Philippe the Original boasts the invention of the classic French Dipped Sandwich from all the way back in 1918. This unique, divey restaurant in Chinatown was highly recommended to me by a coworker who sent me on a quest to get him a bottle of their famous hot mustard during my weekender trip to LA. Since we had just one full day to spend in the city of angels, we stopped at Philippe’s for our only lunch meal of the trip.

When you enter Philippe’s, you can see the footprint of their long-lasting popularity and rich history in LA. A vast array of tables and chairs, a very long queue aisle, and tons of neon signs tell you right away that this is the place to be. This restaurant is clearly built to accommodate large amounts of happy customers and even shows plaques along the walls of newspaper articles detailing the restaurant’s long life as a hot spot in the city. When you get to the counter, a classic chalk-style menu tells everything you need to know about what to order, and one of their many “Carvers” will assemble your entire meal right in front of you.

My companions and I all ordered the beef dip on a French roll with swiss cheese–theirs double-dipped, of course, for the iconic French dip experience–with a side of lemonade. Once sat in our booth, we each gave the hot mustard a go, and while it was too spicy for the likes of me, the others enjoyed it very much with their sandwiches. Philippe’s French Dip sandwich was the ultimate comfort food. A juicy, savory, meaty sandwich with perfectly soft and melty swiss cheese, on a tasty French loaf bathed in the natural gravy of the tender beef. Right after my first bite, I knew I would be missing this sandwich for months, or even years, to come. I ate as slowly as possible, trying to make the experience last as long as I could. 

After lunch, we ran up to the candy counter to pick up a bottle of their hot mustard (the bounty at the end of my quest), and took some pictures in their vintage phone booths. As we left Philippe’s behind, I found myself feeling very lucky that the first French Dip I ever had came right from the source. 

Conclusion: Vibes: 9/10. Service 8/10. Product 10/10.