The best dishes in Los Angeles

Los Angeles residents are devoted to their cravings, regularly battling long lines, grueling traffic, and fierce competition for reservations at some of Los Angeles’ finest restaurants—all to secure some tasty bites and sips.

Why the devotion? Because LA residents have known for ages what the rest of the country has only recently realized: LA is a world-class food hub that rivals classic foodie favorites New York City and Chicago. Enjoying the city’s culinary delights is one of the best experiences in LA.

You’ll soon discover that the city’s cuisine is innovative, multicultural, rooted in the region’s history, and accessible – provided you’re willing to wait in those lines! Here, you can have life-changing culinary experiences at simple food stalls as well as at fine dining restaurants.

And now for the food moments! Here are the best things to eat and drink in LA right now – and the best places to find them…

Chicken Lemon Pancakes at Marelle (Santa Monica)

A variation on the sweet and savory combination of chicken and waffles – one of Los Angeles’ traditional dishes thanks to legendary restaurants like Roscoe’s – Marelle has added delicious lemon ricotta pancakes topped with crispy jidori chicken and sweet roasted peppers to its breakfast and brunch menus.

This outpost for Californian cuisine is located in the recently opened boardwalk Sandbourne Santa Monica Hotel. Grab a table overlooking the pool and beach and wash down your pancakes with the tequila and sparkling wine flavors of a La Vie en Rosé cocktail, which comes with a pair of pink sunglasses.

How to get it: Make reservations online for weekend brunch at least a few days in advance. Spontaneous visits on weekdays should not be a problem.

Superfood smoothies at Erewhon (multiple locations)

Organic food retailers Erewhon has sparked a smoothie trend in LA that seems to have no end in sight. Fruit blends with high-quality ingredients like blue spirulina and collagen powder keep customers shelling out more than $20 per drink.

For a more moderate price of $11, choose the Regenerada Smoothie 2.0which is full of proteins thanks to its star ingredient, Mikuna Chocho – a superfood that only grows in the Andes. Even if the Regenerada drink is not on the menu, you can still add Mikuna Chocho to any other smoothie.

How to get it: Avoid waiting at the smoothie counter (sometimes up to 30 minutes, depending on what TikTok trend is breaking out) by pre-ordering on Erewhon’s website and picking it up 20 minutes later. There are locations in Santa MonicaVenice and other popular LA neighborhoods.

Kale pizza at Side Pie (Altadena)

What started as a COVID-era project in a side yard has now grown into a full-fledged bricks and mortar business. The Grateful Dead-loving team at Side cake have transported their pizza oven – decorated with a Stealie (the Dead’s famous skull and lightning symbol) – to their shop in Atladena. In it they bake a delicious kale-covered pie called The Bobby Greenwith mushrooms, mozzarella and lots of garlic for a spicy note.

Other favorites include Honey’s Hammered, topped with ham and drizzled with honey, and Crabby Neighbor, made with a garlic buttercream base and wild-caught crab meat. Browse the store’s impressive retail selection of Dead-inspired T-shirts and hats, then take your pizza to go or sit on the back patio.

How to get it: The rear terrace in its Location East Altadena Drive is a self-service, first-come, first-served restaurant, so no reservations are necessary, but you can order pizza in advance online or by calling 707-SIDE-PIE.

Historic Hot Dogs at Tail O’ the Pup (West Hollywood)

You can not miss The puppy’s tail. This hot dog-shaped food stand became an architectural icon when it opened in 1946. In 2005, the stand closed its doors for more than a decade, but reopened in 2022, reviving the city’s love for frankfurters.

Today they serve an onion hot dog that’s an ode to their 1946 classic, as well as an onion-free 1976 pup and a Border-style creation with chili. When you visit, look for the hidden door that leads to access to the speakeasy-style “Lucky Tiki” bar.

How to get it: Tail O’ the Pup is a casual stand with outdoor seating and indoor seating in an adjacent building. Metered parking is available on the street, or you can park in the Sprouts parking garage for $2 with a Tail O’ the Pup pass.

Buried Treasure Cocktails at The Lucky Tiki (West Hollywood)

Totally kitschy and yet totally cool: Tiki bars are a timeless treat for cocktail lovers. And here’s another fun fact: Tiki bars are a Californian invention and date back to the legendary Don’s Beachcomber Cafe, which opened near Hollywood in 1933.

The tradition continues in West Hollywood’s The Happy Tiki. This speakeasy is accessed via an intercom hidden behind a door in a pickle barrel under the bar at Tail O’ the Pup. Call the concierge, then head upstairs and order a Buried Treasure – a bourbon cocktail served with edible sand and a mini shovel. Start digging and you might find some treasure!

How to get it: Reservations are released 30 days in advance and usually fill up instantly, so plan ahead. Reserve a seat at the bar or a high table for 90 minutes of cocktail-fueled escapism.

Muffuletta sandwiches at Bread Head (Santa Monica)

Los Angeles may be health-obsessed, but don’t think that eating and drinking here means avoiding carbohydrates at all costs. The city’s new obsession with Bread head – a hip new sandwich shop opening on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica in spring 2024 – proves otherwise.

Here you’ll find sandwiches easily the size of an adult’s head on freshly baked bread with Vermont Creamery sour cream butter. The meat-filled muffuletta sandwich is certainly a sampler at $25, but it can easily feed two. Be sure to order a side of hot sauce and an Arnold Palmer (iced tea with lemonade) to complete the experience.

How to get it: To skip the wait, order your sandwich online in advance (there will definitely be one available at lunchtime).

Falafel Tacos at MidEast Tacos (Silver Lake)

For indecisive eaters who can’t decide between oriental and Mexican cuisine, there are Tacos from the Middle Eastwhich includes both camps with its multicultural dishes. With outdoor tables lining a colorfully graffiti-painted wall, this unpretentious eatery serves tacos, quesadillas and burritos that blend Armenian barbecue traditions with salsa and tortillas from south of the border. They’re best known for their falafel taco, but the steak kebab version is equally delicious.

How to get it: Stroll over and order, then find a table outside on Sunset Avenue or Maltman Avenue.

BAgyu Laab Smash Burger at Ban Ban Burger (Sawtelle)

Los Angeles’ love affair with burgers, fostered by famous burger joints like In-N-Out, continues to evolve. The most popular burger today is the Smash Burger, a thin patty cooked on a hot griddle until it becomes crispy and juicy on the inside.

BanBan Burgers is all over this latest iteration of beef delight with their Thai takes on the standard Smash Burger, including a Wagyu version with spicy laab (a spicy hot and sour Thai salad) and garlic gremolata sauce. Just look for the pink building with the little terrace.

How to get it: Come at opening time (noon every day) to avoid long lunch lines and secure a spot. You’ll get extra satisfaction points if you come on a Sunday when street parking is free. If you can wait for your Wagyu, skip the dinner rush by coming after 8pm (doors close at 10pm).

Steak and eggs on the roof of The Wayfarer DTLA (Downtown)

Restaurants with a view are usually associated with the west side of LA, where you can look out over the Pacific, but The roof at The Wayfarer DTLA The hotel offers a completely different perspective. Twelve stories up, you can dine al fresco, surrounded by the city’s skyscrapers, and a fire pit adds to the evening atmosphere.

Eating is an experience around the globe. The $39 Fixed price The brunch offers completely unique combinations, such as a Thai lemongrass and mango salad as an appetizer, achiote-marinated steak and eggs as a main course, and beignets and sparkling wine as a side.

How to get it: Make reservations online for brunch, lunch or dinner (a week in advance should be enough). Street parking is limited, but there is a metered parking garage nearby on Flower Street.

Kanpachi Tacos and Uni Ceviche in Holbox (Historic South Central)

Unusual creations are not just reserved for brand new openings, as Tail O’ the Pup proves. Holbox has served Kanpachi (Amberjack fish) Tacos and university (Sea urchin) ceviche has been around since 2017 and is just as popular today as it was then.

Like the hot dog stand mentioned above, this Mexican fish stand – named after an island off the country’s Caribbean coast – is completely unpretentious. It is part of the eight-stall La Paloma Market Market hall in a former clothing factory in South Central.

How to get it: Holbox is usually a counter-order option, but on Thursday and Friday nights there is an eight-course tasting menu. Reservations are released on the first of the month for the following calendar month; book in advance online.