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Jewish delis are one of the highlights of Los Angeles’s dining scene. Institutions like Canter’s, Brent’s, and Langer’s deliver timeless appetizing experiences, serving pastrami, corned beef, and breakfast classics like cheese-stuffed blintzes from morning until late night. In addition to affordable stalwarts dotted across the Southland, a wave of contemporary delis offers modern riffs while staying true to classic flavors.
Places like Wexler’s spin traditional Jewish cookery, while Mort & Betty’s vegan fare steps into a whole new realm. From age-old institutions to new-school innovators, here are LA’s best Jewish delicatessens. Leaving the list this update is Grandma’s Deli Babushka, while Valley standby Mort’s, which recently underwent a full renovation, joins the guide.
Brent's Deli Northridge Brent’s is widely considered one of the best places for pastrami in the greater Los Angeles area along with Langer’s. The Valley restaurant’s grilled Black Forest pastrami Reuben is a prime place to start for delving into the city’s deli culture, with machine-sliced stacks portioned into thick mounds between crunchy sauerkraut and toasted rye bread. The strip mall location feels plucked right out of the ’70s, and everything from the matzo ball soup to the deli meats is top-notch.
Also featured in: The Best Restaurants in the San Fernando Valley 20 Iconic LA Dishes Still Available For Delivery and Takeout Mort's Deli The sagging ceiling tiles and dusty confines of Mort’s Deli in Tarzana might be gone, along with the beloved emerald green vinyl banquettes, but this classic deli hasn’t lost its charm, even if the redesign leans a little retirement home hangout. The new owners of the restaurant are also behind the Nosh in Beverly Hills, but it seems like most of the changes are cosmetic. The sandwiches are reliable, and on par with other good Jewish delis in town.
The smoked salmon stack with latkes, pasted with cream cheese and topped with poached eggs, is a standout. The yolks become the perfect sauce to bind together the crispy potato pancakes and the gelatinous fish, which isn’t overly salted. Mort’s is usually not too busy, and never fussy, so it's easy to settle in for a meal.
Make sure to stop by Bea’s Bakery next door for rugelach to-go. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Uncle Bernie's Delicatessen Another feather in the cap of the San Fernando Valley’s kosher-style deli scene, Uncle Bernie’s Delicatessen is what classic deli connoisseurs want: good food, no gimmicks (one probable exception being its “sky-high” sandwich section). Come for the sprawling breakfast menu, the hot black pastrami sandwich, and plentiful sides like cheese blintzes, kishka with gravy, and simmered stuffed cabbage.
Fromin's Fromin’s in Santa Monica makes the cut for offering one of the city’s most unimpeachable bowls of matzo ball soup, especially potent when one feels under the weather. The broth is liquid gold, the single matzo ball is gigantic, and it comes with a gilded coronet of egg noodles and carrots. The restaurant’s soups usually come with crackers, but for a few cents more you can kick it up to crispy bagel chips or caraway seed–flecked rye bread.
The Nosh Originally opened in 1975 as a Bagel Nosh location , this Beverly Hills deli has since transformed into a full-scale delicatessen serving homemade bagels, tuna melts on rye, and brisket plates. The deli case is worth a detour with stacks of black and white cookies, rugelach, homemade chocolate cake, and more. With ample indoor and outdoor seating, the Nosh is an easy stop when in the Beverly Hills area.
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Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again. Art's Delicatessen & Restaurant Opened way back in 1957, Art’s Deli is a San Fernando Valley staple for both the local Jewish community and visitors driving over the hill from Los Angeles.
The Northridge earthquake almost took the place out decades later (and owner Art Ginsburg has since died), but the deli endures as a staple for blintzes, corned beef, and other classics. Don’t be surprised to see longtime regulars settling in at their usual booths for bowls of matzo ball soup and bagel chips. Also featured in: 16 Great Places to Order Takeout and Delivery in the San Fernando Valley Factor's Famous Deli This classic West LA deli has served families in the Los Angeles area since 1948.
Its spacious dining room can host larger lunch and dinner groups, but many Angelenos come for the stellar grab-and-go counter, which features mammoth mounds of macaroni and potato salad, fat sour pickles, and piles of cured fish. Slink into one of the booths, order a thick-cut pastrami sandwich and some sides, and treat yourself to one of the most trustworthy deli experiences in Los Angeles. Charlie's Kosher Delicatessen This Pico-Robertson kosher deli does all the hits: chopped liver, matzo ball soup, and corned beef among them.
Look for the sun-stained retro sign and trust the staff who will proudly steer diners toward the hand-sliced lox. Just be aware that the deli is closed from Saturday to Monday, so head elsewhere for weekend deli cravings. A post shared by ✨J✨O✨S✨H✨ (@sign_of_the_time) Canter's Canter’s Deli is the stuff of Los Angeles legend.
Beyond its staple pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, soul-warming soups, and kosher-style deli classics like potato pancakes and knish, the ambience is hard to beat, especially in the middle of the night when the city dies down. That colorful, weird ceiling has been feeding LA night owls for generations, and Canter’s continues to be one of the most fun places to hang out late on a Saturday night. New York Deli Spanning over 38 years of history in the South Bay, this unsung hero of the Los Angeles deli world serves terrific pastrami and corned beef sandwiches constructed by expert hands.
The menu spans other classic deli fare, like latkes and bagels with lox, but the sandwiches are the best thing to eat , evidenced by the regulars who seem to come in every week. Don’t mind the kitschy mishmash decor — it’s part of the charm, and a sign that the meal is sure to be great. Langer's Delicatessen Perennially considered the best pastrami sandwich in the country, Langer’s produces some of the finest deli meats anywhere.
Open since 1947, the legendary #19 sandwich is a crowd-pleasing favorite, with hand-sliced pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and coleslaw served between two plush slices of rye bread. It’s a big sandwich that can easily be shared between two people. Don’t sleep on the corned beef or any of the other classic deli plates either because they’re all excellent.
Also featured in: The 38 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Los Angeles's 18 Most Iconic Restaurant Dishes Belle's Delicatessen & Bar Highland Park’s Belle’s Bagels has morphed into an all-day delicatessen and bar. During the daytime, the deli serves breakfast sandwiches on fresh, chewy bagels, matzo ball soup, sweet noodle kugel, and a hot pastrami Reuben, while evening brings a tighter “nighttime noshes” menu of pickles, latkes, schnitzel, and fries. Make sure to try the deli-themed cocktails like the Tekiah Negroni and the Mezcal Tov.
Also featured in: The 17 Best Restaurants in Highland Park Katella Bakery, Deli & Restaurant This longtime Los Alamitos institution has a wide menu of classic diner and coffee shop fare to go along with stellar Jewish deli sandwiches. The pastrami is as respectable as any great Los Angeles deli, and the matzo ball, featuring a softball-sized load of carbs plus thin noodles, could weave a legend on its own. While Katella may not look like the classic Jewish deli, the flavors stand up to the test in dishes like the tender potato knishes.
A post shared by Katella Deli-Restaurant (@katellarestaurant) Also featured in: The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants 18 Awesome Orange County Bakeries to Try Right Now.
