Philippe’s: Disturbingly delicious French dipped sandwiches

Thursday, 18 June 2009 10:50

If you’re craving a nice little sandwich but are sick and tired of good old Subway, then its time you head over to “Philippe’s The Original”, where you’ll realize que hay de sándwiches a sándwiches. That’s all you’ll find at this quaint little joint: French dipped sandwiches with a lot of flavor and a ton of history.  See, “Philippe’s” has been an L.A. staple for over 100 years and its even considered to be the birthplace of the French dipped sandwich.  While many sandwich connoisseurs might disagree and state other wise, you can’t compete with the years of experience and the gazillion of people this joint has served.  “Philippe’s” is conveniently located in front of the L.A. Union Station and is just a few feet away from la Placita Olvera, so you can always make an evening out of your trip to this joint… and even if you don’t, it’s totally worth just the drive. 

The Original Restaurant

If you must know one thing beforehand is that “Philippe’s” is always packed, so if you don’t do well with crowds or happen to be a tad claustrophobic, prepare yourself for one bumpy ride since the lines are usually really long (on a slow day you’ll find about 10 people per line. 

The place itself is not your typical restaurant. For starters, it used to be a brothel back in the day so the setting is not like the rest of the fast food joints. If that’s not enough, “Philippe’s” has many benches, long community-style tables with wooden stools, and to give it a more old-school/ country feel to it, there’s sawdust on the floor.

La comida

Aunque al primer vistazo el menú de “Philippe’s” parezca poca cosa since there are not that many items listed, it’s all for the better since they work really hard on making the few items that the have the best in the area.

All the sandwiches are prepared the same way and the meat is carved right then and there.  You can choose from: beef, pork, lamb, ham, and turkey.  Also, they are all dipped with the same sauce but it’s also up to you how “dipped” they are; you can get your sandwich with single dip, double dip, or wet.  The best choice is the double dip since you get enough French dip, yet not too much to overpower the taste of the meat.

The beef and the pork are crowd favorites y no por nada… la neta es que están súper deliciosos.  The meat in both sandwiches is beyond delicious… it’s so tender and well cooked aside from being rich and flavorful.  Tendrás que hacer todo lo posible to keep yourself from ordering a second sandwich… ahora sí que “a que no puedes comer sólo uno”.

This French dipped sandwiches come with a pickle and with your choice of side order: macaroni salad, potato salad, or coleslaw.  No hay pierde con el coleslaw ni con la potato salad- the potatoes in this side order are perfectly mashed into small pieces with a perfect mix of seasonings and mayo. 

Por si fuera poco, además de server estos deliciosos sandwiches, they have a nice variety of pies that will satisfy your sweet tooth to the max.  Kudos to the New York style cheesecake and the pecan pie… now that’s a piece of pie! 

Check out this L.A. hotspot, que no te digan, que no te cuenten.  “Philippe’s” will change the way you think about French dipped sandwiches… neta que sí.