JSLALALAND

THE HUNGRY HOURS

Why do people line up for seventy years for one pastrami sandwich? | The LA old-school deli map

New York has Katz's, but plenty of people swear America's best pastrami is next to MacArthur Park in LA. LA's old-school Jewish delis one by one: the stories, how to order, and which one's still open past midnight.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. 01 | From Boyle Heights to Fairfax

    In the 1920s and '30s, most of LA's Jewish community lived in Boyle Heights on the east side; in the 1950s people moved west, and the delis followed them to Fairfax, Pico-Robertson and Beverly Hills.

  2. 02 | Deli ordering, translated

    Pastrami is smoked beef; corned beef isn't smoked and is saltier; a Reuben adds sauerkraut and Russian dressing. When they ask "Lean or juicy?" they mean lean or marbled.

  3. 03 | Why is pastrami so hard to make?

    Cure, smoke, then steam; Langer's steams it another 2.5–5 hours in the shop and hand-slices it, and the meat shrinks 35–38% after steaming. 'Good pastrami is made of time.'

  4. 04｜Langer's

    Opened in 1947, and won the LA Times Gold Award in September 2026. You have to order the #19: pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing. Closed Sundays, and it closes at 4 p.m.

  5. 05 | How to get to Langer's

    Get off the Metro B/D Line at Westlake/MacArthur Park and walk one block; if you don't want to get out, order curbside online. The area can be sketchy, so go during the day and leave after you eat.

  6. 06｜Canter's Deli

    Started in Boyle Heights in 1931, moved into an old movie theater on Fairfax in 1953; the Kibitz Room next door is where a lot of bands got their start. Open 24 hours on Saturdays, and it turned 95 in August 2026.

  7. 07｜Nate 'n Al

    Opened on Beverly Drive in 1945, nearly closed, and was saved by longtime regulars in 2019. Order the stuffed cabbage; it's still at 414 N Beverly Dr for now, and will move one block south later, date not yet announced.

  8. 08｜Brent's Deli

    In 1967 the family took over a struggling deli in Northridge, and since it happened to share their son's name, they kept it. It's number one on The Infatuation's deli ranking; the signature is the black pastrami Reuben.

  9. 09｜Art's Delicatessen

    'Every sandwich is a work of Art.' Open in Studio City since 1957, with especially good sides; get a sandwich plus two or three sides to share.

  10. 10｜Factor's Famous Deli

    A 1948 family deli in Pico-Robertson with a menu of over a hundred dishes. Its matzo ball soup is said to be the richest in LA, and it has mash-ups like matzah brei chilaquiles.

  11. 11 | LA's other kind of pastrami

    The Hat started in Alhambra in 1951, with its pastrami dip on a French roll, and in 2026 opened in Las Vegas too; Johnnie's still has its 1952 neon sign and jukebox.

  12. 12 | The new generation of delis

    Eric Greenspan opened Mish in June 2026, with Middle Eastern-spiced pastrami and wood-fired Montreal-style bagels; Belle's in Highland Park does bagels in the morning and pickle martinis at night.

  13. 13 | Three deli routes

    Fairfax: Canter's late at night, then the Kibitz Room. East: compare Langer's and The Hat in one day. Westside: Factor's, then Nate 'n Al. 'Two delis a day, max. Pastrami is filling.'

  14. 15 | Two-city mirror

    Taipei's old-school spots are a set of flatbread and crullers, and the owner knows whether you want it iced or hot without asking; in LA, the server calls you honey. 'In Taipei, an old-school spot is a morning; in LA, it's a booth.'

Places in this story

In this series

Read it with the slides →

An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).