09/15/2026
đź“ŤPhilippe The Original, Los Angeles
Established in 1908 by French immigrant Philippe Mathieu, Philippe The Original is widely celebrated as the birthplace of the French Dip sandwich. According to roadside lore, the dish was invented in 1918 when Mathieu accidentally dropped a sliced French roll into hot roasting pan juices while preparing lunch for a police officer who took the sandwich anyway and returned the next day asking for it dipped again. Over a century later, the restaurant preserves a mid-century roadhouse feel, featuring sawdust-dusted floors, communal wooden tables, and dedicated behind-the-counter "carvers" who hand-slice slow-roasted beef, pork, lamb, and turkey to order.
Philippe's is closely tied to the history of Route 66's final miles in Southern California. During the Mother Road's early years, when the highway officially ended at 7th and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles before being extended to Santa Monica in 1936, Philippe's original Aliso Street location welcomed generations of motorists finishing the 2,400-mile journey from Chicago. In 1951, construction of the Hollywood Freeway forced the restaurant to relocate just a few blocks away to its current Alameda Street home, where it still serves travelers exploring the historic approach into downtown Los Angeles before continuing toward the Pacific.
Tips: Join any open line at the counter, each carver takes your order, builds your sandwich, pours your drinks, and checks you out in one go. Order it single-dip (top bun dipped), double-dip (both buns dipped), or wet (fully submerged). Approach the famous house hot mustard with caution, its powerful horseradish kick is legendary. Free parking is available behind the restaurant off College Street, but expect longer waits during weekday lunch hours and before Los Angeles Dodgers home games.
