Is Johnny’s Pastrami on Adams Really Just Remodeling?

What’s going on with Johnny’s Pastrami? According to a tipster, the place is currently boarded up tight, and there’s not much to indicate when exactly it might be coming back.

If you’ve ever spent time cruising down Adams Boulevard between Downtown and Culver City, you’ve no doubt seen the sign for Johnny’s. The longstanding burger, hot dog, and pastrami sandwich joint maintains a strong neon presence one block east of Crenshaw, and has been a staple in the Jefferson Park neighborhood for many decades.

Yet to drive by now, all you’d see is an exterior that’s been completely covered in plywood. Calls to the restaurant similarly lead nowhere, with a stock voicemail message saying that Johnny’s is closed for remodeling, but offering no timetable for its return. Over on Yelp, someone on Christmas day noted that “the place is not there anymore”, though they also said it’s been torn down, which certainly isn’t true, per this photo on Facebook from less than a day ago.

So what gives? Is Johnny’s, long a pastrami-heaping player in the fight against health food, really just getting a (much needed) refresh? Or is there something worse happening here?

Hit the tip line if you’ve got info, or let us know in the comments below.