Langer's Delicatessen - Beyond the Legendary Pastrami... Corned Beef Hash, Matzo Ball Soup and Lamb Shanks?

Yeah, I know they do (although it is not specified by name). That’s why I specified pastrami. As far as the ingredients, I don’t think their coleslaw is all that great on its own, either, but the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. Thanks, for the warning, though.

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sounds like Brent’s still holds the reuben crown.

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Too bad Brent’s is in BFE. We don’t come into town on the 101, so it’s less than convenient. I’d like to try that black pastrami reuben someday though – I understand that their regular deli dishes (latkes, etc) are better than those at Langer’s as well.

Can you customize or will the executive chef have a meltdown (good choice of words)?

Never mind. Just read Roberts post.

Brent’s pastrami rueben may be my guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

Pretty close to the perfect sandwich (except maybe a classic BLT)

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Update 2:

(Adding our Langer’s visits to this Langer’s thread as well, for reference.)

Matzo Ball Soup:

Langer’s Matzo Ball had a soft, pillowy texture, but it was a touch more zesty and savory for the Chicken Soup (compared to Daughter’s Deli).

Hot Pastrami Sandwich (Mustard):

Taking a bite it was apparent immediately what the difference was between the OG Langer’s and Daughter’s Deli:

Langer’s Pastrami Sandwich has the same Rye Bread - soft, with a crusty exterior crust - but the Pastrami meat was actually hot (not cold), and it was definitely more savory: There was a more noticeable Salt & Pepper (and other Seasoning) aspect to each bite. It’s more aggressively seasoned, while not being too salty.

It was delicious! :heart:

Everyone in the group agreed, the flavoring is just better at Langer’s and it’s served hot.

#88. Hot Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese Grilled on Rye Sandwich:

Same here: You’re greeted by a toasty, crunchy Rye Bread exterior, giving way to hot Corned Beef, melting Swiss Cheese and Sauerkraut tang. So good! :blush: And the Corned Beef tasted a bit more seasoned as well.

Additional Visit:

Barley Mushroom with Giblets Soup:

I really liked the Barley and Mushroom combination, a bit thicker than their usual Soups, and you got a small bit of meatiness from the diced Chicken Giblets. :slight_smile:

Fried Half Chicken:

I spotted “Fried Chicken” on the menu out of the corner of my eye, and I think somehow in our 15+ visits to Langer’s we might not have ever tried it. Out of duty to FTC and our Fried Chicken Journey, we had to give this a try… :wink:

The batter is lightly crunchy, not crispy, and it’s got a zesty seasoning, reminding us of what a decent Roadside Diner might whip up if they had Fried Chicken on their menu. The Chicken meat itself was fine, the Chicken Breast slightly overcooked. It sort of scratches that itch for Fried Chicken, but it’s not upper tier at all.

Fries:

Their Fries arrived piping hot, which is always cause for joy. :slight_smile: Langer’s Fries are perfectly fine, probably from Sysco, a Crinkle Cut variety, but when you get them fresh out of the fryer, lightly salted, they are just little bites of happiness. :slight_smile:

Steamed Broccoli:

We had to get some veggies during this Pastrami exploration.

#19. Pastrami, Swiss Cheese, and Coleslaw, Russian Style Dressing:

And we have Langer’s (in)famous #19 Sandwich, which they proudly proclaim as their most popular dish on the menu.

Taking a bite, you get the soft double baked Rye Bread, the Coleslaw, Russian Dressing definitely add a similar sweetness / slight tang, but at Langer’s their Pastrami is served hot, and it’s more savory and better seasoned, so that definitely helps make the #19 more palatable and tasty than the Daughter’ Deli version.

We were dividing up the Sandwiches into quarters / sharing bites since we were doing bang x bangs. However, even at Langer’s, I couldn’t finish my quarter of the #19 Sandwich. :nauseated_face:

I just couldn’t do it. The #19 feels so wrong on so many levels, LOL. Forgive me FTC! I definitely prefer Langer’s OG Hot Pastrami, Double Baked Rye and just Mustard. That’s all you need to enjoy greatness. :heart: :wink:

Another Visit:

Hot Pastrami Sandwich (Mustard):

Just perfect, yet again: The Pastrami arrives hot, it’s luscious, tender, moist, has more seasoning, a touch saltier and zestier (and I don’t like too much Salt in general). Everyone in our group devoured our Sandwiches in what felt like a few seconds. SO GOOD! :heart: :blush:

#88. Hot Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese Grilled on Rye Sandwich + Russian Dressing:

I remember one of our FTC’ers lamented that Langer’s didn’t have a traditional Reuben on the menu, so we ordered a #88, and asked for Russian Dressing on the side (and added it in ourselves). :slight_smile: While not exactly the same, it was pretty close at this point and tasty if you wanted a Reuben.

The #88 as is was delicious: I loved the Grilled Rye, toasty and crunchy, the Corned Beef was hot, the Sauerkraut gave it a nice piquant note and the melted Swiss added some creamy qualities. :heart:

Langer’s Corned Beef Hash:

Nicely spiced, tasting like a great Diner-style Corned Beef Hash (like a variation off the canned version), not the more recent trendier fresh Corned Beef Hash, which is large rustic chunks of Beef & Potatoes, etc. This was a great classic-style Corned Beef Hash. :slight_smile:

Langer’s Deli continues to deliver the best Pastrami Sandwich we’ve ever tried. It’s the combination of the great double-baked Rye Bread, soft on the interior and with a crusty edge, the luscious tender hot Pastrami, and a bit of Mustard. Perfection. :blush:

Add to that a great #88, for those that want a “Reuben”-esque Sandwich, I love the Grilled Rye, crunchy and toasty, the melted Swiss, Sauerkraut and Hot Corned Beef.

And from previous visits, the awesome #44 (thank you @wienermobile), a great Eggs & Corned Beef Hash (available all day), and a few other standouts and it’s easy to see why we love coming back again and again.

Langer’s Deli
704 S. Alvarado St.
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Tel: (213) 483-8050

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This report is making me hungry for Langer’s @Chowseeker1999! That melty swiss is lookin’ really good. Does the griddled bread, fatty meat & melted swiss give you that fat on fat on fat feeling. Do you prefer melt or no-melt?

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going to need to recalibrate every single negative review I’ve ever read of yours now.

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100% agree

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Nothing to forgive. Did you really have to order it to know that? Their cole slaw is passable but it belongs on the side.

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I’m quite fond of Brent’s “BLACK PASTRAMI REUBEN

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I am too, but its a lot of food!

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For me its usually 2 - 3 meals worth of food in one sandwhich :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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Thank you, @Chowseeker1999, for the great report.

I hate to admit that I’ve never been to Langers. For me, just seems like too much of a schlep.

But looking at all the photos, while the pastrami itself looks amazing, I am so completely unimpressed with the amount of meat that they put on that sandwich. Very un-Jewish-deli-like. My mom would call it a shanda.

You all devoured your sandwiches so quickly because there was no substance to them. :wink:

I guess because I grew up on sandwiches where the meat was piled. I mean Brent’s looks more traditional to me.

Now that hash! THAT looks like the real deal!

I have got to just bite the bullet and get my ass down there and see what all the raves are about. I’m probably just not getting it (then again, I don’t get the love for Wexler’s either)

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:scream::scream:

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Thanks @TheCookie. :smile: Actually the #88 was fine (but of course we had 4 people sharing these sandwiches so it was a bit skewed (not like I finished all of them by myself!) :stuck_out_tongue:. I think the Sauerkraut definitely helps cut through some of the fatty / heavy feeling. It’s just delicious, and prior to that, I hadn’t tried a #88 (or a #44) in over 2 years. :wink:

And melted cheese on that sandwich for sure. Unmelted feels like something is off?

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THIS :point_down::point_down:

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A pastrami sandwich at Langer’s is a lot of food. Anyplace that gives twice as much meat for the same price is cutting corners somewhere.

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Yeah, not necessarily.

And I didn’t say anything about the price. Charge me a couple bucks more and give me more meat if need be.

I don’t know how much a pastrami is at Brent’s compared to Langer’s but Brents appears to give you a much more substantial sandwich. I do not think they’re cutting corners anywhere except maybe the location.

Side note: I remember when that Jerry’s “deli” used to offer you a New York or West Coast (version the smaller less piled version).

You do get more for your $ at Brent’s. However IMO Langer’s pastrami is superior to Brent’s.

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