Fairfax · Spot
Canter’s Deli
About
Canter's Deli, founded in 1931, has been on Fairfax Ave since 1953 and keeps very long hours (check the website). Pastrami on rye and matzo ball soup are the signatures, with a bakery counter at the door. Next door, the Kibitz Room is an old-timer music bar where plenty of rock bands have played.
Jasmine says
A Jewish deli palace open since 1931: early-morning pastrami is LA's other kind of homesickness.
Insider tips
- The Kibitz Room next door is a late-night music bar, the kind Guns N' Roses hung out in
- Check out the bakery case by the order counter before you sit down
- Order: Pastrami on rye
- Order: Matzo ball soup
- Order: Take black-and-white cookies to go
Jasmine’s notes
- FairfaxIt started in Boyle Heights in 1931 and moved into an old movie theater on Fairfax in 1953; the Kibitz Room next door is where a lot of bands got their start, and it's open 24 hours on Saturdays. Fairfax's classic Jewish deli, whose pastrami Pete recommends in season seven of Mad Men. Now it's only 24 hours on Saturdays, and open till 11:30 p.m. on weekdays; after a Friday date that runs past midnight, you can still come for a plate.Order: Hot pastrami on rye, matzo ball soup, latkes; rugelach and black-and-white cookies from the bakery case by the door
- Address
- 419 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
- Website
- cantersdeli.com →
Where I wrote about it
- Why do people line up for seventy years for one pastrami sandwich? | The LA old-school deli map
- The LA date map (insider edition)
- The show you're watching was shot in LA | The LA TV location map 2026
Open on the interactive map →Open in Google Maps →The full page on the LA Guide →