Langer’s #1 – Pastrami, cole slaw, and Russian dressing on rye, and an egg cream
Here it is! Easily my favorite sandwich in the world. Warm pastrami, trimmed and sliced thick to order. Piled on house-baked rye bread that is sliced for each sandwich from still warm loaves using a meat slicer – crispy crust but super-soft center. Condiments: house made cole slaw and tangy Russian dressing (like Thousand Island but more mustard and less ketchup perhaps). I’ll pass on the Swiss cheese (with is their #19). Their corned beef is excellent too, but pastrami is the way to go in my opinion. I crave these all the time!
My Mom, who was born in Queens and is still a reader of New Yorker magazine despite living in California since the 1950s, told me about Langer’s in Los Angeles years ago when Nora Ephron raved about it in the pages of said magazine. And they were right!
I’m going back to New York City next week so I challenge the great Gotham city to beat this sandwich! I have Katz’s on the top of my list but in 2007 I went there too late at night and they had just closed the doors. From online photos Katz’s pastrami sandwich looks great, but Carnegie’s looks more like quantity over quality.
Langer’s Restaurant & Deli
704 South Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 483-8050
Open Monday – Saturday, 8am – 4pm
Closed Sundays
Langer’s website
Tips: they validate parking in the lot just east & across the street from the restaurant, they offer curb-side pickup, and they sell their pickles by the jar.
