Voted Best Cheap Beer on Draft in our 2014 Best of LA issue, Philippe the Original is mainly billed as the birthplace of the French dip sandwich, and there’s no doubt that’s quite an achievement (though if you ask the folks over at Cole’s, they’ll claim the honor for themselves). But what we find so endearing about Philippe’s, so wonderful, so … essential, is the sensation of wandering, through some kind of time warp, into L.A. circa 1910.
Philippe’s opened in 1908 and has added some modern amenities in its 107 years: There are a few neon signs behind the counter along with the wooden ones, and late last year they even started accepting credit cards. But the experience of standing in line, ordering your sandwich and having the meat carved in front of you (go for lamb, double-dipped), then finding a place in the massive dining room, is unchanged. Early in the morning this is a great place to find a kind of club for old-timers and municipal workers, and the breakfast is unbelievably cheap. The whole place oozes a down-and-dirty charm, the true vintage soul of Los Angeles.
The average tourist knows to order a juicy beef sandwich with a crisp pickle and a scoop of macaroni or potato salad, but the locals know that this cafeteria also serves some of the most inexpensive draft beer in town. At least half of Philippe’s six taps feature local brews from the likes of San Diego’s Karl Strauss Brewing Co., Santa Barbara’s 805 and L.A.’s Angel City Brewery. At $3.90 for a 10-ounce glass and $5.95 for a pint, it’s almost cheaper to drink an Angel City beer here than it is at the actual brewery, just a mile south on Alameda. If you want to order a beer whose brewery predates even Philippe, Bud Light is even easier on the wallet: For less than $4 a pint, you may still have cash left over for a slice of apple pie.
– See more at: LA Weekly
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