Founded in 1947, Langer’s Delicatessen and Restaurant has been more than just a place to eat — it has been a cultural touchstone for Los Angeles for over 78 years. Generations of Angelenos, travelers, celebrities, and everyday diners alike have walked through our doors, drawn by a promise: the finest pastrami sandwich in America.

As David Shaw once wrote for the James Beard Foundation, in awarding Langer’s the prestigious America’s Classics honor:

In Los Angeles, where any business that stays open for more than five years is likely to proclaim itself a “legendary institution,” Langer’s Delicatessen is the real thing. Langer’s is also a living microcosm of the Los Angeles story, from dramatic post-war growth through all the triumphs and tribulations, changes and challenges that have followed.

Opened in 1947 with just 12 seats, almost forced out of business by recession and the urban blight of drugs and gangs in the early 1990s, then rescued by — of all things in Los Angeles, a subway! — Langer’s lives on, serving what many deli aficionadoes on both coasts consider the best pastrami sandwich in America. Norm Langer started working for his dad, Al, in 1963, and he’s been there virtually every day since. His father, who passed away shortly after the restaurant celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007 — would come in for a few hours three or four days a week to help out with the lunch rush and greet longtime customers, many of whom recognize the children in the family photos on the walls.

Just west of downtown, in a neighborhood more shabby than chic, on a street corner at Seventh and Alvarado in a heavily Latino area, adjacent to a burgeoning Korea Town, it draws an eclectic and loyal clientele — including at least one Korean businessman who calls Langer’s pastrami “Jewish kimchee.”

The late Nora Ephron, writing in The New Yorker, graciously provided a fitting tribute to our hot pastrami sandwich:

The hot pastrami sandwich served at Langer’s Delicatessen in downtown Los Angeles is the finest hot pastrami sandwich in the world. This is not just my opinion, although most people who know about Langer’s will simply say it’s the finest hot pastrami sandwich in Los Angeles because they don’t dare to claim that something like a hot pastrami sandwich could possibly be the best version of itself in a city where until recently you couldn’t get anything resembling a New York bagel, and the only reason you can get one now is that New York bagels have deteriorated.
. . . .
The resulting sandwich, slathered with Gulden’s mustard, is an exquisite combination of textures and tastes. It’s soft but crispy, tender but chewy, peppery but sour, smoky but tangy. It’s a symphony orchestra, different instruments brought together to play one perfect chord. It … is, in short, a work of art.

From the first bite, you’ll understand why Langer’s is more than a restaurant — it’s a culinary landmark. The pastrami is hand-cut thick, smoky, and juicy, piled high on rye baked to perfection, kissed with just enough crust for that satisfying bite. The tang of Gulden’s mustard and the crunch of warm rye create a harmony that transcends “just a sandwich.”

This is food with soul. This is tradition on a plate. This is Los Angeles, which served one pastrami sandwich at a time.

Easily accessible by Metro’s Red-Purple Line, a short walk from the Westlake/MacArthur Park station (or park at our monitored and secure lot at 7th and Westlake), Langer’s Delicatessen is more than a destination — it’s part of Los Angeles’ heritage.

We invite you to sit down, savor the flavors, and become part of the story. At Langer’s, every sandwich is a memory waiting to be made.