Sabbatikos

Philippe The Original, an absolute landmark in Los Angeles, has been serving its famous French dipped sandwiches since 1908. This is LA, so here everybody loves a good origin story. This is the story of a mighty sandwich with humble beginnings.

Founded by Philippe Mathieu, the restaurant claims to have invented the French dipped sandwich by accident in 1918 when a French roll was dropped into a pan of meat drippings when making a sandwich for a customer. The customer, in a hurry, said he’d still take the soggy sandwich and left. The next day, the same customer returned with some friends eagerly asking for more dipped sandwiches. The rest, they say, is history. This happy and delicious accident led to the creation of a beloved dish that has become a staple of LA cuisine and my wife’s go-to sammich.

Located in its current spot on Alameda Street since 1951, Philippe’s has retained its old-school charm with sawdust on the floors and a cafeteria-style service where “carvers” prepare and serve food at a long counter after queuing yourself in a lengthly winding line.

The menu remains largely unchanged, featuring the iconic French dipped sandwiches with a choice of meats like roast beef, pork, lamb, turkey, or ham, served on freshly baked rolls dipped in rich au jus (awww jus….). Have your order ready to go. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time waiting in line to make your choice.

Philippe The Original also offers a homemade mustard, which has a cult following. We picked up a jar and joined the cult ourselves.

It took about 45 minutes in the queue to finally place our order. The sandwich is delicious. Simple. Spectacular. Not quite as good as quite possibly the best sandwich I ever ate, but a fair contender! We’ll be sure and dip back again.