Label
BILLY’S RESTAURANT DELI
1950s
Donated by the Whitten family
It is always disheartening to witness the closure of one of the oldest neighborhood family-owned businesses to make way for swanky, high-rise developments. Since 1948, Billy’s Restaurant Deli was the place to get a plate of corned beef or a pastrami Rueben in Glendale. The classic deli illuminated Glendale with a very straightforward, though visually simple neon sign. Inside, dark wood booths were contrasted with green and white accents. An array of hanging meats and a wall-to-wall display of historic Glendale photographs were some of the charming elements
that made Billy’s a customer favorite.
Prior to Glendale’s cultural boom, the city was once notoriously known as the West Coast Headquarters of the American Nazi Party. In 2009, LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold said that it “is an unlikely location for good deli, but it’s kind of great that it’s here.”
Even though Billy’s Restaurant Deli closed its doors after 67 years of business, its success amidst Glendale’s racist past is a symbol of resistance and the resilience of Los Angeles’ Jewish Community. The Museum of Neon Art is thrilled to keep the memory of Billy’s aglow for generations to come.