Johnny's Pastrami-Closed

Johnny's Pastrami
4331 W Adams Blvd
Los Angeles
323-734-6003

Not far from Phillips BBQ on Crenshaw is Johnny's Pastrami, that came with high praise from people in line at Phillips. So I decided to give Johnny's Pastrami a try. Please note, this is not the same as Johnnie’s Pastrami in Culver City, they have different spelling.



Pastrami, $7.45. The pastrami sliced thin, piled high on a bun that is dipped; much like The Hat. But unlike The Hat, the pastrami was dried out,even though it was soaking in it's natural juices, tough, chewy, with lots and lots of fat, and just plain bad. It tasted like it's been sitting around for the entire week. Not good at all.



I noticed they had a hot dog, $2.45, on the menu and decided to try it. The hot dog is made by Hoffy, which I think is a second rate hot dog, because of the poor quality of meats and seasonings used. Anyways, I asked for the hot dog with raw onions and mustard. The hot dog is grilled but was so overcooked, the outside was tough and chewy. The inside wasn't any better since it's a second rate Hoffy hot dog. The bun was straight out of the package, not toasted and pretty poor quality. The onions and mustard were fine.

Service is terrible. First, I walk up the window, the lady sees me but never acknowledges me for about five minutes. I know she is busy, but it doesn't take much to say Hi, I'll be right with you. Taking my order was fine but I can't stand not being acknowledged when I walk up there. Then my total came out to $11.70 for a pastrami, $7.45, and hot dog, hot dog, $2.45. Even with sales tax, that total would be $10.88. So I was overcharged about a $1. Now people may ask, why didn't I question them about the price, right then. I should have but that is still no excuse for them to overcharge people. TERRIBLE service.

I would never go back to this rip off place again. Of the two other pastrami places, I have reviewed, this is the worst, by far. I much prefer Johnnie’s Pastrami in Culver City and The Hat. Terrible service, terrible food. Why bother?

Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express-Name Change

Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express
2638 Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles
323-737-8101

Why is The New Diner not eating at Phillips BBQ, when he is on Crenshaw Blvd? Well the first time I went to Phillips, I saw a long line, going out the door, at Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express. So I stopped in and grab a few items and was impressed.

It has been awhile but I finally made it back to Chef Marilyn's. Talk about perfect timing, I went on the weekend when they were celebrating 20 years in business. Everything was 99 cents!!!

So I got mac and cheese, hot link, mashed potato, fried chicken breast, and smothered pork chop. I also ordered the short rib, I'll get to that later.

The mac and cheese was great. Perfectly cooked pasta, lots of melted, gooey cheese, rich and flavorful. Regular price is $2.50.

The hot link is regularly 99 cents. It is drowned in a sweet BBQ sauce. The link, which is all beef, starts out fairly sweet, then it kicks in and a nice spiciness fills your mouth. A good size and a steal at 99 cents.

The mashed potatoes are also, regularly 99 cents. They were just OK. They had a bit of a tangy flavor to them. I think mashed is the wrong word, it is blended. I have never had mashed potatoes with texture like this. I wouldn't order mashed potatoes from here again.

The smothered pork chop was a boneless pork chop covered in a rich gravy. The pork chop was a good size and was tender and flavorful. But I was say the last few bites was nothing but fat. I wish they would have cut the fat in the pork chops. The gravey was rich and added flavor to the pork chop. Other than it being fatty I did like the pork chop.

The fried chicken breast was pretty good. The skin isn't crunchy but crisp. The breast was a bit dry but not too bad. I think I should have ordered the smother chicken to moisture.

Service was average but friendly. Ok the line was loooong. At 99 cents per item, nobody is going to turn down this deal. But while waiting in line you get an order form. I put the five items I reviewed PLUS the short ribs. I get my order and she charged me for five items, missing the short ribs. I was walking over to take pictures of the food and checked my order. I was missing the mac and cheese. I went back and got the mac and cheese. I could have made a big deal about the short ribs but I already had ribs for lunch so it wasn't that big of deal. So they could make sure the orders are correct and while I understand it was busy, it doesn't take much to make sure the orders are correct. But they were nice and friendly and corrected their mistake without any problems.

I do like Chef Marilyn's and I will go back. There is usually a line, 5-6 people, every time I've been there. This was the longest line I've seen but then again it was the best deal. You get good food, at good prices. But be careful when going at other times. Only certain items are 99 cents.

Phillips Barbecue

Phillips Barbecue
2619 Crenshaw
LA, CA 90016
323-731-4772

As people know I love Phillips Barbecue. I have reviewed their other two locations and wanted to review their newest location on Crenshaw. This location used to be Leo's BBQ and now it's Phillips third location and the location with the easiest freeway access. It's about two blocks south of the 10 freeway.

I ordered the half rack of pork spare ribs with their mixed, regular and hot BBQ sauce for $11.75. They charge an extra 25 cents for sauce on the side. The ribs were well smoked and had a nice spicy rub. They were tender and very meaty, you always get your money's worth at Phillips.

The lines are almost always long and it will take awhile for your order to be ready. The people are nice enough but they are more matter of fact then friendly. That may put off some people but it doesn't bother me.

My girlfriend did one of the nicest things anybody has ever done for me in a very,very long time. She went to Phillips after work and brought me a pork rib dinner. She doesn't eat pork and ordered a chicken dinner. She is tough, after all she's from the Bronx, and the area is usually OK, you never know what may happen. So for her to go there after work for the first time, is awesome. She is the greatest thing to happen to me and I love her more each day.

Phillips has two other locations. A Phillips BBQ. in Inglewood and the original Phillips is in Leimert Park.