8 of the best classic tuna melt sandwiches in L.A. and Orange County
The tuna melt combines two of America‘s most glorious diner sandwiches: the grilled cheese and the tuna salad. According to legend, its origins trace to a lunch counter at a Woolworth’s department store in Charleston, S.C. In 1960, a cook accidentally spilled some tuna salad on a grilled cheese sandwich, inadvertently discovering a beloved combination.
A traditional tuna melt features griddled bread, tuna salad, melted cheese and, more often than not, a side of bread-and-butter pickles. The tuna salad should be creamy and the cheese should be gooey, all pressed together between crispy, buttery slices of bread.
There are countless variations on the tuna melt. Some versions call for Swiss cheese, while others add sharp cheddar. The sandwich can be served open-faced or closed, with rye bread, sourdough or, in some cases, an English muffin.
In the last few years, the tinned fish that’s often used in tuna melts has experienced a sort of renaissance thanks to brands like Fishwife, a woman-owned, premium tinned fish company with an emphasis on ethically sourced seafood. Now, in addition to albacore, brands like Fishwife are canning slow-smoked mackerel, rainbow trout, Cantabrian anchovies and more.
Local restaurants also offer modern, sustainably minded takes on the classic tuna melt. Some of the most coveted melts don’t even use tuna, like the elusive smoked whitefish melt that makes seasonal appearances on the menu at Silver Lake’s All Day Baby restaurant. Whether you are looking for a diner classic or an elevated take, there are plenty of places to grab a great tuna melt in L.A. and Orange County, with some served up right at the lunch counter for peak nostalgia.
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The Apple Pan
West Los Angeles American $
The Apple Pan is a West L.A. classic operating under the motto ”Quality Forever.” Open since 1947, the diner’s seating is limited to one big U-shaped counter, plus a quick-service window with servers who take orders in paper hats. The menu is small and simple, focusing mainly on burgers, fries and pies. In fact, you will not find a tuna melt listed on the menu but everyone knows it as the Apple Pan’s not-so-secret menu hack. The bread is griddled to buttery crispness and the cheese is practically molten, but the tuna salad is barely warm since adding it to the sandwich is the last step. Since this is an off-menu item, it is customizable with rye, white or sourdough bread and Tillamook cheddar or natural Swiss cheese. In true lunch-counter tradition, the melt is always served with medallions of sweet bread-and-butter pickles and black olives on the side.
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Cassell's Hamburgers
Koreatown American $$
Located inside the Hotel Normandie, Cassell’s Hamburgers has all the charm of a retro diner if that diner made nearly everything from scratch. An old-fashioned pie carousel displays the daily pie offerings and the cream soda is crystal clear, save for some black flecks of vanilla bean from the house-made syrup. Cassell’s is known for its patty melt, which is a winner in its own right, but the tuna melt should not be overlooked. The sandwich is filled with a house-poached albacore tuna salad mixed with house-made mayonnaise, celery and onion, but it’s the wings of crispy cheese that really help this tuna melt fly. The cheese isn’t added to the top of the sandwich but melted onto the edges of the bread, so most of the farmstead cheddar or Swiss (your choice) crisps up on the flat-top. Fold the cheese wings into the sandwich for a superbly textured bite.
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Clark Street
Westside American Bakery $
Clark Street is a bakery first, which means it doesn’t overlook the sandwich bread. Established in 2014 out of owner Zack Hall’s apartment, the Swedish-inspired bakery has grown to three locations with a menu that goes beyond baked goods. Among them is the tuna melt that receives high praise on TikTok and IRL. The sandwich starts with house-baked nutty sandwich bread and gets piled with line-caught tuna. The sandwich is grilled, making the American cheese melt in a way that evokes the grilled cheese sandwiches of childhood. Adding avocado is highly recommended and adds some California sophistication to this nostalgic tuna melt.
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Fermentation Farm
Costa Mesa Farm-to-table American $
Fermentation Farm isn’t actually a farm, but the Costa Mesa market and cafe does grow beneficial bacteria in the form of kombucha, fermented vegetables, fermented dairy yogurt, live starters, mother cultures and more. Founded by chiropractor Yasmine Mason, Fermentation Farm grew out of Mason’s love of holistic health and making fermented foods for patients. The menu features probiotic-rich foods, including a good-for-the-gut tuna melt. Wild line-caught albacore is grilled with garlic kraut and raw cheese on fermented sourdough bread. The sandwich is incredibly crispy, with the rich cheese and tuna salad cut by the acidity of the kraut. You won’t feel stuffed after polishing off this sandwich, especially if you wash it down with one of the 18 kombucha flavors on tap or a fermented soda from the fridge.
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Irv's Burgers
Newport Beach American $
Irv’s Burgers began as a burger stand off Route 66 in 1946 and has gone through numerous owners and names since. Most recently, Lawrence Longo stepped in to help the Hong family, who have owned it since 2000, to preserve a piece of American history. The L.A. staple opened its first Orange County location at the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach earlier this year. Built in 1936 by Al Anderson, the Fun Zone is a Coney Island-style midway with a Ferris Wheel and the home of the original frozen banana. While burgers, shakes and hot dogs are Irv’s claim to fame, the tuna melt is also a draw. Grilled onions and two layers of cheddar cheese on both sides of the rye bread encase classic tuna salad. Take a seat on one of Irv’s spinning barstools or bring the substantial sandwich with you on your ferry ride.
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Joan's on Third
Beverly Grove American $
Joan’s on Third is an L.A. institution that is just as famous for its market as it is for its cafe. The shelves are always meticulously lined with fancy jars of sauce, good olive oil and Joan’s packaged snacks, while the deli case and pastry counter overflow with fresh-baked bounty. Like everything on the menu, the tuna melt is made to the standard of chef, owner and tastemaker Joan McNamara. The sandwich deviates from the traditional rye bread, opting for a ciabatta roll that is soft and chewy in the middle with the right amount of crunch on the outside. Melty strands of Jack cheese spill from the edges of the roll that also contains Dijon mustard, sliced tomato and tuna salad studded with green onion and shredded carrots. House-made pickles are served on the side, but I recommend adding them to the sandwich for zesty crunch.
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Pann's Restaurant
American $
This 1950s coffee shop is something of a celebrity, not only for its movie appearances but also for being one of the city’s best-preserved examples of Googie architecture. The exposed stone walls, terrazzo floors and slanted angles all hearken to L.A.’s atomic age. Service is warm but snappy and breakfast is available all day. If you stop in for lunch and want to order something less predictable than the Dreamburger, go for the tuna melt. The toasted bread tastes of all the delicious diner dishes that have seasoned the flat-top ahead of it. The tuna salad spills from the sides, getting a bit of browning from the grill, with a slice of American cheese melted on top. Sweet bread-and-butter pickles are served on the side along with a lone pickled jalapeño for heat. A side of French fries is the obvious side choice for this retro lunch, but Pann’s coleslaw is also a good call. It’s cool and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness from the addition of crushed pineapple, which honestly just makes sense for a midcentury-inspired meal. “Add a little black pepper to the coleslaw,” my server recommended on my last visit. “It adds a little bam bam.”
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Son of a Gun
Beverly Grove American $$
A modern seafood concept from Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Son of a Gun is a local gem. The dining room is decorated with plenty of nautical kitsch and the menu brings finesse to fish house staples. The flawless shrimp toast, the refined lobster roll and the well-known fried chicken sandwich are all excellent choices, but the tuna melt is not to be missed. The subtle substitution of crème fraîche in place of mayonnaise, and the addition of sliced tomato and good sharp cheddar, make this an elevated version of the diner classic. The mild rye bread is grilled to a buttery golden brown and garnished simply with a single celery leaf. The tuna melt also is portioned in a size that leaves room to order a snack, like pimento cheese dip served with saltines and Pink Lady apples.
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