Win up to $1000 in food from the landmark deli on June 17
Pastrami lovers from around the world have made the pilgrimage to Langer’s Delicatessen to try the famous #19 sandwich. In his acclaimed book Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold said that “Langer’s probably serves the best pastrami sandwich in America – on a block better suited to Salvadoran cow’s-foot soup.”
Langer’s Delicatessen in MacArthur ParkCredit: Photo by Cliff Hutson/Flickr
On June 17, the venerable deli celebrates their 79th anniversary at the corner of 7th and Alvarado with a daylong lottery to win up to $1,000 in food from the landmark. In a gamified twist, Langer’s is asking customers to write their name and phone number on a ticket, place it in a hopper and wait for the magic phone call. Every 30 minutes after the doors open at 8am, a new customer will be awarded a $100 gift certificate. The grand prize of $1,000 will be drawn at 3:30pm.
Reuben sandwich at Langer’sCredit: Photo by Michael Saechang/Flickr
“Since my parents opened Langer’s Deli in 1947, our community, our city, and our world have changed in countless ways,” second-generation owner Norm Langer said in a statement. “What has never changed is our commitment to serving the highest‑quality food and the incredible loyalty of our customers.”
Langer’s has been reaching out to politicians, the press and anyone who will listen in an attempt to reduce some of the disruptive behavior at nearby MacArthur Park. Norm Langer has sat down with Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt looking for solutions. He recently told Pratt that conditions at the park are “Probably the worst it’s been in recent years,” and “The city government has done nothing to curtail it.”
The restaurant has survived massive changes to the neighborhood over the last 79 years. Aside from problems in the park, the restaurant adapted after the exodus of much of the Jewish population decades ago and has had great success with curbside pickup that surged during COVID. “To have any restaurant — or any business for that matter — stay in existence for 75 years is a rarity, it’s a big deal,” Langer told the Los Angeles Times in 2022. “It shows I’m doing something right. I’m putting out a proper product, I’m treating my customers with respect.”