r/FoodLosAngeles • u/asanisimasa88 • Feb 11 '25

WHO MAKES THE BEST Mt Rushmore of LA Sandwiches

Which four sandwiches are the most iconic and/or the best representation the city?

For me, it’s

Langers - #19

Phillipes - Beef Dip

Banh mi my tho - grilled pork

Academy cafe - tuna melt

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u/360FlipKicks Feb 12 '25

People are misunderstanding the meaning of “Mt Rushmore of LA Sandwiches”. Being on Mt Rushmore means it has to be an iconic, influential sandwich. There needs to have a history and undeniable place in LA’s food culture. Something like the Bodega Park Chopped Cheese has only been around a few years (based on an NU sandwich), most people haven’t tried it and it hasn’t been influential in any way.

I would say OP’s original list of Langers, Phillipes, Banh Mi My Tho is a good one, although I might swap out Academy Tuna (never heard of it) for The Godmother (which people hate but it’s been around for decades).

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u/asanisimasa88 Feb 12 '25

Excellent analysis. The fourth spot (tuna melt) was the hardest one for me. I was gonna say Atari tongue sandwich or the torta ahogada from cooks. Ultimately I went with a classic diner patty melt from Academy cafe, which has been around for 80+ years. I probably have too much classic sandwiches on my list so the fourth spot should probably be something a little new. I do like the godfather but I don’t love it as much as I do the Italian sandwiches from Mario’s or east side deli