Adventure LA: The Oinkster Makes Piggies of Us All

Originally, the purpose of our Adventure food reviews was to showcase restaurants that satisfied the adult palate, but didn’t reject the company of our children. However, being a self-confessed junk food junkie of the regional-sort, I’m always on the lookout for a city’s local culinary speciality. Although not our original intent, cheap, regional cuisine often reigns supreme when trying to please the whole family.

This being said, Los Angeles offers the first entry of this sort—the hometown pastrami sandwich. And, quite frankly, it’s not just any pastrami sandwich—it’s a fantasy-feast. It’s the type of meal that you dream about for weeks after you leave and it actually makes you wonder if you should, in fact, buy real estate in the area.

As chef André Guerrero’s motto promises, The Oinkster offers “slow fast food.” This is a sandwich that comes out almost as quickly as you order it, but is made with oh-so-much love. The Oinkster pastrami delivers two-week cured meat, Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, and red cabbage slaw on a succulently butter-laden roll. Accompany that bad boy with crispy Belgian fries and one of the many homemade sauces, including chipotle ketchup, roasted garlic aioli, and ancho-lime mayo! The slow roasted and smoked BBQ Pulled Pork slathered in North Carolina BBQ sauce isn’t a bad bet either.

Located in LA’s Eagle Rock neighborhood, The Oinkster is housed in a wonderfully kitschy 50s A-frame. Inside, the diner offers comfy red naugahyde booths and, outside, sit amongst the hipsters in their horsetail-adorned patio. While your kids suck down their Oinksterade, a house-concocted orange lemonade, you can sip on a pitcher of cold, draught beer. And, if you want to soak up the atmosphere a little longer, top your meal off with a slice of homemade banana cream pie or a PB&J cupcake for dessert. Details: 2005 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angles, CA, 323.255.oink, www.theoinkster.com.

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