The combination of salty bacon, crisp lettuce, juicy tomato and warm, toasted bread may seem simple, but Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches can be one of lunch’s greatest pleasures. Of course, for some chefs, those three letters aren’t enough, but their embellishments work wonders. Learn about some of the top Los Angeles BLTs I’ve experienced.
Establishments appear in alphabetical order instead of in order of preference.
UPDATES SINCE SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
Additions: Cafe Tropical, Sqirl, Verve Coffee Roasters
A Cut Above Butcher Shop ACA BLT – Santa Monica ↓
Since I last tried chef-butcher Eddy Shin’s BLT, he swapped lettuce for arugula. This may not technically be a BLT, but applewood smoked bacon, tomato, avocado and aioli on soft toasted rye bread still help this sandwich sing.
Bread Head BLT – Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica + Westwood ↓
Chefs Alex Williams and Jordan Snyder serve sandwiches on crackly salt dusted focaccia they bake in Santa Monica. Their stellar BLT also layers Neuske’s bacon with tomato, crisp iceberg lettuce and punchy garlic mayo.
Bub and Grandma’s BELT – Thai Town ↓
Cafe Tropical BLT – Silver Lake ↓
Danny Khorunzhiy, Ed Cornell and Rene Navarrette revived Cafe Tropical, a Silver Lake mainstay that dates to 1975 and briefly closed. The new owners added flourishes that transcended the cafe’s Cuban roots, including a terrific BLT. Manny Contreras layers tangy pickled Tutti Frutti heirloom tomatoes, crisp romaine lettuce, bacon, and mayo on griddled sandwich bread.
Clark Street BLT – Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Echo Park + Larchmont Village ↓
Owners Zack Hall and wife Michaela serve a great BLT with Hobb’s bacon, heirloom tomato, lettuce and special sauce on toasted house-baked country sourdough.
Clementine BLT – Century City ↓
Annie Miler’s Century City enduring café serves “The Best BLT” with heirloom tomatoes in-season and roasted tomatoes off-season. This classic take also tucks thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, iceberg lettuce and mayo into toasted rustic white levain.
Colossus BLT – Long Beach + San Pedro (Harbor) ↓
Fountain Grains & Greens BLT – East Hollywood ↓
Friends & Family BELT – Thai Town ↓
World class baker Roxana Jullapat and chef-partner Daniel Mattern tag team to great effect. Their brunch friendly BELT features thick-cut bacon, over easy egg, market tomato, crisp lettuce and basil mayo on beautiful bread.
Ginger Corner Market BLT – Pasadena ↓
Liz Hollingsworth and family run Ginger Corner Market across from Pasadena’s Grant Park. Their standout BLT fills Homeboy sourdough with crisp romaine, tomato, mayo, and beaucoup bacon caramelized with brown sugar, pepper flakes and spices.
Harvest Moon Kitchen + Marketplace BLT – Valley Village ↓
Harvest Moon name checks a great Neil Young song/album. Their BLT combines sweet & spicy bacon, Roma tomato, lemon aioli, and arugula on buttery grilled country bread.
Blog Comments
RockieK
June 28, 2014 at 5:27 PM
Holy crap. I recently had a BLT for lunch at The Oaks Gourmet in Hollywood and it was incredible. May as well had a slab of bacon! It was built beautifully around (what seemed to be) an entire avocado, heirloom stripy tomatoes and the freshest lettuce ever. I’ve been thinking about it for two weeks.
Joshua Lurie
June 30, 2014 at 7:15 AM
RockieK, thanks for the Oaks Gourmet tip. It’s been awhile since I’ve visited that spot, but they serve some good, comforting sandwiches.
RockieK
July 13, 2014 at 5:38 PM
I went back the other day… there’s camembert cheese on the thing too. Did not have to eat dinner that day either! 🙂
DW
June 28, 2014 at 12:07 PM
Have you tried Industriel’s (downtown LA on 6th and Grand) BLAT? I haven’t tried it yet…
Joshua Lurie
June 28, 2014 at 1:05 PM
DW, I still haven’t tried Industriel. Have you heard good things?
Lisa
June 27, 2014 at 1:36 PM
Courtyard Cafe in Santa Monica also makes a great one
Christine
June 27, 2014 at 10:21 AM
Am I the only one who thinks salmon on a BLT sounds like overkill? Beyond adding avocado, I guess I’m a traditionalist. I think the Boathouse’s looks the best, which also happens to be the cheapest and closest by – win for me!
Brian Allen
June 27, 2014 at 10:13 AM
What about Bottega Louie? I thought their BLT was great.
Joshua Lurie
June 27, 2014 at 10:33 AM
Brian, I wasn’t aware of Bottega Louie’s BLT, but thanks for the suggestion.