Saul Zabar of Upper West Side grocery store dies of brain bleed at 96

Saul Zabar, who ruled the iconic Upper West Side grocery store bearing his name for more than seven decades, died Tuesday. He was 97.

The so-called lox-smith had been hospitalized with a brain bleed at the time of his death, The Post confirmed.

“A true New York legend. He gave the city lox, love, and a place to argue over babka. Zabar’s isn’t just a store, it’s a slice of NYC soul. May his memory be a blessing,” Mayor Eric Adams posted on X.

The Manhattanite ran his family’s namesake Broadway grocery for nearly the entirety of its 80-year history — and was famously a stickler when it came to the quality of the famed store’s goods.

He fulfilled a role he had never initially intended to take on.

Saul had been studying at the University of Kansas to become a doctor when his father, Louis, suddenly died in 1950 at the age of 49, forcing him to return to the city to help his mother, Lillian, run the family business.

He never left.

At the time, Zabar’s was just a smoked-fish department of a Daitch supermarket that Louis and Lillian had established in 1934.

But under their son’s leadership, it exploded into the iconic, sprawling grocery, cookware store and café that it’s known as today, beloved by tourists and New Yorkers alike and spanning nearly the entirety of Broadway between West 80th and 81st Streets.

“Back in the 1960’s, we introduced New York to Brie, in the ‘70’s we brought them sun-dried tomatoes and gnocchi,” Zabar’s states on its website.

“In the ‘80’s, we got so excited about caviar – and wanted everyone to taste it – that our prices set off a so-called “Caviar War.” (Incidentally, we won.)” the site continues, referring to the 1983 battle between Zabar’s and Macy’s that saw both lower the price of beluga fish eggs to attract holiday customers.

Saul Zabar inherited his father’s reputation for being strict about the products he peddled in his store — once dramatically tossing a whitefish on the floor and stepping on it in a fit of rage because it didn’t taste right, according to The New York Times, which first reported his death.

That intensity led directly to the market’s success until Zabar’s became synonymous with Manhattan.

In recent years, the grocer teamed up with brands like Coach and even the MTA.

“Saul was hands on, with a heart for service and a commitment to the workers, customers, and neighbors that entered his realm,” said City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, adding that some in his family were lifelong employees of Zabar’s.

Saul served as president of Zabar’s for decades, the first three years alongside marketing maven Murray Klein. Saul’s younger brother, Stanley, stepped in as vice president and chief financial officer in 1993 when Klein retired.

A third brother, Eli Zabar, opened his own namesake grocery on the Upper East Side.

Other successors have enjoyed their own slices of success — Saul’s nephew, Sasha, opened a candy shop last May next door to his ice cream parlor after the sweet spot went viral for its delectable $10 hot chocolates.

Zabar is survived by his daughter Ann, her two children, Aaron and Rachel Zabar, and four grandchildren, as well as his two brothers. Aaron serves as Zabar’s senior manager, while Ann is its assistant vice president.

Zabar is survived by his wife, Carole Ann Zabar, their three children Ann, Aaron and Rachel Zabar, and four grandchildren, as well as his two brothers. Aaron serves as Zabar’s senior manager, while Ann is its assistant vice president.