New York’s most famous sandwich is sold in LA – for one day only

How much would you pay for a real bite of New York City?

That question will be examined this Saturday, June 29, when West Hollywood’s Bar next door is host to Lower East Side pastrami institution Katz’s Deli – the oldest deli in New York City – which serves its famous pastrami sandwiches to the LA crowd.

I hope you’re sitting down for the next part:

A whole sandwich costs $45 and a half sandwich costs $25.

Lawrence Longo, owner of Bar Next Door, and his team are committed to bringing a true New York experience to LA. They even fly in three employees from Katz’s to prepare the sandwiches on site: They cook, slice and serve the pastrami on the signature rye bread, spread it with the classic brown mustard and garnish it with semi-sour pickles.

(If you do the math, that partly explains the high price; at Katz’s in New York, the sandwich normally costs $27.45, so when you think about it, it’s still cheaper than getting on a plane to NYC yourself.)

It was planned for a special occasion – the bar’s first anniversary – and they wanted to do something big. Longo credits his business partner, Kara Rosenblum, a Brooklyn native. She came up with the idea and immediately started making calls to make it happen.

The Katz’s deli menu will be available at Bar Next Door on Saturday, June 29, along with a Coors Banquet Lager and a Dirty Mixed Brine Martini Shot with vodka, pickle, olive and hot pepper brine.

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Courtesy of Bar Next Door

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“We thought it would be cool to bring Katz’s into the bar,” Longo said, noting that the bar’s themed design would look familiar to any NYC deli regular. “It looks like a diner, so we thought the pastrami would look so good on the bar and it would be a cool thing for the LA community.”

The event will be Katz’s second official visit to Los Angeles, the first being at the outdoor food festival Family Fest in 2023. (No doubt there will be countless unofficially There have been visits where Pastramis rye bread has been smuggled aboard cross-country flights to LAX.)

Will Los Angeles residents pay that exorbitant price? That depends on how much you crave a true NYC experience and how much you care about Katz’s mystique (after all, it’s the same deli where Meg Ryan performed her famous scene from When Harry Met Sally. That’s right, that one).

And there’s a huge amount of meat to keep you full for days. But if $45 has you spitting out your coffee at the breakfast table, you can always go to Langer’s and get a No. 19 for about $25 instead. That’s damn good pastrami too, so no downside either way.

Then grab a piece

In addition to the Bar Next Door, Longo also owns Prince Street Pizza … right next door. If you don’t know it, Prince Street is another New York institution that has gradually built up locations all over the West Coast in recent years. It is known for the strong square slices, overflowing with the typical hollow peppers.

Enjoy your Katz Pastrami sandwich at Bar Next Door in West Hollywood in an indoor setting that combines Art Deco and haute diner atmosphere.

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Fred Light

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Courtesy of Bar Next Door

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Also served on Saturday is a special cocktail combination: a Coors Banquet Lager with a Dirty Mixed Brine Martini shot made with vodka, Katz’s signature pickles, peperoncini brine and an olive. The beer and shot combo costs $16.

Postmates is co-sponsoring the all-day event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sandwiches are available for delivery or pickup within a 5- to 10-mile radius of Bar Next Door. The link to order is currently down, but will be live at 11 a.m. Saturday, so set that reminder if you plan on going.