DeFranko's Large Pastrami YES YES

DeFranko’s

7532 Woodley Ave, San Fernando Valley, CA 91406 (818 780 9556)

Large Pastrami Yes Yes! That’s all you need to know. Now don’t be a putz and go get one TODAY!

A few years ago my buddy Skip was working in the area and said that I had to try this Pastrami Sandwich from DeFrankos. I am always up for a new sandwich place but have felt let down by some other LA shops in the past. Some try just too hard to make their sandwiches more “gourmet” than they should and the others (Quizway and Subnos) take pride in using pre rolled logs of meat, specific amounts of cheese, veggies and my favorite, the bathroom caulk gun of mayo for your condiments. These places always disappoint and leave you with a loaf of bread with little to be desired in between. But not DeFrankos!

Nestled into a space that is probably no larger than J-Dog’s Lincoln Continental, on Woodley @ Saticoy and right next to the Flyaway sits DeFrankos Submarines. A sandwich shop that has been serving folks in the Valley for almost 40 years! Dru and the crew really know how to make your experience here an unforgettable one and chances are, that if you went here as a kid, you are bringing your kids here now!

For me, as soon as I walked into this place and saw what goes on I knew THIS was a real sandwich shop. 9 out of 10 times when you go, especially around lunchtime, there is a line around the building. Why? Because the quality, size, price, speed the sandwich is made and tradition that go into making every sub here. Yes, you can get typical sandwiches like Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Tuna Salad and even Meatball, but when you go, and believe me, you will, you HAVE to get the Large Pastrami Yes Yes.

Here’s how it works! It’s like the old “Seinfeld” episode “Soup Nazi”. You walk in and generally the guy who is preparing sandwiches has his back to you and screams out, “Next!?” Don’t be scared, he is a master of his craft so when that chance comes to order just yell out, “Large Pastrami Yes Yes!” Your “Sandwich Dictator” will put in the order for the Pastrami with the kitchen shortly after.

Education time Fat Kids… Pastrami which is a cut of Beef that when raw is brined, partly dried, seasoned with various herbs, spices, then smoked or steamed. However, DeFrankos kicks it up another notch and drops it’s portion into a deep fryer for a few minutes to re invigorate the meat and make it so much more succulent!

While the Pastrami is taking a bath, freshly baked Sesame seeded Italian bread is being cut in half, slathered with Yellow Mustard and blanketed with Provolone ready to embrace that hot meat like my Snuggie in the wintertime. When piled on top, the Pastrami ignites the cheese and mustard which alone make for an amazing sandwich but it’s not done yet! It gets passed back to your “Sandwich Dictator” where he begins the final stages by adding heaps of marinated diced Tomatoes, White Onions and Pickles. On top of that they hit your sandwich with submarine lube and with a few shakes of the wrist salt, pepper and Italian seasoning! BOOM! Now, and only now are you ready to sink your teeth into the behemoth!

When you take that first bite it’s a guarantee that bits and pieces of the sandwich are falling out but that’s the beauty of the sandwich, you eat it with your hands. The texture from the pickles, onions and tomatoes combined with the saltiness from the meat, the bite from the mustard and the creaminess of the provolone make it next to impossible to put it down.

This monster is so good I have requests from back East to send one overnight mail! It’s that awesome!

The Large Pastrami Yes Yes from DeFranko’s is iconic for all of the San Fernando Valley residents who have been there, stop in and see what 40 years of making great sandwiches is all about!

From a Fat Kid scale of 1-10 there is NO DOUBT that DeFranko’s Large Pastrami Yes Yes is a 10. Whether you are on the Westside, in Downtown or the hood you have to experience this sandwich for yourself!