Declaring a favorite Los Angeles deli may be as dangerous as proclaiming love for the Giants in Dodger Stadium. You can say with certainty, however, that since 1947, Angelenos have flocked to Langer's somewhat precarious neighborhood –just west of downtown, across from MacArthur Park – for what many claim is the world's best pastrami sandwich. Even a scattering of New York's corned beef connoisseurs cede to the superior tender layers of sugar-cured and seasoned meat, while curbside service and a recently added subway stop on the Metro Red Line have helped everyone from downtown heavyweights to Hollywood's most elite nosh alongside their kosher-style-loving brethren. Beer and wine available. Serving breakfast and lunch Mon–Sat. Closed Sun.
Where the Locals Eat rating
Best Deli
Top 100 Restaurants, Los Angeles
"It's true: the hours are terrible, and somebody may well try to sell you a forged green card on your way back to the car. But the best pastrami sandwiches in America are still, as they have been for 60 years, slapped together at Langer's, a short subway ride away from practically anywhere in Los Angeles."
– Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Weekly
"A leader in L.A.'s long-running deli war ... this deli-institution makes some of the best kishka and matzo-ball soup this side of the Hudson. For many, however, it's the fresh chopped liver or lean, spicy hot pastrami sandwiches on crispy rye, and melt-in-your-mouth corned beef that make Langer's L.A.'s best deli."
—Frommer's
"The hot pastrami sandwich served at Langer's Delicatessen in downtown Los Angeles is the finest hot pastrami sandwich in the world."
—The New Yorker
"[Langer's] pastrami is considered the beluga caviar of the local delicatessen world."
—The New York Times
"Patrons rhapsodize about the pastrami sandwiches."
—USA Today
How Others Rate Langer's Deli
James Beard Foundation
American Classics Award, 2001
Zagat 2008
25 Food Rating (Very Good to Excellent)
Deli Tops
Los Angeles Weekly
Gold 99, 2005-2007
USA Today
10 Great Places to Nosh on Authentic Jewish Deli Food
Frommer's
* (Highly Recommended)