Find LA’s Best Sandwiches at Jolly Jug Diner in El Monte - Eater LA

"The iconic Jolly Jug — is particularly eye-catching, with its giant, retro sign advertising the ‘Southland’s most honored sandwiches.’ Margaret Chinn, a 70-year-old immigrant from Hong Kong, is at the helm of Jolly Jug, which opened in 1946 and was originally owned by a Jewish woman named Esther Levy. When Levy was ready to sell the restaurant in 1994, her realtor solicited potential buyers by mailing letters to local businesspeople without disclosing the restaurant’s name. Chinn’s husband, Pete, a now-retired CPA, negotiated and purchased the Jolly Jug by year’s end. The restaurant offers no pretensions. With its menu of comfort food, its laid-back atmosphere, and retro decor, it is casual dining reminiscent of time spent at grandma’s house." - Alice Wynne