Fodor's Expert Review Cole's French Dip

There’s a fight in Los Angeles over who created the French dip sandwich. The first contender is Cole’s, whose sign on the door says it's the originator of the salty, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth meats. The restaurant opened in 1908 and today is still going strong with dark lighting, delicious sandwiches, and a secret speakeasy called the Varnish hidden in the back. The men’s room nods to the famous clientele of the past with plaques over the urinals notifying bathroom-goers that Charles Bukowski and Mickey Cohen both "pissed here.”