The Old-School Italian Deli That's Been An LA Staple For Over 70 Years

If you aren't from the area, Italian delis may not be something you associate with Los Angeles. They're sometimes seen as an East Coast institution, while L.A. brings to mind light dishes with fresh vegetables and fruit, or amazing Mexican food. But one old-school Italian deli in the California city has been a staple of the community for more than seven decades, and Eagle Rock Italian Bakery and Deli continues to draw customers with its traditional food and methods.

The shop first opened in L.A.'s northeastern Eagle Rock neighborhood in 1949, during a time in the mid-20th century when the area had a significant Italian population. The business changed hands in 1971, when Nick Cafarchia bought it, and it's now run by his two sons, Anthony and Vito. Anthony Cafarchia told The Occidental that it was his father, an Italian immigrant who'd worked as a baker, who added the deli to what had previously been just a bakery.

The baked goods are produced using the same traditional recipes passed down from Anthony and Vito's father, and are handmade in the same way. Eagle Rock bakes its own cakes, cookies, and pastries, including Italian favorites like rainbow and pignoli cookies, and the shells for its popular classic cannoli. The bread is also made in-house, which is sold to customers and used for its sandwiches. Bread loaves, baguettes, and rolls are baked fresh every day, while dimply focaccia and rosette rolls are made only on Saturdays.

Eagle Rock sells deli meats and cheeses both sliced by the pound and on its sandwiches. As would be expected, about half of them are Italian and include essential cured meats like prosciutto, sopressata, capocollo, and mortadella. One of the most popular sandwiches is the Italian Combo, made with capocollo, salami, mortadella, and provolone cheese, with lettuce, tomato, pepperoncini, mayo, mustard, and white balsamic vinegar, with an optional mufffuletta olive spread. Redditors have praised the Combo as a "hungry man's dream" and a "damn fine sandwich," and gave particular props to the bread, calling it "the foundation for excellence," and saying, "The bread is the standout."

The shop also sells other house-made items, including pizza dough, seasoned breadcrumbs, pasta sauces like meat sauce and marinara, and meatballs. There's also a small market area with products imported from Italy like dry pastas, olive oil, canned tomatoes, vinegar, and similar items.

Following tradition is part of what has kept Eagle Rock in business for so long as a local staple with many devoted customers. But in L.A, where Hollywood is the city's industry, being part of the community can mean something a little different. The historic bakery and deli had a brief taste of small screen fame when scenes for the final season of FX's drama "Sons of Anarchy" were filmed there in 2014.