Los Angeles
Like New York, LA is huge, and I have much more to explore in the city. It is a vast city with a massive selection of food to fill your every desire. My list for LA is one of those that is updated a lot as I come to LA often. So let’s take a look at what grub the city of angels has to offer us shall we?
Mexican/Chivichanga
Rank: 20
Here we are, the number one in Los Angeles is a top 20 meal for me that is a must-hit Mexican spot. Absolutely everything is amazing and I definitely would tell you to go crazy if you want and order everything they have, because I did and it was fantastic. But after devouring everything Sonoratown has to offer I definitely recommend the Chivichangas, and the shredded chicken ones at that. I have never had a Chivichanga before but holy shit I want to have an infinite number of them now, especially from Sonoratown.
I was surprised to find that the shredded chicken was THAT much better than the beef, but it definitely is the best option for the chivichangas. The chimichangas are amazing and are similar to burritos but have less volume but more flavor. They are extremely hard to explain, I will be honest, but damn they are amazing. I also must note that their red and green salsa are two of the best salsa I have ever had, period.
Thai/Hat Yai Fried Chicken
Rank: 63
While Luv2Eat Thai may only come in second overall in LA, that does not mean you should not go out of your way to devour this delicious Thai food. This Thai food is as authentic as it gets and there is very little I would not recommend on this menu. With that being said, I would make a special note of the Hat Yai Fried Chicken. Everything is fantastic, but this was definitely my favorite. And this chicken is what makes Luv2Eat Thai the best Thai food I have had in Los Angeles.
Mediterranean/Pickled Beets Sandwich
Rank: 100
Dune is a Mediterranean restaurant that serves some of the best sandwiches in the city. While I did not try the entire menu, I am confident that most things here would suit your fancy. The number one recommendation of mine is the Pickled Beets Sandwich. I do not even like beets, but my god, I loved these beets. The sandwich is stacked with several delicious toppings, which combine into a delectable handheld glory that everyone must sample. This is one of the most unique sandwiches I have had in my life, and it was superb at that.
Sandwich/French Dipped Pastrami “wet”
Rank: 101
Philippe The Original is home to my highest-ranking sandwich in LA. And it comes as advertised. If you are a big sandwich connoisseur you should be well aware of the “dipping” of sandwiches, and the meaning of a “wet” sandwich. If you are unaware this means the sandwich is dipped in au jus sauce, and it is always a fabulous choice when given the option. However, here at Phillipe we have a wet sandwich that takes the cake of all the dipped sandwiches I have enjoyed. I believe you could devour it with any meat, however I tried the pastrami and I believe that was so good I would be stunned if the any other sandwich was able to top it. So make sure to come try when you are in LA if you are feeling a sandwich.
Deli/Pastrami
Rank: 138
Langer’s Deli is famous for its pastrami sandwich, and well, I will not tell you to go off the beaten path here. The iconic #19 pastrami sandwich with Russian dressing, swiss cheese, and cole slaw is a fabulous sandwich complemented by a fantastic rye bread. The sandwich is definitely the best pastrami I have had the pleasure of devouring in my life, and it will surely live up to your expectations. The flavor of the meat is verbose and unique, that is what makes Langer’s special. It is rare to have such a perfectly seasoned cut of pastrami, but Langer’s absolutely delivers.
Langer’s also has a perfect old-school restaurant vibe that is especially rare to find in Los Angeles, and parking for free up the block at their lot is actually easy (just make sure you remember to validate). Langer’s is a must-stop when you are visiting the city of angels, and make sure you come prepared for some absolutely delicious pastrami.
Pizza/Spicy Pepperoni
Rank: 140
Pizza in Los Angeles coming in third may seem shocking at first glance, at least it did to me. But once you try Prime Pizza you will understand just how deserving this ranking is for this pizza joint. Prime Pizza has a few locations around LA, making it fairly reasonable to secure on your visit, they also offer free delivery from any of their stores within their delivery radius, just another reason this is a must. But let’s get to the reason we are all here, the pizza.
The spicy pepperoni is the big hit here, and I don’t think it is even that close. The pepperoni is perfectly cooked, nice and cupped up. The Calabrian chili complements the meat, sauce and cheese extremely well and offers the perfect hint of spice that just hits different on an amazing pie. While the grandma pie is also a great option, I would recommend adding pepperoni to it if you can, since perfectly cooked pepperoni is a rarity that always needs to be enjoyed when possible.
Bakery/Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Rank: 144
Porto’s Bakery is an LA staple, and it is easy to see why just walking up to any of their locations. Expect a line out the door, and most likely down the block. Porto’s somehow manages to serve the best food in LA at easily the cheapest price point of anything I have been to in Los Angeles. While the bakery produces a number of delicious items the staples are their potato balls, but I enjoyed the cheese & spicy (not spicy at all) variety far more than the standard. But there is a specific cake that needs to be discussed when it comes to Porto’s.
The cake that is an absolute must while in LA and at this amazing bakery is the Cinnamon Coffee Cake. This cake must be made in the ovens’ of the gods because it is absolutely perfect. The juiciness, the crunchiness, and the fantastic cinnamon flavor is absolutely overwhelming here, and my tastebuds will always be hankering for a slice of this cake.
Doughnuts
Rank: 151
Los Angeles is a city of many iconic sights and restaurants, and Randy’s Donuts happens to be one of those sights that is both a sight to behold, and a food to go out of your way to secure. Randy’s boasts an array of donuts that will leave everyone’s mouthwatering. The range from a classic glazed to a fruity pebble variety is extraordinary, and yet the quality of each donut is simply top-tier.
While the variety of donuts is absolutely stunning it is simply astonishing how much better their raised glazed is than every donut they offer. The raised glazed is the best-glazed donut I have had the pleasure of devouring, and I highly recommend including the classic in your order. The menu may be immense, but I would definitely secure a raised glazed from Randy’s as soon as you can while in LA.
Deli
Rank: 155
Whew a fantastic Italian deli located in Glendale that will leave you wanting more sandwiches every time. I have had a few sandwiches from here and all of them are absolutely fantastic. So there will be yet another dealer’s choice on whatever sandwich you would like devour, or multiple if you are crazy, like me. The Bad Boy is an iconic pastrami that I loved, but once again just come here, order to your heart’s content and ENJOY!
Breakfast/Mr.Presley
Rank: 157
Breakfast republic is quickly becoming a very popular chain breakfast join in California. Multiple locations are opening this year, and it is growing quite rapidly. While the breakfast join offers a number of amazing options to devour as soon as you wake up, there is a specific meal that stands out. The Mr. Presley is without a doubt the best option if you are game for a real sweet toot breakfast. The French toast is done extremely well, and then stuffed with peanut butter and throw on some bacon and banana foster on top, and damn that’s scrumptious. The French toast is fantastic, and the peanut butter just oozes out of the toast coupled with the banana foster and bacon you are having the breakfast of champions when you are devouring it. The rest of the menu won’t disappoint you either, but this French toast is the king of the county here at breakfast republic.
American/Burger/Chicken
Rank: 164
Is it weird that a restaurant in a hotel is topping the list of meals in Los Angeles? Certainly, but by god don’t overlook this rooftop meal if you are in Hollywood. The chicken sandwich and burger were the two standouts on the menu, and their homemade honey mustard is what really made the whole meal special. The mustard was absolutely amazing and is the best mustard I have had outside of Texas, and as someone who generally does not care for mustard, me ordering three extra servings of it for my meal should say a lot.
The views and atmosphere on top of the hotel coupled with the delicious grub you will devour while looking over Hollywood. Mama Shelter comes highly recommended from me, and should definitely be on your list, just expect to wait a little while to get a table, but you won’t regret the wait in any way.
Doughnuts/Old Fashioned
Rank: 177
Sidecar is a doughnut shop that has a few locations all over Los Angeles and while I have only been to one location, I am confident that each location provides absolutely delicious doughnuts. Sidecar posts a tremendous amount of doughnut varieties for you to find something you like, and some unique flavors that are definitely worth trying!
The most unique flavor in-store is the basil eggs benedict, which is an eggs benedict doughnut and is flat-out incredible. While the egg benedict may be the most unique doughnut offered at Sidecar it is not the most delicious. The crown jewel of Sidecar is easily the Old Fashioned, it posts a remarkable high standard for the most classic of doughnuts. All of the doughnuts at Sidecar are delicious and definitely worth devouring, but I highly recommend ensuring an Old Fashioned is on your shortlist of must-tries when you visit Sidecar.
Pizza
Rank: 192
A pizza place in Los Angeles showing up on my rankings really shows how great Triple Beam can make a pie. Snagging a whole pepperoni pie from Triple Beam is an absolutely glorious experience if you are in LA and looking for an amazing pizza, or if you are simply hungry. There is a wide variety of pizzas on the menu, and I am sure they are all killer, but I definitely loved the pepperoni pie that I picked up, and I am sure you will enjoy any pie you get from Triple Beam.
Ramen
Rank: 224
The best ramen I have had in LA resides here at Ochoron. And I do not recommend any specific ramen here as I believe all of them would be fantastic. The broth here packs so much flavor, and I enjoyed the “hyper” on the spicy level. I believe that was good, I definitely would not have lowered it, if I were to come back I would try the extreme spice. Man vs. Food came here many years back, and there is a simply absurd spice level, seemingly if you are into that (you can get your picture on the wall). Every ramen here, no matter the spice, will be fabulous, so I definitely recommend coming by when you are in a ramen mood.
Tacos/Al Pastor
Rank: 226
Leo’s Tacos Truck is a glorious truck that serves amazing tacos. The al pastor was easily my favorite, and the tacos are definitely what you want to order here. The rest of the menu is good as well but come on they are called Leo’s “Tacos” Truck for a reason. You want to order the tacos here, and you will not be disappointed. The tacos are fabulous, and Leo’s boasts to have the best al pastor in the city, and so far, they have been the best tacos in general, not just al pastor I have had. I highly recommend trying to find one of their eight trucks while you are in Los Angeles for some amazing tacos, and a taste of the great Mexican grub LA has to offer.
Seafood
Rank: 289
Okay I think this is my favorite name of any restaurant on the list. Son of a Gun is just such a good name for a seafood place, I love it. Here there are a few great options so nothing in particular I would say is a must order. The big eye tuna was fantastic, as was the lobster BLT. But let’s talk about the big eye tuna because it was super interesting. It is a ball of raw tuna with avocado and tortilla chips inside and it is so damn good, also it is surrounded by leche de tigre and you cannot go wrong there. The lobster BLT was equally as tasty and was very epic. There is nothing you could do wrong when ordering here so feel free to go crazy, just get ready to enjoy some good good seafood!
Mexican/Tacos
Rank: 297
Cactus Taqueria boldly claims that they serve the best Mexican food in LA. While that is clearly not the case, unfortunately, they do serve amazing tacos, burritos, and the rest of the great Mexican cuisine you can expect. My personal go-to is the taco de lengua. Along with that, I would recommend sticking to the tacos here as the tacos are outstanding. The rest of the items on the menu are also absolutely amazing, and Cactus offers actually reasonable prices which is hard to find in Los Angeles. Just another reason why making a stop at Cactus is well worth it.
Italian
Rank: 306
Bestia is a place you should definitely place a reservation in before you go to secure a table. It also has an atmosphere that I simply must talk about, the old warehouse that has been taken over by such an amazing restaurant is pretty unique and definitely awesome. While I am once again opting not to recommend anything because everything is great. I would caution ordering pizza here, it’s great, but just not their specialty, I would focus on the rest of the menu if I were you. Everything here though is great and I have no doubt you will certainly enjoy yourself. Also this is one of the rare fancier, less hole-in-the-wall (despite the warehouse look) places on the list, so probably a good place for dates or nice occasions while also enjoying tasty food.
Mexican/Huevos Rancheros
Rank: 327
If you wake up in Los Angeles and realize you desperately need Mexican food, look no further. El Tepeyaca makes some excellent Huevos Rancheros. Their sauce has so much flavor and tortillas are just damn glorious. While clearly Tepeyaca is not my highest ranking place in LA, it still represents a nice spot when looking for a lowkey hole-in-the-wall breakfast. I did not try anything else here, however I am of the belief you could enjoy some fabulous lunch and dinner options here as well.
Places I haven’t tried but came up in research:
1. Malibu Seafood
2. Kang Ho Dong Baekjeon
3. San Carlo Deli