Best Sandwiches Restaurants in Chinatown
6 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Eastside Italian Deli
Family-run since 1929 in LA's original Little Italy, still slinging enormous Italian sandwiches with housemade Maestro sausage from a recipe born inside the market itself.
Notable Picks
8.3
A 1929 holdover from LA's original Little Italy that still builds oversized Italian sandwiches around housemade Maestro sausage—a recipe that started inside the market and never left. The draw is old-line deli craft at counter-service speed and price, landing it squarely in the pre-game Dodger Stadium rotation for anyone who wants a real sandwich without a real wait. Expect a no-frills storefront, street parking that thins out fast at lunch, and portions that make splitting reasonable.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pastrami Sandwich, Spicy Italian Cold Cuts Sub, Italian Meatball Hot Sandwich
What Makes it Special: Family-run since 1929 in LA's original Little Italy, still slinging enormous Italian sandwiches with housemade Maestro sausage from a recipe born inside the market itself.
8.2
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
The 1908 original that put French dip on the map—beef hand-carved to order, rolls dunked in natural jus at the counter, sawdust still on the floor. The communal-table, cafeteria-line format rewards decisive ordering and a willingness to elbow in during peak hours. Go for the double-dipped beef and expect the experience to feel like a working lunch counter that happens to be a monument.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef French Dip Double-Dipped, Lamb French Dip, Pickled Eggs
What Makes it Special: Credited as the birthplace of the French dip sandwich since 1908, with meat hand-carved and rolls dipped in natural roasting juices
8.1
A Chinatown market counter that has been building banh mi on warm, crusty French bread for three decades—the kind of place where the bread-to-filling ratio and pate spread feel dialed in by sheer repetition. Locals line up for sub-$5 sandwiches that hold up against shops charging twice as much, making it a reliable default for anyone passing through Ord Street on a lunch run.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dac Biet #1 Special Banh Mi, #12 Pork Belly Banh Mi, Tofu Banh Mi
What Makes it Special: A 30-year-old Chinatown market stall turning out some of the cheapest and best banh mi in Los Angeles on warm, crusty French bread.
8
A Homeboy Industries social enterprise cafe in Chinatown where every plate—chilaquiles, carnitas tacos, chile relleno grilled cheese—funds job training for formerly incarcerated women, with ingredients pulled from their own organic garden. The room runs quiet and calm, built for conversation over a cheap, filling meal that lands with more care than the price suggests. It works best as a weekday lunch stop where the food carries real weight and the mission gives the whole experience a different kind of purpose.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chilaquiles, Pork Carnitas Taco, Chile Relleno Grilled Cheese
What Makes it Special: A Homeboy Industries social enterprise where every meal funds job training for formerly incarcerated women, with ingredients grown in their own organic garden.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A counter-service deli built on Bub & Grandma's bread and NPR-themed sandwiches—the roast beef comes with pickled beets and French onion dip, the Italian sub leans meaty and East Coast-inspired. The Chinatown arcade location served the same thoughtful builds as the Frogtown original, with Dole Whip rotating through flavors like lime and Tajin. Note: This location is currently listed as closed.
Must-Try Dishes:
Roast Beef Sandwich, Dole Whip, Pasta Salad
What Makes it Special: Creative deli sandwiches with nostalgic touches like Dole Whip and house-pickled vegetables in a Chinatown storefront
#6
Katsu Sando
7.8
A focused Japanese sandwich counter that builds around panko-breaded katsu on milk bread, with unexpected detours into fruit sandos and walnut shrimp that signal a kitchen thinking beyond the obvious. The tight menu and quick-turn format make it a reliable lunch stop for the Little Tokyo corridor, where the draw is precision on a narrow concept rather than range.
Must-Try Dishes:
Menchi Katsu, Chicken Katsu Sando, Fruit Sando
What Makes it Special: Japanese sandwich counter in Little Tokyo turning out crisp, panko-breaded katsu sandos and unexpected items like fruit sandos and walnut shrimp on milk bread