For 55 years there has been once place to go at 2am for good Pastrami. Johnnie's Pastrami is a Culver City landmark. Just around the corner from Titos Tacos you find this 1950's neon clad restaurant. I have lived down the street from it for five years and never seen it empty. It's the hub of the late shift workers, Cops, Teens, Sony employees, and Pastrami aficionados. You can sit inside at the counter and bask in the smells of cooking meat or relax on the patios with their fire pits. Like the menu says "The juke boxes on the counters and the booths are all original. So are some of the waitresses." This place has a very retro feel because it really is old, not some replica idealized version. It features my favorite thing about a late night eatery: Fast fresh food cooked to order.

The four page menu is always the same, night and day. So are the reasonable prices. Johnnie's is priced right on the mark for quality food. $9.75 gets your choice of Hot Pastrami or Corned Beef on Rye or a French Roll. The Menu runs the typical 50's dinner gambit. Hamburgers, Chili Dogs, Sandwiches, Taco's, Milk shakes, Fries, and Fried Chicken. The big attraction is always the Pastrami.

Every meal at Johnnie's starts off with free kosher style pickles. They are so good they made the menu by the gallon for takeout.

Crisp and fresh, the perfect way to clear your palette for a giant sandwich of meat. Let's be clear, these are not overpriced under cooked thin Jerry's Deli sandwiches. These are thick juicy dripping steaming piles of meat on fresh rye. This is how pastrami was meant to be had.

I do have to say the corned beef sandwiches are phenomenal as well. It's got a little less zip than the Pastrami. No 2am meal is complete with with the fried group. For this Johnnie's serves up French Fries & Onion rings. The fries are 1/4" crinkle cut numbers while the rings are about 1.5". Served golden and delicious with ketchup and a dot of mustard in the middle.

You could wash it down with a soda, but why do that when they have Milkshakes.

Johnnie's is down the street from the new Downtown Culver City with it's trendy (and tasty!) restaurants, shops, and cafes. So when you get out of the movie theater at 2am and Fords is closed, just remember you are a short hop from some great food.

Johnnie's Pastrami
4017 Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City
(310) 397-6654
Sunday thru Thursday 10am - 2:30am
Friday thru Saturday 10am - 3:30am
Cash Only, Takeout window, Free Parking around back

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Photos by Brad Herman for LAist