One of the perks of visiting or living in Los Angeles is that it has no shortage of great places to eat. It has an endless amount of restaurants, mom and pops, diners, food trucks, pop ups, and everything else that comes to mind for you to choose from. Not only does it have its own locally inspired dishes, but being a city full of people from across the country and around the world, it is also a city full of flavor. Growing up in Los Angeles has been a luxury when it comes to food, and I’ve developed a love and following for a few local favorites along the journey. Here is my list of favorite LA Eats:
M Grill Brazilian Churrascaria
Located in Koreatown, M Grill has been open since 2003 and its a place I was introduced by my father in my teenage years. We would go fairly often as a family and I will never forget my first visit where I had remember having to unbutton a few buttons from my casual dress shirt due to all the food I could not stop eating. At M Grill you begin with a basket of delicious cheese bread followed by your choice of sides from a salad bar featuring hot and cold salad bar featuring traditional Brazilian favorites. Then, the main event, you turn the card you are handed over to green to let the staff know your open for business and ready to have them bring the skewers of meat to your table continuously until you turn your card over to red to call it quits or take a break. The meats they have include top sirloin, picanha, ribeye, Brazilian sausage, garlic chicken, short ribs, rack of lamb, filet mignon, bacon wrapped chicken breast, smoked sausage, pork ribs, boneless leg of lamb, bottom sirloin, a few other options by request and one of my personal favorites, grilled pineapple. Pair this with your choice of a variety of wine options and desert and you’ll definitely have your moneys worth and telling your friends about it. M Grill has a upscale casual vibe with a price range ranging from $55 to $100.
3832 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 202 Los Angeles, CA 90010
The Original Hoy-Ka Thai Noodle
Los Angeles has a variety of Thai spots to choose from and I’m sure there are plenty that can compete, but my favorite lands in the city of Hollywood at the authentic Thai cuisine restaurant The Original Hoy Ka. The pad Thai and peanut sauce here is my all-time favorite pad Thai (or Thai dish in general). The serving size is generous and the prices are as well considering one plate can last you up to two meals. The tom yum soup, pad see ew, and spring rolls are other favorites I recommend ordering here. The restaurant is pretty casual and usually busy with a short wait if you decide to eat in, but takeout is typically pretty fast so you can’t go wrong with that route. The only downside may be parking with the lot being shared between the businesses located next door but typically you get lucky with street parking if you don’t want to wait it out patiently. The prices here range from $8 to $25 and most plates are shareable although you’ll definitely want to order your own to have some the next day.
5908 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90029
A few years ago I had the luck of coming across Blackbird Pizza Shop located on the busy streets of Melrose. I found them via Instagram and have been thankful I did. It is the pizza I recommend to friends, the one I enjoy as my birthday meal. If you want great Chicago style pizza not located in Chicago, Blackbird Pizza is the place to go here in LA. Their house favorite, Balls Deep, their signature deep dish pizza featuring their signature meatballs. I go for their deep dish but aside from a few other options (spicy Italian, mary’s chicken, melrose), they also have thin crust pizzas, meatballs, wings and a few other appetizers. Blackbird is also a really great place to grab a drink to go along with the deep dish offering a variety of draft and canned beers to enjoy while catching a game. The prices range from $11 to $35 and their pizzas definitely get you full and provide you with enough for leftovers.
7459 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046
The newer, yet most visited from the businesses listed on this list is E Stretto. E Stretto is an East Coast inspired deli sandwich shop that has opened up two locations in Los Angeles. One being in downtown Los Angeles near the Grayson Building and Grand Central Market and the other in my little home district of East Hollywood. They offer a nice variety of sandwiches, salads, and a few other sides along with wine. This one made the list with me having only tried three of their sandwiches, not because I don’t go often, but because I go often and fell in love with the same two options. My go to sandwiches are the Spicy Salami (arugula, calabrian honey, parm) and the Turkey Pesto (shredduce, tomato, pesto, provolone). I have also tried their Cuban sandwich which was great, but like I said, I fell in love with the Spicy Salami and Turkey Pesto. The sandwiches do come cold which still taste amazing, but ask for a warm up if you don’t own an air fryer (you won’t regret it). Paired with their Calabrian Chili spread and a side of Joel’s Pasta Salad, and you have yourself food heaven. Their sandwich prices range from $10 to $14 with their sides around $5 to $6, well worth it considering their sandwiches are pretty big.
Downtown LA – 351 S Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013
East Hollywood – 5652 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
One of those hidden gems and local favorites in Los Angeles is definitely Dino’s Chicken & Burgers. Its one of those hole in the wall places I’d recommend to anyone visiting the city wanting to try something a little more authentic to LA. Dinos opened up its original location back in 1969 and combines traditional Greek cooking and Latin inspired ingredients creating there famous Dino’s chicken plate with fries drenched their special sauce. Like M Grill, Dinos was a place I went to often with my family back when their Dino’s famous chicken plate was a steal at $5. Considering the amount of food and flavor you get, the plate which includes a half chicken, french fries, coleslaw , and two tortillas, is still a steal today for $8.75. Other items on their menu include breakfast, Mexican dishes, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and some fattening, but delicious menu items such as their pastrami chili cheese fries. The original location is located in Pico Union right under Koreatown and they have now opened up new locations across the city in Huntington Park, Pomona, and Azusa.
The Original – 9367 Telegraph Rd. Pico Rivera, CA 90660
Honorable Mentions:
Portos Cuban Bakery (various locations)
House of Pies – I love their chicken strips and honey mustard (Los Feliz)
Kevin R Linares 