(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Where to find the best Italian sub sandwiches in L.A.
Is there anything finer than a rainbow of cured meat clapped between two halves of a good roll overflowing with vegetables and Italian dressing? The Italian sub is the queen of sandwiches, and there’s no shortage of excellent versions in Los Angeles. Nearly every deli makes an Italian sub, hoagie, grinder (insert your favorite term for this masterpiece here).
For the purposes of this list, I’m narrowing it down to sandwiches that come on some form of roll, rather than sliced bread. This will render some crowd favorites, like the Stepmother from Cosa Buona, ineligible. When I first wrote about the sandwich in 2020, it was served on a ciabatta roll. Now, the meats are piled onto sliced focaccia. It’s still an excellent sandwich, just not on this list.
Lorenzo California, home to some of the most excellent Italian sandwiches on the planet, is also not on this list.
And that place everyone loves that slides a third slice of bread into the middle of the sandwich? It eats like a Big Mac sub. It’s not for me.
The following is a guide to my favorite Italian subs, in alphabetical order. Don’t make me pick a single favorite. And if yours isn’t on here, I’m sure you’ll let me know.
From East Coast-style delis to Israeli-inspired sabich, L.A.’s rising sandwich scene reflects global influences and makes good use of seasonal produce.
Showing Places
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
All About the Bread
Fairfax Deli $
All About the Bread is home to the Godfather, a re-creation of the Bay Cities Godmother, east of the 405. The sandwich comes on a roll that looks and tastes pretty similar to the Santa Monica original, studded with crisp bubbles and a crunchy exterior. It’s slathered with vegan mayo (seriously, I asked) and mustard then layered with salami, spicy capicola, mortadella, ham, prosciutto di Parma and provolone. Like the Godmother it’s also topped with a heap of shredded lettuce, pickles, tomato and your choice of hot or mild peppers. It’s a good Godmother substitute, but no, it’s not the original.
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Angelo’s Italian Deli
Long Beach Deli $
The Italian torpedo at this Long Beach deli could be classified as a fancy sub. Instead of a soft roll there’s a flour-dusted ciabatta. Instead of mayonnaise there’s a sharp garlic pesto spread. And instead of iceberg lettuce there are mixed greens. All of the tweaks make for a pretty great sub, stacked with thick slices of mortadella, capicola, salami and provolone. That garlic spread will stick with you. If you’re not a fan of raw garlic, this is not the sub for you.
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Bay Cities Italian Deli and Bakery
Santa Monica Deli $
The Godmother is still the undefeated heavyweight champion of Italian subs in Los Angeles. Fans say it’s the crackly bread called filone, baked on-site, that makes it so good. Others lobby for the quality of salami, mortadella, ham, prosciutto and capicola, all made locally and layered neatly on the bottom slice of bread. Maybe you find the way the mayonnaise, yellow mustard and Italian dressing smush together with the Chicago-style hot peppers and shredded iceberg lettuce to form a sizable layer of heavily dressed salad irresistible. It’s the combination of everything that’s hard to beat.
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Bodega Park
Silver Lake Restaurant $
Formerly Black Hogg, this coffee and sandwich shop is still making one of the best Italian sub renditions in town. Chef Eric Park named the Mantua sandwich for the Philadelphia neighborhood he lived in post-college. He starts with a crisp, airy baguette, similar to what you’ll find at a good banh mi shop. The way the fillings sort of sink into the bread, evening the bread-to-fillings ratio, is key to the architecture of the sandwich. Park uses thinly sliced capicola, mortadella, soppressata and shaved sharp Fontina cheese for a little funk. He elevates the usual lettuce, tomato, onion and Italian dressing condiments with the addition of marinated artichokes and chopped, raw jalapeno. The upgrades add moisture and heat to an already stellar sandwich. Really though, he could put anything in that flaky, chewy baguette and it would be appealing. You can ask for a side of pickled giardiniera, too.
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Claro's Italian Market
Arcadia Deli $
On weekend mornings at Claro’s Italian Market in Arcadia, bleary-eyed diners shift their weight from side to side, clutching tiny pink pieces of paper printed with their number. They eye the sausage and peppers, inquire about the sharpness of the provolone this week and ask the guy slicing their meat about his college exams.
More than half the people waiting are there for the Great Grandpa Joe. The sandwich consists of capicola, dry salami, mortadella and provolone with all the regular fixings, but the soft roll is dressed with an olive oil-and-vinegar mixture that’s heavy on the red wine vinegar and pepper. It turns into a paste on the sandwich so that some bites have actual clumps of piquant dressing. These, it turns out, are always the best bites.
More than half the people waiting are there for the Great Grandpa Joe. The sandwich consists of capicola, dry salami, mortadella and provolone with all the regular fixings, but the soft roll is dressed with an olive oil-and-vinegar mixture that’s heavy on the red wine vinegar and pepper. It turns into a paste on the sandwich so that some bites have actual clumps of piquant dressing. These, it turns out, are always the best bites.
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Corsica Italian Delicatessen
Sunland Deli $
The Italian sub at this Sunland deli is named the Mary’s special. I don’t know who Mary is, but I know that the meat on her sandwich is special. Ribbons of dry salami, capicola and mortadella huddle in a jumbled heap, surrounded by provolone, lettuce, tomato and a pickle. Some sandwiches are prized for their balance; the Mary’s special is a one-two punch of cured, stinky, glorious meat.
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(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Cricca's Italian Deli
Woodland Hills Deli $
There are a couple of important decisions you need to make when ordering your Italian cold cut sub at Cricca’s. The first concerns the bread. While the shop offers pretzel rolls and both soft and crusty rolls, the crusty is the way to go. It won’t get soggy on the way to wherever you’re going, making this the ideal place to grab a sub on the way to a beach in Malibu. The next decision is to go the regular way (cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and Italian dressing) or upgrade to “loaded” (all of the above plus onions, mustard and pepperoncinis). Live your best life and go loaded.
What makes this sub special is the thicker cut on the hard salami, Genoa salami, capicola, mortadella and provolone. And the way they’re all stacked in a sort of zigzag pattern that allows for equal distribution.
What makes this sub special is the thicker cut on the hard salami, Genoa salami, capicola, mortadella and provolone. And the way they’re all stacked in a sort of zigzag pattern that allows for equal distribution.
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Dan's Super Subs
Woodland Hills Deli $
How do you feel about avocado on an Italian sub? If you asked me before I visited Dan’s Super subs, I’d say I was firmly against it. But a light spread of mashed avocado on the Mamma Mia at Dan’s is a winning combo. The bread is soft, fresh, and well lubricated with the avocado, mayonnaise and mustard. It’s just enough avocado to be present but not overpower the pale pink strata of capicola, mortadella, cotto salami, dry salami and bologna. There’s double provolone on the sandwich, too. To ensure the sandwich is adequately overstuffed, it’s served on its side to nestle a chunky salad of chopped lettuce, tomato, black olives, mild peppers, onion and pickles. It’s a mouthful.
This is a place where most of the clientele are regulars and you can count on a few school uniforms and AYSO soccer jerseys in the small dining room. The 2011 KTLA award for the “top alternative deli” is proudly displayed on a wall. Dan’s Super Subs deserves an accolade for 2023, too.
This is a place where most of the clientele are regulars and you can count on a few school uniforms and AYSO soccer jerseys in the small dining room. The 2011 KTLA award for the “top alternative deli” is proudly displayed on a wall. Dan’s Super Subs deserves an accolade for 2023, too.
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Eastside Italian Market Deli
Chinatown Deli $
It’s best to know exactly what you want before getting in line here. You don’t want to piss off the guy behind you who has been coming to this 94-year-old deli for the last 90 years. The Combination cold cuts and cheese is the textbook Italian sub. The cross-section is a neat pyramid of mortadella, salami, capicola and a thick wedge of provolone cheese. The guys behind the counter have a heavy hand when it comes to the mustard. If you want to add pepperoncinis or banana peppers, there is a serve-yourself area by the drinking fountain. No frills. No extras. Just good, honest sandwiches.
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Foggia Italian Market & Deli
Lakewood Deli $
Foggia is as much about the people making your sandwich as it is about the sandwich. The employees are fast-talking roll stuffers who like to chat while they ring you up. Sandwiches come in four sizes ranging from four to 12 inches, the largest of which could feed a family of four. The Italian Cold Cut is a classic sub with capicola, mortadella, cotto and provolone; the spicy Italian invites hot Calabrese salami to the party. The lettuce on Foggia’s sandwiches is mixed greens. It feels a little fancy for a sub, but if you were to dump out all the lettuce, pickles, onion and chunks of pepperoncini all soused with Italian dressing, you’d have a pretty adequate salad. It’s all piled into a soft Italian roll spread conservatively with mayo and mustard and seasoned generously with salt and pepper.
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(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Ghost Sando Shop
Downtown L.A. Deli $
The Uncle Nikki, like most of the sandwiches at the Ghost Sando Shop, is all about the bread. The Dutch Crunch roll has a soft middle and a crackly crust that’s just a tad sweet. It’s made by coating the outside of the bread with rice flour. The roll is an ideal sturdy landing for a thick array of cold cuts. The specific combination of Genoa salami, pepperoni and hot capicola reminds me of the Italian BMT sandwiches from a certain chain, that I used to eat after soccer practice. Only these are much, much better. Ghost uses good pepperoni, and you appreciate it in the sandwich. The provolone and usual toppings make Uncle Nikki an uncle you can count on.
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(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Giamela's
Atwater Village Deli $
If you’re going to eat Mr. G’s sandwich, you need to eat it within eight minutes of it landing in your hands. Otherwise, it will end up in your lap. While other subs may marinate, mature and settle the longer you let them sit, the Giamela’s sub turns to mush. This is not necessarily a knock against it, just an important data point when you’re planning your lunch. For the Mr. G’s sandwich, a soft roll is split, layered with soppressata, salami and capicola, then piled high with a mix of chopped tomato, onion and pickles all cut the size of Legos. Between the Italian pico de gallo (as my colleagues took to calling it), the dressing, mayonnaise and mustard, it’s a heavily dressed sandwich meant for immediate impact.
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(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Pizzana
Brentwood Italian $$
The Padrino is a special only available when chef Daniele Uditi has the time to make it; you’ll have to stalk his Instagram to know exactly when and at which location. Not only does he bake the rolls, he also makes the spicy soppressata, which ends up softer and more flavorful than most. He slices the meat wafer-thin and stacks an absurd amount of the soppressata and mortadella (think a couple of inches’ worth) with aged provolone, pickles, tomato and a chopped salad tossed with pepperoncini and vinaigrette. This is among the messiest sandwiches you will ever encounter, stuffed beyond comprehension; the salami and salad will spill out despite your best efforts. You will have dressing on your face and on your lap, but you’ll be happy.
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(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Roma Market
Pasadena Deli $
Jonathan Gold referred fondly to the sandwich at this Pasadena deli simply as “the sandwich,” as if referring to any other sandwich when talking about an Italian sub was simply unthinkable. Wrapped in Pink Panther-colored deli paper, the sandwiches are piled high by the register so that customers can simply grab one and go. There are no substitutions or omissions. This is the way proprietor Rosario Mazzeo has been making them since 1975, and it’s the way you’re going to eat it: a crusty roll drizzled with good olive oil and a modest amount of soppressata, mortadella, capicola and shards of sharp, aged provolone. Lettuce and other condiments would just muddy the flavors. But sometimes I buy a jar of pepperoncini along with my sandwich anyway.
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Santoro's Submarine Sandwiches
Burbank Deli $
There are two basic camps of Italian subs. One comes on bread fully sliced in half. The other comes on a split roll that resembles a bread taco and will require you to cock your head to an unnatural angle to get the entire thing in your mouth. The Italian at Santoro’s is in the latter camp. It’s a soft, squishy boat roll stuffed with salami from Molinari in San Francisco, capicola and Wisconsin provolone. There’s no lettuce on this sandwich. But there is chopped pickle, onion and tomato, and enough so that you don’t miss the lettuce or any other condiments. Unwrap, bend your knees, cock your head and you should be just fine.
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(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Italian $
The Macellaia, or the female butcher sandwich from the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, is a carefully curated charcuterie and cheese board on a roll. Ribbons of prosciutto cotto are layered onto slices of finocchiona, beautifully marbled coppa and spicy ventricina. You can taste the fennel in the finocchiona and each of the different meats deliver their own unique wallop of pork. There’s just enough shaved Parmesan to let you know its there. The sandwich is dressed simply with shredded lettuce, good olive oil, vinegar and spices. Everything is piled onto a crusty roll that’s soft and airy in the middle.
“Would you like a sip of wine while you wait?” asked a man behind the counter.
This place is so much more than a deli, providing cheese and other specialty ingredients to some of the best restaurants in town. It also happens to be a great place to get an Italian sub.
“Would you like a sip of wine while you wait?” asked a man behind the counter.
This place is so much more than a deli, providing cheese and other specialty ingredients to some of the best restaurants in town. It also happens to be a great place to get an Italian sub.
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(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Uncle Paulie's Deli
Studio City Deli $
This may be the cheffiest Italian deli in Los Angeles. Salads in the case are made with produce from the farmers market, the mozzarella on your sandwich is made in house and at one point, there was a cacio e pepe breakfast sandwich on the menu. Uncle Paulie’s Italian sub is an essay in textures and a strong argument for slicing your meats as thin as possible. The salami, mortadella and capicola are razor-thin. The same goes for the aged provolone and the finely shaved lettuce and onion. It’s the precise ratio of meat to cheese to schmutz that ensures every bite is nothing short of perfection.
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(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Wax Paper
Elysian Valley Deli $
Wax Paper is the sandwich shop that names its creations after NPR hosts. I’m especially fond of the Evan Kleiman, mostly because I’ve been a fan of Kleiman’s for years, and because pepperoncini-pickled hard boiled eggs and house-made salted maple butter are a winning combination. But that’s a sandwich for another list. The Larry Mantle is the shop’s version of an Italian sub, though it’s more of a meat and cheese boat in a box. A soft sesame roll is split down the middle and slathered with a spicy aioli. Next is a layer of herb bologna that eats like a zesty, herb speckled mortadella. And some thinly sliced salami, too. I appreciate the surge of heat from thick-cut pickled peppers and the sizeable heap of pecorino in the middle of the sandwich. The shredded lettuce is heavily dressed in an oregano vinaigrette and strewn with pickled and raw onions, but if you want to double down on the acid, there’s a tiny cup of pepper vinegar on the side for drizzling or guzzling. Larry Mantle should be proud.
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