I think it was prosciutto, spicy capicolli, Asiago cheese and mustard. We paid $14?!!! For this sandwich and I thought man that better be a damn good sandwich! Well... we thought a few slices of meat like a subway sandwich is what we'd get but when we opened up our paper bag we couldn't believe how thick it was!! We decided to share half of it. Well I have to say our mash up of meats was pretty darn tasty! A little hard to bite through but was super yummy and the crusty bread went perfect with it. I don't think the white bread would have held up! We decided after eating the first half that the rest of the sandwich might go bad if we kept it too long out in the heat while we explored the rest of the area so we ate it! We were so stuffed we didn't have dinner! We're coming back for gelato or a cannoli next time!

The only place I visit for a true Italian sandwich. No other does it better. The baby was kicking and my lady wanted a sandwich. This is the place to get it. Flavors are worldly. Best priced item in the area.

Chivalry is not dead. Every time I come to Alleva I buy a lot of stuff since I don't live nearby. The staff greets me like family and always helps me with packages to the car. The food is fresh and the service is efficient. No wonder it has been there since a more than century before I was born! I send a lot of people here and they've all raved.

I wanted to grab a cannoli during our afternoon stroll through Little Italy and my husband was craving some ice cream. So...Alleva Dairy fit the bill. I tried the pistachio cannoli and he had chocolate ice cream. We both enjoyed our treats. I would say I've had better cannoli but not in the US. We ordered them from the street stand though I noticed you could go inside and dine with a larger menu.

Make it a point to stop in at Alleva every year when visiting NY to pick up some treats. Yum

A powerhouse. This place has the best cheese and Italian sandwiches in New York. I highly recommend their sandwiches with prosciutto, sopressata, fresh mozz, or smoked mozz.

Great cheese, olives, mozzarella sticks, and prosciutto, I will definitely be coming back

Every time this place is absolutely amazing, no matter what. Wonderful meats & cheeses. Sandwiches the size of, well, as if you made it yourself. Delicious cheeses, WOW the selection of cheeses! This is the place for sandwiches in Manhattan. No other place comes close, I can guarantee you that! It's impossibly to be disappointed here. Take the challenge!

H O L Y C O W ! Every city needs and Alleva. We happened upon Alleva while strolling through Little Italy. This place was amazing. Salamis, cheeses, and hot food to go. You've had a cannoli, but have you ever strolled through little Italy munching on pancetta balls in marinara? If you haven't, you haven't lived. I begged my wife to go back over an over again. Simply amazing. Very nice folks working here too.

Got the Bronx on seeded Italian. Great sandwich, huge flavors. Mortadella and provolone were super thin, just right. The hot peppers worked great alongside the balsamic. Staff was really friendly. 130 years in business!

I heard this mum and pop place is a classic and they are fighting to stay open so I came to show my support. But the sandwich I had was just disappointing and bland. It was a huge sandwich and looks impressive, I wish the flavor were the same. The mozzarella should be the soul of the sandwich but it just wasn't playing the role.Maybe other things on the menu are better because it was busy in the store or it is just a tourist trap.

Service was super slow -- there were only a handful of people in the shop but it still took almost 10 minutes for someone to help us -- but ultimately, the arrancini was worth the wait. Ted and I shared an ooey-goey rice/meat/cheese/peas ball covered in marinara sauce on the bench outside of the shop. The perfect afternoon snack to enjoy as you wander between Little Italy and China Town!

Hey Alleva, I don't appreciate the dried out end of the prosciutto that you sold me yesterday. My husband, who is native Italian said it was the worst prosciutto he ever had and I agreed that it was awful. Was it really worth it to lose a customer? I expected high quality but instead I got a dried out end, and at $27 a pound no less. I've been a customer for decades but I feel that I got ripped off yesterday.

The first cheese shop in America. The first cheese shop in America. The first cheese shop in America. Think about that for a moment. That in itself should make you want to come here. So, we walked in after some shopping & immediately this older Italian man was like "how you doing"?? with the Staten island.. Little Italy type New Yorker accent. It was fitting. This is a blue collar, family owned place that has been around longer than your grandparents have. That in itself man.. that's respect right there. Well the food & the CHEESE here live up to that legacy. My sister ordered a REAL Italian sub. Fresh pastrami.. fresh cheese.. & YES, Italian bread. The sound of that "crunch" when we bit into it... my Oh my I will never forget. Worth flying in from Dallas. If you want to buy some basic Italian groceries like pasta or sauce.. this is a good place for that too. highly recommend & again. FIRST CHEESE SHOP IN AMERICA!

First time checking out the store in Little Italy. Not sure what flavor to get and the guy patiently explained to me the four different flavors. Decided on the sweet sausage and boy I was glad I did. Very flavorful as I used it for my spaghetti dishes. Can't wait to go back to try the other flavors.

Best Italian deli/dairy in NYC! We visit NYC every couple of years from FL. This place is one of our first (& last) stops. We always plan to bring some of their awesome meats home. The staff is fantastic & very helpful. Don't forget to try a freshly made sub... & bring one with you for the flight home. You'll thank me later! Eric & Ray are the best!! Thank you! Chow!

Lots of hanging meat around here.... Great little specialty shop near Little Italy. I need to come back on a day that isn't Good Friday and indulge in some prosciutto shopping. Also they had a great selection of cheeses that I need to sample ASAP.

Best sandwiches in the area!! Seriously... they're mouth watering. Everyone who works here is extremely kind, helpful and friendly.

Me and my kids visited their stand today at San Gennero's and they sold us expired penne alla vodka and meatballs !!! The food smelled sour as soon as I opened the container of food. I thought it might be the tomato sauce. NOPE THE FOOD WENT BAD PROBABLY HOURS AGO!!! I have a feeling they KNEW their food went bad and they still sold it! Sitting here after 30 mins takin a few bites my stomach hurts!! BEWARE!!!!

Alleva Dairy - the oldest cheese shop in America - established in 1892. Today we celebrate anniversaries for everything. Happy 1 year anniversary to our brewery - patio party! But think about this for a second, 1892. I can't even wrap my head around what that means. What they have seen, who they have served cheese to, what they have gone through as a business. We were searching for cannoli's while in New York and there were so many to choose from. They are everywhere! But we just so happened to just stumble upon this humble little case in the middle of little Italy and thought - this is where we have to get one! And later we looked on Yelp to see that this was in fact from the oldest cheese shop in America - no wonder, they know what they are doing! This cannoli haunts me day in and day out. It was the best cannoli I have ever had and the thought of it makes me melt and cringe at the same time. Melt into memories thinking about how delicious it was, and cringe knowing that I cannot have it. This place deserves some serious props and whether you are a local or a passerby - Alleva Dairy should be on your list.

Got some cannolis from place outside, cleverly filled only on each end to deceive tourists & maximize profits, not to mention they weren't good. Go somewhere else

Super inconsistent here. Many days the sandwich is very good but today I ended up with this. That's supposed to be a chicken cutlet. Wish they would have just told me they didn't want to make any chicken cutlets today, I would have made another selection

When I come back home I always grab some goodies to bring with me and Alleva doesn't disappoint! Grabbed some delish sopprasata, prosciutto and my favorite pecorino with truffles! I mean come on! I doesn't get any better than this!

Alleva has been around forever. And I do mean forever---it has been at that corner for decades, and the store has been in the same family for over 120 years. But that's not the reason to buy stuff here. You do because it's fantastic! The cheese and the pre-cooked goods are amazing. I just discovered this store but have been passing it for ages as I figured that a store that's in Little Italy will be touristy or whatever. Boy was I wrong.

My boyfriend and I found ourselves here after a trip to DiPalo's down the street had us reeling at prices. We were looking for ingredients to make a muffaleta shooter style sandwich and they had all the meats and cheeses we needed. They even had the dried porcini mushrooms we needed for another recipe at the cheapest prices we had seen after searching several other stores throughout various neighborhoods in Manhattan. The people who helped us were incredibly nice, taking us around the store and showing us all of their selection. With the deli meats and cheeses, the man slicing for us gave us a generous sample of each meat & cheese and checked to make sure we were really satisfied before cutting up our order. All in all, this fulfills all my fantasies of a cute neighborhood deli where the people working really try their best to make sure you're happy with your purchase.

Alleva Dairy is always a must-stop for me when I am in the City! Not only are their cured meats and cheeses delicious, but their prosciutto rice balls are my favorite snack! You can get them warm and with some marinara for a great little bite to eat while you walk around Little Italy. Something else that I love about this location is the ability to buy meat ends when they are too small for the slicer. This last trip I was able to get 3 prosciutto ends and a capicola end for about $12. The staff are pleasant and helpful - just a nice little stop if you are in Little Italy!

Little Italy in Manhattan is, mmm, full of interesting things. As you walkout and down on Mulberry, there's all sorts of ristorantes and cafes. You really don't know where to go in. But Yelp said it was good, and by George it was. I saw the sign that said the best cannoli, so we stopped to find out first hand. We didn't even go inside. There was a cart outside with a huge selection of different cannoli. I got the regular one and Bon the pistachio. They were delish. Nice little corner place where you can just stand there and eat the goods. Gentleman behind the cart was very cordial and tourists and locals just walking around you. So if you're in the areA, look up this place and just get a cannoli and an espresso. Nice little sweet as you make your way up the street.

Very slow service. Staff treat you like an annoyance rather than a paying customer. Selection is mediocre, and quality extremely inconsistent. I have been coming here for many years. It is a dying shop. Put it out of its misery already.

As good as it gets. This Bensonhurst Brooklyn born Italian boy knows italian Salumeria, and you won't find many to compare with this Little Italy institution. The meats and cheeses are top notch. The sandwiches are a steal for around ten bucks. You can easily eat half and take the rest home or share. I am so glad to be back in Soho so I can walk there again for lunch, its a happy heart attack in the making if you visit daily, but a few times a month shouldn't kill you, only make you.stronger.

During the St Gennaro festival got a Horrible meatball .. all bread hardly any beef... broccoli rabe not cooked.. didn't get the bread and d sausage because they cut it very small... oh well.. never again...

Have been going to this place for 20 years and my family has been going since the 1960s. First bad experience today. When I got home I had old salted mozzarella (must have been sitting for days), bad store blend grating cheese (think overly processed cheap cheese made in Jersey with an Italian flag slapped on it), and bread that was so mediocre. One thing I will say is that the staff were really helpful and friendly. That has not changed. Hopefully just an off day.

*This review is soley on the mozza sticks and rice and cheese ball* We were on a walking tour in the SOHO, Little Italy and Chinatown area when we walked by Alleva and our tour guide said that it's a must stop for mozzarella sticks. Alleva of Little Italy is the oldest cheese shop in America so my sis and I made appoint to walk back to Alleva after the tour and grab a little snack. It was Wednesday and they closed at 7pm. We got there around 6:30pm - we waited a bit before we were helped. We asked for a order of mozza sticks and a rice and cheese ball to share. The lady grabbed our order and MICROWAVED them :( one order of mozza sticks came in 3 topped with marinara sauce and the rice and cheese ball also came with marinara. I was pretty choked to see them being microwaved. We went to sit on the sidewalk to eat because the tables outside were occupied. The mozza sticks were soggy and the cheese wasn't stringy as it should be, so bummed. The rice and cheese ball was good, but on the soggy side as well. After the hype from our tour guide and checking out their instagram and reviews, we were pretty excited but it was a huge disappointment that our order was microwaved. I had wished they flash fried it instead for that crispiness because cheese should be stringy!!!!!!! I do understand that it was a half hour before they were closing but we came a long way to try these and expected so much more. I know that they would have been amazing if they were crispy and the cheese was stringy...oh well :(

Went here on a city tour to kill time and it's the oldest cheese store in Little Italy what still makes home made cheese

So glad we stumbled across this random 'best kept secret'. Established in 1892. This shop is dedicated to cheeses, meats and sandwiches/subs. We decided on the Italian sub, we added mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette. I have never had balsamic Vincente on my subs but now I can't imagine it any other way. This sub was absolutely delicious. Full of scrumptious flavor. Took a second for the sun to be made, the gentleman sliced the meat and cheese fresh to order, I don't care because it was well worth the wait. The meat was savory and salty, we were given a slice of prosciutto prior to our order being complete. Any ingredient that tastes delicious on its own tastes even better on a sub and this was no exception. The gentleman behind the counter told us of several restaurants that we needed to try before going home. He also informed us that Lombartis pizza was one of the better/best pizza places in the area and that this shop delivers 300 lbs of mozzarella to this place daily! Very happy with our choosing and you can tell the employees love working here and have a passion for what they do!