Marion S.
Yelp
Drive over the hill into Burbank and you'll pass by some iconic landmarks. As you cruise down Barham Boulevard you'll pass Forest Lawn...Universal Studios...the LA "River"...and eventually Warner Brothers Studio. When you see the giant posters of the shows being filmed on the lot, the road curves. If you hang a slight left, you'll find one of LA's best sandwiches...blink and you'll miss it.
When I think of a deli, I don't think of just any sandwich. Sure they can make just about anything you want between two slices of bread as long as it's on the menu, but I judge any place that calls itself a deli on a couple basic things: pastrami and corned beef.
Unfortunately, Burbank is kind of a black hole for these comforting sandwich meats. There are places that serve corned beef and/or pastrami sandwiches...but they're not a corned beef and/or pastrami sandwich from a deli. Sliced smoked/cured meats...piled high on some rye bread...mustard is always welcome and if you feel like it, maybe a slice of cheese to add to the caloric value.
One of the best sandwiches ever is the Rueben. A perfect blend of salty, sweet, savory, and sour. For me, the rye bread has to be perfectly toasted and the inside is a tender, hot gooey mess of sauerkraut, melted cheese, and Russian dressing. The "Kings Rueben" is all of the above. It's the kind of sandwich you might regret eating in one sitting, but you'll enjoy the rest of your day. I do recommend eating your rueben there, if possible, cause it does not travel well. During the pandemic, Kings Deli was one of the places I'd order from and we'd take it back home...the rueben was still good, but nothing compares to when it comes hot off the panini press.
As for their other offerings, like I said earlier, you can't go wrong with a roast beef, turkey, or a tuna melt, but I always stick to my usual three sandwiches here. If you're adventurous, try to the Al Montoya. For years I wondered why they named a panini pressed ham sandwich with pickles, mustard, mayo, and Swiss cheese after a back up NHL goalie...turns out he's of Cuban descent...oh, it's a Cuban sandwich. That was also the moment I realized the people here are hockey fans and the name shares a font with another popular Kings franchise in the region.
For all their pros, there are a couple cons to Kings Deli. The sides aren't great here...but they aren't bad either. It's your standard deli sides or coleslaw or potato salad. They're a bit mayo-ey for my tastes, but the potato salad has a nice tang and the cole slaw can be great in a sandwich to add some texture to every bite.
The only other downside here is the parking. It's pretty easy to miss this place since it's a tiny restaurant in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a Hollywood studio and tucked away in between residential buildings. If you're not heading south down Pass Ave. then you're probably gonna need to make a U-turn to park on the same side of the street...if you can find a spot. On some days, the lunchtime rush makes this impossible, but there's parking somewhere in the neighborhood, you just gotta find it. Luckily it's a nice stretch of town where a walk is welcome...and if you're too full from your delicious sandwich, then enjoy a nice day.
