Albert and Jean Langer opened Langer's Delicatessen at Alvarado and 7th Streets back in June 1947, a bastion of pastrami sandwiches located a patty melt's throw from MacArthur Park. Many say Langer's pastrami sandwich is the best in the West, and some say it is the best in America, or even the world. Now you can get a Langer's pastrami sandwich for free.

To celebrate 65 years of pastrami awesomeness, Langer's will be serving free No. 19 sandwiches next Friday and Saturday. You know the No. 19, right? Hand-cut hot pastrami, cole slaw, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese on warm, double-baked rye bread. The thing about Langer's pastrami is that, though it's not cured or smoked in-house, it is steamed for up to three hours until it's uber-tender and therefore has to be hand-cut.

"I can't machine-cut it," the late Al Langer once told The Times. "I steam it so tender it'd fall apart. This way, you get pastrami that's thicker and juicier .... You know, good pastrami requires effort."

From 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 15 and 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 16, each customer is eligible to receive one free No. 19. The customer must be seated and served by a Langer's server inside Langer's Deli on standard Langer's seating (a booth, a counter stool or a Langer's chair) during the event hours. Free No. 19's are not available for carry out.

704 S. Alvarado, Los Angeles, (213) 483-8050, www.langersdeli.com.

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Photo: The No. 19 sandwich at Langer's. Credit: Langer's Delicatessen