Top Picks: More Famous & Infamous LA Delis

This deli is #5 in the LA Magazine list, and also seems to be the most legitimately kosher of the delis. In contrast to the questionable roast beef plus cheese … combinations in kosher-style delis, there's no dairy to be found anywhere in the restaurant. What they do have, however, is good matzo ball soup, and this cole slaw-in-a-sandwich thing that's absurdly good. They've also got a steak sandwich that gets good reviews, although I remain skeptical on account of how kosher steak sucks. (photo) [link]

Good: The rye bread and the Pastrami sandwiches regularly earn this deli top-5 accolades on "Best Of" lists. It was #3 on LA Magazine's list. Bad: It's in Beverly … Hills, and the 90210 cops keep insisting that I look like someone "who stole that car from a chop shop." This particular socioeconomic problem is exacerbated at Nate N' Al's, where rich execs come to dine, and the menu prices reflect same. The deli doesn't open till 7 a.m., and they close at 9 p.m., which kind of blows. But apparently those are the hours for the maids and assistants who fetch food. The Yelp reviews are divided between Jews who break their Yom Kippur fasts here and the goyim who wish they could. [link]

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The sixth best deli in Los Angeles according to the LA Mag list, which recommends that you try the tongue and corned beef combination. I, on the other hand, recommend … that you don't try that, since it sounds disgusting. Word on the street is that their onion rolls, topped with the meat of your choice, make a good alternative. This place has been open forever and has become a little bit dilapidated, but they're never going to leave their North Hollywood location. Owner Herman Belkin -- who took over from the previous owners -- claims to be able to weigh out meat in his hand. Neat trick. [link]

I don't know what all the fuss is about. There's nothing wrong with this place. They're open 24/7. At least one of the owners appears to have a Jewish name. They serve … sandwiches and soups. They have pastrami, they have mustard, they have bread. If you don't like sandwiches and soups, they've got plus or minus 200 other selections on the menu. They've even got legitimately good pies. Why all the hate? [link]

The #9 entry in the LA Mag list is known for sandwiches, large portions, and a relatively surly waitress named Emily. Emily loves animals and claims to have 15 plus … cats and a few dogs. This makes Emily disturbing. Nonetheless, the full menu of sandwiches, soups, pastries, breads -- all for fairly reasonable prices -- makes this a popular location. I've seen claims that this is a kosher deli, but I suspect the glazed ham would beg to differ. The restaurant has the virtue of being located in Glendale, making it an option for those in LA who can't be bothered to live in a real part of the LA area. The parking lot next door has free parking with validation. [link]

Maybe the best LA deli that's not on the LA Magazine list, their sandwiches, combined with their patio, make them a Beverly Hills brunch go-to. Located on the fifth … floor of the Barney's department store, they openly brag about being an epicenter of East Coast snobbery. They actually go so far as to fly their meat in from New York, presumably because the location itself wasn't enough to scream "douchebag." The service is similarly reminiscent of Manhattan, although that could be more about how many customers rudely insist on not being producers that the servers can bang. The location obviously means that if you're looking for cheap deli food, you ought to move on. An imported pastrami sandwich, for instance, runs $17. Yelp comment about same: "apparently the cross-country transfer makes it taste EXACTLY like Canter's". [link]

The #10 in the LA Mag list is known for corned beef and brisket sandwiches. Now open for more than 30 years, the interior has always and continues to lack something in … the way of comfort. There's no table service, which means customers roll up to the counter, place their order, wait for their number to be called, then awkwardly make their way to an open seat. This game becomes particularly fun around lunchtime, when the deli tends to get crowded because it's one of the cheaper dining options in the Beverlywood area. [link]