Canyon Country Store — Local services in Los Angeles

I had the great pleasure to shop here for a year or so when I lived in Hollywood. I was always intrigued by the legendary allure of this place, particularly within the musical community. Even the late great Jim Morrison wrote a song about the store. On my first of many ventures to get their great deli food, I was deeply curious about the great musical legacy. I got to see where Mama Cass stayed (yes she lived here once upon a time in the lower level) and see press clippings of another icon, David Bowie, ordering his favorite English sweets here. I also got to meet Tommy, a rock and roll star owner if there ever was one, and be regaled by tales of the stores history. The store: the deli sandwiches are fantastic. They really are and there is terrific variety. You get alot for your buck. You can find pretty much every type of food, drink or sweet here within reason and the prices are good, considering the location and prestige. But, it's the warm community of Laurel Canyon locals that further make this a special place to be prized and valued beyond mere storefront. Recently, the L.A. city department is fining this establishment for the decades old murals that have carried the charm and history of Hollywood. It's inconceivable that this is happening to a landmark establishment, but sadly as of August 2019, this is the case. Show Tommy and the Canyon store your support. L.A. is continuing to be oversaturated with sterile and overpriced apartments and the city is in haste to demolish watershed landmarks in the name of the almighty dollar. I hope that the store is spared this ignorance, as it would be utterly shameful for this treasure trove of Hollywood history to be another bureaucratic casualty. In closing, great store for the practical needs, food, drink and a great sense of community here too, with many artists, musicians and local residents having conversations on the outdoor patio, or convening for special yearly events here. It's a must for Los Angeles history enthusiasts and for those looking for a great high end but charming (and not pricey) local...

Stepping into the Laurel Canyon Country Store is like walking into a living piece of Los Angeles history. Built in 1929, the store has been a neighborhood anchor for nearly a century and carries with it the mystique of the rock and roll era. Crosby Stills and Nash, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass, and David Bowie all passed through its doors, making it as much a cultural landmark as it is a market. The store even sits just down the street from the house where Graham Nash lived with Joni Mitchell and wrote the song Our House, a reminder of the deep roots this place has in music history.

What makes the Laurel Canyon Country Store unique is the way it blends the everyday with the extraordinary. You will find high end specialty products sitting alongside regular groceries, fresh produce, deli sandwiches, cookies, and even imported candies that became part of the store’s inventory because famous customers once requested them. It is a gathering place for locals and visitors alike, filled with character and charm.

Owner Tommy Bina has run the store since 1982 and is as much a part of the experience as the shelves themselves. Known for his quirky personality and playful stories, he greets customers with a mix of humor and warmth that reflects the free spirited history of Laurel Canyon. Under his care, the store has remained not just a market but a community hub, hosting festivals and events that keep the spirit of the canyon alive.

The Laurel Canyon Country Store is more than a place to shop. It is a true piece of Americana, a landmark that blends culture, community, and history into one...

Romantically tucked away in a shaded hillside, you’ll find this store that The Doors mentioned in “Love Street” and where many famous musicians now but up and coming then shopped for their groceries. Inside, it almost feels more like some rustic log cabin than a grocery store beautifully adorned with blown up photos of local residents posing in front of the store over the years, the Mamas and the Papas, and of course Jim Morrison and The Doors.

So why then did I give it a four star instead of a five star rating? You would think with all this history the people running the place and it’s current patrons would seamlessly meld with it’s historic 60’s bohemian spirit but somehow, something wasn't quite geling in that regard upon my visit unfortunately. I give kudos for there being no renovations made to the place but the prices of the food they're selling at the deli and on the shelves says it all to me: exploitation. And the people that go there seem more like gentrifiers to me or have the audacity that somehow by buying overpriced coffee and hanging out on the store's patio, bestows upon them a continuation of it’s former patrons creative energy? Baloney. Sorry, I mean I’ll keep coming back here but that free wheeling magical hippie vibe of the place from yonder years seems at best muddled or perhaps gone(?) from this once magical and...