One of Smorgasburg's most popular weekend vendors, Ugly Drum offers a pastrami-fied take on Texas brisket awesomeness. It's enough to draw long Sunday lines, and for good reason: the smoky, salty stuff is perfect on the spot, and maybe even better the next day.

There is no conversation of pastrami without talk of Langer’s, an L.A. beacon since 1947. You know the drill: order the #19, pastrami laced with swiss cheese, Russian dressing and cole slaw, then split the sandwich with a small family of four.

The long-running Busy Bee Market is a staple in San Pedro, offering grocery store vibes alongside some of the area's best sandwiches. Top on that list is their thin-sliced pastrami, a big, messy concoction reminiscent of some of Southern California's best options like The Hat and Johnnie's.

Deli legend Nate N' Al's is still a king in the pastrami game, playing to dedicated customers who have been enjoying their sandwiches for decades. The Beverly Hills mainstay is now more than 70 years along, and should expect another equally long run if they keep executing their pastrami just the way the locals love it.

Westsiders have been opting not to make the drive to Langer’s since 1952, when Johnnie’s Pastrami opened its doors along Sepulveda Blvd. Served on a soft white roll (or rye by request) with a side of pickles, this is Jewish deli fare by way of a family diner.

Pasadena’s oft-disputed pastrami king, The Hat has managed to make itself at home in the north SGV for decades. The original location started in 1951, and continues to kick out their signature pastrami dip sandwiches for less than $10.

Fairfax’s immutable 24 hour deli started serving in 1931. Not much has changed since then (the prices, perhaps?), including the original recipe pastrami, served most famously in a double-stack alongside corned beef in the restaurant’s namesake sandwich.

Relative newcomer Label’s Table didn’t open their doors until 1974, but that hasn’t stopped the Pico Blvd. operation from competing at a high level with their pastrami sandwiches, served alongside the usual accoutrement of Jewish deli fare, from whitefish salad to matzo ball soup.

Let no one suggest a lunch other than the stained-orange chicken and fries from Dino’s Chicken & Burgers, founded in 1968. But should one be feeling adventurous, it’d be hard to go wrong with the pastrami (served as a sandwich, burrito or over a burger) as well.

Greenblatt's has been doling out pastrami to late night partiers and comedy club goers for nearly 100 years. The block has changed from the days when Sunset Blvd was mostly a dirt road. Pick up a bottle of wine downstairs to pair with the sandwich and open it for a reasonable corkage fee.

In a town that loves The Hat, Tops isn’t afraid to go toe to toe. It’s what they’ve been doing since 1952, serving overclocked pastrami sandwiches and pastrami burgers along for sit down customers and anyone looking to just drive through along East Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.

The new-school standard for pastrami in Los Angeles is Wexler’s. Now with two locations (their original at Grand Central Market and a new outpost in Santa Monica) there’s never been a better time to make your next pastrami sandwich happen here.

Jeff’s is a Pico Boulevard legend thanks to its kosher practices and outstanding pastrami. There are sausages, burgers, and wraps on the expansive restaurant’s menu, but what you’re really after is the house-smoked pastrami, available by the heap.

A Valley staple with an old school Americana vibe, Daglas offers thinly sliced pastrami served on the ubiquitous french roll. It’s a mound of meat that comes classically wrapped in yellow deli paper, made all the better thanks to the kitschy interior decoration job and old school signage.

Despite the French dip claim to fame, the best single sandwich on the Cole’s menu may well be the pastrami. You can still dip the whole thing to you heart’s delight, but it’s a stronger, juicer contender than the longtime restaurant’s other standout sandwich.

Hyper-casual beach option Rinaldi’s has long been known to locals, but doesn’t get enough credit outside of the South Bay. For years the place has been churning out mostly Italian-leaning sandwiches, though their pastrami is among the most coveted options in the place.

You'll find pastrami thinly sliced and stacked sky-high at this simple Carson deli counter, along with more inventive fare like a DIY frito pie with pastrami piled on top.