Food · Los Angeles · United States
What to eat in Los Angeles
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Los Angeles, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gnaphron, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Tacos al pastor, French dip sandwich and Korean barbecue. In the evening, trucks and stands set up across East LA, Boyle Heights and South LA. LA dines early: restaurants are busiest from about 7pm, and many kitchens outside nightlife areas stop serving by around 10pm.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Tacos al pastor
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 0
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 18–22% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants, a dollar…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Street food
1.Tacos al pastor
Chilli-marinated pork shaved from a vertical spit (trompo) onto small corn tortillas and topped with pineapple, onion, coriander and salsa. Taco trucks and stands are the backbone of LA's food culture.
Where: Taco trucks across East LA, Boyle Heights and South LA, many parked in the same spot every evening.
Dish
2.French dip sandwich
Thinly sliced roast beef on a French roll dipped in meat juices, often eaten with hot mustard. Philippe the Original, near Union Station, is one of two Downtown restaurants that claim to have invented it in 1908.
Where: Philippe the Original, near Union Station and Olvera Street.
Dish
3.Korean barbecue
Marinated short ribs (galbi), pork belly and thin-sliced brisket grilled at the table and eaten with banchan side dishes, lettuce wraps and soju. Many Koreatown barbecue restaurants stay open late.
Where: Koreatown, along Western Avenue and Wilshire and Olympic Boulevards.
Dish
4.Double-Double burger
California's In-N-Out chain, founded in 1948, keeps a short menu; regulars order the Double-Double 'animal style', with grilled onions, pickles and extra spread.
Where: Branches across the region, including one near LAX where planes pass low overhead.
Street food
5.Korean tacos
Korean short rib or spicy pork in corn tortillas with kimchi slaw and salsa, a mash-up popularised by Roy Choi's Kogi truck in 2008 that helped start the gourmet food-truck boom.
Where: Kogi trucks around the city (schedules are posted online) and Korean-Mexican counters in Koreatown.
Street food
6.Bacon-wrapped hot dog
Called 'street dogs', these hot dogs wrapped in bacon and grilled on carts with onions and peppers are a late-night staple outside clubs, stadiums and concerts.
Where: Street carts outside venues and in nightlife areas after dark.
Dish
7.Thai Town noodles and salads
LA's large Thai community is centred on Thai Town in East Hollywood, where restaurants serve boat noodles, crispy rice salad (nam khao tod) and northern-style khao soi alongside the familiar curries.
Where: Hollywood Boulevard between Normandie and Western Avenues in Thai Town.
Dish
8.Oaxacan mole and tlayudas
LA's Oaxacan community runs restaurants serving dark mole negro over chicken, tlayudas (large crisp tortillas with beans, cheese and meat) and mezcal.
Where: Oaxacan restaurants along Olympic and Pico Boulevards in Koreatown and Mid-City.
Breakfast
9.Breakfast burrito
A flour tortilla packed with scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, salsa and bacon or chorizo is LA's default breakfast to go.
Where: Diners, cafés and taco stands citywide; beach cafés in Santa Monica and Venice serve them to early surfers.
Dish
10.Ramen and sushi
Japanese food runs deep in LA: tonkotsu ramen shops, sushi counters and Japanese bakeries cluster downtown and on the Westside.
Where: Little Tokyo in Downtown and Sawtelle Japantown in West LA.
Food experiences
Taco truck crawl
In the evening, trucks and stands set up across East LA, Boyle Heights and South LA. Try al pastor, carne asada and lengua at two or three before choosing a favourite.
Grand Central Market lunch
Graze across Downtown's historic food hall, from carnitas and pupusas to modern counters, then walk off lunch up Bunker Hill to The Broad.
Korean barbecue night
Go with a group to a Koreatown barbecue house, order a combination of meats to grill at the table and finish at a karaoke room nearby.
Farmers markets
The Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings supplies many of the city's chefs; the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax, trading since 1934, is a permanent market of food stalls.
Quick bites and street food
- Tacos al pastor — Taco trucks across East LA, Boyle Heights and South LA, many parked in the same spot every evening.
- Korean tacos — Kogi trucks around the city (schedules are posted online) and Korean-Mexican counters in Koreatown.
- Bacon-wrapped hot dog — Street carts outside venues and in nightlife areas after dark.
- Breakfast burrito — Diners, cafés and taco stands citywide; beach cafés in Santa Monica and Venice serve them to early surfers.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- LA dines early: restaurants are busiest from about 7pm, and many kitchens outside nightlife areas stop serving by around 10pm.
- Menu prices exclude sales tax, and some restaurants add a service or staff-benefits surcharge; read the bill before adding a tip.
- Book popular restaurants through online reservation apps a week or more ahead for weekend dinners.
- Plan parking: many restaurants offer valet, and street parking is metered and strictly enforced.
- Tap water is free; ask for it if it is not brought automatically.
Tipping
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares, a few dollars for valets, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The 405, the 10 | Locals name freeways with 'the' |
| The Westside | Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills and nearby areas |
| DTLA | Downtown Los Angeles |
| June Gloom | Overcast early-summer mornings at the coast |
| Gracias | Thank you (Spanish is widely spoken) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Los Angeles famous for?
Tacos al pastor, French dip sandwich, Korean barbecue and Double-Double burger. Chilli-marinated pork shaved from a vertical spit (trompo) onto small corn tortillas and topped with pineapple, onion, coriander and salsa.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Los Angeles?
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares, a few dollars for valets, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.