Brent’s Delicatessen & Restaurant

Always feel like i am home. The many moon ago when my grandmother would take me to the deli for pastrami and here Brent;s is dedicated to providing the same quality of food I had growing up. Sure I am only 40 but still… the food is amazing.

I love this place, but not today. They have great food and great service, but today of all days, they refused to turn the air conditioning on. I met a girlfriend there for an early dinner at 5:00 and its 83 darn degrees inside (108 outside), sweat dripping down our backs and forehead as we tried to eat our dinner.
I took a picture of the thermostat on the wall, it reads 83, we asked, no we begged four different people and they said «sorry» and «we turned some of the lights off so it should be cooler soon». I don’t care how many lights you turn off, it’ll never get cooler. This is ridiculous to spend this much $ on food and sweat through it. I love (d) this place but that was ridiculous.

Service all time low. The waiter who was not ours, but has been many times in the past was much more helpful (Franciscos). Ours played the opposites game– extra ice (gave minimal ice); new pickles (gave old pickles); etc. Never came back, but to state he was going on break. Food equally has declining. Previously the best in the west, now over price and under qualitied. $ 2 for lean when it used to be at the servers discretion. Sorry Ron you used to have a 5 star place.

Had a nice meal at Brent’s tonight. I’m always reminded that right along with the food, the service is always just as excellent. Tonight we had Raphael as our server and he really went out of his way be attentive, predictive and awesome. No need to ask for some dressing to go, Raphael was right on it without even being asked. Class act!

When I come here from North Hollywood, it makes me very happy! This is an incredible deli, and it is way much better than any deli in the US (not lying).
I had the brisket sandwich (extra lean) with fries well done. I also got pickles so crisp and delicious. I would come here over any restaurant any day any time.

very flavorful pastrami, i just realized i need to come back here more often
this place has the best pastrami in the area outside of LA
a lot of salivary amylase enzymes break down in presence of this behemoth sandwich…
people are friendly, service is prompt, get in get out, pay at the counter at the end, good o’ fashion deli

I’ve been here twice now, and each time the service just gets better.
On my last trip, I was rather hungover, and the thought of a long wait outside was nearly unbearable.
We were only a party of 2, and were able to be seated rather quickly given the fact that it was a busy Saturday morning.
Our server was fantastic, she was a take no attitude, get it done kind of lady. I wanted to propose marriage on the spot, but my friend thought it better if we just ordered coffee and breakfast. In hindsight, it was probably the right decision, but I still think we were meant to be together.
I ordered what I think to be a fairly standard breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon. Everything was delivered to the table warm and delicious. The exact name of what my buddy ordered is escaping me currently, but it was something along the lines of «the everything omelet». He was super pumped on it, and even went so far as to say it was his new go-​to at Brent’s.
I love the atmosphere, and the food. The service has always been above board, and I can’t wait to return on my next trip out to visit our friends.
Pro Tip: while your’e waiting, zip next door to the Stovepiper for a little drinky drink. We all know that breakfast is a little bit tastier after a morning beer!

I’ve been here a few other times. But, today I had the yummiest sandwich ever! The heart stopper is warm delicious pastrami with coleslaw on an onion roll. I had it with a side of onions rings, you can also have the steak cut fries instead. The prices are a bit on the high end, but totally worth it and the portions are big. Service was ok, the girls at the front are nice.

Brent’s has quite the reputation of being a fine restaurant and in all my time living in the Valley this was my first visit surprisingly. I was hesitant at first, not because I didn’t think it was going to be good, but the idea of a deli doesn’t really inspire an appetite for me, but it was my dad’s choice so I decided to give it a try.
Their menu is an interesting array of things from cold cuts to hot sandwiches to breakfast to dinner plates. It’s got this homestyle, diner vibe. Brent’s is known for their sandwiches though so I ordered the turkey melt (which included fires) and my dad ordered a hamburger, which was totally weird considering we went there to eat sandwiches but that’s a dad for you.
When I ordered the turkey melt I imagined thick sourdough bread, few slices of turkey breast, and melty cheese stacked about half an inch thick… what I got was a two inch stacked sandwich bursting with a generous pile of sliced turkey breast, a nice even layer of melted cheese, and avocado. Whoa. any thoughts I had of the turkey possibly being dry went out the window because this was easily the juiciest turkey I’ve ever had. I managed to finish one half but had to take the rest to go! My dad said his burger was good but after seeing my melt he really regretted not getting a sandwich so there’s a lesson for you!
I can see why people love Brent’s and I know now where I can find the best sliced turkey breast in town!

So unbelievably spoiled growing up in the valley and having access to this place throughout my life. The reuben is everything. The corned beef is thinly shaved, the perfect blend of fat and lean meat, their homemade rye bread is dense and crispy, and they’re not shy with the portions of meat, kraut, and swiss. Couple that with their steak fries, a side of brown gravy to dip them in, and you’re not going to find better.
Their matzo ball and sweet and sour cabbage soups are also on point. But really, everything is good here. The portions are massive, FYI. So be prepared. If you go on a weekend morning, don’t let the waiting line scare you off. It always moves fast.

Food portions are huge.
Prices are higher than I would like but you do get a good amount of food.
Lots of seating.
Ordered the chicken and vegetable soup which was recommended but it needed salt and pepper.
Bagel chips are great.
Service was a tad slow.
Would come back. It’s a Jewish deli type feel to this place.

It’s nice to have brunch here once awhile. The food taste good, but probably pretty bad for you health-​wise, but again I doubt people come here for healthy food anyway.
It’s always super busy on the weekend morning, but somehow the turn over time is really fast especially for small group of two people.
Service is ok/​not bad.
The amount of food they give you is very generous.

Can we talk? Can we just talk about the rye bread they serve here? We can — ok good.
Seriously this bread.
soft and chewy on the inside and a hard crust on the outside. slather some butter over it and your life will feel anew! The salad, sandwiches are all divine, really just another excuse to eat the bread!
Oh yeah — the steak fries rule too

Brent’s Black Pastrami Reuben vs. Langer’s #19 pastrami sandwich … personally I like Langer’s #19 Pastrami sandwich (more tender + flavorful). but Brent’s Black Pastrami Reuben is still one of the better pastrami sandwiches I’ve had in the SoCal (way better than pastrami from the Hat).
This is the original location (founded in 1967, but business was sold to the current owner in 1969) and there’s another restaurant location at Westlake Village. You can sense that most of Brent’s customers are long time loyal customers from the surrounding neighborhood and the restaurant has this old school dining atmosphere.
On a side note, maybe I should stop taking pictures of the menu because this old lady came to my table and said you can just grab a menu at the front desk. Sorry old lady … it is easier to read the menu through photos posted on Unilocal nowadays.
Menu: There are too many options … at least 50+ different items to choose from (breakfast items + lunch /​dinner options such as reubens, wraps, dips, clubs, soups, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, various entrees, melts, salads, etc.)
***
Black Pastrami Reuben (Served on Grilled Rye Bread with Melted Swiss Cheese, Hot Sauerkraut and Russian Dressing, also came with Thick-​Cut Steak Fries and Coleslaw — $ 16.95): HUGE sandwich portion … pretty decent coleslaw and pastrami was very delicious. Nonetheless, I am still not sure if I would pay close to $ 20 (plus tax and tip) again for one B+ /​A– sandwich with a bunch of steak fries and coleslaw …
***
Is their Black Pastrami Reuben worth a drive to Northridge? I don’t think it is a must visit for casual eaters, but the reuben is still worth a try for most of hardcore foodies.

Been coming here for about 25+ years. They have a huge menu and there is absolutely something for everyone. I mean it. The food and portions are amazing. The meat is always so fresh. My go to meal is always a corned beef and Swiss on rye and matzo ball soup. The only draw back is it can get really, really crowded especially on the weekends. The deserts are always great. I love the giant (and I do mean GIANT) chocolate éclair. It’s big enough for a family to split. I never get out of this place without buying a loaf or two of their amazing Rye bread! Any out-​of-​towner should put this on their list of good eats if you are ever visiting the Valley.

First off let me start by saying I was never much of a pastrami fan until I discovered Brent’s! I got the famous black pastrami reuben and WOW it was beyond amazing! The pastrami is so tender and the double baked rye bread with crunchy crust and cheese and you can’t forget to add the mustard! That first bite was so flavorful and delicious I fell in love. Great service all around as well. Will definitely be back soon!
P.s — Around lunch time it was pretty packed but it goes by quickly and you are seated within 10 – 15 mins.

Trust the Unilocal reviews — this place is definitely a solid 4.5−5 stars!
I first heard about Brent’s Delicatessen when one of my friends posted a picture of his food on facebook. I asked him where he ate at, and lo and behold, it was at this restaurant which is super close to my work! So today, I came here with some of my coworkers for lunch. We came around ~12pm on a Friday and it was pretty packed. Despite the crowd, we were able to get seats right away! The six of us sat in a small booth which actually fit all of us quite well.
I ended up sharing the Black Reuben sandwich with a friend, which came with curly fries and coleslaw for ~ $ 17. Yes, it’s on the pricier side for a sandwich, but the portions are huge. There are two halves, filled with slices of corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and swiss cheese. It was pretty filling even though I only ate half the sandwich. This place is comparable to Langers, another pastrami place I love! But the thing that I love about this place is their curly fries… they are so good! Super curly and potato-​y, which I love ;) We also got a small cup of chicken noodle soup for like $ 5. It came with a generous amount of chicken and noodles, but it was kind of bland.
The service was pretty good — the food came out fast and the waitress and busboys were very attentive.
My co-​workers all loved this place and thanked me for the recommendation :) I’m so happy this place is close to my work– I will be back again for sure!

For breakfast specifically, I’d give Brent’s a 3.5.
I stopped in early, before my workday at the courthouse about 5 minutes away. At that time there were a handful of other patrons.
The restaurant was clean, spacious, nothing for a diner. I was seated and greeted by a polite but fairly grumpy lady. My coffee was refilled enough times and she checked on me once or twice.
No lunch items were available at this time though I was dying to try a pastrami sandwich and the famous matzo ball soup. Too bad neither were available.
I got myself a breakfast special for 12 which included eggs, bacon, French toast. I also added a side of hash for 4. Everything was OK, nothing was memorable – positively or negatively.
Next time I’ll be sure to come in for lunch and hopefully get to try some of the must have items!

You want New York deli? Fine. I’ll take Brent’s. In fact, I’ll put Brent’s up against most New York delis any day. Yeah, that’s what I said, Nu Yawkers.
What was great?
The latkes (potato pancakes) were great. They were obviously homemade, extremely crispy and delicious. You can get 6 mini ones as a very hearty, to-​be-​shared appetizer. With sour cream and cherry applesauce on the side, I could have eaten 15 of these guys alone.
The black pastrami reuben sandwich (their specialty) was outstanding. The crisp rye bread was a great touch. Usually, I slather deli mustard on just about everything that doesn’t move but this didn’t need it. The meat was stacked high and it was lean and tender and juicy and every bite brought tears to my eyes. Yes, the price is high but with all the other grub I got, I only ate half my sandwich anyway so it doubled for two meals.
The complimentary pickles were solid but it’s hard to screw up pickles.
The side of coleslaw was really good. It was sweet and juicy.
To my chagrin, I was not blown away by the matzo ball soup. The matzo ball was as big as a grapefruit but I thought it, and the broth, could have used a pinch or two of salt. It had all the right ingredients (noodles, shredded chicken, carrots) but a tad more flavor would have won me over.
I didn’t love the big steak fries but they were fine. And I didn’t love the hash browns but they were fine.
The service was outstanding. Yes, we had to wait for a table but we hit the lottery with our server. She knew the menu inside and out and was super warm and personable and always checking in on us.
There’s a reason this place has been around for 48 years and is always packed. Now, I just need to return 15 times to try the rest of the menu items that are calling my tummy’s name.

I traveled a long way for this place after it being highly recommended by my roommate.
Absolute comforty, dinery atmosphere. I haven’t been to many delis as large as this one, especially one that had rotating cakes on display making you crave dessert instantly when you walk in.
I got the hot pastrami, corned beef, and swiss club, which came with potato salad. The potato salad was alright, a tad salty for my taste. But what had my mouth watering was the sandwich. A double decker sandwich filled with copious amounts of meat (about 90% meat). This is in no way a bad thing either! Each wondrous bite was filled with half corned beef, half pastrami, with a kick from the Swiss and Russian dressing, and the taste of the bread and tomatoes to balance the flavors out.
For dessert, me and my table split the éclair. Was it good? Yes, but I don’t think it was worth it for over $ 5.
Overall this place has a great atmosphere and excellent food. Their menu is basically never ending so you have endless choices and always a reason to come back.