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    Galco's Soda Pop Stop

    4.5 (1.1k reviews)
    Open • 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Galco's Soda Pop Stop Photos

    GALCO'S SODA POP STOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids

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    My fave
    May..Lene D.

    Galco's will forever hold a special place in my heart. This is the OG grocery store we would walk to in the early 80"s. When they had penny candy machines, a big taxidermy deer head and the kindest owner. He once gave me and my sibling a big paper lunch bag full of candies! I love seeing the original check out stand, the little upper office where the owner would stand and the old fridge area where it once held fruits and veggies now old school candy bars. If you grew up in highland park in the 80s, this was the local market. How I miss those days! Highland Park is so different now! Btw Galco's makes some of the best sandwiches! Also if anyone knows where to get Stoney Tangawizi please let me know!

    Robert L.

    Found this place again while out with a friend, and honestly it felt like stepping straight back into childhood. Galacos is one of those spots that hits you with instant nostalgia the second you walk in. The colors, the shelves, the endless options--it all pulls you into a simpler, sugar-fueled time. The first time here I made my own soda, and my friend absolutely crafted a doozy. Watching the magic happen was half the fun. Every single aisle had me stopping and saying, "Oh my gosh, they have this?" over and over again. It's impossible not to want to buy the entire store. You'll want everything... then reality taps you on the shoulder reminding you diabetes is real but honestly, it's worth the splurge. This place isn't just about soda--it's about memories, laughter, and letting your inner kid run wild for a bit. A must-stop if you're into nostalgia, unique flavors, or just want to smile your way through a store.

    Food!!!
    Andrew H.

    Yes! This is a staple of the community! There is nice parking lot! First walked in and was nicely greeted with happy smiles! Fun ol school candies! The sodas are plentiful! Love seeing so many varieties and so many I've never seen or heard of! Didn't get the sandwich this time, but when I come back, I will get one! The ambiance of the place is that it's an old staple of this community. Nice people and it was comfortably busy! I will come back again!

    Hardly any meat was used in the making of this sandwich.
    Freddy R.

    Love the store and the products they sell. My review is strictly for the sandwiches. They suck!! Worst deli sandwich I've ever had! Sandwiches are my thing , I could eat one every day for the rest of my life. Two of us ate a third of our Galco Italian Combo sandwich and threw away the rest. It was boring af! Cheap meat, what little there was anyway, and toppings were used sparingly, just a sprinkle of lettuce, and chewy bread. Stale much??? The sandwich was underwhelming and tasteless. It was a waste of money and wouldn't get it again. $20 for two sandwiches down the drain.

    exterior, business front. they have their own private lot
    Van D.

    My boyfriend and I found Galco's on YouTube featuring a video when they appeared on PBS years ago. They are a family owned and operated business that's on to their second and third generation owners. They are known to have unique and hard to find old school and non-local sodas. To this day, there are 700 flavors available. Patrons come here to find sodas from their hometown or from their childhood. My boyfriend and I took a weekend fieldtrip here to explore unique sodas we don't see at the regular grocery store shelves. They have a private lot with plenty of parking. Upon entering we immediately saw stacks and stacks of old school soda boxes. We also saw nostalgic old school candys and other fun trinkets. My boyfriend and I wandered the aisle like kids, debating which flavors we would like to take home with us. We ended up picking 6 sodas. The sodas we picked ranged from $1.99 to $4.19. We got a Moxie Original Elixir, Gingerino Cranberry Ginger, Non-Alcoholic Butter Beer, HW Vanilla Cream Soda, Cheerwine, and Yuzu Sparkling Drink. We had a great time sampling these and will definitely be back for more. They also have an old school sandwich bar in the back. Since we saw it on the YouTube video we decided to get their Original Blockbuster sandwich ($8.99/8-inch sandwich). I'm glad we didn't feel hungry and get anything bigger and shared. Cause it was really awful. The description says it has Italian dry salami, mortadello, salami cotta, ham, provolone cheese, mayo, mustard, and pickles. However when we opened it, it looked like mostly bread and barely filling. Come for the sodas, avoid the sandwich. I'm going to round up and give them 5 stars cause they are first and foremost known for their epic selection of sodas and it's a place we enjoyed and would come back to. Highly recommended. These would also make for a great gift for those who would appreciate nostalgia or uniqueness, especially those who already have enough money to buy whatever they want.

    Cold Sarsaparilla for the road
    Iris J.

    Stopped at Galco's on a random weekday. It wasn't crowded and parking was super easy. I'd been wanting to come check this place out for a while now, but kept missing their business hours. I was so glad to finally be able to explore this place. Service was great, they were extremely helpful and offered suggestions. Unfortunately they didn't have exactly what I was looking for, but they still had an awesome assortment of sodas, beer, candy and even a sandwich shop in the back. Another shopper said their sandwiches were great, so I'm definitely going to have to come back and try them. But all in all I had a nice time walking around and finding different soda brands and flavors to try. I can't wait to return!

    Mona g.

    It's a store that can transport you back to the 59's with the music. However the store is more like a warehouse than market. With a large selection of soda pop and spirits this is a great place to come to for variety! Great customer service! I gave it only 4 stars because the smell of the store was too industrial.

    Josh B.

    After seeing this place on Instagram and my Facebook feeds, I decided to check it out. I made the Trek over from Westwood to this location and I feel that it was worth it. They have an excellent selection of sodas that are out of this world, as well as some nice beers and hard liquors to choose from. There is also a nice make your own soda station that you can try out which is pretty cool. And finally, I cannot forget to mention the excellent sandwiches at very fair prices. It's too bad that this isn't closer to where I live, otherwise I would probably go here every week or so. So far I've only had a turkey sandwich, and it's one of the best I've ever had. The folks behind the sandwich station know what they're doing. I recommend trying the cucumber soda when it is cold. It's one of the most refreshing drinks when it is cold.

    Lyla D.

    After stopping at La Mascota Bakery, we continued our food adventure to Galco's Old World Grocery or Galco's Soda Pop Stop in the Highland Park neighborhood. We tagged along because my brother-in-law's friend discovered his childhood candy bar favorite, CLARK candy bars, at Galco's, then got several old-time soda pop brands that we thought were no longer made or sold in the United States from this store. His mention of Galco's in-house Italian sandwich counter further piqued our curiosity and appetites. A Los Angeles attraction publication featured this grocery/soda pop store as one of the city's secret or hidden gems. It dates back about a century and was originally an Italian grocery store in downtown Los Angeles before moving to Highland Park in the 1950s. Galco's has an attached open parking lot fronting the store entrance. Upon entry, a female cashier at one of their checkout stands cheerfully welcomed us. We passed by their wide selection of old-time candy brands and then browsed the extensive hard-to-find sodas, small craft beers, meads, ciders, French wines, and sakes. Admittedly, we don't drink a lot of soda pop as we prefer drinking water or sparkling water to quench our thirst. However, I found several American soda pop flavors, such as root beer, sarsparilla, huckleberry, vanilla cream, and cherry that I couldn't resist putting into my shopping cart. As I browsed the store, I came across Japan's Ramune carbonated drinks and fruit-flavored Kimino sparkling water. My husband and I teased each other because we didn't intend to buy soda but bought over a dozen types. We've been sharing a bottle of different soda daily while hydrating with water in this cool and dry weather. This clean store has a nice friendly neighborhood vibe that we would happily return to whenever we're out for another adventure.

    Sergio Z.

    Galco's Old World Grocery aka the Soda store have been around many years as a grocery store and know as the world famous Soda store. People have been coming around California and other state have come to Galco's to find old classic Soda you can't find in store. Once in a while my wife and I go to Galco's to buy vintage Soda that we love they hard to find or they stop making but coming to Galco's we find them. Galco's have a Deli called Galco's Blockbuster they make sandwiches they petty good we enjoy their pastrami sandwiches. We order the turkey Blockbuster they are really good we enjoy our drink we buy. Galco's is part of L.A. history and keeping tradition alive.

    Turkey (add bacon, avocado) Blockbuster
    Aaron C.

    We bought some Fallout "Nuka Cola" by Jones, Cuban Materva, Cheerwine, and Inca Kola- all priced well, all excellent tasting. We also picked up a couple of made to order Blockbuster sandwiches which really hit the spot, and tasted even better because we had great service. Galco's is a five star establishment. WoW That's Amazing!

    Cracker Jacks and more!
    Cindy S.

    We love it here! Vintage and hard to find sodas (over 500 or more varieties), retro toys and candy, artisan beers/beverages from around the world! A DIY soda station! Beyond specializing in sodas, according to Pasadena Weekly, "Galco's also has one of the largest and most diverse selections of sake in Southern California". Wow! Galco's Soda Pop Shop is family owned and operated since 1897. This place is cool and a must visit for soda pop connoisseurs.

    Hershey bar
    Shelby R.

    We picked up 2 sandwiches here and loved them! The people in side was very nice not to loud in there very old school grocery store set up. Lots of sodas to choose from plus some old candy's to go through.

    Meatball sandwich

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    4 months ago

    It's an amazing historic place in the sodas are really good especially if you make it yourself

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    1 month ago

    my favorite place i buy 7 soda every visit one for every day of the week thier sandwiches are amazing

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    Galco's Soda Pop Stop Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Galco's Soda Pop Stop

    How long do the bottles of soda stay on the shelf before selling?

    Uh, they stay on there until they get sold?? A box of cereal at a grocery store stays on the shelf until someone grabs it to buy it. Just grab a bottle you like, it's not expired if that's what you're asking.

    Looking for a soda from South Africa: are there international drinks too? Not asking for Japanese: something very different.

    I would love to find Aspen soda. Do you carry it?

    I don't recall seeing that at Galco's . You do know that PepsiCo felt it was not any good when they purchase it from Aspen so they came out with SLICE LIME and now SIERRA MIST.

    Do y'all carry berry Fanta (blue)?

    I don't believe they carry anything from Fanta at all. I did a search on their site. I've never seen any Fanta at Galco's in-person either now that I think of it, but perhaps you can put in a request.… 

    Do they have Lilt soda?

    If you call them, they will tell you.

    Do they have butter beer, Harry porter style?

    Yep. I just got a bottle

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    The Oinkster - Oinkster Pastrami Sandwich

    The Oinkster

    3.8(4.1k reviews)
    1.8 mi•Eagle Rock
    •$$

    Was in the area and we stopped by on a Wednesday night. This is just a really good burger and…read morepastrami spot. Their classic burger has a perfectly toasted bun, it has a really beefy burger patty, and it has that perfect balance of all the veggies. If you want a bacon cheeseburger, their "bacon crispinator" doubles down on crispiness with their bacon and onion strings, but it's balanced with melty cheese. My wife ordered their oinkster pastrami, which we also enjoyed thoroughly. They serve a thin pastrami here, but our sandwich was absolutely loaded with it. Their mustard has nice flavor and a kick that balances everything. My favorite thing here are their fries with garlic aioli. Make sure you also get their house made chipotle ketchup, which has addictive sweet and tangy flavors. Overall, Oinkster was far better than I remember from my last visit over ten years ago. This is not a mom-and-pop burger spot - the food and condiments are definitely elevated and homemade, which makes a difference, and I'll definitely be back.

    At this point, the Oinkster is an East Side institution. I've been eating here since they opened,…read moreand I'll die on this hill...they serve the best pastrami in LA. It's been a minute since I've eaten here (moved across the country five years ago), but I had the chance to go back recently. Everything is still the same (if the place isn't just a little more run down than I remember). Food is still solid, and staff is great! But Jesus Christ on a hogie roll!! $21 for a plain pastrami sando with a water. No drink. No fries. Just bread and meat, tax, and tip. Sorry kids, while I love everything about, I just can no longer find the value in it. It's a sad day. But I believe this is the last Oinkster Pastrami for me.

    Photos
    The Oinkster - Indoor dining area

    Indoor dining area

    The Oinkster - Oinkster Pastrami w. pickle + banana peppers

    Oinkster Pastrami w. pickle + banana peppers

    The Oinkster - Our table.

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    Our table.

    Jeff’s Table - The "Jeff's Special" (Reuben)

    Jeff’s Table

    4.3(257 reviews)
    0.6 mi•Highland Park
    •$$

    One of the best Cuban sandwiches I have ever had in my life…read more Took me a second to see where the actual spot was only to find it tucked away in the back of a liquor store. Not much room to sit there but plenty in the front on the street.

    tl;dr the signature reuben highlights an otherwise hit-or-miss array of elevated deli classics…read more Jeff Strauss hasn't always been a hit chef (he started his career as a writer for Friends), but you wouldn't know it based on the excellent eats at his eponymous Jeff's Table. This "sandwich speakeasy" is tucked in the back room of a Highland Park liquor store, but the ambitious deli lineup includes some of the city's best sandwiches. Outside, you'll see a worn neon sign reading "Coldest Beer in Town". Walk through the slightly worn beverage displays, past stacked cases of Liquid Death, industrial fridges of local IPAs, and ceiling-high shelves of liquor and spirits, to the cramped sandwich operation in the back. A letterboard menu is organized on the off-white plaster wall, underneath a neon sign depicting the red cartoon table logo. Additional sandwich specials are doodled onto a tiny chalkboard behind the checkout counter. Maroon metal patio furniture is organized underneath sweeping umbrellas along the muraled brick exterior out front. The best of the sandwiches are total bops. The "Jeff's Special" Reuben features the perfect ratio of uber-rich cheese, melt-in-your-mouth pastrami, and panini-pressed rye; I only wish the meat itself packed some more seasoning. The Dirty Baby was just as satisfying. The decadent one-two punch of gouda and turkey salad more closely resembled a hearty bolognese than a deli sandwich. The thick-cut challah admirably withstood the 20-minute drive home. Other items were less memorable. The Hainan-Style Turkey Salad was slapped onto a dull hamburger bun-esque roll. While I enjoyed the diverse crispy textures, from the fried garlic to the arugula to the cucumber, the turkey salad itself was mostly flavorless. Similarly, the Thai Peanut Mac Salad was exciting in texture but plain in taste -- the celery was more prominent than the green curry aioli. The service was extra friendly, and the sandwiches run $15-16 each, relatively affordable by LA standards. While some of the sandwiches could compete for the title of best in LA, other dishes were duds. I won't go out of my way to schedule a visit during Jeff's Table's limited lunch hours, but I would certainly pay them a return visit if I'm already in the neighborhood.

    Photos
    Jeff’s Table - Where the magic happens

    Where the magic happens

    Jeff’s Table - Yuzu Kosho Chicken Sando

    Yuzu Kosho Chicken Sando

    Jeff’s Table - Jeff's Table (walk to the back of the liquor shop)!

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    Jeff's Table (walk to the back of the liquor shop)!

    Bub and Grandma's - Crab sandwich

    Bub and Grandma's

    4.0(447 reviews)
    2.4 mi•Glassell Park
    •$$

    Great food here. You've probably driven past and seen a modest line of people waiting. I wish I…read morecould say that the line moves quickly but it simply doesn't. Is it worth waiting in line for more than 15m? Absolutely not. But again, the food is great. Street parking though is always tricky depending on the time of your visit. Bacon Egg and Cheese - For a breakfast sandwich, it smacks. I wasn't so certain about the bread ratio but I was so wrong-- the roll is perfectly soft, and the egg, bacon, and cheese come together perfectly. No real notes here. Sausage Egg and Cheese - If you like sausage, get this one. But if you're undecided, just go with bacon. I'll get myself a blood orange donut every now and again. They're priced a little high but I would say that you certainly get what you pay for.

    Although I personally believe this is a really nice place and the sandwiches are very good, I want…read moreto give my very personal opinion in regard to the sourdough bread they make. I also have to emphasize that making bread is not as simple as it may seem, especially with sourdough but it could definitely be improved. I bought a "house bread" that claims to contain a percentage of rye and to have a tangy flavor profile. However, the final product seems to me more like an over-fermented loaf than the result of a well-balanced sourdough process. When a sourdough starter is allowed to mature too far and begins to run out of available food, its acidity and fermentation byproducts can become more pronounced, often producing a sharper, more acidic or alcoholic aroma. If that overly mature starter is then used in the dough, it can contribute to an excessively acidic and over-fermented final product. This also seems to be reflected in the crumb. The crumb is neither particularly uniform nor well-developed in a three-dimensional sense. Instead, there are large, irregular open areas concentrated along the edges near the crust. This can be consistent with excessive fermentation and uneven gas retention, although other factors such as shaping and dough tension can also contribute to this type of crumb structure. If the starter being used is rye-based and additional rye flour is incorporated into the dough, fermentation can become more active and the dough structure can behave differently from an all-wheat dough. Rye also has a significant effect on gluten development and gas retention. For that reason, the fermentation schedule needs to be adjusted accordingly, and the dough should not necessarily be subjected to an excessively long cold bulk fermentation. Perhaps the process being used for these breads is something along the lines of feeding the sourdough starter approximately four hours before mixing the dough, preparing the dough, and then placing it directly into the refrigerator for an extended cold bulk fermentation. If that is indeed the process, it could certainly produce a more pronounced acidic profile. However, if the fermentation is allowed to proceed too far, the result may be an over-fermented loaf with excessive acidity and poor crumb structure rather than a well-balanced sourdough bread. In my view, the goal should not simply be to maximize acidity. A well-balanced sourdough bread should ideally combine acidity with fermentation-derived aromas, good dough strength, even gas distribution, and a well-developed crumb structure.

    Photos
    Bub and Grandma's - @endoedibles on Instagram 04/11/26

    @endoedibles on Instagram 04/11/26

    Bub and Grandma's - Toast, butter, jam

    Toast, butter, jam

    Bub and Grandma's - @endoedibles on Instagram 04/11/26 Chocolate Chip Cookie

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    @endoedibles on Instagram 04/11/26 Chocolate Chip Cookie

    Galco's Soda Pop Stop - gourmet - Updated September 2026

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