Topline:
After seeing a recent Reddit post asking for tasty L.A. sandwiches under $12, we decided to put together a list of our favorites across the region
How low did you go? Most are about $10 - $12, but My Dung in Chinatown has one for $5, and Roma in Pasadena for $6.
What type of sandwiches?? From killer bacon, egg, and cheese, to melt-in-your-mouth pambazos and some of the region's best Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches.
In a recent Reddit post, a user laid down the gauntlet. Can you get a tasty sandwich in L.A. for $12 or less? If so, where?
With rising prices, it's a daunting quest, but we love a challenge. So we put on our collective thinking hats and came up with a bunch of sandwich spots that satisfy without breaking the bank.
L.A., the South Bay, Long Beach, and Orange County — we have you covered.
Let's start with one of the greatest value sandwiches we know, just $6, at Roma Market in Pasadena. At the heart of the operation is 83-year-old Rosario Mazzeo, who wakes up early to oversee the construction of 500 sandwiches sold daily.
The draw is the simple execution of a Sicilian-style bread with its rustic, crusty outside and soft, pillowy inside. It contains a fine selection of Italian-cured meats and cheese, including capicola, mortadella, prosciutto, and provolone. One condiment alone marries the sandwich's contents: a simple drizzle of olive oil. It’s an exercise in how certain foods don’t need to be overly complicated but still achieve greatness, offering comfort with each bite.
Address: 918 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena, 91104
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Look out for the iconic mid-century white and red signage in all its glory advertising Connal’s, a much-loved walk-up window establishment. It's probably best known for its grinders, a sub sandwich whose name, it's said, originates from Italian American communities on the East Coast who used the term to describe the experience of biting into firm Italian bread.
When ordering at the window, your best bet is to choose the turkey grinder ($9.49). Once your order is called, grab a seat on the back patio and dig in. The combination of cold cuts, tomato, and shredded lettuce, dressed with olive oil and vinegar, gives the meal a festive air as a confetti of lettuce rains onto your plate. You can’t beat it.
Address: 1505 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, 91104
Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A&J Seafood Shack is another window walk-up, located at the busy corner of Anaheim and Obispo Avenues. Primarily based on Cambodian flavors, the menu goes deep with offerings such as a delectable garlic shrimp plate inspired by Oahu’s North Shore shrimp trucks and whole lobster and crab plates fried to perfection with aromatic spices.
The beef stick sandwich ($11), known in Cambodia as num pang, is a cousin of the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. It’s made with skewered, grilled beef, seasoned with lemongrass on a pillowy soft-on-the-inside, crusty-on-the-outside French roll, and packed with pickled green papaya salad-like slaw, spears of cucumber and chutes of jalapeño and sriracha mayo. A bite delivers equal amounts of sweet, spicy, and funky from the dried shrimp, fish sauce, and slaw.
Traffic along busy Anaheim will be whizzing by, and finding parking might be a bit of a chore, but once it’s just you and the beef stick sandwich, all the mundane realities of how you got there will likely fade away.
Address: 3201 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, 90804
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What do you get when you have a restaurateur like Eric Park, who constantly tinkers with a dining concept, sculpting and molding it until it perfectly aligns with the neighborhood's current-day vibe?
The answer is Bodega Park.
Several types of breakfast sandwiches are on Bodega Park's all-day breakfast menu, owing to Park’s time on the East Coast. There he attended culinary school and fell in love with Philadelphia's Italian hoagies — seen, of course, through the lens of a Korean American who grew up in Los Angeles.
The East Coast baddie-approved bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich ($11) features superbly cooked thick-cut bacon, a simple slice of American cheese, and an over-medium-fried egg. It will send you happily on your way to the rest of your (perfect) day.
Location: 2852 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90026
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Somehow, owner Tommy Brockert timed the opening of his second location of Dodger-themed pizzeria LaSorted’s in Chinatown perfectly as the boys in blue were crushing their way through the post-season last year.
While the pizza at LaSorted’s always hits, one new item stole my heart that night: the Lil Tony sandwich ($10). Currently only available in Chinatown, the sandwich features a sesame seed bun piled high with fried mortadella and drizzled with hot mustard from Philippe’s, located just down the street.
The name itself is a double entendre worthy of a Kendrick Lamar lyric. The name Lil Tony references Anthony Bourdain's favorite sandwich, as noted in his 2016 cookbook, Appetites. But it’s also an homage to Little Joe’s, the Italian American restaurant built in 1897 in Chinatown that was a hangout for Hollywood stars and Dodgers fans before a baseball game. This is L.A. food history at its finest.
Location: 984 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, 90012
Hours: Monday, noon to 9 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, noon to 1 a.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
A banh mi sandwich is one of life’s pleasures. While you can find good ones in the San Gabriel Valley or Little Saigon in Orange County, finding them in other parts of Los Angeles can be more challenging.
One under-the-radar gem is the tiny storefront of My Dung, located on Ord Street between Broadway and Spring Street. It doesn’t exactly scream neighborhood sandwich destination on first arrival. You’re greeted by fresh produce stacked outside the entrance, including bunches of bananas hanging from the outside awning. The same goes when entering what appears to be a corner store, but take a quick stroll to the back, and you’ll find a menu board with about eight different sandwiches for around $5 - $8.
Grab a seat inside or hang outside while you wait for sandwiches. When they call your number, unwrap your offerings and dig in. The perfectly crusty roll (with a helping of pâté slathered inside) envelopes the sandwich's contents, whether it be cold cuts, barbecue pork, or shredded tofu with carrot, daikon, cilantro, and cucumber providing that extra bit of roughage. The ultra-fresh ingredients, paired with the salty-savory cuts of meat, create a highly satisfying experience.
Location: 314 Ord St., Los Angeles, 90012
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As you may know, we are a sucker for a good market with food that can be enjoyed in-house or taken home. There's something appealing after grabbing a bite to have the opportunity to peruse the shelves and refrigerated sections to see what tasty items we can find.
Giuliano’s fits the bill with its bustling deli counter, bakery, and grocery store. The place has been around since 1952 and has a particular type of hometown charm, which you’d see on an episode of California Gold hosted by our patron saint, Huell Howser.
After taking it all in, head toward the back, where the sandwich counter is located. You’ll find a stack of their signature Torpedo sandwiches in large ($12.50) and small ($8.50) sizes. The wrapping resembles the Italian flag, perfect for to-go orders, especially if you are in a hurry.
The sandwich contains a variety of Italian meats, including capocollo (aka gabagool) and mortadella salami, plus provolone cheese and lettuce. It's a meat and cheese rainbow, and the in-house baked bread is soft, pillowy, and heavenly. Pro tip: When paying for a sandwich, ask for the small oil and vinegar container. You'll want to drizzle the oil yourself on the inside of your sandwich.
Location: 1138 W. Gardena Blvd., Gardena, 90247
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Along the Sunset Strip, a tiny window serves inspired East Coast meets West Coast sandwiches.
Owners Shanna Lynn Milazzo, from Queens, New York, and partner and chef Chris Olsefsky, from L.A., have blended their styles in Super Rad Sub Shop.
For the most bang for the buck, look no further than the Bodega Egg & Cheese ($12). It contains a soft scrambled egg, American cheese, and crispy bacon with just the right chew smothered in ketchup on a pillowy-soft sesame brioche bun. It feels so universal, designed for anyone to enjoy, and it's a current favorite when I'm on the go.
Location: 8264 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 90046
Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I was immediately charmed and intrigued when I saw the name Lil Pickle inside a retro-looking strip mall. (As a general rule of thumb, if you reference a pickle and/or an anthropomorphized pickle mascot, there’s a good chance that I will be there—a special shout-out to Dilly’s Sandwiches in Long Beach).
But the fun doesn’t stop simply with the branding at Lil Pickle; once inside, you’ll find the place covered with local sports memorabilia, ranging from little league teams to famous golf tournaments. Then there are the sandwiches; each type is priced the same, starting with a Junior six-inch for $7.30 and a Regular for $11. Some favorites include their Lil Pickle Sub, which is made with ham, salami, capicolla, cheese, oil and Italian dressing. The Natural is made with turkey, avocado spread, a mixture of avocado and mayo, and cheese on a wheat roll. Each sandwich comes packed with lettuce, tomato, and, of course, what else but a kosher pickle slice.
Location: 2985 Fairview Rd., Costa Mesa, 92626
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Much ink has been spilled about El Huarache Azteca, including by Jonathan Gold, who included it in his 99 Essential Restaurants 2008 for the L.A. Weekly. Its namesake dish, made of an elongated masa, named after the Spanish word for sandal, is nothing short of spectacular.
The menu celebrates the cuisine of Mexico City or “Distrito Federal,” like their pambazo, a cousin of the torta, often sold on the city's bustling streets ($8.50). Here at more-laid-back El Huarache, it still carries those vibes. I had mine while sitting at one of their many sidewalk tables. The guajillo chili sauce-saturated bread with notes of sweet, smoked, and earthy flavors fused with a potato and chorizo mixture that melts in your mouth.
Location: 5225 York Blvd., Los Angeles, 90042
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Topline:
Less than 24 hours before season opener, longtime Dodgers fans demand the team divest from immigration detention centers and decline the White House visit.
More details: More than 30 people joined Richard Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. “We are demanding that the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together we have the power to make a change.”
The backstory: The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.
Read on ... for more on how some fans are feeling leading up to Opening Day.
This story first appeared on The LA Local.
Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium.
“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.
Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.
More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team.
“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”
Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”
Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.
In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers.
“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.
The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants.
In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.
The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.
When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a “slap in the face.”
“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.
“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place.
Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.
“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Topline:
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley, according to officials.
What are black flies? Black flies are tiny, pesky insects that often get mistaken for mosquitoes. The biting flies breed near foothill communities like Altadena, Azusa, San Dimas and Glendora. They also thrive near flowing water.
What you need to know: Black flies fly in large numbers and long distances. When they bite both humans and pets, they aim around the eyes and the neck. While the bites can be painful, they don’t transmit diseases in L.A. County.
A population spike: Anais Medina Diaz, director of communications at the SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District, told LAist that at this time last year, surveillance traps had single-digit counts of adult black flies, but this year those traps are collecting counts above 500.
So, why is the population growing? Diaz said the surge is unusual for this time of year.
“We are experiencing them now because of the warmer temperatures we've been having,” Diaz said. “And of course, all the water that's going down through the river, we have a high flow of water that is not typical for this time of year.”
What officials are doing: Officials say teams are identifying and treating public sources where black flies can thrive, but that many of these sites are influenced by natural or infrastructure conditions outside their control.
How to protect yourself: Black flies can be hard to avoid outside in dense vegetation, but you can reduce the chance of a bite by:
SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District
Submit a tip here
You can also send a tip to district@sgvmosquito.org
(626) 814-9466
Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District
Submit a service request here
You can also send a service request to info@GLAmosquito.org
(562) 944-9656
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control
Submit a report here
You can also send a report to ocvcd@ocvector.org
(714) 971-2421 or (949) 654-2421
Local favorite mom and pop shop READ Books in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say they’re just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
What happened? The building where Kaplan and his wife Debbie rent was recently sold and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
What's next? While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Read on... for what small businesses can do.
A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.
Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.
“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.
But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.
California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.
Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.
Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.
“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.
She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.
“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.
Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.
After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.
While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.
Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.
By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.
When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.
“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.
“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote on Tuesday to send ballots to more than half a million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which has essentially been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote on Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired.The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote Tuesday to send ballots to more than a half-million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which essentially has been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
