Dine like a Dodger at this elevated Santa Clarita deli owned by Mookie Betts’ former private chef

The latest cult sandwich spot in Los Angeles isn’t tucked inside a trendy strip mall or an influencer trap — it’s hiding in an industrial corner of Santa Clarita, next to warehouses and storage units.

Chef James Dalton — the longtime private chef to Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts — quietly opened Table 504 last week, a low-key sandwich shop that’s already generating quite the buzz.

The star of the menu is the 12-day pastrami sandwich, which, you guessed it, takes 12 days to prep. The process involves a 10-day brine followed by eight hours in the smoker, on bread baked fresh in-house.

Locals are also raving about the 504 Italian, another $20 must-order, made with prosciutto, imported mortadella, sweet soppressata, burrata, red-wine vinaigrette, house-pickled pepper spread and served on house focaccia.

Dalton’s culinary résumé is a far cry from your average sandwich slinger. The Florida-born chef has spent 26 years in hospitality and eventually transitioned into private cheffing for Betts after the MLB superstar moved from Boston to Los Angeles.

After years of working together, Dalton and Betts launched the Table 504 brand.

Social media videos showcasing the shop describe it as “hidden in an industrial area behind Public Storage” in a minimalist space serving up items that look more like they’re coming out of a high-end tasting kitchen than a warehouse-district lunch spot.

Betts, one of the most decorated active players in today’s game, is scheduled to return to the Dodgers lineup Monday. He suffered an oblique strain during LA’s 10–5 victory over the Nationals on April 4 and immediately went on the injured list. 

His return couldn’t come at a better time as the vaunted Dodgers offense has been ranked among the worst in the major leagues over the past three weeks. 

Although Betts struggled to start the season, hitting just .179 in eight games, his mere presence in the lineup balances everything out. 

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