Serving generations of hungry patrons for more than 70 years, it’s no surprise that Langer’s Delicatessen is considered a Los Angeles institution. Outside the once 12-seat restaurant stands a rope barrier, which, come noon, will be filled with huge crowds arriving for their lunch-time fix. However other than size, little has changed over the years. And that includes the deli’s most iconic dish: the #19 sandwich where juicy, tender pastrami is hand cut and piled high on rye bread so perfect it would satisfy just about any taste bud. And now Langer’s famous sandwich is at your fingertips with UberEATS! No lines, no wait and no table necessary.

We sat down with Norm Langer, son of the original owner, Al, and asked him all things synonymous with LA’s decades-old deli, including that world-famous #19 sandwich.

Langer's

 

How did Langer’s originally begin?

We opened on June 17, 1947, and just celebrated our 70th anniversary! Our story is a classic American culinary story. At age 11, my father got a job as a busboy at a Newark delicatessen to earn money for his bar mitzvah. He continued to work in delicatessens throughout the New York area, before relocating to Los Angeles where new opportunities in tailoring work awaited. A marriage and enlistment in World War II later, he purchased a 12-seat deli. This location would become the Langer’s we know today. You can read the full story on our website.

 

Langer’s pastrami is world-famous. We have to ask: how much pastrami do you go through?

The #19 includes nearly a half-pound of hand-cut pastrami (hand-cut because it is steamed for 4-6 hours, so that it’s amazingly tender and can only be cut by hand, not by a machine). We’ve gone through more than 10 million pounds of pastrami since opening. That’s a lot.

Langer's

 

Open since 1947, can you tell us how Langer’s has changed over the years?

Langer’s Delicatessen hasn’t changed much other than expanding in size from our original location at 704 South Alvarado. In 1950, we took over the location just south of us – that’s the back part of our dining room now. You can see the pillars and the emergency exit door. In 1968, we took over the old Citizen’s Bank location on the corner, giving us the 135-seat restaurant we have today, and the 1968 interior our customers love. Our menu has rarely changed, only a few items added or dropped in all those years.

Langer's

 

Langer’s has received numerous awards and endorsements, are there any particular milestones that stand out?

In 2001, Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant won the James Beard America’s Classics Award presented by Bertolli. It’s a huge honor that is bestowed on only a handful of restaurants. I don’t have to tell you how important it is to win a James Beard Award. Count how many have been won in Los Angeles (not many).

 

The No. 19 at Langer’s is love at first bite. What do you think makes it the most popular menu item?

The #19 was created by my father, Al Langer, with the opening of the store in 1947. It has not changed in any way since then – part of our secret is following my dad’s  philosophy: “It matters not what you charge the customers, so long as the sandwich they purchase today is the same one they could have purchased when you first opened.” We’ve lived by this philosophy for 70 years.

Langer's

 

Breakdown of the #19

  1. Hand-cut pastrami – The #19 includes nearly a half-pound of hand-cut pastrami (hand-cut because it is steamed for 4-6 hours, so that it’s amazingly tender and can only be cut by hand, not by a machine)
  2. Homemade cole slaw – The cool, creamy texture of the cole slaw goes perfectly against the world-famous hot pastrami
  3. Russian dressing
  4. Swiss cheese –  Two slices of Swiss cheese
  5. Double-baked rye bread – The bread is famously double-baked. Delivered par-baked, Langer’s then rebakes the bread, immediately cutting it and serving it warm to the customer for a crispy outside crust and warm inside. No one else has this, or does this, anywhere, though many have tried to imitate them.

Hungry to bite into a legend? Tap into Langer’s Deli on the UberEATS app and order the iconic #19 Sandwich, as well as other lunchtime fixes.