In July 2026, people on social media shared a claim that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked to not come back to Katz's Deli, a Manhattan-based delicatessen that serves Jewish dishes. According to the rumor, the deli owner's demand was in response to Mamdani supposedly entering the restaurant with a group of pro-Palestine activists.
For example, one Facebook post (archived) claimed:
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been asked not to come back to the famous Katz's Deli on the Lower East Side after he entered the 120-year-old Jewish establishment with a group of pro-Palestine "Activists.""We told him we don't mind them being here," said Katz's owner, Jusef Barronberg, "We just ask that they respect everyone and put away their flags and signs."The group refused, and Mamdani refused to leave without being served."We made him a sandwich for free to get him out of here, then we had the police serve him with a no trespassing notice."Barronberg says this is the first time in his 60 years at the restaurant that he's ever seen politics mixed with brisket."It's just wrong."
Users also shared the claim elsewhere on Facebook and on Instagram (archived). Snopes readers sent emails asking whether the rumor was true.
However, the story originated from a sister page of America's Last Line of Defense, a network of websites and Facebook pages that describes its content as satirical. Therefore, we've rated this claim as labeled satire.
The source of the claim was the Facebook page America Loves Liberty. The "about" information at the top of the page read, "An authorized dumping ground for certified AI-free trollery and right-wing propaganda courtesy of America's Last Line of Defense. Nothing on this page is real." A watermark on the image included with the post in question says "Nothing on this page is real."
(Facebook page America Loves Liberty)
While the America Loves Liberty account uses Facebook's "media" label, the America's Last Line of Defense Facebook page describes itself as an "entertainment website."
A major inaccuracy in the post hinted at both its fictitious nature and its connection to America's Last Line of Defense.
Though Katz's Deli is a real New York eatery, the post named a "Jusef Barronberg" as its owner. However, Jusef Barronberg does not appear to exist outside of this rumor. In actuality, the Dell family owns the restaurant, with Alan Dell running Katz's major operations.
Jusef Barronberg appears to be a permutation of "Joe Barron," a frequent character in ALLOD's posts. In previous ALLOD posts we've fact-checked, Joe Barron or one of his permutations has played the role of DOGE auditor, Macy's CEO and his spokesman, U.S. Park Police captain and NBC talent director, among many other titles and positions. (U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly used the name John Barron for years when speaking to the media.)
For further reading, Snopes has previously fact-checked numerous other claims from America's Last Line of Defense.
Because the effectiveness of satire is subjective, we use "originated as satire" or "labeled satire" ratings based on creators' description of their work. It's your call on whether you agree.