Moore’s Deli, Hollywood Animator Hangout and Burbank Staple, Closes After Ten Years

Ten-year-old Valley restaurant Moore’s Delicatessen has closed permanently, just shy of its October anniversary. The longtime restaurant was a haven for Hollywood animators in the Burbank area, and featured a ton of hand-drawn artwork on the walls of a back room.

Moore’s first came to life in October of 2010, with chef Robert Moore — who formerly oversaw the food at Dodger Stadium — manning the kitchen and his then-wife running pasty and dessert. The pair caught on with the animator crowds in Burbank particularly the nearby Cartoon Network offices but also Nickelodeon and Disney) and even got a light Jonathan Gold touch back in 2011. At the time, the then-LA Weekly critic said that Moore’s “occupies the useful ground between traditional deli and gastropub.”

Cartoon Network’s offices closed at the beginning of the pandemic and have yet to reopen, along with many other nearby business buildings. Moore’s had attempted to transition to takeout and delivery and patio dining, but the pandemic-related slowdown seems to have caught up with them after all.

Word of Moore’s closing spread fast over the weekend, particularly on Reddit and local sites like NextDoor. Fans shared images of artwork on the walls and discussed making it in for one last sandwich. Over on Facebook, the restaurant offered a simple “That’s all folks” sign-off, and has not returned a request for further comment.

The loss of Moore’s comes the same week as several other notable shutters, including Preux & Proper in Downtown and the seven-year-old Caffe Vita on the Los Feliz/Silver Lake border. Other big-name restaurants like Ma’am Sir, Amacita, the Bazaar, Broken Spanish, Baco Mercat, Dong Il Jang and beyond have all closed this month, with many more struggling to stay afloat during the current COVID-19 crisis.

• A Running List of LA Restaurants That Have Permanently Closed During the COVID-19 Crisis [ELA]