Dilly’s Sandwiches is the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sandwich shop on Viking Way in Lakewood Village. And this little gem is already becoming a lunchtime staple as well as a post-school activity hangout, with parents and kids alike loving the fact that they have a no-frills, uncomplicated, straight-forward, Jewish deli-inspired sandwich shop.
Opened under the watchful eyes of husband-and-wife team Brein and Rory Ann Clements, it offers classic square sandwiches—all sliced bread; no hoagie, roll, or brioche to be found—and pickles. Lots and lots of glorious pickles. From pickled green tomatoes to some of the best bread’n’butter pickles this side of the 10.
Dilly’s Sandwiches begins like all great sandwiches do: with love.
“This sandwich thing was a joke,” Rory Ann said. “[Brein and I] worked at the Balboa Bay Club. I was an intern at their pastry department and he was chef de cuisine—and we fell in love immediately. And our joke was that one day—just one day—he would open a taco stand and I would open a sandwich shop. He, obviously, did not get the taco shop. And we’re okay with that.”
Indeed, most of their customers are fine with their final choice. With each sandwich feeling more like a sandwich for two—stuffed and stacked with drool-worthy proteins—you will find guests lifting up molasses rye slices stuffed with stacks of sliced turkey breasts. Seeded rye bread slices filled with pastrami. Sourdough’n’rye marble slices perfectly packed with smoked salami. Or, even, an absolutely wondrous, off-the-menu peanut butter’n’pickle sandwich. (It is, undeniably, one of the city’s best secrets: starchy white bread, crunch peanut butter, slightly sweet bread’n’butter pickles. Absolutely marvelous in its simplicity and nostalgia-inducing ability.)
And while they had been shopping around in Bixby Knolls, what really brought them to charming stretch of Viking Way was their daughter’s dance class.
“I’m here at 5 o’clock night. Class is over. Cafe is closed. I’m here with a ton of dance moms and dads with nowhere to go,” Rory Ann said. “Two months later, the space we’re in now opened up and it honestly just felt serendipitous. Like, handed to us on a platter.”
And it’s all about relationships.
“We wanted to work with companies that align with our values,” Brein said. “Yeah, it makes our costs go up a bit but we’re proud of what we serve here. And the community should feel pride in what they consume.” Or, in Rory Ann’s words, “We feel like we genuinely found the best purveyors for what we want. Yes, some have complained about the prices—but that’s a handful out of hundreds of covers.”
The murals of Dilly, their mascot, and his vivacious variety of pickle friends? Done by Long Beach artist and longtime friend of the Clements, Grammy award-winner Dave Van Patten. The pickles? From New York-style pickle masters Kaylin + Kaylin Pickles. The meats? From none other than Angeleno legend Russak Brothers, who created the pastrami for Langer’s. Their cookies? From Better Be Cookies, bringing wonderful flavors like Earl Grey tea, black sesame and Oreo, and match and strawberry.
It is worth noting that building and using relationships is such an essential aspect of small business. They tried their own pickles but they just weren’t up to par with Kaylin + Kaylin. Yes, they created sweets but with limited space, it made things more labor-intensive. Yes, they tried to make bread but realized the space and time it would have required to do so.
So they themselves supported other small businesses, bringing in these things to help with their own labor costs as well as uplifting their quality. Oftentimes, pride can easily get in the way of a successful business—and Dilly’s exemplifies how using relationships, not making absolutely every little thing, and putting ego aside can actually benefit you.
Dilly’s has the city’s most unique, intriguing tap list.
Those relationships extend to their stellarly substantive, no-list-like-it in Long Beach, where Brein has curated a tap list that entirely eschews the trend of keeping it local. And, to be frank, it is incredibly refreshing. Because there is a certain sensation when stepping into a place and not knowing a single beer on the list after always having a dependable Beachwood IPA or Ten Mile brew on a menu.
“My wife got the sandwiches, I got the beer,” Brein proudly said. “And it took a lot of work and a lot of research to get these kegs. That Stasis Project you’re drinking? We’re the only one with a keg outside of Bottle Logic itself.”
He’s referring to the Anaheim brewery’s long-running imperial stout series, where a bit of the brewery’s original Darkstar November aged stout has been added to each aged stout since. Dubbed a world-class beer by Beer Advocate, the rich, velvety, par-example imperial stout is, actually, one of the most local beers offered. After that, you’re getting into collaboration brews between Missouri brewing staples, Perennial and Urban Chestnut. Or Oregon’s Great Notion and their berry tart put on nitro. New York’s Grimm Brewing. Washington’s Dutchess Ales…
On top of this, much like the tap system developed by Gabe Gordon and Julian Shrago of Beachwood, Brein has created a proprietary tap system that melds nitro and CO2 in way to where he can blend each to create specific creaminess-es to each of his beers. The result? A beautiful body of beers that come presented in a way like no other.
A look at some of the offerings at Dilly’s Sandwiches.
Here’s a look at some of the sandwiches being offered at Dilly’s Sandwiches.
Hot Beef: Grilled sourdough | Roast beef | Tillamook cheddar | Creamed horseradish
Hot Pastrami: Grilled rye | Pastrami | IPA mustard
Smoked Salami: Marbled rye | Smoked salami | Havarti | Iceberg lettuce | Pickled onion
Turkey: Molasses rye | Smoked turkey | Dilly spread | Pepperoncini | Avocado | Iceberg lettuce
Reuben: Seeded rye | Pastrami | Russian dressing | Sauerkraut
Dilly: Molasses rye | Bean sprouts | Avocado | Cream cheese (vegan option available) | Tomato | Red peppers | Cucumbers
Peanut butter and pickle sandwich (off the menu): White bread | Crunch peanut butter | Bread’n’butter pickles
Dilly’s Sandwiches is located at 4144 Viking Way.
