The Verdict
Philippe Mathieu opened his counter in 1908 and, by his own telling, dropped a French roll into the roasting-pan drippings by accident — and Los Angeles has been arguing about who really invented the French dip ever since. A century on, the formula has not moved: sawdust on the floor, long communal tables, carvers working the line at 1001 North Alameda Street, and coffee that still rings up at nine cents. The James Beard Foundation honored the place in 1999. You do not book it. You line up.
What you are buying here is not a meal so much as a piece of working Los Angeles that survived the city growing up around it. The lamb dip, ordered wet, is the order to beat; the hot mustard at the register is the thing nobody warns you about. A sandwich, a side, and that coffee come to about twenty dollars — which is why the Value score below is the only 10 I hand out without a second thought.
The Counter
There is no host and no table service. You pick a line, you face a carver, and you tell them what you want before you reach the register — beef, pork, lamb, turkey, or ham, on a French roll. The decision that matters is how wet you want it: single-dipped soaks one cut side of the roll in the jus, double-dipped (the "wet" order) soaks both and is the one to get with lamb, which holds the gravy better than the leaner cuts.
The lamb French dip is Philippe Mathieu's legacy dish and still the house signature; beef is the crowd default. Ask for a side of the house hot mustard — bright yellow, made on the premises, strong enough to make your eyes water — because the sandwich is good plain and great with it. A sandwich runs around fourteen dollars (beef and pork roughly $13.95, lamb a touch more); the nine-cent coffee is real and not a gimmick. Round the tray out with a pickled egg, potato salad, or the baked apple, and grab a bottle of beer or a glass of wine from the case if it is that kind of afternoon. That a 1908 counter still does one thing this well is exactly why the James Beard Foundation gave it a nod in 1999.
The Room
Sawdust covers the floor — actual sawdust, swept and replaced daily — and the tables are long communal benches you share with strangers. Lighting is bright and practical, the noise is a steady lunchtime roar, and the dress code is whatever you walked in wearing. There is seating for hundreds across the ground floor and upstairs, plus a few quirks worth knowing: a Dodgers memorabilia case, the old telephone booths, and the framed James Beard award hanging where you would expect a wine list. It is a cafeteria, gloriously, and it does not pretend otherwise.
Best for Solo Dining
Book nothing — just show up — because Philippe's is one of the best solo lunches in Los Angeles for three reasons: counter ordering means no table-for-one to negotiate, the communal benches are built for people eating alone shoulder to shoulder, and a full plate costs less than a cocktail anywhere else in town. Come mid-morning or mid-afternoon, take a lamb dip and a coffee to the long table, and read the paper. It also works for a low-key birthday lunch or a casual team feed before a Dodgers game — see our birthday dining and team dinner guides for the rest of the city.
Not For
Not for a first date or a client you are trying to impress — it is a sawdust-floored cafeteria with a queue, shared tables, and no table service. Save the deal for somewhere with a sommelier.
Frequently Asked
Is Philippe the Original worth it? Yes, for what it is: the counter that invented the French dip in 1908 and still does it better than almost anyone, for the price of a fast-food combo. The James Beard Foundation honored it in 1999. Order the lamb dipped wet, add a nine-cent coffee, and you have eaten a real piece of Los Angeles history for under fifteen dollars. It is not a special-occasion dinner — it is a great cheap lunch with a hundred years behind it.
Do you need a reservation at Philippe the Original? No. There are no reservations and no table service. You queue at one of the carving stations at 1001 N Alameda, order your sandwich straight from the carver, pay, and find a seat at the communal tables. Lines move fast even when they look long. Avoid the noon-to-1pm rush and Dodgers game days if you want a calm table; weekday mornings and mid-afternoons are the quietest.
What should I order at Philippe the Original? Get the lamb French dip ordered double-dipped, or wet, so both cut sides of the roll soak in the jus. Add a spoon of the hot house mustard at the register — it is the real signature, sharp enough to clear your sinuses. Round it out with a pickled egg, a side of potato salad, and the famous nine-cent cup of coffee. Beef, pork, turkey, and ham dips are all on the board if lamb is not your thing.
How much is a sandwich at Philippe the Original? A French dip sandwich runs roughly fourteen dollars (beef and pork around $13.95, lamb a touch more), which makes a full lunch with a side and coffee about twenty dollars a head. The coffee itself is still nine cents — a price the restaurant has kept as a deliberate badge of honor. It is among the best value of any landmark restaurant in the United States.
Is Philippe the Original good for solo dining? It is one of the best solo lunches in Los Angeles. Counter ordering means no awkward table-for-one, the communal benches are built for strangers eating alone side by side, and a sandwich plus coffee costs almost nothing. Bring a paper or sit at the long table and watch the carvers work. See more of our solo dining picks for the same energy elsewhere.
Also in Los Angeles
Explore the full Los Angeles dining guide, or pair this with the city's other great cheap institution, Langer's Deli. For where to actually take a client, see our impress clients and close a deal picks.