Canter's Deli

Honestly I was disappointed in this restaurant, especially after hearing such good things about it. The menu was vast, parking was ample and the service was great, but the food itself lacked taste. The matzoh ball soup was fine, but the broth didn't blow my mind. Reminds me of a basic chicken stock you get from the store. The Marilyn sandwich was very plain, not seasoning or sauce to enhance the cheese and tomato. The side salad was actually the best part because the dressing had flavor and wasn't too oily. Overall, I'd suggest ordering something else than what I listed. Can't say from experience, but I bet the potato pancakes and pastrami Reuben are better since they're more popular menu items. Either way, they need to add more flavor to their dishes. Jazz it up! Also, I was frustrated with the amount of single use dishware in an establishment that clearly has the ability to serve on real plates and provide silverware. They serve their soups in bowls, so why is everything else automatically provided in to go boxes when ordering in? Side note: this is the smaller restaurant in Santa Monica, not the original off Fairfax that is bigger. This place lacks charm of the larger space.

Canter’s Deli (Original, Fairfax District) Canter’s is a Los Angeles legend—and for good reason. From the moment you walk in, you sense the history: spacious booths, a bustling crowd, and a menu so vast it feels like a culinary journey through Jewish‑style comfort food. It's fun to come any time of day or evening! We started with blintzes, stuffed kishka, and a crisp Cobb salad, all delicious and generously portioned. We also ordered stuffed cabbage with baked beans and kasha varnishka. To go, we ordered sliced tongue and pastrami, plus rugelach to go—perfect for indulging later. Our server, Maria, has been there 15 years—friendly, professional, and attentive. She and the whole team made us feel at home. This is the kind of place you bring family and friends to—open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and even late-night hangs. On Fridays and Saturdays, they're open 24 hours, ensuring no midnight cravings go unsatisfied! Here are some Menu Highlights Breakfast & Appetizers: Matzo Brei, Potato Pancakes Delicatessen Favorites: Pastrami Reuben, Corned Beef Reuben Signature Sandwiches: Monte Cristo, Philly Cheese Steak, Avocado Melt Burgers: Pastrami Burger, California Burger, Veggie Burger Salads: Cobb Salad, Chopped Salad, Caesar Salad, Wedge Salad Fish Plates: Smoked Salmon (Lox), White Fish, Fish Platter Bakery Treats: Russian Coffee Cake, Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, Rugelach A Rich History Founded in 1931 in Boyle Heights, the Canter brothers moved to Fairfax in 1948, then expanded into a former Yiddish theater in 1953—and never looked back A third-generation family-run business, it’s hosted everyone from rock stars to political figures. The Kibitz Room lounge opened in 1961 and became a famed music venue Their legacy is legendary—millions of pounds of pastrami, corned beef, lox, matzo balls, and more have passed through these doors Why You Should Go Historic site with authentic atmosphere and spacious, comfy booths Massive menu—from hearty deli classics to fresh salads, burgers, fish, and bakery sweets Friendly, seasoned staff like Maria, who bring warmth and expertise Always open late nights Fri/Sat, and nearly always open otherwise A family and community staple—its survival ensures this living piece of LA history remains vibrant Support this iconic spot—then wander over to the nearby newsstand, another rare throwback gem. Bring family, reminisce about generations past, feast, and be part of Canter’s ongoing story. Highly recommended!

Don't be offput about the reviews or not being the original location, this place still has the same great food. The service was 2nd to none - Kevin recommend a few items and helped another table with a large party put tables together. There aren't many guys like him left in this world that truly care about his job. My reuben pastrami, fries, saurkraut, and cookie were all delicious that I would definitely come back for.

This place DOESN’T have a restroom for customers. When I found this out, I tried to cancel my order, but they refused. They had a sign that read “no public restrooms”, but I didn’t realize that ment customers too. 😡 I love Canters, but this place is nothing like the original.

Don't waist your time or money, this NOT Canter's Deli. This is some hole in the wall, that serves a few sandwiches. I had the Hot Pastrami, which was really fatty. It came with a bag of potato chips, that were in a seal-a-meal bag. There are no serving staff. I asked the guy in the back if I could use the restroom, he told me it was broken. This place looks like it might have been a donut shop at one time. I cleaned my own table when I was done. /////Sadly I got a reply from the owner and they tell me that this is Canter's Deli, just a remote location. That just means the quality has gone way down from what Canter's used to be.

One of the best Jewish Deli around. It is an institution. Has a great bakery and Deli meats to go. Our favorite thing to start our meal is the half chicken in a pot with extra Matzah Balls for the leftover soup to bring home for another day. I love the dresser sandwich and make sure to ask for their yummy pickles with it. If they have them I like to buy a bag of bagel chips to take home for the leftover soup. The have magnificent hamtashins, great carrot cake, fantastic chocolate dipped macaroons. The list goes on and on. My wife loves their Monte Cristo sandwich. It is always a special treat to go to Canters in the Fairfax area of LA. I feel like I am going back to my grandma's house force meal. My wife is not Jewish and she loves this place. The waiters and waitresses work very hard to make you feel special!

Very beautiful establishment, with kind staff. However I'M SUPREMELY disappointed in the food. I ordered a tuna sandwich, with potato salad. Unfortunately, both were flavorless, with no seasoning. I also wasn't given the cheese, on my sandwich that I paid for. Thank you for the pickle however.

LA doesn't have enough delis, I was glad to stumble across this while I was out. Brick walls, the guy who seemed to be running the place, Kevin, talks to you and jokes, made me feel like I was in New York in the best way possible. Food was good, hard to miss with a Reuben, I'm a picking orderer and was accommodated happily.

It's small but hey, on the West Side! Brick walls make it cozy and reminiscent of an old pizzeria or some Jewish delis. Great prices and plenty of underground parking, although I wouldn't want park there alone at night. Service was good. The Pastrami Reuben is killer with lovely grilled rye. Sweets - The chocolate chip rugelach is also amazing but the Black and White cookie was disappointing. The Apple turnover had many chunks and was a right amount of sweetness. The only negative is no public bathroom. Maybe Ono Hawaiian next door can accommodate you? I'll be back for my cravings.

food is ok, but ridiculous prices certainly not the quality of food and service back in the day service is poor at best my last trip will be the last one $25 for a sandwich is insane

Sandwiches are really good and tasty. Have to order online even if you walk in We ordered 2 sandwiches and only had a 10-15 min wait

Fairfax Canter's used to be a staple for me but this delivery order was a miss. No flavor in the whole meal. Turkey club, fries, and chili were all bland and somewhat stale. Added a star for the matzo ball soup and pickle, which was the highlight of our order.

Went to the new one on Santa Monica blvd. small and yummy. Lived my corned beef on rye, friends had potato pancakes and we had some regular for dessert. Love Jewish deli what a treat. Great service

The food is great and reminds me of my families food growing up. It's not kosher but kosher style but still amazing. The service is always great as well, very friendly staff. The ambiance is nice, older deli style. Make sure to pick up an assortment of the items in the bakery.

Came for the first time and it was delicious. The Brooklyn pastrami with a side of onion rings, chili cheese, fries. And let me tell you that they serve big portions. Highly recommended.

Great food love this deli, fantastic to have a good sandwich shop in Santa Monica and I highly recommend Canters Deli.

Canter's transports you back many years. The ambiance in the restaurant is very nostalgic and an amazing vibe. We started with some dill pickles, which were solid. I got the pastrami Reuben sandwich. It was a 8.4/10 -- a delicious sandwich and huge. The fries were typical steak fries. On the way out, we got a black and white cookie and some rugula, both delicious. We tried Apple cinnamon rugula and it was very soft and flavorful. Vibe is great and very good food.

The sandwiches here are as close to as you're going to Katz deli in nyc. They're so delicious and make you want to keep coming back. Parking is a disaster in this lot but it's worth it for the food!!

I just noticed that they cut down the portions. The container of matzo ball soup shrink and the cut down on the portion of rice.

Very good pastrami! As former New Yorkers, our standards for pastrami are quite high. We decided to try Canter's not too long ago and was very pleased. My husband said he actually liked it better than Katz whereas I thought it was very similar to Katz and would rate it equal to Katz. So far, my favorite pastrami in LA is Johnny's West Adams as theirs is the thick cut style which I generally prefer.

This place doesn't do enough business for the food to turn over fast enough to be fresh. Stale or moldy bread actually happens here. Go to Fairfax.

The restaurant was filthy as I want to start off with.. There was 4 of us at 11pm and we all ordered different meals. Every one of us woke up 3/4 in the morning throwing up, terrible stomach pains, diarrhea all day. Called the next day and was told the owner would call back the following day. He was shocked that we all got sick...really dude?? ..I should have looked at the reviews I would have never ever gone there....This iconic place...hey need to shut down...

Was very excited to try Canter's as a delivery spot (I will update this review when I eat in)! Food was prepared *very* quickly, so kudos for the fast service! Overall, I was somewhat disappointed by the food, which I found pretty hit or miss. The hits: matzo ball soup on its own was great, potato salad was delicious, and these chips -- wow, best potato chips made in-house that I've had in LA. The misses: the chicken that I had added to my soup tasted old, the packaged crackers were stale, and my partner reported that her veggie burger patty had a very mushy texture. My pastrami sandwich was okay, but I likely would not order again (although I'd definitely order the coleslaw and rye bread on their own). Disappointing, but I would definitely return to try out different menu items!

Rusty thumb tack in my matzo ball soup. Like, Seriously? Guess I need to find a new place to order from. Extremely disappointed. Will be contacting the health department. Wtf Canters?

Doesn't deserve one star complete garbage wasted $20 on bakery items to find out they have been there since 1931 stale, dry disgusting person who waited on me doesn't know much can't understand her. Stay away if baked good are bad the food is probably worse don't eat it unless you want to spend the day I looked deli to go definitely will cause the Just gross someone from health department should go check it out looks dirty too. just disgusting why would anyone go there shut it down

Went to Canter's on December 25th. Big mistake. The wait for a table was reported to be 2 hours. We actually went there for take out. The number of people crowding the entrance made it difficult to get to the bakery and deli counters. Getting the bakery order was easy. The deli order was not so easy. The deli sandwiches were just okay, nothing I would order again. Bakery items were good but not spectacular.

Canter's USED to be the best LA deli on the map. Unfortunately they have now become the gimmick of the city. They enjoy the notoriety they gained and gave up on practically everything else. The sandwiches (of which the corned beef had always been my favorite) is now anorexic and devoid of the meat it's supposed to have. And the service leaves too much to be desired. Debbie was a great waitress but her attitude was rude and lackluster to say the least. I know it was a busy time of the day, but that is no excuse to be rude and dismissive of your customer, and we didn't even ask for a refund or anything or the sort. Canter's, do better. Your customer's deserve it. If you want a better experience, visit NY deli in harbor city.

Jewish deli with a tasty pastrami Reuben. Came here prior to going to the Skirball Center exhibit of the Jewish Deli (so it was very apropos). You order at the screen and an employee will bring your food out to you. Most people seemed to opt for takeout but there were a couple of people dining inside (no outdoor spots). There's a small shared lot but parking is a bit cramped. Credit cards are accepted. The employees were all super nice and thoughtfully divided up our sandwich into two plates and got us some ice waters proactively. The Reuben was delicious - one half will definitely satisfy you plus it comes with fries and pickles on the side. The Russian dressing comes in a separate container as well. You'd come here more for the food than the ambiance, but overall, it's a classic spot for some pastrami.

I ordered takeout yesterday. I liked my reuben and have no complaints about the staff. The main issue is that I got sick after my meal. Now, I'm afraid to finish my leftovers. (My partner had the patty melt and felt just fine.) Today, I tried the pickle spears for the first time and they seemed off to me. So, I don't know for a fact that Canter's got me sick, but I wanted to document my experience in case it becomes a trend.

terrible customer service!!! the guy working alone was extremely rude and incompetent!!! tell him to learn some customer service skills or find a new job!!

Pastrami on rye. Tasted great. Rye bread they steamed it with the pastime. Bread was tough and too thick. No ambiance at all. You order from a kiosk. No human interaction. No one eats there. All takeout. They havre a few tables but no waiters

Alas, only one star for this visit. Pastrami was chewy, and worse -- it was tasteless! How does one make tasteless Pastrami?

This place needs no introduction. The pastries are absolutely delicious, but it sucks that the full pastry menu is only available in store and not online. The only thing on the menu I didn't enjoy was the roast beef sandwich it seemed a bit dry for my taste. Everything else was top-notch.

This strip mall location has a limited menu and take credit cards only. If you expect a bakery go to Fairfax. Basic menu corn beef Pastrami Turkey lox Potato Knish, Soups Dr Browns and some Breakfast items If you want a corn beef pastrami combo order a Fresser better value as it comes with a full size potato salad and coleslaw vs the canter's Fairfax which comes with a thimble full of coleslaw for about a dollar last. Dessert they have a black and white 2/3 of the staff wore a mask properly 1 wore it as a chinstrap

Notice that there almost as many 1 star reviews as there are 2, 3, 4 and 5 star reviews COMBINED. Notice that when people post negative reviews, there's no response from management. When I tried to place an order on the phone (as I've done several times before), the staff was rude, impolite and unprofessional. When I picked up my order, the french fries were almost raw, and the coleslaw was dry and tasteless. (I had specifically requested potato salad with my sandwich, not coleslaw). When I called the Fairfax location to speak to a manager, I was told that someone would call me back tonight or tomorrow morning. Apparently, there is no manager in charge of the West LA location during their business hours which kind of explains their extremely poor performance. Won't be coming back. What a shame!

The meat here is so flavorful! I never thought I could eat a sandwich that's just bread and meat, but here?! It is possible! Not only are their sandwiches delicious, but their cherry turn over is to die for AND it's huge!! Only downfall is the service, not the most welcoming staff but not rude and they get the job done! 9/10!

They only have one kiosk to take orders so if there's a family of five taking half an hour, the person behind the counter won't take a simple order bad attitude, lazy employees

Im so glad this place is open late and able to serve such a huge crowd after a halloween event night in Hollywood. Everything on the menu is available around the clock and their desserts are all delicious. Huge portions, too. Our server was Cary. He was very attentive to our needs and quickly responded to big and small requests. I didnt see any additional parking other than what was available in the street, but at that time, there was a lot of room for pretty much all the patrons dining here, when I left, there was still a lot of spots available. Id definitely be going back

No public restrooms, difficult parking and no cash accepted!! How welcoming. I was going to get a pastrami sandwich here but I'll take my business somewhere else.

I hate to leave a bad review anywhere, but this location was nothing like the Fairfax Canter's. No one even spoke to me when I walked in. I had to figure out on my own that I was expected to order on their touch screen and pay there also. The sandwich I ordered was okay, but rather dry. I just couldn't get over the complete lack of interest the employees had for me, being the only person waiting on an order. The Fairfax location is definitely the only way to go!

I've ordered from canters a bunch of times. I was a bit disappointed with this location. The pickle they gave me was bad and the tuna sandwich could have been better. I will still go to Fairfax one, seems their food at this location is consistent always with flavor.

No bathroom, mediocre food, wildly expensive and serve yourself. Enjoy. Stick to Fairfax.

$85 Pastrami.... $19.50 CUT THICK like bologna, Bland, Smell like a hotdogs (it's a taste preference) Steak fries..... $6 .....They give you an entire container. Pretty Good if your into filling up on potatoes Onion Rings $6.95 ..... They were greasy as to be expected. But they were Pretty Good.... Potatoes Salad $1.50 .....Mix of Sugar, Sour Cream carrots and Potatoes... Pickle $3.25 ...... WHY did they dig the seeds out of the cucumber?.... its not really pickled cucumber Tip and Delivery $23...... Note: This is a Food Review, hence the use of Yelp. Not being rude just sharing my experience.

Big disappointment. Canters on Fairfax is epic. These guys at the Santa Monica location are just awful. I was really excited to try it. Showed up at 9:28pm and they wouldn't sell me a sandwich because they "close at 9:30." I thought he was kidding... but he wasn't. I showed him the time n my phone. He didn't care. He said, "my clock says 9:30. What a jerk.

We thought we were ordering from Canter's on Fairfax. Not only do they use the Canter's Fairfax sign (which I believe falls under the category of "false advertising") their food is just awful. I ordered the Pastrami Ruben. Not only was the bread burnt, the pastrami and sauerkraut were flavorless. If I had been blindfolded I wouldn't have been able to tell you what it was. The matzoh ball soup was laughable. My wife is Goya and makes a better matzoh ball.

The pastrami is still good at the new location, they try hard with a lovely brick wall and pictures from the old location, and underground there's a decent amount of parking. The rest is pretty meh. Feels almost like this location is an excuse to expand their delivery service area, with an almost comically oversized kitchen, and no bathrooms at all for customers. Employees seem to try hard but it feels like almost entirely back of house types working here- which reinforces the focus that this is a kitchen more than anything else at this location. The bread remains decidedly undistinguished, the coleslaw looks decent but falls short on any memorable flavor or even attempt at such, and the potato salad is equally bad. 2.5 stars feels about right, possibly even slightly generous.

The fries are soooooo crispy and the burger is amazing come try out their food it's really good

The Thanksgiving Dinner was inedible, and I lived off of frozen dinners for a good year in my 20s so that's saying a lot. The mashed potatoes had some unknown substance in it that made them bitter to the taste-I was afraid it was curdled milk tbh. The entire meal was smothered in a tasteless dark gravy that would have drowned out any potential flavor to the other food should there have been any. And the stuffing was tasteless and wet with random raw almonds hidden throughout. It was so disgusting, i had to laugh-point blank. Cannot recommend

Updating my review. I waited over 30 minutes for a 3 items. This is simply unacceptable. The kitchen staff is severely overworked. There is one cook during the rush hour. This is simply unacceptable. Ridiculous . Terrible customer service . Waste of time and money, the owner should be ashamed of himself.

Although Santa Monica - Canter's Deli has the same name as Canter's Deli on Fairfax, the food taste at the Santa Monica location doesn't come close to resembling all the wonderful Jewish specialties we have grown to love from the Fairfax Canter's Deli. I rushed to order when I saw another restaurant named Canter's Deli on the westside. It had to be the same restaurant because it bore the same name, right. Canter's Deli on Fairfax got snooty when I asked the staff if the two businesses were affiliated. The staff confirmed that both restaurants are the same. However, their food is not any way close to tasting the same. Even my pickles were bad. Don't waste your money. Trust the reviews. My taste buds were ready for a juicy Reuben with wonderful Cornbeef and just right sauerkraut, but I'm still waiting.

Canter's Deli is one of the classic diners in LA. They moved into a small spot in complex and only has a few 2-person tables inside. Right now, they require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, but their set-up is best for pick-up or delivery. The parking spots outside are almost always filled up, but there's an underground parking garage that should have spaces. For the food: The Pastrami Reuben is nice big flavorful - pastrami, sauerkraut, cheese, Russian dressing. I picked up the sandwich a few minutes after pick-up time and the grilled rye was already soggy. Perhaps untoasted fresh rye bread would be better. The side salad to-go is a small packed container. I'll toss it with my own dressing and toppings (cheese, croutons, nuts) that makes a pretty good salad. The black and white cookie is delicious - fluffy, not overly sweet.

The beef dip was very beefy, and the chili beans were good and I liked the french fries

I was so happy and surprised to see a Canter's spin-off. Unfortunately my $22 sandwich after giving a tip was a lot of gristle and stringy stuff. The bread melted in my hand halfway through the sandwich. I asked for extra extra brown mustard and got three packets.? For $20 sandwich three packets of extra extra mustard is pathetic and extra mayo Never asked for ???? The bread was either sliced funny or deliberately tampered with by your employees after finding the stringy stuff in the meat so much on both sides of the sandwich. It's obvious this was deliberately done and your employees are destroying your business.. 22$ in the trash. I

Last time we order from Canters. This hub is seriously sending out the worst quality food.

Food is fantastic, probably the best deli food I've had in LA except for Nate and Al's. Pricey, yes, but no more so than any other decent deli in town. The problem is the past three weeks. The parking lot is closed, so good luck finding parking in this neighborhood. I would call ahead to find out if that parking lots open because if not, you'll be walking a half a mile to pick up your food.

Who doesn't love Canter's? We were so excited to see that Canter's had moved in on Santa Monica and Buddy! We stopped in for some take out last week and we're very impressed. When you walk in, you order on a computer screen at the front of the restaurant if you haven't called ahead. Then you wait! The wait is a bit long but worth it! There is virtually no contact with the workers beside when they call your name for the pick up. We ordered pickles, chicken soup with noodles, a bagel, a wedge salad, and chicken tenders. This came to almost $65. The wedge salad with the blue cheese vinaigrette was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this.I loved the dressing. Everything else was good. There are few tables if you choose to eat there but no atmosphere. I advise take out only.

Like walking back in time, huge menu, real LA people, classic jewish deli, servers are no nonsense, love it.