From Langer’s famous “Number 19” pastrami sandwich to a variation of the turkey melt, here’s a guide if you are looking for “The L.A. Sandwich” experience.

Ggiata Delicatessen

Ggiata Delicatessen is located all over the L.A. area: Melrose, Brentwood, Echo Park, Studio City, West Hollywood, Venice, and Highland Park. Inspired by traditional East Coast-style deli sandwiches in New Jersey, the deli is known for its flavorful housemade sauces, and if your sandwich has freshly baked sesame baguettes, you know you are at the right place.  Their stores partner with local vendors, ensuring only the highest quality ingredients make it into every bite. One of the highlights of their stacked menu is “The Turk”, loaded with roasted turkey, baby Swiss, applewood smoked bacon, heirloom tomatoes, avocado, honey mustard, and garlic aioli. The sandwiches are loaded with shredded lettuce, creating that beautiful crunch effect. 

1701 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles / 5009 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles / 5025 York Blvd, Highland Park / 7998 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles / 12080 Ventura Place, Los Angeles / 11640 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles / 83 Windward Ave, Venice, ggiata.com 

Gjusta 

Located in Venice, customers will most likely be greeted with a line when visiting Gjusta, but the wait is worth it. The spot is perfect for brunch with its mix of breakfast and lunch sandwich options. The store is a little bit of everything from a deli, bakery, cafe, and market, ready to serve its customers with fresh ingredients directly from its longstanding relationships with Southern Californian farmers. Most of its meat and seafood is sourced from local ranchers and fishermen, and as the season changes, so does its menu, so there is always something new to try at Gjusta. 

320 Sunset Ave, Venice, gjusta.com

Jeff’s Table

Scroll to continue reading

Founded by Jeff Strauss, Jeff’s Table is inspired by the Jewish food his mother cooked, along with the incredible flavors Strauss has encountered from cuisines all over the world. This is not your average sandwich shop, as it’s located in the back of a liquor store. One of the store’s most popular sandwiches is the “Dirty Baby”: almost a turkey melt but not quite; the sandwich has shiso-pickled red onion, chili crisps, smoked gouda, and hot spicy turkey salad on grilled “Holla”. Their menu is filled with incredible creative sandwiches that are stuffed to the brim with flavor. Another sandwich, the “Yuzu Kosho Turkey”, is super fresh, with hand-sliced turkey breast, sliced avocado, arugula, and green-chili-citrus aioli to balance it out.

5900 N. Figueroa Street, jeffstablela.com

Langers 

“Al” Langer, a second-generation Russian immigrant, opened Langers in 1947 and quickly became known for their top-tier pastrami and soft yet crunchy double-baked rye bread. Langers has seen how Los Angeles has changed and evolved over the years, and their menu is massive, but their most popular item is its “Number 19” pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on pillowy rye bread. Being in the game for over 50 years and being known for having the best pastrami sandwich in America, Langers will always have a spot when it comes to must-try sandwich shops. 

704 South Alvarado, Los Angeles, langersdeli.com

Larchmont Wine and Cheese

This family-owned deli service has been around since 1995. Hence its name, the shop doubles as a deli and wine and cheese shop with artisan-made goods from around the world. Located in the heart of Larchmont Village, it is one of those sandwich shops to go to when you are looking for a reliably good sandwich where you can never go wrong. Their sandwiches have hard-shell bread with a soft interior and fresh ingredients. 

223 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, larchmontvillagewine.com

Lorenzo California

Known for some of L.A.’s best focaccia sandwiches, Lorenzo’s crispy bread, fresh ingredients, and packed flavor make it a staple. The husband-and-wife owner duo, Renato Araujo and Cynthia Raslan, have been cooking in fine dining for years. All their sandwiches are on their house-made focaccia bread, which is baked in individual batches, making them extra crispy and delicious. 

9529 S. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, lorenzocalifornia.com

Mamie

Right when you walk in, customers are met with an assembly line of yummy sandwich after yummy sandwich. The store is named after chef Mikael Choukroun’s Italian grandmother, who he learned to cook from when he was 5. Over time, he has mastered his bread recipe that Mamie’s is known for. All meats and cheeses are imported from Italy. One of their notable sandwiches is their “Viale Di Parma” sandwich with Prosciutto Di Parma, fig jam, crema di gorgonzola, chopped pistachio, and baby arugula on their house-made bread. There is also the “Di Parma” with Italian burrata, fresh pesto, truffled cream, chopped pistachio, and baby arugula, and they even have a “Pane e Nutella” sandwich, a Nutella dessert sandwich with butter and sugar spread across their bread. A second location is coming to Culver City, but the exact opening date is still to be announced.

7900 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, mamiekitchen.com

Monroe’s Place

Located in Culver City and Hollywood, Monroe’s is known for its thick sandwiches with unique fillings. Their sandwich bread is soft and pillowy. The shop’s bestseller is the “W.L.F.” herb turkey sandwich with saffron mayo, cucumbers, barberries, pistachio, arugula, pomegranate molasses, crispy shallots on focaccia. Another sandwich is the seasonal “Just Peachy” vegetarian sandwich with mint vinaigrette, peach, burrata, lil’ honey, cracked black pepper, and arugula for a perfect mix of sweet and salty. 

8541 Washington Boulevard, Culver City / 1253 Vine Street #7, Los Angeles, monroeplace.co

Open Market

Located in Koreatown, Open Market reflects L.A. as a city, with each of their sandwiches being named after different streets and their overall food selection having a mix of origins from Italy to Korea to France, customers are in for a one-of-a-kind sandwich experience. The “Normandie” sandwich has brisket, provolone, mustard mayo, ginger-pickled radish, and scallions served on a baguette. And if you are looking for breakfast, the “O.M. Breakfast Sandwich” is perfect if you are looking for a runny fried egg on a soft potato bun with house sausage, cheddar, arugula, pickled fennel, harissa tomato jam, and paprika aioli. The kitchen closes at 3:00 a.m., so make sure to go early. The store does weekly specials, so it’s always good to check their socials for updates. 

3339 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, openmarket.la

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills 

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills is a full-blown deli and marketplace, offering an array of sandwiches that melt customers’ taste buds. The “Female Butcher” has four different types of Italian meat, thinly sliced so you can taste every flavor in just one bite. The “La Zucca” has crispy fried zucchini, pesto, and lemon. Then there is “Cheese Store Club” with their signature house-roasted turkey, avocado, bacon, onion, lettuce, and tomato on soft, crunchy bread. The store’s bread is great, the flavors are distinct, and it leaves a taste in your mouth that makes you come back for more. 

9705 S. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, cheesestore.com