Is Norton's Pastrami & Deli Still Open? Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Update

Part 1 — Season 13, Episode 10 Aired February 13, 2012

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Norton's Pastrami & Deli in Santa Barbara for the 'Old Faves, New Craves' episode that aired 2012-02-13, spotlighting the sandwich shop's hand-carved pastrami. The deli has operated at 18 West Figueroa Street in downtown Santa Barbara since 2004, according to background listed on the Downtown Santa Barbara business directory. A Yelp listing for the address, updated June 2026, shows continuing customer activity and lists the business as open. A site check on 2026-09-08 found the restaurant's website, carrying a 2026 copyright notice and current Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., now presenting the business jointly as 'Norton's Pastrami Deli' and 'Kona's Deli' in its page title and menu pages. The site did not explain the added Kona's Deli branding, and no dated report describing an ownership change or merger was found during this check.

Part 2 — Season 26, Episode Special Aired March 10, 2017

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Norton's Pastrami & Deli in Santa Barbara during the 'All Stacked Up' special, which aired 2017-03-10, sampling the deli's hand-cut pastrami sandwiches. Norton's is a delicatessen on West Figueroa Street in downtown Santa Barbara. A Yelp listing for the business, updated in June 2026, shows it operating with more than 600 reviews. The restaurant's own website, last modified 2026-08-08 and copyrighted 2026, lists current hours and a full sandwich menu, and also promotes a secondary online-ordering brand called Kona's Deli operating out of the same kitchen. Downtown Santa Barbara's business directory continues to list Norton's Pastrami & Deli at the same address, and Tripadvisor's page for the restaurant remained active with reviews as of the same check.