Established in 1908 by Henry Cole, Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet has been located in the Historic Core of downtown Los Angeles. Originally situated on the ground floor of the Pacific Electric Building, which served as the main terminal for the Pacific Electric Railway, the restaurant featured tables made from the varnished doors of retired Red Cars.
Cole's claims that the French dip sandwich was invented there the year it opened. According to carvers at the restaurant, Henry Cole first dipped the bread in jus at the request of a customer who had recently had dental work. Because the bread was too hard and hurt the customer's teeth, Cole dipped it to soften it, and other customers eventually requested the same. The restaurant was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1989.
The establishment has appeared in popular culture, notably resembling the bar from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, complete with a menu reference to "French dip." It was also featured in Episode 2, Season 3 of The Lincoln Lawyer, where characters debated whether the sandwich was invented at Cole's or at Philippe's.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Friendly Jane
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