10 Best Local Foods from Los Angeles
Famous Food Locals Love to Eat in Los Angeles
Local dishes in Los Angeles range from unique Californian classics to beloved international fusions and domestic fare from all over the country. If there’s one thing Angelenos love to do, it’s eat, and this is a foodie destination with offerings from French dip to California pizza, California rolls, and avocado toast. Whether you’re looking for a basic burger and fries or you want something sweet to cool off, in LA they’ll find a way to put a local stamp on your favorite dishes.
If you’re looking for good eats in the city, you can find great food and fantastic restaurants around every bend. Check out some of the best local dishes in Los Angeles.
1. Cheeseburger and fries
World-famous American fare
Good for: Budget, Families, Food
A cheeseburger with fries has been quintessential American fare for as long as we’ve had diners, drive-ins, and fast food, and in Los Angeles you can find them on every block. Not all cheeseburgers are created equal, however. Some are your basic quarter pound of beef with American cheese, while others offer unique takes and toppings like peanut butter or avocado.
In Los Angeles, some of the most popular burger joints include Daglas Drive-In in the San Fernando Valley and Bill’s Burgers in Van Nuys. If you want to try your burger with a knife and fork, head for Petit Trois Le Valley in Sherman Oaks, where craft burgers take on a whole new dimension.
2. Tacos
The Tex-Mex classic, LA-style
Good for: Budget, Families, Food
Tacos are a Tex-Mex classic, and in Los Angeles they come in all shapes and sizes, with toppings ranging from basic beef and cheese to avocado, sour cream, and various salsas. From sit-down Mexican restaurants to food trucks and street carts, this city has a vibrant taco scene. Angelenos consider themselves taco experts, and here you’ll find tacos with everything from seasoned beef to classic barbacoa and even unusual fillings like lamb, moronga, and pancita.
Some of the most popular taco vendors in LA include Sonoratown, Angel’s Tijuana Tacos, and Tacos Los Cholos, each of which has multiple locations in the city. From al pastor to barbecued, the city has the taco for your taste.
3. Chili cheese hot dog
Snappy fast food you can eat on the beach
Good for: Budget, Families, Food
A chili cheese hot dog, or just a chili dog, is a favorite among Angelenos with franks, spicy chili, a ton of cheese, onions, and specialty toppings. Naturally, the city puts its own stamp on everything, and many hot dog stands, drive-through restaurants, and even sit-down joints offer their take on dogs with chili. Few things are as good as walking along the beach munching on a dog slathered with chili, cheese, onions, and mustard.
For your straight-up chili dog, check out Cupid’s in Winnetka or Larry’s in Burbank. For fried chili dogs East Coast-style, check out Fab Hot Dogs in Reseda, while The Hat offers a more historic staple, with spots up and down the 210.
4. Pastrami sandwich
The LA take on a deli classic
Good for: Families, Food, History
A pastrami sandwich is a timeless classic no matter where you go, and they’re a staple of local delis, burger joints, and dedicated pastrami shacks across the city. With its origins in Jewish delis, the pastrami sandwich has become loved across America. If you haven’t had pastrami, it’s beef brisket that’s brined, spiced, smoked, chilled, and steamed for a truly unique flavor.
For good pastrami in Los Angeles, head for The Hat, a local chain restaurant based in Alhambra but found all up and down the 210. You can also hit up the specialty Johnnie’s Pastrami in Culver City, which has served the delicacy for decades. The Original Rinaldi’s in El Segundo is another popular local spot with great pastrami.
5. Ice cream sandwich
The sweeter side of the city
Good for: Families, Food, Luxury
The ice cream sandwich has become an iconic part of LA’s artisanal small-batch ice cream scene, with delicious, simple, nostalgic flavors that are great for hot days on the beach. Many dessert spots across the city put their own spin on this basic-but-tasty classic, from traditional takes to more creative and artisanal fare. Ice cream sandwiches here are made with everything from cookies to macarons, cakes, and even churros.
Diddy Riese on Broxton Avenue has served up home-made cookie ice cream sandwiches for over 20 years, while Afters Ice Cream in Pasadena offers unusual options like blue ice cream smashed between donuts.
6. French dip sandwich
A true LA signature sandwich
Good for: Families, Food, History
The French dip sandwich is quite literally a Los Angeles original, having been invented in downtown LA in the early 20th century, and it’s the city’s signature sandwich. If you haven’t tried a French dip, it’s thin-sliced, slow-roasted beef with cheese, horseradish, and a soft bun, which you dip into hot beef broth before each bite. Each restaurant puts its own spin on it. Some use onions, while some have different types of buns.
Over the past 110 years or so, infinite varieties have cropped up. For the best, however, you still want to go for the original. For that you can try Philippe’s on Alameda Street.
7. California roll
The Californian remake of traditional sushi
Good for: Couples, Food, Photo
A California roll is arguably one of the most iconic dishes in Los Angeles, being a Californian take on traditional sushi that’s just as delicious, but without raw fish. A California roll is makizushi rolled inside-out with cucumber, crab, and avocado. Normally the rice is sprinkled with toasted sesame or bright orange tobiko roe. Each restaurant has its own take on this California classic. Vegan versions are also available, making it a popular dish among all diners.
Some of the best spots in LA include Sushi Katsu-ya in Studio City, Murakami Sushi on Melrose Avenue, and Hama Sushi on East 2nd Street. For something different, check out the “Hand Roll Bar” at KazuNori on Gayley Avenue.
8. Cobb salad
A huge dish served in rows
Good for: Couples, Families, Food
A Cobb salad is a gigantic garden salad designed to be eaten as a main dish, typically featuring greens, tomato, bacon, fried chicken, eggs, avocado, chives, and blue cheese. Local legends claim this salad was invented by the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in 1937, and what sets it apart from other salads is that it’s not mixed together. Rather, the ingredients are arranged in neat rows for you to mix or eat separately as you prefer. Vegetarian versions are also available.
Aroma Coffee and Tea in Studio City serves up a popular variation. The Magic Castle in West Hollywood is another fantastic option.
9. California-style pizza
The West Coast’s take on the popular Italian fare
Good for: Couples, Families, Food
California-style pizza is a single-serving pizza that melds an Italian thin crust with Californian toppings like egg, avocado, and a wide range of others. One story goes that chef Ed LaDou tried toppings ranging from prosciutto to goat cheese, truffles, mustard, ricotta, pate, and red pepper in the early 1980s to take advantage of the newly-created “California cuisine.” Later, California Pizza Kitchen and Wolfgang Puck took it to the mass market and it became a phenomenon.
In Los Angeles, you can find California pizza in just about every Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Some of the most popular are Pizzeria Mozza on Highland Avenue, the original California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills, and Spago, which is also in Beverly Hills.
10. Avocado toast
A healthy choice with a range of options
Good for: Couples, Families, Food
Avocado toast is an iconic LA dish that has become so popular that “California-style” has come to colloquially mean “put avocado on it.” The best avocado toast, however, has a lot more than just avocado spread and includes things like crème fraîche, pickled onions, tomatoes, chives, radish, and a wide range of other toppings designed to enhance the flavor of this health-food staple.
Different takes on avocado toast are as varied as people and restaurants, and you can find it in everything from local diners to avant-garde fine dining establishments. Some of the most popular include Zinc Cafe in the Arts District, All Time in Los Feliz, and Verve Coffee Roasters, which is also in the Arts District.
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