Billy's Deli, Torrance, California: Good Food and Value

My husband and I were looking for a place for a quick and casual dinner yesterday, and we couldn't decide where to go. We wanted to sit down to eat, but didn't want a big, complete dinner. And we wanted to go somewhere we hadn't tried before. We ended up flipping open our South Bay Entertainment Guide for ideas, and we decided to go to Billy's Deli, on 190th Street and Anza Avenue in Torrance, California. It was a great choice!

We wanted something substantial to eat, but didn't feel like hopping to a burger joint for fast food. We also didn't feel like spending too much time or money, so Billy's Deli turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. The place is a little reminiscent of old coffee shops, complete with counter seats where customers can sit and chat with the waitresses over a hot cup of joe, and spend the morning reading the paper and eating pie. The place is not too big, but can seat a quite a few people comfortable. It's got the atmosphere of old days gone by without being kitchy at all.

We both ordered the Sky-High deli sandwich, for which you have four choices of meat: corned beef, turkey, brisket, or pastrami. My husband and I both went for the pastrami. There were three layers of bread, thick layers of salty pastrami, and a layer of mildly-sweet coleslaw that was a wonderful contrast to the saltiness of the pastrami. It's one of those sandwiches that you just have to get your hands dirty, and really bite into it, the meat falls out from all sides, but you still have plenty left in the sandwich to chew on. It's great! Pastrami is not the healthiest choice out there, but it did not feel greasy or heavy at all!

The atmostphere is easy going and relaxing, and you just feel like you stepped back in time. The waitresses were friendly and efficient. The only strange thing to us was that my husband and I seemed to be the only ones under the age of 40... or 50 or 60, for that matter! We don't know why. We felt very welcome, loved the food, the prices, the relaxing atmostphere...

So all you younger folks out there, get to Billy's Deli!! Great food, extremely reasonable prices, and you are sure to leave with a full belly. That is, if you can manage to finish the sandwich in the first place!
If you don't feel like having a sandwich, they also have all the old time favorites such as meatloaf, pot roast, they have chicken, steaks, pasta, burgers.

Billy's Deli is located at:
5160 W. 190th Street
Torrance, CA 90503
(310)371-0168