For many residents of Downey and the wider Southeast L.A. area, Uncle Henry's Deli, established in 1959, has long been something of a local secret. Sadly, the third-generation family-owned sandwich shop-cum-craft beer specialists have announced that their store was destroyed in a fire.
Although they announced their intention to rebuild the store almost immediately, this still comes as a temporary loss in a time when restaurants across Southern California are struggling to stay afloat.
For the last 15 years or so, along with a celebrated sandwich menu, Uncle Henry's was known for stocking a vast selection of craft beer on tap and in bottles, and was a key player in the early days of L.A.'s love affair with craft brews, similar to the now-closed Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel. It routinely had rare Flemish sours and lambics, and even Pliny the Elder and the incredibly elusive, seasonal Pliny the Younger could be found on tap.