LA And New York Face Off For The Title Of Pastrami Capital Of The US

While the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry is ancient history, three decades in the rearview mirror, another beef, which happens to be about beef, continues to fester between New York City and Los Angeles. The title for pastrami capital of the United States has continued to be argued over with the kind of gusto a gourmand typically reserves for tucking into a hot pastrami sandwich piled high with steaming meat. The two most often cited restaurants representing each city for the crown are Katz's Deli in Manhattan's Lower East Side and Langer's Deli in Los Angeles' Westlake neighborhood.

They're just two of — but arguably the two most important — must-visit delis in America. Each offers its own version of the classic pastrami sandwich and both have supporters and detractors. Katz's was the late globetrotting foodie Anthony Bourdain's pick for the best pastrami in New York City. Phil Rosenthal, the creator of the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" and star of the Netflix food travel show "Somebody Feed Phil," considers Langer's pastrami sandwich the best around.

Looking beyond those two iconic delicatessens, both Los Angeles and New York City have some other contenders keeping the pastrami scene alive. Los Angeles has the legendary Canter's Deli, which opened in 1931, and maintains a loyal following. A newer addition is Wexler's Deli, founded by Mikah Wexler, known as LA's "Pastrami King." New York has Hometown Bar-B-Que, Frankel's Delicatessen, Liebman's Delicatessen, Sarge's Deli, and Pastrami Queen, which all offer unique takes on this sammy.

Katz's Delicatessen, located on East Houston Street, has been around in one form or another since 1888. Its pastrami is hand sliced, served hot, and piled high. It tends to be darker in color, slightly chewier, and more flavorful than Langer's version, but the rye bread falls flat compared to its rival. Still, considering how bonkers Los Angeles went when Katz's had a one-day pop-up at Bar Next Door in June 2024, the city obviously has a soft spot for the deli's offerings.

Langer's opened in 1947 and is still located at the corner of 7th and Alvarado Streets. Its traditional pastrami sandwich (not to be confused with its famous #19 which is a pastrami on rye with coleslaw, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing) includes a hefty (although not as hefty as Katz's) amount of ultra tender pastrami with a well-proportioned amount of fat. The double-baked rye bread heavily spiked with caraway seeds is a standout from Katz's version. The late New York writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron, who wrote the orgasm scene from "When Harry Met Sally," which was filmed in Katz's, called Langer's version "the finest hot pastrami sandwich in the world" in The New Yorker way back in 2002. So, in the end, it seems like the debate about which city deserves the title is still undecided and may come down to a matter of personal taste.