Food is L.A.’s love language. Here are the 50 dining experiences that define living here
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Los Angeles is the best food city in the United States. When considering breadth and scope, quality of ingredients and cooking, diversity and innovation, and sheer volume, it just can’t be beat. There’s no beginning and no end to its wonders.
But it’s more than that. Although our city can feel chronically fractured, our foods and restaurants may be the only possible glue that binds us. So we asked our Food writers, what are the local dining experiences that define living in our city?
About This Guide
Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What should we check out next? Send ideas to guides@latimes.com.
This is our answer. The following are not the definitive “best” restaurants or meals in L.A. — we have a proper critics’ list for that each year. Instead, these experiences are the foundation for understanding what it means to love L.A. through its foods.
Tell us if you disagree, or if there’s anything you think we missed. Whether you’re a hard-boiled native or a first-time visitor with a big appetite, we’re confident that any combination of these 50 dining experiences will make your heart sing with love for L.A.’s invincible food scene. — Daniel Hernandez
The Food team gathered a list of the top 50 dining experiences that define eating in Los Angeles. What did we miss?
Showing Place Places
Stroll Olvera Street for L.A. Mexican classics
Chinatown Mexican
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(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)
The hand-rolled taquitos and soul-warming avocado salsa that drenches them can feel like Los Angeles itself is wrapping its loving arms around you. Not much has changed here, thank goodness, since Aurora Guerrero opened Cielito Lindo in 1934. A temporary closure may affect your visit, but other businesses such as La Luz del Día restaurant deserve our love.
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Union Station
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Satisfy your sweet tooth on a Chinatown pastry crawl
Chinatown Bakery $
(Solomon O. Smith/For The Times)
Snack your way through Chinese cuisine and culture in one of L.A.’s most walkable neighborhoods with Chinatown’s ample bakeries. Start with the originator, the famous Phoenix Bakery, which is nearing its centennial and offers sugar butterflies, seasonal mooncakes, and the signature, pillowy strawberry cake among other classics. Don’t miss Flouring Cake Shop, an artful, modern bakery with cake bars in flavors such as black sesame and toasted coconut; Long’s Family Pastry for dim sum and sweets like pineapple buns and sponge cakes; and Queen’s Bakery for sesame-flecked rice puffs.
Flouring Cake Shop — (213) 266-8946, 932 N. Hill St., Los Angeles
Long’s Family Pastry — (213) 622-5255, 715 N. Spring St., Los Angeles
Queen’s Bakery — (213) 622-9749, 809 N. Broadway, Los Angeles
Flouring Cake Shop — (213) 266-8946, 932 N. Hill St., Los Angeles
Long’s Family Pastry — (213) 622-5255, 715 N. Spring St., Los Angeles
Queen’s Bakery — (213) 622-9749, 809 N. Broadway, Los Angeles
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Chinatown Station
Grab lunch at the oldest Japanese restaurant in L.A.
Boyle Heights Japanese
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Otomisan is the oldest continuously operating Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles. It’s a living monument to the history of Boyle Heights, once home to one of the city’s largest communities of Japanese immigrants. The beloved diner, tiny and charming, serves nostalgic comfort food. Sit at the counter for crispy-fried tonkatsu pork cutlets, tempura and beefy soup with udon noodles.
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Soto Station
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Soak up the noirish vibes at Philippe the Original
Chinatown Sandwich Shop American cuisine
(Alex Justice/For The Times)
Everything about this grand French dip stalwart, from the cafeteria counter service to the sawdust-covered floor, makes for a transformative experience of old-school L.A, every time. Best before or after a Dodgers game for peak L.A. vibes, but a late-night visit for a lamb dip with extra hot mustard and a purple pickled egg can feel noirish and soothing.
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Union Station
Mix and match at the Original Farmers Market
Fairfax American Barbecue Ice cream Brazilian Coffee Candy Shop $
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Time-travel with L.A.’s near-century-old, indoor-outdoor farmers market, where stalls like Magee’s Kitchen carvery and Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts have old-world charm. You can taste your way through these decades-old gems alongside the sprawling market’s newer vendors, mixing and matching for the best of it all: raw oysters, sourdough pizza, hot pastrami, pierogi, baklava, Italian wines, local produce and other treats. With more than 100 vendors and food shops, the possibilities are endless.
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Wilshire / Fairfax Station
Get the pastrami on double-baked rye at Langer's
Westside Deli American $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The hot pastrami sandwich at Langer’s Deli is a quintessential sandwich experience for anyone who considers themselves a fan of stuff between bread. The slabs of hot, tender, peppery and smoky meat on crusty rye bread have spawned a sort of pilgrimage for those looking to pay homage to an L.A. institution that has become one of the last remaining vestiges of deli culture on the West Coast.
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Westlake / MacArthur Park Station
Slurp ramen on this historic stretch of 1st Street in Little Tokyo
Downtown L.A. Japanese
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(Zoe Cranfill/Los Angeles Times)
Japanese breakfast at Azay, mochi at Fugetsu-Do, udon at Marugame Monzo, gyoza at Kaminari — these are just a few of the must-try places along Little Tokyo’s 1st Street. The blocks between Central Avenue and Judge John Aiso Street are a National Historic Landmark, representing the original, pre-World War II cultural heart of one of the largest Japanese communities in the U.S., with more than a dozen buildings constructed between 1882 and 1957. The ramen at Daikokuya might draw the longest lines, but the entire block is dense with delicious finds.
Azay — (213) 628-3431, 226 1st St., Los Angeles
Fugetsu-Do — (213) 625-8595, 315 1st St., Los Angeles
Marugame Monzo — (213) 346-9762, 329 1st St., Los Angeles
Kaminari Gyoza Bar — (213) 265-7351, 323 1st St., Los Angeles
Daikokuya — (213) 626-1680, 327 1st St., Los Angeles
Azay — (213) 628-3431, 226 1st St., Los Angeles
Fugetsu-Do — (213) 625-8595, 315 1st St., Los Angeles
Marugame Monzo — (213) 346-9762, 329 1st St., Los Angeles
Kaminari Gyoza Bar — (213) 265-7351, 323 1st St., Los Angeles
Daikokuya — (213) 626-1680, 327 1st St., Los Angeles
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Little Tokyo / Arts District Station
Get your cone dipped at the original Fosters Freeze
Inglewood Ice cream $
(Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)
For a dip into L.A.’s soft serve history, stop by the first Fosters Freeze location in Inglewood, first opened by George Foster in 1946. The old-school walk-up stand offers regular and dipped cones along with banana splits, layered parfaits and other roadside favorites.
Get to know the burritos of East L.A.
Boyle Heights Mexican $
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The tacos are legendary, but East L.A. is also home to some of the city’s best burritos of nearly every shape and variety. Taste your way through soft, stewy beans and thick strands of cheese at Al & Bea’s in Boyle Heights — a walk-up stand and mainstay since 1966 — or East L.A.’s La Azteca Tortilleria, where the chile relleno burrito garnered its own cult following. If you’re getting an early start, begin your journey in Boyle Heights with some of L.A.’s best breakfast burritos: at Macheen and the original Guisados.
La Azteca Tortilleria — (323) 262-5977, 287 S. Atlantic Blvd., East Los Angeles
Macheen — (323) 354-4901, 2633 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave., Los Angeles
Guisados — (323) 264-7201, 2100 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave., Los Angeles
La Azteca Tortilleria — (323) 262-5977, 287 S. Atlantic Blvd., East Los Angeles
Macheen — (323) 354-4901, 2633 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave., Los Angeles
Guisados — (323) 264-7201, 2100 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave., Los Angeles
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Soto Station
Unhinge your jaw to eat L.A.’s tallest burger
Willowbrook Burgers American $
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Hawkins House of Burgers, the unassuming Watts burger stand founded in 1939 by James Henry Hawkins, who came to L.A. as part of the Great Migration that brought millions of Black Southerners west, is now run by his daughter Cynthia Hawkins, who crafts a menu of roadside classics including hot dogs and chili cheese fries alongside catfish and fried chicken plates, plus maximalist burgers loaded with toppings. The Leaning Tower of Watts comes stacked with three half-pound patties, a hot link, pastrami, chili, bacon and a fried egg, with a large fries and two drinks in the combo — this is not a burger to take on alone.
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Avalon Station
Eat your way along Sawtelle Boulevard
Sawtelle Japanese Ice cream Fried Chicken Sushi $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
In Sawtelle, a historically Japanese neighborhood designated as Sawtelle Japantown in 2015, you can ricochet between two marquee shopping centers on Sawtelle Boulevard to try exemplary karaage at Tenkatori, steaming bowls of ramen at Tatsu Ramen, world-inspired ice cream flavors (pictured) at Wanderlust Creamery and revolving sushi at Kura.
Tenkatori — (310) 606-1002, 2130 Sawtelle Blvd. Suite 210B, Los Angeles
Tatsu Ramen — (310) 684-2889, 2123 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles
Wanderlust Creamery — (424) 832-3586, 2105 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles
Kura Sushi — (310) 597-4490, 2130 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 111, Los Angeles
Tenkatori — (310) 606-1002, 2130 Sawtelle Blvd. Suite 210B, Los Angeles
Tatsu Ramen — (310) 684-2889, 2123 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles
Wanderlust Creamery — (424) 832-3586, 2105 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles
Kura Sushi — (310) 597-4490, 2130 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 111, Los Angeles
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Expo / Sepulveda Station
Time-travel through Old Hollywood institutions
Burbank American Steakhouse
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Sip martinis with rib-eye steaks or milkshakes with cheeseburgers at two Burbank restaurants long considered Old Hollywood celebrity hangouts. Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Humphrey Bogart all frequented the Smoke House restaurant (pictured) that’s been around since 1946, and Bob’s Big Boy (opened in 1949) was where David Lynch ate lunch daily in the 1980s.
Bob’s Big Boy — (818) 843-9334, 4211 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank
Bob’s Big Boy — (818) 843-9334, 4211 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank
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Feast on Iranian cuisine and culture around Westwood’s Persian Square
West Los Angeles Persian $$
(Shelby Moore/For The Times)
The “Persian Square” sign hangs at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Wilkins Avenue, welcoming you to “Tehrangeles,” the community epicenter of the largest Iranian population outside of Iran. For feasting options, start with the kebab-rich Tehran Plate Special at Taste of Tehran , saffron-rich tahchin for lunch at Shamshiri Grill, beef tongue sandwich (among many options) at Attari Sandwich Shop, and a fragrant namesake ice cream at Saffron & Rose.
Shamshiri Grill —- (310) 474-1410, 1712 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles
Attari Sandwich Shop — (310) 441-5488, 1388 Westwood Blvd., Suite 101, Los Angeles
Shamshiri Grill —- (310) 474-1410, 1712 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles
Attari Sandwich Shop — (310) 441-5488, 1388 Westwood Blvd., Suite 101, Los Angeles
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Expo / Sepulveda Station
Roam the global flavors of Grand Central Market
Los Angeles County Food Market
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The historic food hall first opened its doors in downtown L.A. in 1917 in the Beaux-Arts-style Homer Laughlin Building as the largest public market on the West Coast. Today, it is home to more than 40 vendors that reflect the city’s expansive food scene, with stalwarts such as China Cafe dating to 1959, alongside newcomers like the Donut Man, Nonna’s Empanadas and Oaxacan stand La Sandunga.
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Historic Broadway Station
Take a dumpling tour in the San Gabriel Valley
Alhambra Chinese Taiwanese Shanghainese $
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
It is possible to sample the breadth and depth of the vast regional cuisines of China and Taiwan in the San Gabriel Valley, and why not start with dumplings? Head to Kang Kang Food Court for crispy bottom sheng jian bao (pictured); Long Xing Ji Juicy Dumpling for xiao long bao; and Hui Tou Xiang for meat-filled blintzes and chive pockets.
Long Xi Ji Juicy Dumpling — (626) 480-0011, 1628 Puente Ave., Baldwin Park
Hui Tou Xiang — (626) 281-9888, 704 W. Las Tunas Dr., Suite 5, San Gabriel
Long Xi Ji Juicy Dumpling — (626) 480-0011, 1628 Puente Ave., Baldwin Park
Hui Tou Xiang — (626) 281-9888, 704 W. Las Tunas Dr., Suite 5, San Gabriel
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Down a scorpion bowl at L.A.'s oldest tiki bar
Valley Glen Cocktails $
(Gerard Burkhart/For The Times)
Tiki has been intertwined with L.A.’s bar culture since Don the Beachcomber debuted in Hollywood in the 1930s. Opened by brothers Edwin and Ace Libby in 1958, Tonga Hut is the oldest surviving tiki bar in the city and offers a challenge that involves trying all 78 cocktails from “Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log,” an archive of classic recipes by author and tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Those who successfully complete the challenge will join the “Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard” and get their name immortalized on a wall plaque.
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Drive the coast to Malibu Seafood
Malibu Seafood $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Drive the curves and gentle hills of Pacific Coast Highway to reach Malibu Seafood, a fish market and restaurant founded in the 1970s where lifelong fans and tourists alike line up for trays of freshly caught grilled fish, ceviche, fried oysters, steamed clams and squid steaks. Take your tray to the tiered patios of picnic-bench seating overlooking the ocean and enjoy your fish and chips with a side of salt air.
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Revel in the old-school dishes at Dal Rae
Pico Rivera Steakhouse American $$$
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
The first time a local took me to Dal Rae, I sighed and went, ‘Oh, this is really Los Angeles.’ Smoky Los Angeles, under-the-table Los Angeles, that sense of classic time-capsule cool, forged in the mid-20th century in windowless dining rooms like this, enduring any tides and trends. Yes, you want the hunk of iceberg wedge, the table-side steak Diane and a bone-dry martini. To start.
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Make eye contact with an itamae at one of L.A.’s best sushi counters
Downtown L.A. Japanese $$$
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
A history of Japanese immigration that began in the late 1800s helped L.A. give rise to one of the world’s richest sushi cultures. For an affordable introduction to the city’s sushi greatness, find a counter seat at Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo and ask the itamae (sushi chef) what’s fresh; for an ultimate omakase splurge, spend a few hours in front of Morihiro Onodera at Morihiro, his namesake Echo Park oasis.
Morihiro — (323) 522-3993, 1115 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles
Morihiro — (323) 522-3993, 1115 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles
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Little Tokyo / Arts District Station
Fill up on Southern breakfast and hospitality at Serving Spoon
Inglewood Southern $
(Damon Casarez/For The Times)
Since its founding in 1983, this Inglewood restaurant has been a welcoming neighborhood outpost for affordable Southern plates including floppy golden pancakes, salmon croquettes and fried catfish over grits. Now in its third generation of family ownership with siblings Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane at the helm, the relaxed diner bustles from open to close with regulars, local workers and families who get served a side of warm hospitality with fried chicken and waffles plates.
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Downtown Inglewood Station
Immerse yourself in Ethiopian food culture via one vibrant L.A. block
Little Ethiopia Ethiopian $$
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Little Ethiopia, as designated by the L.A. City Council in 2002, is unmistakable: a chockablock stretch near Fairfax Avenue and Olympic Boulevard with business signs in Amharic script. Start with a weekend dinner of slow-cooked Doro Wot at Meals by Genet, L.A.’s grand dame Ethiopian restaurant; compare vegetable platters at Lalibela and Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine; and slow down with a coffee ceremony at Messob.
Meals by Genet — (323) 938-9304, 1053 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine — (323) 937-8401, 1047 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
Messob — (323) 938-8827, 1041 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
Meals by Genet — (323) 938-9304, 1053 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine — (323) 937-8401, 1047 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
Messob — (323) 938-8827, 1041 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
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Wilshire / Fairfax Station
Taste L.A. burger history at an iconic counter spot
West Los Angeles Hamburger $
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Hamburgers are in Southern California’s DNA, starting with the invention of the cheeseburger credited to teenage line cook Lionel Sternberger in or about 1924 at the long-gone Rite Spot along Pasadena’s section of Route 66 on Colorado Boulevard. In-N-Out, the Original Tommy’s, Fatburger, Bob’s Big Boy, Cassell’s, Pie ‘n Burger, Father’s Office and, of course, McDonald’s started here too. Only at the Apple Pan, however, can you eat a tomato-relish-topped steakburger that tastes pretty much the same as it did when original owners Ellen and Alan Baker came up with the recipe at their previous Hollywood sandwich shop in 1927. My favorite is the Tillamook Cheddar-draped hickoryburger, unchanged since the U-shaped counter spot opened in 1947 — thanks in part to actor John Lithgow, who complained when he noticed a slight variation in the sauce, and the restaurant reversed course.
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Westwood / Rancho Park Station
Burn through an only-in-L.A. taco truck crawl
Boyle Heights Mexican Seafood $
(Carter Hiyama / For The Times)
In Boyle Heights, start a taco immersion course at the Olympic Avenue location of Mariscos Jalisco with its enduring masterpiece: tacos dorados de camarón, ensnaring spiced, minced shrimp and cooling them with a pool of red salsa and sliced avocado. Then try the specialties at Tacos y Birria La Unica, Mariscos 4 Vientos and Los Originales Tacos Arabes De Puebla, all within a mile radius along Olympic.
Tacos y Birria La Unica — (323) 715-4025, 2840 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Mariscos 4 Vientos — (323) 266-4045, 3000 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Los Originales Tacos Arabes de Puebla — (213) 453-0193, 3600 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Tacos y Birria La Unica — (323) 715-4025, 2840 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Mariscos 4 Vientos — (323) 266-4045, 3000 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Los Originales Tacos Arabes de Puebla — (213) 453-0193, 3600 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
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Go late with Koreatown nightlife
Koreatown Korean
(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)
Koreatown is always bustling but at night it comes to life. Among the neon-lit karaoke bars, affordable pochas, world-class restaurants and well-worn dives, start with Korean barbecue’s tender meats and plumes of smoke at one of the neighborhood’s best KBBQ spots, then end the night with two of its most iconic drinking dens: the Prince and Dan Sung Sa. At the former, slide into large, red leather booths for classic cocktails and Korean fried chicken, corn cheese, kimchi pancakes and an array of soju in a 1920s setting. At the latter, transport to Seoul via a weathered wooden bar that grills a rainbow of anju, including popular meat skewers best washed down with icy beer and soju.
The Prince — (213) 389-1586, 3198½ W. 7th St., Los Angeles,
The Prince — (213) 389-1586, 3198½ W. 7th St., Los Angeles,
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Wilshire / Vermont Station
Shop with L.A.’s finest chefs at Santa Monica Farmers Market
Santa Monica
(Jordana Sheara/For The Times)
Wednesdays and Saturdays, the intersection of Arizona Avenue and 2nd Street in Santa Monica hosts one of the world’s most dazzling weekly farmers markets, a collection of Central and Southern California producers selling gem-toned fruits and vegetables (and meats and cheese and more) year-round. The surefire trick to catch what L.A.’s greatest chefs are buying? Show up Wednesdays right at the 8 a.m. opening.
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Downtown Santa Monica Station
Glimpse L.A.’s amazing Armenian food scene at one tiny kebab shop
Glendale Armenian $$
(Shelby Moore / For The Times)
At Mini Kabob, the Martirosyan family — Ovakim, Alvard and their son Armen — have marinated Armenian-style kebabs so thoroughly that the seasonings permeate on a cellular level, grilling them over flames to charred juiciness. Pan-fried beef cutlets and the chicken “Cesar” wrap are deep cuts from their takeout operation in Glendale, home to one of the largest populations of Armenians outside Armenia.
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Relish the historic-steakhouse charm of Musso & Frank Grill
Hollywood Restaurant
(Laurie Ochoa / Los Angeles Times)
One of L.A.’s oldest restaurants is as essential as ever, still a destination for generations of locals, celebrities and tourists who revel in juicy steaks and all the requisite sides, crisp martinis made by red-jacketed staff, and throwback dishes such as Roquefort-piped celery and Charlie Chaplin’s favorite, the grilled lamb kidneys with bacon. Sitting in a wooden booth or perched at the bar, this is where to absorb steakhouse history in style.
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Hollywood / Highland Station
Pack for a picnic with the sandwich at Roma Market
Pasadena Italian $
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Roma Market, a sliver of an Italian market in Pasadena, is home to what the late, great Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold called “the sandwich.” It may be the finest Italian sandwich in all of L.A., a strata of cured meats, cheese and good olive oil on a crusty roll, dreamed up by the proprietor Rosario Mazzeo. Grab a sandwich and head to the nearby McDonald Park for a picnic, or explore the area’s Bungalow Heaven, a landmark district known for its 20th century bungalow homes.
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Lake Station
Support a block of Black-owned businesses in Leimert Park
Leimert Park Coffee
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
This pedestrian-friendly section of Degnan Boulevard in Leimert Park has long been a hub for Black-owned businesses and is known for its Sunday block parties with African drum circles as well as community festivals and parades for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. Head to Harun Coffee for Ethiopian coffee and biscuit sandwiches in the morning or live jazz with mocktails in the evening, get a scoop of vegan ice cream at All Chill, meet a friend at Ora Cafe for coconut curry lentils and browse the latest exhibition at Art + Practice.
Harun Coffee — (323) 615-3083, 4336 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles
All Chill — (323) 201-7072, 3415 W. 43rd Pl., Los Angeles
Ora Cafe — (323) 903-6449, 4331 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles
Art + Practice — (323) 337-6887, 3401 W. 43rd Pl., Los Angeles
Harun Coffee — (323) 615-3083, 4336 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles
All Chill — (323) 201-7072, 3415 W. 43rd Pl., Los Angeles
Ora Cafe — (323) 903-6449, 4331 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles
Art + Practice — (323) 337-6887, 3401 W. 43rd Pl., Los Angeles
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Leimert Park Station
Explore Thai Town with a bowl of boat noodles
Los Feliz Thai $
(Shelby Moore / For The Times)
Explore a six-block stretch of East Hollywood, known as the only officially recognized Thai Town in the country and home to dozens of regionally specific Thai restaurants. At her restaurant Mae Malai, Bangkok native Malai Dat serves bowls of brothy and dry boat noodles and tom yum, with cups of kanom tuay (steamed pandan coconut milk custards) for dessert.
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Hollywood / Western Station
Go stall-hopping at culinary destination Mercado La Paloma
Historic South-Central Mexican Belizean Oaxacan Thai American $$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Don’t believe anyone who says L.A. does not have accessible “third spaces” for all. Mercado La Paloma is the latest in our long tradition of food halls and markets and contains two of the most admired restaurants in the city, or maybe the country: Holbox from chef Gilberto Cetina, and Komal, from chef Fátima Juárez. Chichén Itzá for Yucatecan antojitos is the mercado’s original pillar.
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Jefferson / USC Station
Line up for the taco that kicked off L.A.’s food truck craze
Palms Short Rib Food Truck $
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
In November 2008, chef Roy Choi co-launched Kogi, a food truck selling tacos, burritos and quesadillas riffing off Korean flavors that became a culinary and social media sensation — and guess what? The meaty, tangy, spicy Korean barbecue short rib taco still hits. Find Kogi via the weekly schedule on its website.
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Palms Station
Soak up martinis at an always-in-style Hollywood hot spot
West Hollywood Cocktails
(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Old Hollywood and new Hollywood permeate the Sunset Tower, where you can walk the same Art Deco hallways that Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant and Howard Hughes once did. By day, enjoy shrimp cocktails, club sandwiches and bracingly cold cocktails with an expansive view of the pool and the miles of palm trees gently swaying across Los Angeles. By night, visit the near-exclusive Tower Bar — be sure to make a reservation — for a more dimly lit, intimate setting.
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Tackle the meats and sides that define L.A.-style barbecue
Lincoln Heights Barbecue $$
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Come with a group to Andrew and Michelle Muñoz’s Moo’s Craft Barbecue in Lincoln Heights, where the couple adapt Central Texas-style smoking know-how with flavors that sing of Southern California. A perfect over-the-top order: trembly brisket, roasted poblano and queso Oaxaca sausage, esquites, mac and cheese, slaw, kimchi fried rice and the “Rampart,” a cheeseburger piled with cumin-scented chili.
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Lincoln Heights / Cypress Park Station
Meet our favorite barista in L.A.’s booming coffee scene
Chinatown Coffee $
(Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)
In a city where coffee reaches extremes — from the most intricate cocktail-esque drinks to the geekiest pour-over purism — Jack Benchakul stands alone, literally. The kind of maestro to whom other coffee professionals flock to study, he’s made every single sublime espresso, cold brew or pour-over for his customers since opening Endorffeine in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza in 2015.
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Chinatown Station
Sample the region's rising culinary talent at Smorgasburg L.A.
Downtown L.A. Eclectic $$
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
The Sunday food bazaar at Row DTLA is an incubator for some of L.A.’s most notable culinary concepts, with past vendors such as modern Caribbean outfit Bridgetown Roti and boundary-busting taqueria Evil Cooks going on to launch permanent brick-and-mortars. Go early and hungry to fill up on Nashville-style wings from Melnificent Wingz, Neapolitan pizza from Mamani, a global assortment of cookies from Lei’d Cookies, and ornate and Indian-inspired boba and dirty soda at Band Baaja Boba.
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San Pedro Street Station
Sip bubble tea in the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley Boba Tea Teahouse $$
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
There is a half-mile stretch of Valley Boulevard, a main artery running through the San Gabriel Valley, where you’ll find nearly a dozen tea shops that serve everything from fresh fruit tea to milk tea and of course, boba. Start with Cha Redefine, a tea shop that specializes in seasonal fruit teas, specialty foams and the Chappuccino, a hot or iced milk tea with a foam top.
Cha Redefine — (626) 537-1679 , 140 W. Valley Blvd., Suite 118-B, San Gabriel
Cha Redefine — (626) 537-1679 , 140 W. Valley Blvd., Suite 118-B, San Gabriel
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Load up your hot dog at Earle's on Crenshaw
Leimert Park American $
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Brothers Cary and Duane Earle began selling hot dogs on Venice Boulevard in 1984 and opened their first storefront in 1992. Now located in a Leimert Park shopping center on Crenshaw Boulevard, Earle’s is a citywide favorite for vegan, chicken, turkey and all-beef hot dogs decorated with a plethora of toppings, plus burgers, Jamaican patties and desserts like peach cobbler and banana pudding. The brothers’ mom and community matriarch, Hildred Earle-Brown, never has met a stranger and is likely to memorize your order within a few visits.
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Martin Luther King Jr Station
Become one with the Beverly Hills crowd at Spago
Beverly Hills Californian $$$$
(Alex Justice/Alex Justice)
Wolfgang Puck’s original Spago opened on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 1982, shaping the future of L.A. dining culture with its open kitchen and, most famously, a pizza crowned with crème fraîche, salmon and optional caviar. The restaurant relocated to its current home on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills in 1997; pizza and people-watching are still its most delicious draws.
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Pick up a hot Godmother and head to the beach
Santa Monica Italian American Sandwich Shop $
(Calvin B. Alagot/Los Angeles Times)
In the run-off for L.A.’s best Italian-American sub, the nod often goes to “the sandwich” at Pasadena’s Roma Market. But on the Westside, home of Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery, the Godmother rules. The bread is freshly baked, so the crust crackles when you bite into the sandwich loaded with prosciutto, mortadella, capicola, ham, Genoa salami and provolone. But these are just cold cuts without “the works” — lettuce, onions, pickles and tomatoes with mayo, yellow mustard, Italian dressing and hot or mild peppers. The line at the 101-year-old deli is its own social scene; if you’re in a hurry, grab premade sandwiches from a case by the cheese display and head to the beach. It’s less than a mile away.
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Downtown Santa Monica Station
Step inside Charlie Chaplin’s 1920s-era offices, now L.A.’s great all-day restaurant
Hancock Park American $$$
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
In 1928, at the height of his career, Charlie Chaplin hired architect Roy Seldon Price to design a striking Spanish and Gothic Revival-style building at 624 S. La Brea Ave. in Hancock Park. Over a century, its cream-colored brick walls have housed offices, game-changing Campanile restaurant and La Brea Bakery and, currently, République, the breakfast-to-dinner icon run by Walter and Margarita Manzke.
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Wilshire / La Brea Station
Savor the polished comfort foods that chefs eat on their nights off
Glassell Park American $$$
(Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times)
Dunsmoor, with its fire-breathing hearth, is the rightful darling among L.A. food obsessives these days. Whatever other seasonal joys you might order, a pair of belly-filling, soul-soothing staples is mandatory: tomato-laced pork and green chile stew served with buttery flour tortillas, and honey-glazed cheddar cornbread inspired by defining American chef and cookbook author Edna Lewis.
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Get saucy with late-night tacos at Leo’s
Mid-City Al Pastor Food Truck $
(Calvin B. Alagot/Los Angeles Times)
The Leo’s Tacos Truck location with the most lore stands alone, and I doubt any hardened Angeleno would argue it isn’t the Sinclair gas station parking lot at La Brea Avenue and Venice Boulevard in Mid-City. On a weekend after midnight, the air is crackling with rowdy, sophisticated clubgoers and others who stay out late, scarfing down al pastor tacos and all the salsas that years ago set the L.A. standard. They’re still good.
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Take a flight to Oaxaca with mezcal
Valencia Oaxacan $$
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
L.A. may be the best place to sample small-batch mezcals made with ancestral techniques hailing from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. You can sample the earthy spirit in flights that spotlight different agave species at various levels of maturation at Zapotec restaurateur Ivan Vasquez’s Madre restaurants, with four locations in Torrance, Palms, West Hollywood and Santa Clarita, or at Mírate in Los Feliz, with a cocktail menu that exclusively spotlights Mexican distillates.
Mírate — (323) 649-7937, 1712 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles
Mírate — (323) 649-7937, 1712 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles
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Set your alarms for Thai Taco Tuesday at Anajak Thai
Sherman Oaks Thai $$
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
To bring business to his Sherman Oaks restaurant during the pandemic, Justin Pichetrungsi hatched an experiment: On Tuesdays, he devised a weekly changing menu of Mexican-Thai tacos and tostadas, often inviting the city’s best chefs to collaborate. Thai Taco Tuesday, or #TTT, is still a weekly L.A. event, and these days, rather than stand for hours in line, book reservations that open 30 days in advance at 9 a.m.
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Rep L.A. with the Santa Canela churro
Highland Park Bakery $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
When Ellen Ramos opened her bakery in Highland Park, there was enough reason to visit for her locally inspired pastries like a black sesame concha or a Salvi quesadilla pound cake. But it was her “L.A.”-shaped churro that caused an instant sensation online. Indulge in a little Instagram-influencing with this cinnamon-and-sugar bomb that beams with hometown pride.
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Highland Park Station
Eat the finest things in the sea with a view of the big, blue Scientology building
East Hollywood Seafood $$
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Sitting in the shadow of the towering Scientology building on Fountain Avenue is Found Oyster, chef Ari Kolender’s East Coast-inspired seafood haunt. Here you should base your order on the daily changing specials board that spotlights fresh catches like roasted white anchovies or oysters sourced from Duxbury, Mass., and topped with trout roe. Pair your selections with a bottle from the natural-leaning wine list and save room for the scallop tostada with yuzu kosho and a lobster bisque roll with serrano chile.
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Vermont / Sunset Station
Get to know L.A.’s newest food hall through three brilliant dishes
West Adams Global $$
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Maydan Market, a gorgeous space in a former West Adams factory opened by restaurateur Rose Previte last fall, is the rare food hall that taps into a genuine sense of community. Scroll through the multivendor menu and order the smoky, crackling “Poncho’s tlayuda” at Lugya’h, the savory Lebanese breakfast at Compass Rose, or the incredible pozole flight at Maléna to see what we mean.
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Farmdale Station
Immerse yourself in a Black-centric, Black-owned wine shop
Inglewood Wine Bars $$
(Andrea D’Agosto/For The Times)
Founded by Inglewood natives and sisters Leslie and Le Jones, 1010 Wine claims to have the largest selection of Black-owned wines in California. Learn about underrepresented wine regions like South Africa as well as influential winemakers like J. Moss, Brown Estate and Theopolis Vineyards in tasting flights, paired with pan-African bites such as suya beef skewers, Swahili pepper chicken and Jamaican whole-fried fish.
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Downtown Inglewood Station
Share a pitcher while people-watching at El Taurino
Pico-Union Mexican $
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(Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
El Taurino is a long-standing taquería that churns with the glories of L.A.’s diversity: Korean, Black and Latino clientele amp up the energy as the night progresses amid the restaurant’s brick archways and walls covered in bullfighting paraphernalia. It’s one of few taquerías in town that offer affordable mini-pitchers of lagers on tap, even late at night, to keep the vibes going.
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Westlake / MacArthur Park Station
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