Canter's facts for kids

Canter's Deli on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles

Canter's Deli is a famous Jewish-style delicatessen (a deli is a restaurant that sells special foods like sliced meats and cheeses). It first opened in 1931 in a part of Los Angeles called Boyle Heights. Later, it moved to the Fairfax District in Los Angeles, California. This area is close to West Hollywood, and that's where the deli is today. Many famous movie stars and celebrities have visited Canter's Deli over the years.

The restaurant serves traditional Jewish foods. These include lox (smoked salmon) and bagels, corned beef, matzoh ball soup, and challah bread. However, Canter's Deli is not "kosher." This means it doesn't follow all Jewish dietary laws. For example, it stays open on Saturdays (the Jewish Sabbath) and offers foods like ham sandwiches. Canter's is usually open 24 hours a day. It only closes for the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The Story of Canter's Deli

The Canter family first opened a deli in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1924. Like many Jewish families from the eastern United States, they moved west. In 1931, they opened their deli in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. At that time, many Jewish people lived there.

After World War II, many Jewish families moved from Boyle Heights to other areas. These areas included the Fairfax District and West Hollywood. Canter's Deli moved with them. In 1948, a new Canter's opened on Fairfax Avenue. In 1953, the restaurant moved again, into a much bigger building. This building used to be a movie theater! The deli grew even more in 1959. In 1961, they added a cocktail lounge called the Kibbitz Room.

A Place for Celebrities and Musicians

Canter's quickly became a popular spot for people in show business. This was because of its location and its 24-hour service. It has been a celebrity favorite ever since. In the 1960s, Canter's also became a late-night hangout for hippies and rock musicians. Many musicians grew up in the Fairfax and West Hollywood areas. The famous Sunset Strip was also very close by. Canter's is still a favorite place for rock musicians today.

Canter's is famous for its classic deli foods. These include pastrami, corned beef, matzah ball soup, challah, lox and bagels, and brisket. They also have a huge menu with many other breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices. Canter's has won awards for its food over the years. For example, Los Angeles Magazine once called Canter's waffles the "Best Waffle in Los Angeles."

The bar inside Canter's is called the Kibbitz Room. It has its own cool history. Many music stars have loved this spot. Chuck E. Weiss, a regular customer, even wrote a song about it called "Rocking in the Kibbitz Room." The Kibbitz Room has live music every night. It helped launch the careers of bands like the Wallflowers and singer Fiona Apple. Famous musicians like Phil Everly and Jackson Browne have also played there. Marc Canter, one of the deli's current owners, wrote a book in 2007 about the early days of the band Guns N' Roses. In 2019, Gina and Alex Canter wrote "Stories on Rye," a book filled with memories from the deli.

Canter's in Movies and TV

The restaurant has appeared in several movies and television shows. These include HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004) and AMC's Mad Men (2014). In 2007, a TV show finalist filmed a musical called Dough: The Musical at Canter's. The deli is also mentioned in the song "Oh Daddy" by The Turtles.

Recent History

In 2003, Canter's opened another location in Las Vegas. This location closed in 2012. Other Las Vegas locations also opened and closed later on.

On October 14, 2008, Canter's celebrated its 60th anniversary. To celebrate, they sold their corned beef sandwich for its 1948 price of 60 cents! This special price lasted for 12 hours.

Canter's also had a deli at Dodger Stadium from 2008 to 2011.

On July 24, 2014, President Barack Obama surprised everyone by visiting Canter's for lunch!

In May 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Canter's Deli stayed open. They gave out food and water to people demonstrating in their neighborhood.

Why Canter's is Popular

In 2006, Canter's Deli was serving huge amounts of food!

• They served about 4,900 pounds (2,200 kg) of pastrami every month.
• They made about 1,500 US gallons (5,700 L) of chicken soup each week.
• They sold 4,000 knishes (a type of baked or fried dough snack) every week.

Images for kids

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  Early Canter's Menu

See also

In Spanish: Canter's para niños