The first thing you notice when you open the door to tiny Uncle Henry's Deli in Downey is the hypnotizing wall of taps along the back wall. With three rows of more than 30 handles each closely stacked on top of one another, it's hard for beer lovers not to be drawn to the absurdly dense selection of local and rare brews from some of the industry's most hyped names. That the taps — as well as shelves and refrigerators stocked with equally rare bottles — were all installed over the last six years inside a fully functioning 1950s-era deli is just a nostalgic bonus. Before George Gaul Jr. (the 20-something grandnephew of the real Uncle Henry) got his hands on it, this local institution was a liverwurst and Budweiser kind of place, a sandwich-slinging holdover from the days when European immigrants brought their penchant for salty animal parts straight into the American suburbs. But just as craft beer landed in L.A., Gaul decided to add his own touch to the deli's offerings, converting the family legacy (which still served stacked-high sammies) into a craft beer destination in the spirit of San Gabriel's longtime import-focused Stuffed Sandwich, with a youthful twist.

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