Canter's Deli

Reviews

• SA

  Sergio Alexander

  2 days ago
  1.0
  12/1- I had the worst experience at Canters. The service was terrible. I was put in a corner by the dishes first of all. Then it took over 10 minutes to get a cup of chili. During that time the server brought 2 separate orders of pickles to the man next to me as well as another trip for a to go box. When the chili arrived at about 15 minutes in it looked terrible and unappetizing. I ordered a pastrami sandwich and when it arrived it was as if it was sitting in a refrigerator. Cold. The meat and the bread. When the server walked by and ask how everything was I just said it was cold. Needless to say I lost my appetite and left immediately. This was the worst service I've ever had at Canters. The manager on duty had no urgency and looked lost. I've come here for years and something has gone terribly wrong.
• YK

  Yuval Kremer

  4 days ago
  3.0
  It gives me no pleasure to leave this review, because I love Canter's Deli, but what happened to me on Saturday afternoon (11/29/25) needs to be addressed, so hopefully no other customer experiences what I went through. Our group had an 88 year old woman (who looks 88) in a wheelchair, so I entered through the 2nd room (the one next to the Kibbitz Room bar), because we wanted to sit there so that she could use the accessible bathroom. Unfortunately, there's a stand with a cashier, but nobody there (was there even a sign telling people to go into the other room to be seated?). So I walked through that large 2nd room, which had very few diners, to get to the first room, where there was a significant line of people waiting for tables near the bakery (I doubt they were aware of empty tables in the 2nd room). Purely as an aside, if it were my establishment, I would immediately seat a party with an old person in a wheelchair if I have availability in the 2nd room, but I did not expect to jump the line, we waited to be seated til I finally got to the front of the line, and I have not deducted any stars for that. I walked to the table in the 2nd room with the hostess (while my party went out to the street to bring the disabled person in through the entry doors of the 2nd room). As she was seating me with the menus (before my group joined me), I casually mentioned (by way of chitchat or mere conversation) something like "not enough servers" (while looking at the empty tables), which I considered to be a mere observation or a statement of fact, given that there was a line in one room and empty tables in the other. I did not say "You should get more waiters" or "Why don't you have more waiters?" and my tone was conversational and friendly, not hostile. The response from the hostess was so over the top and full of negative energy...that is why I'm leaving this review. I'm gonna assume that she's part of the ownership family or the manager, as I wouldn't expect a regular employee to treat a customer this way. She brought up the number of tables each waiter has, the kitchen, she told me (paraphrasing) that I don't know anything about the service industry, I tried to lower the temperature, even agreeing with her (a lie, because I know a lot about the service industry), I tried to change to a friendly mode with a smile, and she said something like I'm (she's) not smiling or I'm (she's) not laughing. It was all so hostile. I thought it was defensive and it quickly became offensive. Anyway, it ruined my lunch, I lost my appetite, I didn't order an entree, I didn't mention what occurred to my group, just telling them I ate earlier. I used to work at a camp that made us go to the nurse's office and rest if we were stressed out instead of taking it out on the kids. Perhaps, Canters should do something like that, or perhaps a few servers called in sick, or perhaps the servers have to do too much extra stuff (besides serving), or perhaps the restaurant should hire part time seasonal workers, or perhaps the restaurant should switch to a service fee instead of tips...perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. All I know is that I have no patience for being abused for no reason.
• JW

  Joshua William

  5 days ago
  3.0
  Canters? I hardly know her. But seriously, the meat wasn’t that generous for the price. And the pastries are ok (I tried 3), but those croissants looked whack. I will say, as a French fry aficionado, the steak fries were some of the best steak fries I’ve ever had. Not soggy at all! 10/10 will order again. (And that’s coming from a Certified Steak Fry Hater) Pretty sure we got a seeded brown bread that was not Rye on our Reuben. It wasn’t bad, but that didn’t seem like the deep brown Rye I know and love. And like the kraut and dressing and pastrami were all really good, and I’m sure it’s traditional and all, but it wasn’t a mind blowing Reuben. Keep it simple I guess, but I guess simple now costs $22. Meatflation is what the kids are calling it. THE PICKLES WERE INCREDIBLE. DONT CHANGE ANYTHING. LET ME BUY THEM BY THE DELI CONTAINER. Overall, I’ll go again, but at like 11pm when I just need some alright overpriced diner food.
• SR

  Sandra Rochelle

  6 days ago
  2.0
  We visited on Thanksgiving. Our server was outstanding. The restaurant could use a good cleaning, but that's part of its charm, I guess. The matzah ball soup was okay, nothing special. The kicker was that I was about to have to call a lawyer on ADA regulations because of the hostess. We made reservations! When we arrived, my daughter calmly talked to a person up front about what we needed because my mom, with Parkinson's, couldn't stand or walk. She has to stay in her wheelchair. He said there is handicapped seating on one side. When the hostess got to us, she kept asking if she could sit in a chair. We noted it about three times! Because she kept asking it differently. You can tell by her tone, facial expressions, and body language that she was not happy with the answer. We mentioned the guy already told us we can sit on the side of the restaurant thay has the handicap table. But the hostess picked a table in the corner that turns into a dark area where my mom's wheelchair would have stuck out into the aisle, where everyone walking by could hit my mom's chair. I said we were already set up on the other side. The hostess said, "I know, but I set up this table for you." I said that it will not work. She acknowledged that the guy told us where we could sit. Plus, we need to be near the restroom in case my mom gets sick or needs to use it. She then said Okay, step aside, and proceeded to be condescending. I told her I know shes stressed today because of that. Please be nicer. She then became so condescending. She put her hands on my back with a slight push and made a kissing sound. She said a few words abd that when my daughter snapped. They started arguing because apparently the hostess wants and cares about being right, so she kept arguing with my daugter, who also wasnt in the right. I kept telling both of them to stop and let it go. The hostess just kept going on, and on. Also asked my daughter to stop. It wasn't very comfortable. I personally requested the hostess like 5 times to please drop it, she kept trying to poke the bear! If she did it one more time, I was about to take her aside to explain ADA to her. She wasnt in the right. I am sure she will defend herself and will complain to her boss that we were worng, and she will get away with this, and nothing will change because this is about a disabled person. I plan on filing a report. It was wrong for my daughter to snap at her. But my daughter is protective of my mom. I hope the hostess makes better seating choices for disabled people and is more considerate. More considerate. She could have asked us where it would be more comfortable for my mom, shown compassion.
• AC

  Allegra Calderon

  Nov 27, 2025
  1.0
  We stopped at Canter’s on Thanksgiving before heading back to the hospital to see my mom. The matzo ball soup and Thanksgiving plate came out quickly, but after that the experience completely fell apart. We waited 1 hour and 20 minutes for a simple Deli Omelette. Our waitress told us twice it was “on the way,” but it never arrived. When we finally spoke with the manager, she said we wouldn’t be charged for it and that it would be coming out shortly. Within 10 minutes we were later told they actually weren’t making it at all and we were still expected to pay for the rest of the meal. We also never received the pumpkin pie that was supposed to be included. When we questioned the bill, the manager tried to charge us $9 just for the drinks, then put her hand in our faces and told us to “just go.” On a day when we were trying to bring food back to my mom in the hospital, this was incredibly stressful and disappointing. Signed, a lifelong Angeleno who expected better

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