13 Best Restaurants For Passover In Los Angeles
Friends celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover in Los Angeles can rejoice, not just in the telling of the Jewish people's exodus from Egypt, but in the departure from the laborious task of preparing for the food-heavy holiday. Celebrating Passover comes with a steep amount of preparation, as foods containing bread or leavening agents are traditionally avoided in commemoration of the eight-day holiday.
Depending on levels of involvement, the holiday also includes one or two seders, big meals that include celebratory eating followed by even more eating. Thankfully, due to the city's sizeable Jewish population and prevalence of Jewish or kosher-style delis, L.A. is a great place to ring in the holiday; there are a plethora of ways to get a helping hand when it comes to creating a celebratory and delicious feast.
Jewish delis became iconic in Los Angeles when Jewish communities who had immigrated to the East Coast began leaving for warmer climates like Miami and Los Angeles. Thanks to their popularity — mixed with the difficulty of finding these foods elsewhere — Jewish deli trays and catering options have served as a staple arm of the best Jewish delis. Here are 13 places to turn for help in hosting a Los Angeles-based seder.
Wexler's Deli
Wexler's Deli has made quite a name for itself in the city of Los Angeles. Wexler's Deli claims that it's the only deli in town that cures, smokes, and hand-cuts all the meat and fish that are then piled onto rye bread or freshly baked bagels (and consumed with gusto). It is also known for selling impeccable caviar offerings, which, alongside expertly smoked fish, are available to be shipped nationwide. It also makes a delicious gift for the host (rather than making their own) Passover seder this year.
For those in Los Angeles faced with the responsibility of hosting a seder, Wexler's is your one-stop shop for an entire Passover seder dinner that serves four to six, minus the charoset or seder plate. These special catering orders are available for delivery or pick up from the Santa Monica location only from April 5–13. The parting of your hard-earned $295 will earn you a seder dinner so good even Elijah might linger for a little while (we all know his seder plans can be hard to pin down as he likes to hop from gathering to gathering).
The meal includes a braised brisket, farmer's market salad, matzoh ball soup, homemade gefilte fish with horseradish (aka maror or bitter herbs), roasted heirloom carrots, potato kugel, and of course, a box of matzoh for all of the ceremonial and symbolic eating throughout the meal.
Factor's Famous Deli
When it comes to the dining scene in L.A., there are decidedly two extreme camps: the fast-moving, pop-up scene where new places come and go, and the institutions that have been around forever. Los Angelenos would defend each has its place, but Factor's Famous Deli sits in the latter camp. Factor's has been meeting the city's corned beef cravings from the same location since 1948 and has been family-owned by the Markowitz's since 1969.The owners have slowly added to the services, seating, and offerings over the years.
In 2023, Factor's is offering its customers a special Passover menu alongside its catering menu, available for pick-up or delivery. For those wishing to dine-in but still looking to keep the holiday's dietary traditions of avoiding bread (and other leavening agents), Factor's will also substitute matzoh into any meal with bread upon request.
Factor's Passover menu offers individual portions, dine-in or take-out options, and the opportunity to cover the whole seder shebang in one fell swoop with a choice of gefilte fish or chopped liver; matzoh ball soup or a baby green salad; choice of brisket or chicken; and tzimmes (a sweet vegetable or meat stew) or roasted vegetables; and the obligatory box of matzoh.
Brent's Delicatessen & Restaurant
Husband-and-wife team, Ron and Patricia Peskin, bought this casual Jewish deli, which is also a bar and restaurant, and, coincidentally, the property shared the name of their son. Brent's Deli in Northridge has been up and running (and well-loved) by SoCal residents since the late 1960s, with customers streaming through the doors of its location in the valley. It's now run by Brent himself, his wife Carrie, and brother-in-law Mark.
Want to feed you and 26 of your closest friends and family for seder this year? Or will it just be an intimate gathering of the two of you commemorating the holiday? Either way, Brent's extensive catering menu can provide you with what you need, including meat, fish trays, and appetizers. Choose by the piece or select the complete meal option and have it all taken care of, with a minimum of 10 portions required to order. Brent's Passover menu contains many Ashkenazic favorites including brisket, chopped liver, matzoh ball soup, and macaroons. It also caterers for all major Jewish holidays, so you're more or less set for all of them!
Nate 'n Al's of Beverly Hills
Institutions like Nate 'n Al's of Beverly Hills have been part of the city's furniture for over 70 years, known for literally feeding the faces of Old Hollywood. Its name combines the two founders, Nate Rimer and Al Mendelson, who have since sold the business to two long-time customers, Shelli and Irving Azoff. Passover catering is available via pre-orders and must be placed at least 48 hours before pick up or delivery. Depending on the product, customers can order by the pound or piece. All the seder culinary favorites are on Nate 'n Al's menu, including charoset, tzimmes, brisket, chicken, gefilte fish, and chopped liver.
For those who plan to celebrate Mimouna, a Moroccan tradition commemorating the first day after Passover and where bread is welcomed back into the kitchen, you can also order celebratory challah, rugelach, and black-and-white cookies to enjoy during the festivities.
Joan's on Third
Joan's on Third has been well-loved and well-talked about across food and fashion media. It is a tribute to owner Joan McNamara's ability to make something for everyone, whether it's a salad, a cheese toastie, or a fabulously furnished, warm interior. Opened in 1995, after McNamara moved from Manhattan to Los Angeles, she turned her attention from design to the culinary arts. The family-run restaurant and deli counter has been credited with helping turn West Third Street from a thoroughfare into a culinary destination with a substantial influence on the city. The Passover offerings are, of course, no different.
Passover-friendly catering options include a distinctive California influence with a spinach and leek dip, cheese board with matzoh crackers, plentiful salads, whole-poached salmon, and all of the classic sides from kugel to charoset. Chic desserts include chocolate-covered coconut macaroons, pavlova, and chocolate flourless cake. Depending on the item, dishes serve between two and 18 people and must be ordered at least 72 hours in advance.
Akasha
Be quick to place your Passover order with Akasha; all orders must be completed via the ordering site Tock by March 29, for pick up or delivery. The special Passover menu features portions serving two to four and range from all objects necessary to put together a seder plate (even sea salt for salt water!), as well as desserts, main courses of brisket, chicken tagine, or a matzah and eggplant bake. Orders must be placed in advance. The restaurant says a portion of the service charge obtained through the Passover catering menu will be donated to the World Central Kitchen.
Akasha also hosts a second-night "kosher-style" seder with tickets available for purchase, priced at $145 for adults or $65 for children 10 and under. Akasha is one of the only locations in the city offering a special in-restaurant Passover seder, which includes a pre-seder reception of chopped liver (or a vegan alternative) and matzah, to ensure guests don't get too ravenous. After the reception, guests will then join in the retelling of the exodus from Egypt through participation in a seder, followed by a full dinner including fish, matzoh ball soup, a choice between three entrees, and dessert.
Birdie G's
Pre-order for chef Jeremy Fox's award-winning Birdie G's in L.A. and the self-described "whimsical take on the classics." The restaurant takes its names from two key figures in Fox's life, his daughter Birdie and Fox's late grandmother Gladys. The restaurant is inspired by several communities, including Old World, Eastern European Jewish dishes of Fox's family heritage, and Midwestern, Southern, and Californian sensibilities, a reflection of Fox's own lived experiences.
Birdie G's special-to-order Passover menu includes a Southern-inspired kugel, curried carrot tzimmes (a slow-cooked Ashkenazi stew often sweetened by prunes or apricots), flourless chocolate cake, schmaltz, artisan matzoh, and more, including brisket served with a smoked tomato gravy or roasted chicken with black lime and fenugreek. Kugels can be ordered by the pound (the stuff dreams are made of!), which means you can order one for a seder and an extra to keep in the freezer for the following week of bread eschewing. Pre-orders must be placed by March 31, so make sure to get yours in quickly!
Wise Son's Jewish Deli
Wise Son's, founded by brothers Evan and Ari Bloom alongside Leo Beckerman, calls itself a place for "Jews who like food and food lovers who like Jews." What better qualifications could there be in finding a trusted business to outsource some (or all) of this year's Passover cooking? Thankfully Wise Son's is offering its Los Angelenos and San Franciscan customers several options, including delicious pre-made catering to help feed friends and families gathering at home for a seder. It's also doing something a little different by offering a series of Passover seder meal kits to help guide customers through preparing their seder meal at home.
There are two different kinds of kits available: a seder plate kit to help customers become familiar with all of the symbolic ingredients and an entire DIY meal that serves six to eight to enable folks to cook a delicious meal for their guests without worrying about making a mistake or forgetting something. Separately, Wise Son's encourages all customers to participate in the Jewish value of tzedakah, meaning social justice or philanthropy. Customers can opt to help to provide seder meals for a local senior citizen through the meal-matching service; Wise Son's says it will donate one meal for each dinner purchased.
Langer's Deli
When someone says "Los Angeles deli," Langer's is always one of the first places on our list that comes to mind. Passover restrictions might stop you from ordering a sandwich piled high with pastrami on the classic double-baked bread, a technique done initially in the '90s as a means of keeping the sandwiches from going soggy before collection of a new, ahead-of-its-time curb-side service. There are still plenty of things to order on the menu, depending on how strictly you are observing the holiday.
For those who aren't eating bread but are more relaxed about its presence in the kitchen (just not on your plate) matzoh ball soup is on the menu every day of the year, just waiting to be slurped. For those looking to live off of cold cuts for the week ahead or as a means of entertaining while still observing the holiday, a gourmet party package includes everything under the Langer's sun to make the very best sandwich. You can hold the bread (or freeze for later if that feels like an acceptable choice, depending on religious involvement). If it's just the pastrami, brisket, or turkey you're craving, you can order them separately by the pound, alongside tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad for an easy bread-free win.
Slab
Slab in L.A. is owned and founded by Israeli immigrant and former Texas resident Burt Bakman and backed by the h.Group, initially known for nightclubs, but won over by the chef's pit mastery, a reputation he developed at Trudy's Underground Barbecue. Slab is one of the only restaurants in L.A.'s barbecue scene offering a Passover menu option to those celebrating. As Deb Freeman and Mona Homes discuss in Freeman's podcast Setting the Table, L.A.'s barbecue scene is nothing to sneer at; in fact, it's quite the opposite!
On the menu for Passover when you order from Slab is a brisket, matzoh ball soup, bitter greens and citrus salad (consider your bitter-herb box ticked!), apple and walnut charoset, potato kugel, and coconut-and-chocolate macaroons. Thankfully, Los Angelenos have more time to get their orders in at this restaurant. Bookings close by April 3, and all orders are picked up in-store on April 5.
Canter's Deli
Where do you go when you crave matzoh ball soup at 3 a.m.? Why, the 24-hour Jewish deli-meets-diner, of course! Canter's Deli is another of L.A.'s Jewish mainstays located on Fairfax in West Hollywood, operating in multiple locations since 1931. While it doesn't appear Canter's is offering a specific only-for-Passover menu, depending on your level of observance of the holiday, there is a range of foods on the daily menu that remain bread-free, from roast dinners to salads, fish appetizers, and soups.
Unlike many of its other deli compatriots within the industry, Canter's has set itself apart with its late-night hours and self-titled "kibitz room," a cocktail lounge area opened in the early 1960s, offering entertainment at all hours of the day. The Kibitz Room (kibitz means chat in Yiddish) is also known for its famous guests including Frank Zappa, band members from The Doors, Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Joni Mitchell. The combination of deli meats and late-night entertainment couldn't be more L.A. if it tried; a culmination of some of the city's greatest attributes all under one roof!
Canter's also offers a variety of trays from the catering team, including salads, fish, desserts, chopped liver molds, and, of course, cold cuts.
Art's
Studio City residents, rejoice! Art's, owned and operated by second-generation family members Sandy and Harold Ginsburg, has just added a Passover catering menu to its website. Please note that Art's will be closed for dine-in on April 5, the first night of Passover. Still, take-out will be available from early morning until 3 p.m. for those making last-minute seder preparations.
This is one of the only establishments offering a Passover-friendly take-out menu and dine-in menu, again for those whose holiday observations will allow for bread in the kitchen but not within their dinner plate. Dine-in options include full-dinner plates with brisket, chicken, or salmon; each served with matzoh kugel and a vegetable, plus standard sides like gefilte fish and pickled herring.
The take-out menu includes a full seder dinner for $52 per person, or individual dishes, priced either by the pound or by the piece with all of the Ashkenazic classics available.
Daughter's Deli
Is anyone more qualified to start their own deli than the granddaughter of living legends Al and Jean Langer of Langer's deli? The answer is, of course, no, and the simple name, Daughter's Deli, needs no further explanation for Los Angeles residents. Self-aware Trishna Langer brings to the table a pedigree deli upbringing with pastrami practically coursing through her veins as she reinterprets her family's heritage and legacy with her establishment in West Hollywood.
Daughter's is offering its customers the opportunity to have a complete Passover seder catered for one night only, a new answer to the traditional Passover question of "why is this night different from all other nights?" The menu is priced at $65 per person, includes brisket, matzoh ball soup, charoset and matzoh, vegetable sides, chopped liver, and homemade macaroons. Dine-in options include matzoh brei, an Ashkenazi dish of matzoh that has been soaked in egg and then fried. The dish is available year-round for those who get hankering even when the holiday has come and gone.