{"id":122,"date":"2025-11-08T06:15:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T14:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackplates.com\/langersdeli\/?page_id=122"},"modified":"2025-11-08T09:16:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T17:16:31","slug":"about-langers-delicatessen-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blackplates.com\/langersdeli\/about-langers-delicatessen-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"About Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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ABOUT LANGER'S DELICATESSEN-RESTAURANT<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Founded in 1947, Langer\u2019s Delicatessen and Restaurant has served generations of patrons for more than 66 years. What better introduction to Langer\u2019s than this, by\u00a0David Shaw writing for the James Beard Foundation<\/strong> in commemoration of our America\u2019s Classics award:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In Los Angeles, where any business that stays open for more than five years is likely to proclaim itself a \u201clegendary institution,\u201d Langer\u2019s Delicatessen is the real thing. Langer\u2019s is also a living microcosm of the Los Angeles story, from dramatic post-war growth through all the triumphs and tribulations, changes and challenges that have followed.<\/p>

Opened in 1947 with just 12 seats, almost forced out of business by recession and the urban blight of drugs and gangs in the early 1990s, then rescued by \u2014 of all things in Los Angeles, a subway! \u2014 Langer\u2019s lives on, serving what many deli aficionadoes on both coasts consider the best pastrami sandwich in America. Norm Langer started working for his dad, Al, in 1963, and he\u2019s been there virtually every day since. His father, who passed away shortly after the restaurant celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007 \u2014 would come in for a few hours three or four days a week to help out with the lunch rush and greet longtime customers, many of whom recognize the children in the family photos on the walls.<\/p>

Just west of downtown, in a neighborhood more shabby than chic, on a street corner at Seventh and Alvarado in a heavily Latino area, adjacent to a burgeoning Korea Town, it draws an eclectic and loyal clientele \u2014 including at least one Korean businessman who calls Langer\u2019s pastrami \u201cJewish kimchee.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The late\u00a0Nora Ephron<\/strong>, writing in\u00a0The New Yorker<\/em>,\u00a0graciously provided a fitting tribute to our hot pastrami sandwich:<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The hot pastrami sandwich served at Langer\u2019s Delicatessen in downtown Los Angeles is the finest hot pastrami sandwich in the world. This is not just my opinion, although most people who know about Langer\u2019s will simply say it\u2019s the finest hot pastrami sandwich in Los Angeles because they don\u2019t dare to claim that something like a hot pastrami sandwich could possibly be the best version of itself in a city where until recently you couldn\u2019t get anything resembling a New York bagel, and the only reason you can get one now is that New York bagels have deteriorated.
. . . .
The resulting sandwich, slathered with Gulden\u2019s mustard, is an exquisite combination of textures and tastes. It\u2019s soft but crispy, tender but chewy, peppery but sour, smoky but tangy. It\u2019s a symphony orchestra, different instruments brought together to play one perfect chord. It \u2026 is, in short, a work of art.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Located across from historic MacArthur Park, Langer\u2019s is an important part of Los Angeles\u2019 rich cultural heritage, a tradition carefully managed by Norm and his wife Jeanette. Visit us soon.<\/p>

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TWO-TIME JAMES BEARD AMERICA'S CLASSICS AWARD WINNER<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Langers is a proud TWO-TIME recipient of the coveted James Beard Foundation award<\/strong>. The Bertolli America’s Classics Award is presented each year to a select few restaurants noted for timeless appeal, beloved for quality food that reflects the history and character of their communities.<\/p>

The establishment must have been in existence for at least 10 years and be locally owned and operated. Langer’s Restaurant is proud and grateful for the James Beard Foundation’s acknowledgement of its role in Los Angeles restaurant history. You may learn more about our award here<\/a> and here<\/a> at the James Beard Foundation.<\/p>

When you visit us, please make sure you inspect our award, which hangs just behind the register at the hostess station.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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MULTIPLE MICHELIN BIB GOURMAND AWARD WINNERS<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Los Angeles, CA \u2014October 29, 2025\u2014<\/strong>\u00a0Langer\u2019s Delicatessen-Restaurant<\/a>\u00a0is proud to announce that it has once again been recognized by the prestigious\u00a0Michelin Guide to California<\/em><\/a>, earning its 2025 Michelin Guide plaque,\u00a0 an enduring symbol of culinary excellence, heritage, and consistency.<\/p>

First added to the\u00a0Michelin Guide<\/em>\u00a0in 2019, Langer\u2019s remains one of Los Angeles\u2019 most iconic and beloved dining institutions \u2014 a timeless destination where tradition and quality meet. The arrival of the 2025 Michelin plaque reaffirms that legacy, honoring not just the food but the generations of care, service, and craftsmanship that have defined Langer\u2019s for more than seven decades.<\/p>

\u201cBeing mentioned by the\u00a0Michelin Guide<\/em>\u00a0is one of the highest forms of praise you can earn in the restaurant industry,\u201d said\u00a0Norm Langer<\/strong>, owner of Langer\u2019s Delicatessen-Restaurant. \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud to be included once again and deeply grateful to our loyal customers and our dedicated employees,\u00a0 some of whom have been with us for decades,\u00a0 for helping make this honor possible. This recognition belongs to them as much as it does to our family.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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THE LANGER'S STORY<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From its humble roots to its current success, Langer\u2019s Delicatessen-Restaurant of Los Angeles, California, is the quintessential story of classic American enterprise.<\/p>

The story begins in 1905, with the arrival at Ellis Island of Harry and Rose Langer, from Odessa, Russia. A\u2008tailor by trade, Harry settles with Rose in Newark, New Jersey. They have three children, all boys:\u2008Joe, Al and Morris. Harry is an observant Jew who must work on the Sabbath (Saturday)\u2008in order to support his family. As soon as the boys are old enough, they begin working in local businesses.<\/p>

In 1924, Al, age 11, gets a job at a local delicatessen as a busboy, cleaning tables and assisting the waitresses until they went home at 8PM. Thereafter, Al would wait tables on his own until closing. It was during this time that young Al became a favorite of the patrons, including local underworld figures who would feed their crews pastrami while awaiting bootleg alcohol shipments from Canada. As a precocious kid, Al would play the \u201ctough guy\u201d\u2008to the mobsters, earning $10 tips, an unheard-of amount for this period. Al brought all the money home to his mother, who used the earnings to support the family.<\/p>

As he grew into adulthood, Al continued to work in delicatessens throughout the New York area, including Manhattan, New Jersey, the Catskill Mountain resorts, and even a stint in Miami. It was during this time he perfected his ability to hand-slice pastrami, a \u201clost art\u201d\u2008knifing skill that preserves the juicy flavor and tenderness of the meat during cutting. As a result, Al became a highly sought-after delicatessen counter man.<\/p>

In 1936, Harry, Rose, Joe and Al Langer relocated to Los Angeles, where new opportunities in tailoring work awaited the head of the family. Al began working at a variety of delicatessens around Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles, then a thriving Jewish community, as well as locations on Hollywood Boulevard.<\/p>

Al\u2019s first experience with entrepreneurship was in the fall of 1936, when he opened a deli in the then-predominantly Jewish resort community of Palm Springs. As a seasonal resort, businesses were only open during the six winter months when crowds would flock to the desert for warmth and relaxation. And because everything had to be trucked from Los Angeles, keeping ingredients fresh for his patrons posed a challenge for Al. In particular, rye bread quickly turned stale during transport, so Al devised a solution:\u2008throw the loaf into the oven and re-bake it, giving the bread a warm, super-crispy crust that instantly became a favorite of his patrons. This \u201cre-baking\u201d\u2008technique is used to this very day at Langer\u2019s Delicatessen-Restaurant on every loaf of rye bread they serve.<\/p>

The Palm Springs deli only lasted one season, and Al returned to Los Angeles, where he worked at a Hollywood delicatessen adjacent to the\u2008Paramount Theater as the lead counter man. He would cut the meat, supervise 30 food-prep employees and take orders from all the walk-ups. It was during this time that Al began to take an interest in Jean, the pretty Hungarian Jewish waitress working tables at the deli. But he soon learned she was married. In a twist of fate, her husband passed away and after waiting the requisite year of mourning, Al asked her out on a date. They were married three weeks later.<\/p>

Soon World War II\u2008called and Al found himself in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Jean followed him and after the war\u2019s end, they returned to Los Angeles, where Al again felt the pull of entrepreneurship. He and Jean had a one-year ownership of a small deli at 8th and Irolo. Al then purchased The Famous Deli, a small delicatessen near the corner of 7th and Alvarado, a mere 12 seats for patrons. This diminutive location would become the Langer\u2019s Delicatessen-Restaurant we know today.<\/p>

Time passed and as Al\u2019s successes grew along with the deli\u2019s. Space became available south of the original location, allowing the restaurant to expand first to 58 seats and by 1968, to 135 seats (the present configuration). Located diagonally across the intersection from MacArthur Park, Langer\u2019s Deli flourished. The vibrant neighborhood, the destination nature of the park (with its large lagoon and day-boating adventures for Angelenos), and a reputation for delicious food and good service all contributed to the ongoing growth of Langer\u2019s.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Jean, Norm and Al Langer on the set of the 1955 Warner Bros. release 'Miracle in the Rain' with star Jane Wyman. Langer's still provides catering to film and television productions throughout the Southland each week.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIt was during this halcyon period of the 1950s and early 1960s that Langer\u2019s Delicatessen-Restaurant became famous for its delicious pastrami and hot, crispy-crusted rye bread. Al created the #19 \u2014 hot pastrami, cole slaw, a slice of Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on hot rye \u2014 and it quickly became the deli\u2019s most popular sandwich, a laurel which it holds to this very day.\n\n\"langers-1955-matchbook\"<\/a>One of the classic characteristics of any delicatessen, particularly those of the Jewish variety, is an enormous menu with literally hundreds of choices and combinations. Langer\u2019s is no different; Al worked with Jean to develop the menu so that just about any taste would be accommodated.\n\nThroughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, Langer\u2019s competed with other famous delis throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including Cantor\u2019s, Junior\u2019s, and Nate and Al\u2019s. It stayed open 6:30AM-1AM Sunday-Thursday, 6:30AM-3AM Friday-Saturday, welcoming customers from all walks of life, literally at all hours of the day (or night). Al served famous entertainers from Hollywood, who would make a special trip down Alvarado from Hollywood to get a #19 featuring the best pastrami in town.\n\nBut with the passage of time, encroaching demographics began to take a toll on Langer\u2019s bottom line; by the late 1960s, most of the Jewish residents had long since moved to the mid-Wilshire, Westside or Valley, and the neighborhood became less desirable as major retailers like Bullocks Wilshire closed their doors. Worse, MacArthur Park began earning a reputation as a drug haven. The restaurant cut back on hours and saw harder times than in any other period of the deli\u2019s history. Al\u2019s son Norm began to take a more active management role during this period (the early 1970s)\u2008and worked closely with the Los Angeles Police Department to help improve quality of life in the neighborhood.\n\nMore than just deli owners, the Langer family became recognized by civic leaders as instrumental in helping clean up the MacArthur Park district of Los Angeles, working closely with LAPD\u2008Community Policing efforts to bring more of a personal presence of law enforcement to the neighborhood. The impact of these actions resulted in a safer and more hospitable environment in which to operate their business, and ultimately more inviting for customers. The citations presented to the Langer family hang on the walls of the delicatessen for all to appreciate.\n\nThe modern era of Langer\u2019s success dawned with the completion of the Metro Red Line subway and the opening of the Alvarado Station one block from the deli, in 1994. For the first two years of operation, Metro allowed passengers to ride the line for free or heavily discounted fares. Hungry workers in downtown skyscrapers began to take a short ride on the subway to Langer\u2019s for lunch, driving new business to the venerable deli. The revitalized neighborhood also presented a more welcoming face to patrons from Hollywood, mid-Wilshire and the Westside.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Langer Family in 2007: Al, Trisha, Jeannette and Norm.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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THE UNVEILING OF LANGER'S SQUARE IN 2008<\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"langers-square\"<\/a>It is our honor to have the intersection of 7th and Alvarado dedicated “Langer’s Square” by the City of Los Angeles.<\/strong>\n\nThanks to the efforts of Los Angeles City Council Member Ed Reyes (3rd District, now retired) and members of the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, we received this honor on January 24, 2008, celebrating what would have been founder Al Langer’s 95th birthday.\n\nAccompanying is video capturing the highlights of this wonderful day.\n\nOur most sincere thanks to all who have helped us survive and thrive since 1947, including our friends at Council District 3, Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, Department of Streets, and the Office of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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