Scott W.
Yelp
My best friend of nearly 40yrs and I really enjoy a well made sandwich. In our pursuit of great sandos, we've tried Katz Deli in NYC, Brent's in Northridge and even the sorely missed but never forgotten Miller's East Coast Deli in San Francisco.
So when, tasked with finding a suitable place for our quarterly lunch meeting, I entered "Jewish deli" and "Downey" into Yelp, half expecting to find the lackluster lineup of national chains that PURPORT to make good sandwiches- Subway, Joysie Mike's, Jimmy John's and the usual suspects of sandwich sorriness!
Imagine then, fellow Yelpers, when Uncle Henry's Deli appeared...as welcome a sight as my gorgeous bikini-clad wifey.
Both Mick and I, who first bonded over our shared love of the national pastime, immediately likened Henry's with the MLB legend who shares my birthday- Henry Louis Aaron, aka Hamnerin' Hank and the REAL all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds and his oversized gourd, er, head be damned.
In his 22yr career, Aaron belied his average size (5ft 11 tall, 185 lbs) and deployed his missile-fast wrists to smack 755 homers. All while playing in Jim Crow era Atlanta.
Uncle Henry's Deli, similarly, defies expectations.
Who would think of putting a Jewish-style delicatessen in Downey, famous for birthing the honey-voiced Carpenters and the self-styled "Mexican Beverly Hills?!"
Mick ordered a super sized Original, which is turkey, roast beef + ham plus cheddar on white. He went with potato wedges which are sizable.
Me? I chose one hot, one cold. A super sized Big B (Pastrami, Bacon + Swiss on toasted sourdough, hold the pickles) and an Egg Salad on enviably well made squaw bread, hold the tomatoes.
Pro Tip- From a lifetime of ordering well made sandos in every major city in America, never put tomatoes on a cold sandwich unless you want the notoriously water-dense fruit to dampen your sandwich!
The only mild drawback of my food order was the side of potato salad, which in my opinion would benefit from some black pepper and minced celery.
The service at Henry's is expedient- You've barely helped yourself to one of their dark wood benches when they've called your order!
The restroom was, yes, as cozy as the overall venue...but sufficiently clean + stocked. Watch out, tho- The hot water runs hotter than the devil's temperature!
In closing, you can take Uncle Henry's to the bank. Yes, you'll part with upwards of a Jackson, mebbe even two.
But you'll enjoy the treat, cuz the caliber of food is very bit as real as the hammer (aka Louisville Slugger) that Hamnering Hank used to bash all of his home runs with.