21 LA Food Favorites – How Many Have You Tried?

Burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and more. We’re counting down 21 must-try foods in Los Angeles. See how many you’ve checked off.

Los Angeles is famously filled with dreamers waiting for their big Hollywood breaks. But that’s just one aspect of the American mega-city. L.A. is also the home to world-class museums, outstanding universities and one of the nation’s most expensive shopping streets. A host to two past and one future Olympics, it’s also a destination that welcomes tens of millions of tourists every year.

Most of those tourists flock to sights like Griffith Observatory, Universal Studios and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, food travelers like us have a different goal – exploring an accessible culinary landscape that’s as diverse as the people who call the city home. This landscape is as notable for bare-bones eateries helmed by recent immigrants as it is for its 25 Michelin-starred restaurants.

Whether or not you consider yourself to be a food traveler, it’s fun to eat in L.A. The key is to know what and where to eat during your visit.

Eating everything in Los Angeles is impossible to do in a week or with a tight budget. With upscale cities like Pasadena and Santa Monica inside its 4,000 square mile county, the sprawling city is both big and expensive. But, as proven by legendary late food writer Jonathan Gold, it’s possible to take a solid bite out of L.A.’s best culinary offerings with limited time and/or money.

Gold earned a Pulitzer prize while introducing Angelenos to a vibrant food culture that spans the globe. Affectionately known as the belly of Los Angeles, he accomplished this feat over multiple decades while scarfing tacos at Mexican food trucks, twirling pad thai noodles on chopsticks and slurping soup dumplings.

Although we’ve never called Los Angeles home, we have visited La La Land multiple times. Based on our extensive research and on-the-ground eating, these are the Los Angeles foods you should not miss:

1. Cheeseburger

Angelenos have been eating cheeseburgers since 1924. That’s the year when Lionel Sternberger added a slice of American cheese to a burger while working at The Rite Spot in Pasadena. While crediting Sternberger with inventing the cheeseburger is debatable, there’s no debate that eating a cheeseburger in Los Angeles is a must for carnivores.

Popular at diners, street stands and gastropubs, L.A.’s current cheeseburger offerings range from simple smashburgers to more elaborate creations. Cheeseburgers are also popular at In-N-Out Burger, an American fast food chain with roots in L.A. County. While its original Baldwin Park stand has closed, the chain serves secret menu animal-style cheeseburgers at more than 400 locations in L.A. and beyond.

Where to Eat Juicy Cheeseburgers in Los Angeles
The Apple Pan, The Benjamin, Father’s Office, For the Win, Goldburger, Heavy Handed, Hinano Cafe, In-N-Out Burger, Irv’s Burgers, Ototo, Pie ‘N Burger and Proudly Serving

Los Angeles isn’t the only American city with a passion for hot dogs. Chicago has chi dogs and char dogs. NYC has Nathan’s and dirty water dogs. Detroit has coneys and Tucson has Sonoran hot dogs. Yet, there’s something special about eating a chili dog just miles from the Hollywood sign.

Legend has it that Art Elkind created the first chili dog in L.A. (and possibly the world) at Art’s Famous Chili Dogs in the 1940s. While Art’s permanently closed in 2020, the city has more than its fair share of hot dog vendors that top wieners with chili, cheese, diced white onion and mustard. Pink’s Hot Dogs is the most famous, with many of its hot dogs named after celebrities like Carl Reiner, Drew Barrymore, Shaquille O’Neal and Ozzy Osbourne.

Where to Eat Chili Dogs in Los Angeles
Carney’s Restaurant, Cupid’s Hot Dogs, Dodger Stadium, Earle’s on Crenshaw, Larry’s Chili Dog and Pink’s Hot Dogs

The Cobb salad isn’t just a classic American dish. It’s also a Los Angeles creation with a mosaic of ingredients that includes lettuce, chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato, crumbled blue cheese, onions and hard-boiled eggs. Often, when the salad is served, those ingredients are plated in neat little rows ready for the diner to mix the entire melange into a remarkable blend.

First served at the now-closed Brown Derby restaurant during the 1930s, the Cobb salad’s name pays tribute to Robert Cobb, the legendary restaurant’s owner. While nobody knows if Cobb (the man) personally created Cobb (the salad) or if it was invented by one of his chefs, we do know that the protein powerhouse has become a poster child of California cuisine.

Where to Eat Protein Packed Cobb Salads in Los Angeles
Bottega Louie, Polo Lounge, Smoke House and The Sycamore Kitchen

Food trucks are nothing new in Los Angeles – they’ve been used to cater movie sets for decades. In recent years, the mobile kitchens have evolved into affordable launching pads for new chefs wanting to serve a myriad of cuisines to the masses. These cuisines include Korean food, Middle Eastern food and, of course, Mexican food.

It’s no surprise that Mexican food is prolific in a city that’s just 150 miles from the border. Instead, the surprise lies in the diversity of Mexican food served at upscale restaurants like Damian and Holbox. But Mexican street food is the real star in L.A. There’s something special about rolling up to a food truck and ordering a range of items like tacos, quesadillas and burritos before adding toppings like nopales, pork carnitas, al pastor, cabeza and chorizo.

Where to Eat Memorable Mexican Street Food in Los Angeles
Brothers Cousins and Leo’s Taco Truck for Al Pastor Tacos and Mariscos Jalisco for Crispy Shrimp Tacos

Despite its Francophile name, the French dip is an iconic American sandwich with Los Angeles roots. The hot roast beef sandwich was first served with a side of beef jus sauce for dipping in downtown L.A. more than a century ago. However, we’re not exactly sure where since two establishments take credit for the sandwich.

While Cole’s French Dip closed in 2026, Philippe the Original features traditional French dip sandwiches on its current menu. Some L.A. restaurants go the extra step by hand slicing their roast beef. Others add cheese and replace the roast beef with meats like lamb, brisket and pastrami. Yet others pre-dip their sandwiches.

Where to Eat Authentic French Dips in Los Angeles
Philippe the Original

Los Angeles has a distinct pizza style that dates back to the 1980s. That’s the decade when Wolfgang Puck started topping pizzas with smoked salmon at Spago in Beverly Hills. It’s also the decade when Ed LaDou introduced BBQ chicken pizza at California Pizza Kitchen. But that pizza style is just one of many pizza styles available in Los Angeles today. In fact, famous pizzerias like L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele and Pizzeria Bianco have opened outposts in L.A.

The city has plenty of options if pizza is your jam. You can eat creatively topped pizzas at Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza if you plan ahead and make a reservation. You can also eat other American styles, like Chicago and New York, as well as Neapolitan pizza at a myriad of locations.

Where to Satisfy Your Pizza Craving in Los Angeles
Apollonia’s Pizzeria, LaSorted’s Pizzeria, Leopardo, Pizzeria Mozza, Pizzana, Pizzeria Sei, Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn, Quarter Sheets and Spago

Los Angeles has way more donut shops than you can count using all of your fingers and toes. These shops sell traditional donuts as well as artisan donuts which may or may not have holes. Quite a few are owned by immigrants with Cambodian roots.

Taking a Donut Tour in Santa Monica is a great introduction to L.A.’s diverse donut scene. The two-hour tour stops at four donut shops including Randy’s Donuts and Sidecar Donuts. Another option is to visit any and every donut shop that catches your eye. Your sweet tooth will be happy either way.

Where to Eat Delicious Donuts in Los Angeles
Blinkie’s Donuts, Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts, Bub & Grandma’s, California Donuts, Colorado Donuts, DK’s Donuts, Donut Friend, The Donut Hole, The Donut Man, Holey Grail Donuts, Moon Donuts, Oliboli, Primo’s Donuts, Pronto Donuts, Randy’s Donuts and Sidecar Doughnuts

Sushi is more than just Japanese food in Los Angeles. It’s a food favorite that locals eat frequently at neighborhood restaurants as well as for quick meals on the go and during special occasion dinners. Sometimes, the sushi they eat includes a California roll or two.

Unlike traditional sushi that’s made with sliced raw fish, the California roll’s primary ingredients are crabmeat (either real or imitation), avocado and cucumber. Two different Los Angeles sushi chefs took credit for inventing the California roll as did a Vancouver sushi chef. Regardless of its true inventor, the California roll is now part of the L.A. food set.

Where to Eat Sushi in Los Angeles
Specialty Markets, Neighborhood Eateries and Michelin-Starred Restaurants

Chinese immigrants brought their food culture to Los Angeles in the 1800s after they traveled halfway around the world to participate in the California gold rush. Those who settled in L.A. formed the city’s original Chinatown that same century. The late 20th century arrival of immigrants from regions like Sichuan placed the variety of Chinese food into hyperdrive. Today, it’s entirely possible to eat your way around China without leaving the county.

You’ll want to start your culinary journey in Chinatown and continue in the San Gabriel Valley. Beyond standard Cantonese food, your food choices will include dim sum and soup dumplings as well dishes from Lanzhou, Shanghai, Sichuan, Taiwan and Yunnan that writers like Jonathan Gold helped introduce to the masses.

Where to Eat Chinese Food in Los Angeles
Array 36, Bistro Na’s, Chengdu Taste, Jiang Nan Spring and Tam’s Noodle House

Some special occasions, like graduations and anniversaries, are best celebrated at upscale restaurants. However, you don’t need a special occasion to justify splurging at a top Los Angeles restaurant. What you do need are a well-funded credit card and advance reservations. You also need to do research to narrow down the many restaurants to one special spot.

With two three star restaurants, three two-star restaurants, 20 one-star restaurants and 42 bib gourmand restaurants, the Michelin L.A. guide is a good place to start your research. But don’t stop there. Making an informed decision is key before spending big bucks for a meal. The goal here is to create a wonderful memory that’s more about what you ate than what you spent.

Restaurants Worth a Splurge in Los Angeles
Baroo, Damian, Funke, Hayato, Kato, Mélisse, n/naka, Orla, Osteria Mozza, Petit Trois, Providence, Seline, Somni and Spago

Los Angeles is an ice cream over-achiever with numerous shops serving creamy dreamy flavors spanning the rainbow. Some shops, like Portland’s Salt & Straw and Rome’s Fatamorgana Gelato, aren’t unique to L.A. Most, however, are local to the city.

Our favorite L.A. ice cream shop is Ginger’s Divine Ice Cream in Culver City with Wanderlust Creamery a close second. Both ice cream shops feature not-to-be-missed, creative flavors like lavender honeycomb and ube malted crunch. The only way to find your favorite flavor is to visit them yourself.

Where to Lick Ice Cream Cones in Los Angeles
Bacio di Latte, Fatamorgana Gelato, Ginger’s Divine Ice Cream, Hokey Pokey LA, Mashti Malone’s, Salt & Straw and Wanderlust Creamery

Cocktails now considered to be classic were all the rage in Los Angeles prior to Prohibition. Back then, glamorous Hollywood stars like Mary Pickford both sipped cocktails and were the inspiration for cocktails. Over the years, the L.A. cocktail scene has made its way into Hollywood movies. Released in 1996, Swingers featured several bars including The Dresden and Tonga Hut Tiki Lounge. (The movie’s final dance scenes were filmed at a club called The Derby – where a Brown Derby restaurant was located 30 years before.) Eight years earlier, The Big Lebowski transformed the White Russian into a cult cocktail.

If you only drink two cocktails in Los Angeles, they should be the Brown Derby and Moscow Mule since both were invented in Los Angeles. If you’re not a drinker, order a Shirley Temple instead. The non-alcoholic drink is another L.A. creation.

Where to Sip Classic Cocktails in Los Angeles
Hotel Lounges, Speakeasies and Tiki Bars throughout the City

Although Wolfgang Puck didn’t invent the chopped salad, the Austrian chef made the dish famous when he added it to Spago’s menu in the 1980s. But Spago wasn’t the first L.A. restaurant to chop up raw vegetables before serving them on a plate. Instead, the chopped salad debuted on the La Scala menu a full three decades earlier.

Chopped salads continue to appear on L.A. menus. While Spago no longer features the iconic salad on its menu, La Scala serves multiple chopped salad versions including the original made with lettuce, salami, mozzarella cheese and marinated garbanzo beans. At Pizzeria Mozza, Nancy’s Chopped Salad (yes, that’s its name) is filled with salami and provolone cheese.

Where to Eat Chopped Salads in Los Angeles
La Scala and Pizzeria Mozza

Koreatown is a mecca for locals who crave Korean food. Despite being smaller than three square miles in size, the central L.A. neighborhood teems with restaurants that serve dishes like bibimbap, crispy fried chicken and kimchi fried rice. However, many of the most popular spots specialize in Korean BBQ

For the uninitiated, Korean BBQ is a carnivorous feast that involves a tabletop grill, lots of meat and a slew of small dishes called banchan. Beyond those common elements, L.A.’s Korean BBQ restaurants aren’t all the same. Some feature cost-effective all-you-can-eat menus while others firmly fit in the splurge category. The best ones sizzle both literally and figuratively.

Where to Eat Korean BBQ in Los Angeles
Ahgassi Gopchang, BBQ Chung Dam, Chosun Galbee, Corner Place Restaurant, Genwa Korean BBQ, Jeong Yuk Jeom, K-Team BBQ, Parks BBQ, Pigya and Sun Ha Jang Restaurant

Gone are the days when brunch was solely a weekend event. Around the world, in cities like Las Vegas and Paris, the meal has exploded in popularity. However, thanks to its temperate weather and easy access to California produce, Los Angeles may be the best brunch city of them all.

Eating brunch in L.A. is fun whether you’re in the mood for pancakes, avocado toast or a breakfast burrito. Depending on your mood, you can enjoy the mid-morning meal in a diner, cafe or Asian eatery. Whatever you eat and wherever you eat it, the best approach is to sit outside and sip a tasty brunch cocktail during your meal.

Where to Eat a Beautiful Brunch in Los Angeles
Blueys, Cafe Telegrama, Clark Street Diner, Gjelina’s, Great White, Highly Likely, Huckleberry, Liu’s Cafe, République, Ryla, Saffy’s, Superba and Yang’s Kitchen

Los Angeles isn’t the most famous beer city in America. Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Portland vie for that honor. Trailing behind San Diego and San Francisco, it’s not even the most famous beer city in California. However, despite its lack of brewing notoriety, Los Angeles is an excellent destination for craft beer drinkers.

With a history that dates back more than a century, Los Angeles’ beer scene is wide and deep. Although L.A.’s two pre-prohibition breweries, Los Angeles Brewing and Maier Brewing, didn’t make it to the 21st century, numerous breweries fill their void by offering a range of sours, pilsners and IPAs. In L.A., the challenge isn’t finding craft beer to drink. Instead, the challenge is finding a designated driver (or paying for an Uber).

Where to Drink Craft Beer in Los Angeles
All Season Brewing, Arts District Brewing Co., Beachwood Brewing, Benny Boy Brewing, Boomtown Brewery, Brouwerij West, Father’s Office, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Golden Road Brewing, Highland Park Brewery, Homage Brewing, Malibu Brewing Co., Monkish Brewing Co., Paperback Brewing, Santa Monica Brew Works and Three Weavers Brewery

While Europeans get credit for transforming raw meat into steak tartare, food historians credit the invention of tuna tartare to a specific chef. That chef, Shigefumi Tachibe, first served the fish dish at Chaya Brasserie in 1984.

An immediate hit, tuna tartare is ideal for the L.A. lifestyle. The healthy appetizer combines sushi-grade tuna with lemon juice and olive oil. Better versions feature avocado, creating a starter that screams California cuisine.

Where to Eat Tuna Tartare in Los Angeles
You can’t eat tuna tartare at Chaya Brasserie since that restaurant has closed. You also can’t eat tuna tartre at Chef Tachibe’s Osawa since that Pasadena restaurant doesn’t serve tuna tartare. However, you can eat tuna tartare at restaurants like Bottega Louie and La Boheme.

Despite the popularity of hamburgers and chili dogs in Los Angeles, the city’s food scene isn’t solely designed for carnivores. There are plenty of plant-based options for those who follow vegetarian or vegan diets every day of the week or just on meatless Mondays.

The most obvious option involves buying fruits and veggies at markets like the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax. Other options include juice shops, cafes and restaurants. And, in case you’re wondering, some of those restaurants serve plant-based hamburgers and hot dogs along with other items.

Where to Eat Plant-Based Food in Los Angeles
Berbere, The Butcher’s Daughter, Crossroads Kitchen, Follow Your Heart Cafe, Le Comptoir, Little Barn, Pura Vita and Stuff I Eat

James Beard winner Nancy Silverton introduced the concept of artisanal baking and the deliciousness that is sourdough bread to L.A. when she and Mark Peel opened La Brea Bakery in 1989. Although Silverton and Peel sold the bakery in 2001 for beaucoup bucks, the bakery concept is stronger than ever in a city known for gluten-free celebrity diets.

You can’t go far in L.A. without driving by a bakery. Many of those bakeries continue Silverton’s legacy by baking sourdough bread while others focus on sweet treats like cakes, pies and laminated pastries. Some of the most popular ones, like Proof Bakery and République, do both.

Where to Buy Freshly Baked Bread and Irresistible Pastries in Los Angeles
Artelice Patisserie, Bread Lounge, Bub & Grandma’s, Clark Street Bakery, Coin de Rue, Fat + Flour, Flouring LA, Friends & Family, Gjusta, Petitgrain Boulangerie, Proof Bakery and République

Nora Ephron made Katz’s Deli’s pastrami sandwich globally famous with the infamous When Harry Met Sally line “I’ll have what she’s having.” However, it was the pastrami sandwich at Langer’s Deli which the late writer waxed poet about in the New Yorker. An L.A. fixture since 1947, the traditional Jewish deli serves 10 different pastrami sandwiches including the popular #19 with pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and coleslaw between two slices of double-baked rye bread.

Sure, you could eat a pastrami sandwich at celebrity-friendly Canter’s Deli or a dozen other delis around town. You could also eat pastrami in a taco, on a French dip sandwich or chopped up over fries. You could even eat a vegetarian pastrami sandwich at Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli. However, when it comes to eating pastrami in L.A., you’ll want to start by following Ephron’s lead.

Where to Eat The Most Famous Pastrami Sandwich in Los Angeles
Langer’s Deli

Los Angeles’ coffee culture hit the big screen in 1991 when Steve Martin ordered a ‘double decaf half-caf with a twist of lemon’ in the Hollywood movie L.A. Story. His order seemed funny at the time. Today, that satire has become reality at specialty coffee shops from Brentwood to Venice Beach though the coffee orders have mostly changed for the better.

The best Los Angeles coffee shops use locally roasted beans sourced from countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. These shops serve cappuccinos, flat whites and pour overs as well as matcha lattes and the occasional egg coffee. If you’re craving a coffee drink infused with lavender syrup, you can probably order that too. However, we’re not so sure about the lemon twist.

Where to Sip Specialty Coffee in Los Angeles
The best coffee shop is often the one closest to your apartment or hotel room. Here are a handful that stand out from the pack: Cognoscenti Coffee Bar, Goodboybob, Hooked Venice, Kumquat, Picnic Coffee and Thank You Coffee.

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