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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.
Hank’s Bagels Built Your Own BLT – Brentwood, Burbank, Calabasas + Sherman Oaks ↓
Chef Trevor Faris and wife Kelley provide the option to build your own BLT. Pair a bagel (your choice) with spicy maple-glazed bacon, tomato, leafy greens and aioli.
Jon & Vinny’s BLT – Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Fairfax Village, Slauson + Studio City ↓
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo start days in style with their BLT. Thick grilled ciabatta slabs bookend thicc bacon, runny fried egg, tomato, arugula, and aioli. Open wide. This sandwich is a beast.
Little Nelly BLT (Seasonal) – Burbank ↓
Whoa Nelly Catering’s market in Burbank’s Magnolia Park District serves a sumptuous seasonal BLT featuring heirloom tomato, little gem lettuce, smoked paprika aioli and four crispy bacon slices between soft Céor bread.
Lodge Bread BLT – Beverly Hills, Culver City + Woodland Hills ↓
Chef-owner Or Amsalam’s BLT is a towering sandwich with applewood bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on soft, thick sourdough.
Maple Block BLT (Off Menu) – Culver City ↓
When they have house-cured pork belly, Maple Block serves an off-menu BLT. Chef Rudy Suazo smokes, grills, and glazes bacon with honey pepper sauce. Heirloom tomato, butter lettuce and Alabama white sauce join the fun in a brioche bun.
Mary’s Market B.L.A.S.T. – Sierra Madre ↓
Jenny Kay and Heather Morrison currently own this local favorite at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains since 1922. Their BLT is a B.L.A.S.T. Mary’s Market serves this beautifully balanced bacon, lettuce, avocado, Swiss cheese, and tomato sandwich on a choice of either toasted wheat or sourdough with just the right amount of mayo.
Penny Oven BLT – Eagle Rock ↓
Chef-owner Michelle Wilton serves a BLT with crispy, plentiful bacon, romaine lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, and mayo on crusty, house-baked whole wheat sourdough bread.
SQIRL BLT (Seasonal) – Virgil Village ↓
Jessica Koslow’s beacon for seasonal California cuisine serves a beautifully balanced “peak summer” BLT. This sought after sandwich incorporates thick house-made brioche and bacon, Flora Bella Farm tomatoes, exquisite The Garden Of… greens and “things like sherry vinegar, Italian salt, and well, kewpie” that brighten up bites.
Verve Coffee Roasters BLAT (Seasonal) – Arts District, Mid-City + West Hollywood↓
Verve featured a BLAT as their summer special that I enjoyed in the Arts District. They stacked four bacon slices with shrettuce (shredded lettuce), juicy heirloom tomato, sliced avocado, and charred scallion aioli on thick toasted brioche.
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.