Philippe The Original

This restaurant in down town LA is one of the best hole-in-the-wall paces I have been to! This place is proud to be the creator of the French Dip sandwich.
When you enter it feels like a place that one of your grandparents would bring you to. Saw dust is strewn around on the floor and you will usually see a few groups of WWII or Korean War vets sitting in groups, a couple families, and some college age kids. The staff is pretty friendly and the waitresses look like you might have transported them from the 50's.
A sandwich usually runs you at about $5.15 or so and the meats vary from beef to pork to lamb and so on. If you get a lemonade or iced tea, it's going to be under a dollar, sodas though usually run a bit more (Coffee is only about 9 cents!) They offer other things on the menu... but I HAVE to tell you stick with the sandwich, it's the best!
NOTE: You will want to make this a lunch place probably, while the food is wonderful, it is not hearty enough for a dinner, also closer into the evening it gets to be a bit more crowded and you could be waiting to go up to the corner to order for a bit (I think that my record wait in line was about 15 minutes). Also, this is a cash only place, but they do have an ATM.

This is home of the french dip sandwich. this is the only place where i can order a french dip and side of pickled chicken feet. it is a fave spot to eat before a dodger game or laker game. however, it's always busy regardless. i always go here before a laker game.

Subway sandwiches aren't in my rotation of good eats so I generally pass on eating sandwiches when given a choice. But there's something about Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches, that I just can't get enough of. They're moist with au jus soaked buns, savory with fresh and tender cuts of meat, and go so well with an ice cold glass of water and a slice of apple pie.

An LA landmark for almost a century, Philippe's has been serving great sandwiches for generations and no doubt will continue serving patrons well into this new millennium. It was a popular hangout for my friends and family who grew up in the 1980s and became a family stopover for as long as I can remember.

But the same lineup of cars in its two parking lots and side streets remain. And the same lines could be found inside, with patrons waiting patiently for their turn to order. The same deli counter houses potato salad, cole slaw, and a number of desserts. On top sit the large glass jars filled with vinegar pickled eggs in bright fushsia liquid. The same wooden stools adorn the restaurant, along with sawdust on the floor. Some might even venture to say that the women behind the counter haven't changed much either.