I love Mike's Deli, but sometimes I want to switch things up. I still make the drive to Langer's on Alvarado for the pastrami here and there. I am trying to decide if that is loyalty or just habit. Does it still deserve the trip across town, or is the hype mostly nostalgia at this point?
10 Likes
I have to drive even further for Langer’s. Yes, still has some of the best pastrami sandwiches, no doubt. I only go there when I'm already on the Eastside.
Eastside Italian Deli (on 1013 Alpine Street) is about the same distance for me. Their roast beef and pastrami sandwiches are next level. Went there a month ago. They always deliver.
6 Likes
Jeff's Gourmet on Pico is the one I send people to now. The pastrami sandwich is the order, the line moves, and I do not have to fight MacArthur Park parking just to sit down.
It is a counter, not a scene. I have gone three times this year and the quality has stayed put, which is more than I can say for a lot of the old names.
2 Likes
Not far from that is Sandwichim by Nagila. Their hot pastrami is about 25 dollars, not cheap, but worth the money. It's also on Pico Blvd as well.
1 Like
Greenblatt's on Sunset is my Westside answer if I am not driving downtown. Pastrami on rye, late hours, and I can park without making a project of it.
I still respect Langer's. I just do not sit in traffic for it on a weeknight anymore, and that is the honest version.
3 Likes
Greenblatt's is really good. 
They have plenty of street parking available. Good for grab-and-go.
1 Like
The Hat in Alhambra is the one. Pastrami dip, messy, cheap and I am in and out. That is the no-frills version of this argument. Have family over there, so there's no extra drive for me.
2 Likes
I still go to Langer's when I am already near MacArthur Park. Number 19, pastrami, coleslaw on it, and yes it is still the sandwich people talk about.
The drive from Hollywood is the part I argue with. If I am west, I skip it. If I am east, I go.
1 Like
That one looks delicious. 
I didn't have a pastrami sub in ages.
About time, I guess.
1 Like
Label's Table on Pico is the small one. Pastrami, not a tourist line, and I can eat and get back to work. That is the whole review.
2 Likes
I did Langer's on Alvarado and Jeff's on Pico a month apart and I will say this plainly. Langer's still wins if you want the classic plate and you already accepted the drive. The pastrami is the reason that dining room stays packed, and the number 19 is what I tell visiting friends to get.
Jeff's is the better weeknight. Pico is easier from Koreatown than sitting on the 110, the sandwich holds up, and I am home before I have time to romanticize it. So yes Langer's still deserves it, just not every time you want pastrami in Los Angeles.
3 Likes
Maciel's Plant-Based Butcher & Deli offers vegan pastrami that comes with a French dip. One of the best-rated places on the Eastside. For everyone out there who wants to try something new..
2 Likes
Whenever I'm downtown, I go to Philippe. Right on Alameda St., it's iconic and has been there for many decades. They have the perfect pastrami and dip. Their draft beer is really good and their soups are full of flavor. The only thing I don't like is that it gets really busy. There's pretty much a constant line, which shows how good this place is.
3 Likes