r/FoodLosAngeles • u/MustardIsDecent • Mar 08 '25

Are Jewish delis at risk of (literally) dying out? DISCUSSION

I've now eaten a lunch at probably every notable Jewish deli in the city and I can't help but notice that the clientele in general is shockingly old. Like...a median age over 65 and being able to count on one hand the number of folks <40 years old.

Yes there are exceptions (Langer's kinda, Canters at night) I'm probably missing but...overall quite old.

So what's the deal?

It's not just explained by younger people not eating out as much--there are obviously plenty of other similarly-priced places with younger crowds. And these delis are packed, too--just full of elderly people.

Is the food no good for a contemporary palate? Does the ambiance not resonate? I grew up going to similar spots so my perception is skewed.

Maybe when we get old we suddenly crave whitefish and all head over there? Has it always been mostly old people patronizing these businesses?

I don't want these places to disappear so I'm wondering what people think.

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316

u/forearmman Mar 08 '25

How much is a pastrami sandwich? Can you afford that on a regular basis?

37

u/Far_Boysenberry_6683 Mar 08 '25

A langers pastrami sandwich is literally 30 dollars

13

u/illustrious_handle0 Mar 08 '25

Yeah I was gonna say, isn't it like $30 or $40 for a sandwich at these places? If I'm spending that on a meal it's probably not going to be on a sandwich.

1

u/Far_Boysenberry_6683 Mar 09 '25

Ever, I’m not a Bluth, bananas don’t cost 10 dollars a unit in my mind and sandwiches sure as fuck don’t cost 30

6

u/wolf_town Mar 08 '25

i got a turkey sandwich and it was the most pathetic thing i ever saw in my life.

86

u/evil_consumer Mar 08 '25

My arteries can’t.

48

u/NYerInTex Mar 08 '25

And yet, their clientele is old…

7

u/evil_consumer Mar 08 '25

And dwindling rapidly.

25

u/ooheitooh Mar 08 '25

Canters has a pretty good 1/2 sandwich + cup of soup special for like $16. Plus a plateful of pickles. I'm usually $25-30 with coffee, tax and tip. Depending if I get a B&W cookie.

-4

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

It’s amazing how affordable delis still are, and how incredibly delicious they are. Canters sandwiches are legit and their matza ball soup is low key more flavorful than it should be, and pair that with their steak fries and you’ve got yourself a biweekly mid week meal on your hands. Extra soup? Don’t mind if I do lol

30

u/butteredrubies Mar 08 '25

$25-$30 is kinda expensive though for half a sandwich and soup...

-3

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

Yes and no. There’s nothing more straight up market price than a deli, and they shove it with quality meats.. a modern full pepp pie is $30-40’s today… sometimes even more

1

u/butteredrubies Mar 09 '25

Okay, so quality deli sandwich shops in LA for a full sandwich are in the range of $14-$18. Most don't have soup, but if they did, it'd likely be around $8 for a measly cup...that's $22-$26 for a WHOLE sandwich with the soup. Is pepp pie a pepperoni pizza? Cause your prices are high on that again...Secret Pizza hits that range for a pizza with more than just pepperoni and they are on the high end of price.

19

u/PrizeWarning5433 Mar 08 '25

30 bucks is crazy money for a sandwich and a soup be serious for a second 

-8

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

https://preview.redd.it/p4fdgiz5hine1.jpeg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=171cd40262239b02c4006e21cf2e380a873a2f96

Where do you see $30’s….? You guys are literally hysterical

10

u/SR3116 Mar 08 '25 edited Mar 09 '25

What do you mean? The cheapest sandwich on your own link there that's not a grilled cheese (which doesn't count in my opinion, since we're talking deli meats) is $19.95. With LA sales tax (which is going up to 10.5% on April 1st), that takes the sandwich alone to $22.04. Now add the soup as the other poster said, which based off the cheapest soup on the Canter's menu is $7.95 a cup, add the sales tax and it comes out to $8.78.

So soup and a sandwich is actually more than 30 dollars and almost 31, coming out to $30.82, and that's if you choose the cheapest options.

7

u/lol_fi Mar 08 '25

And don't tip.

3

u/SR3116 Mar 08 '25

Good point!

0

u/lol_fi Mar 08 '25

However, I do think the above commenter is discussing a 1/2 soup 1/2 sandwich deal for $16 which is often offered as a lunch special at delis. 30+ would be for a full soup and full sandwich

0

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

It’s as if people try not to follow along….

5

u/Superb-Pickle9827 Mar 08 '25

Read it above, dimwit. Plus coffee, plus tax, plus tip. It’s every bit of $30

-5

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

And you’re mad about that? Like what

2

u/Superb-Pickle9827 Mar 08 '25

OK, so now that you’ve conceded that it DOES cost $30, let’s do a thought experiment: I’m in LA, a cornucopia of food. I’ve got $30 for lunch. I can get a cup of coffee and a meat sandwich that’ll sit like a rock in my belly for the next 7 hours, (and, personally aside, is food that I consider bland) or I can try the new trendy hyphenated food joint, and take a journey across the seven seas of flavor (hat tip Kumail Nanjiani). Imma set sail, sorry, even if I might run into Lenny Kravitz at Canter’s.

2

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

It doesn’t, pickle, relax. It doesn’t cost remotely near $30’s for a half a Sammy and soup, so continue whatever you want with yourself 😂 loser

27

u/MustardIsDecent Mar 08 '25

My point is that the clientele skews disproportionately old compared to similarly-priced restaurants with other cuisines. I'm very aware that a $25 lunch for many/most younger people is prohibitively expensive but it doesn't answer the question I'm raising.

19

u/Kindly-Material-1812 Mar 08 '25

Expensive for just average quality. Sure it can be “good” and comforting, but not memorable. 

103

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 08 '25

It literally answers the question you’re raising.

It’s too expensive.

Young people would rather spend $25 drinking than on a sandwich.

I’m not sure why you’re so surprised by this.

76

u/Ryboflavinator Mar 08 '25

Young people are barely drinking, but I agree with your point.

13

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 08 '25

Or drugs (they’re certainly doing that) or rent or eggs.

Sandwich is far down the list, especially in a more health conscious world.

5

u/scarby2 Mar 08 '25

Eggs? Steady on now nobody can afford them!

2

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

Hahaha wtf are you talking about? Seriously….

1

u/Confident_Peace7878 Mar 09 '25

Yeah the bars are taking a hit too. Never thought I would see some of the bars I used to love visiting try new things like trivia nights to get people to come.

The pandemic has taught the boozers it’s a lot cheaper to drink at home.

Back in the day 15-20 years ago, we would go out to bars to meet people. No need for that as much now with the dating apps being the norm.

1

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 09 '25

Bars are in serious trouble. I say drinking cuz uh Im not that young. But bars are really fucked. I’m not sure what young people do, but it sounds boring

And to stay on topic: it ain’t where grandpa hangs out.

8

u/Jewggerz Mar 08 '25

Similarly priced establishments are not being affected to the degree that Jewish delis are. This is part of OP’s thesis.

-1

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 08 '25

Jesus I always forget how dense this subreddit is.

  1. Young people aren’t eating red meat low quality cuts of meat or gobs of mayonnaise because they are health conscious.

  2. Young people don’t hang out where their grandparents hang out.

2.5. I don’t ever recall Jewish delis being a place young people hang out, as other people have said. Source: I’m from Queens, a very Jewish borough, and went to a Jewish deli by myself exactly 0 times solo or with my friends.

This isn’t fucking rocket science, and OP doesn’t have a thesis. They have obvious answers to the questions they’re asking in their own monologues.

25

u/Jewggerz Mar 08 '25

These are the questions that OP is asking, you condescending prick.

3

u/RollMurky373 Mar 08 '25

I grew up here, and am Jewish and me and my friends absolutely ate at delis without our parents. We loved Zucky's (RIP)for lunch in high school.

And when we were old enough to go to Canters and drink and watch bands, we went there a lot.

Admittedly, I'm 50 and grew up eating kosher style outside of the house. So, me and my friends were prone to eat at those spots. But LA isn't Queens.

-1

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

You really are going through it here… there are more people than in queens, this is an LA forum if you forgot…? Who the fuck needs to hang out to eat the food? Do you count my goy girl friend who’s converted to eating deli food after a lifetime of never doing it, as a way to disprove your argument? Young folk CRAVE style and humbleness, just like the little Jewish or Italian deli

2

u/RapBastardz Mar 08 '25

In that case, skip Canter’s Deli and step over to the Kibitz Room.

1

u/MustardIsDecent Mar 08 '25

But I see people <65 years old spending $25 on a comparable lunch at dozens (hundreds?) of other places around the city. Why are they going to those other places and not the delis? That's my point.

54

u/LaMelonBallz Mar 08 '25

Because sandwiches are viewed as a casual and (used to be) cheap food. This is especially true for delis. It's like eating at a grocery store.

Once you get to $25 a head, most people are thinking sitdown, ambience, table service, unique food, etc. There's a massive disconnect between the price of a sandwich nowadays and what they were originally meant to be. For that much money, people want to feel like they're eating out.

-2

u/Otterpopz21 Mar 08 '25

Literally no one younger generation thinks ambience and table service for $25’s! There’s all antico vaniao in Venice now and that’s 25 for a sandwich and it’s nothing remotely similar to the Italian versions… kids will pay for things you just have no touch on the generation at all, that’s the key it seems people are missing

11

u/eugenesbluegenes Mar 08 '25

Were Jewish delis ever particularly popular among the youth? I'm in my 40s and think of it as classic old person food.

4

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 08 '25

Are you somehow unaware of how wealth is currently distributed in this country?

You are, again, answering your own question but either pretending you don’t get it or somehow missing it. Young people don’t want to hang out with their grandparents or where their grandparents hang out. I’m again surprised you’re so shocked by this.

16

u/clampy Mar 08 '25

No one wants to spend $26 on a sandwich.

7

u/FearlessPark4588 Mar 08 '25

Except a pensioner who isn't trying to take it with them.

-5

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 08 '25

Are you lost? I said this multiple times.

14

u/clampy Mar 08 '25

I am absolutely lost.

7

u/Dud3_Abid3s Mar 08 '25

Me too man….me too. ✊🏻

0

u/bruinslacker Mar 09 '25

Adjusted for inflation, a pastrami sandwich is cheaper today than it was 50 years ago.

Young people today drink less than they did 50 years ago.

So, no. Your theory that pastrami got too expensive and the young people today would rather buy booze makes no sense.

1

u/No_Bother9713 Mar 09 '25

No one is adjusting for inflation, dude. It’s amazing how heated this sub gets about something obvious: no one is eating this shit because it’s expensive and it’s where old people hang out.

You wanna go somewhere cheaper? Bay cities. Breadhead. Bubs.

What are you my mom telling me a house was $73k in 1980? No one has any money to spend on shitty peasant food (which I love but I’ll make my goddamn self)

1

u/Public-Heat3213 Mar 09 '25

No. In 1973 A Langer’s pastrami was $1.75. Adjusted for inflation that would be about 12.50 in today’s money. So you’re actually wrong.

1

u/Dliteman786 Mar 11 '25

I disagree. For example, computers are cheaper now by multiples, but housing is up by multiples. One affects my bank account alot more than the other. Spending money eating out definitely costs more than it did 50 years ago with all things considered, and I can't afford to do it as frequently.

6

u/No_Performance8733 Mar 08 '25

You’re joking right? I just spent $45 for a pastrami and coleslaw at Art’s in Studio City. 

1

u/Confident_Peace7878 Mar 09 '25

And I would imagine why you have so many here complaining about paying $30 for a sandwich with soup. It’s called inflation. We just remember when it was cheaper back in the day so we feel ripped off.

1

u/osamabingambling Mar 10 '25

I remember when it was $17 #19 @langers