Perry's Joint
Restaurant · Pasadena ·
Gargantuan sandwiches, live jazz music, and friendly service
Gargantuan sandwiches, live jazz music, and friendly service
"A husband-and-wife team, Perry and Melanie Bennett, prep catering orders and run a deli-style shop on Lincoln Avenue just south of Altadena that has beckoned diners since 2004. They make irreverent deli-style sandwiches, like the Pastrami No Chaser featuring pastrami with classic fixings, or the Hey Joe, which doesn’t hold back on stacking its hot pastrami, roast beef, toasted hot link, cheese, and more, served in an eclectic jazz-inspired interior. Bennett voices the deep uncertainty facing small businesses after the fire: "How am I going to adjust when the workers leave? I don’t know," and adds, "As a dreamer, I live in the possibilities of the future, but this situation has completely shut that down." - Sharon Brenner
"Since 2004, Perry’s Joint is where one goes for gargantuan, delicious, well-layered sandwiches. Plus, live jazz music on Tuesdays. Owner Perry Bennett hosts an annual fundraiser where proceeds benefit nearby John Muir High School’s college-bound graduates. — Mona Holmes, reporter" - Cathy Chaplin, Mona Holmes
"Few things are more cathartic than sitting with a good sandwich and listening to jazz music, which is why we rarely skip Perry’s anytime we’re in Pasadena. The two-decades-old sandwich shop isn’t jazz-themed per se, but as you walk in and spot portraits of famous musicians adorning the walls and hear Duke Ellington on from the speakers, it’s clear that music is a priority. That and delicious sandwiches, of course. The menu is wide-ranging, with everything from turkey clubs to tuna melts to hot pastrami with pepperoncini, but if it’s your first time, the Hey Joe! is a must. Filled with roast beef, pastrami, a hot link, cheese, onion, diced peppers, mayo, and mustard, this isn’t a light sandwich, but it’s somehow well-balanced—spicy, savory, and salty, with a nice snap courtesy of that hotlink." - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren
"When picnic plans call, I head to Perry’s for sky-high sandwiches that travel well: from the decadent Hey Joe (roast beef, pastrami, hot link) to the modest Hip Bird (turkey, mustard, avocado), the sandwich shop in northwest Pasadena constructs sturdy, transportable sandwiches best ordered by phone to avoid waits." - Eater Staff
"There are few things more cathartic than sitting in silence with a good sandwich and listening to jazz music, which is why it’s hard to skip Perry’s anytime we’re in Pasadena. The nearly 20-year-old sandwich shop isn’t jazz-themed per se, but as you walk in and spot portraits of famous musicians adorning the walls and hear Duke Ellington emanating from the loudspeaker, it’s clear that music is a priority here. That and delicious sandwiches, of course. The menu is pretty wide-ranging with everything from straight-forward turkey clubs to tuna melts to hot pastrami with pepperoncini, but if it’s your first time, the Hey Joe! is a must. Filled with hot roast beef, pastrami, a hotlink, cheese, onion, diced peppers, mayo, and mustard, this is by no means a light sandwich, but it’s very well-balanced. It’s spicy, savory, and salty with a perfect crunch in each bite courtesy of that hotlink." - Brant Cox