10 Famous Foods in Los Angeles
Best Dishes Locals Love to Eat in Los Angeles
Famous foods in Los Angeles range from ultra-healthy, nutrition-packed dishes to incredibly decadent, sugar-packed treats. Whether you’re looking for a fast snack from a street vendor, a filling meal, or a mouthwatering dessert, you’ll find it in the city’s hundreds of eateries. Discover Californian inventions, including the hot fudge sundae, as well as fusion dishes, such as the California roll.
Los Angeles is widely recognized as one of America’s top foodie destinations and you’ll find great Californian dishes inspired by fresh, local ingredients, as well as tasty international cuisine. Check out the guide below to discover amazing foods in Los Angeles and prepare to delight your tastebuds.
1. California roll
A Japanese American fusion
Ideal para: Alimentação, Grupos, História
The delicious California rolls are a sushi staple in many restaurants. Often referred to as a Cali roll, it’s made from creamy avocado, cucumber, imitation crab meat, rice, and nori seaweed. Legend states that this mild dish originated in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles in the 1970s. A Japanese sushi chef is said to have adapted traditional sushi for the American market by exchanging raw fish for avocado.
He also put the rice on the outside of this sushi, instead of the usual seaweed wrapping you often see in other rolls. California rolls are hugely popular worldwide, and you can enjoy this fusion of flavor in hundreds of sushi bars and restaurants across Los Angeles.
California roll
2. French dip
For meat lovers
Ideal para: Alimentação, Viagens alternativas
A French dip is a hot sandwich consisting of slices of succulent roast beef served on a soft roll or a crusty baguette. You’ll sometimes see it topped with onions or Swiss cheese, but it always comes with a small bowl of the meat’s juice from the cooking process. Dip your bread into the juice for a mouthwatering twist on a regular sandwich.
Two eateries in Los Angeles claim to have invented this sandwich in the early 20th century. Philippe The Original and Cole’s French Dip both declare the sandwich came from their own establishment and the 2 restaurants remain open to this day. Why not try a French dip in both and decide for yourself which one you prefer?
French dip
3. Cheeseburger
Fast food and fine dining
Ideal para: Alimentação, Famílias
The popular cheeseburger first saw the light of day in California when a cook dropped a slice of cheese on a burger to see what he would get. Little did he know that the cheeseburger would become one of America’s most iconic exports. It’s now so beloved that it even has its own holiday. On September 18th each year, National Cheeseburger Day encourages everyone to indulge in this American classic.
In Los Angeles, you’ll find cheeseburgers in fast-food outlets, as well as in diners and ephemeral food trucks. But you’ll also see them on the menu in upscale restaurants served with hollandaise sauce and sweet potato fries. Kids of all ages will love sampling the different varieties on offer.
Cheeseburger
4. Street tacos
Light bites with a spicy kick
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico
Street tacos are a firm favorite with locals in Los Angeles. You’ll see them grabbing a tasty and filling bite whilst on the run, during a short lunch break from the office or to snack on whilst chilling out in a park. This traditional Mexican snack consists of a warm corn tortilla filled with different meat, onions, and a spicy sauce, and it’s usually slightly smaller than a regular taco.
Discover some unique street tacos in the food trucks dotted around Los Angeles. Vegetarians and vegans will love the jackfruit tacos and you’ll also find original options, including sweet potato, pineapple, feta cheese, and almond salsa.
Street tacos
5. California-style pizza
Innovative creations
Ideal para: Alimentação, Grupos, Viagens alternativas
California-style pizza is a delicious combination of a New York and Italian thin-crust pizza with a range of unconventional toppings based on local ingredients used in Californian cuisine. Try fresh artichoke hearts or peanut sauce instead of the more traditional ham and meatball toppings, for a healthier version of pizza, and why not add goat’s cheese instead of the usual mozzarella?
You can feast on this doughy delight all over Los Angeles, whether it’s in a chain restaurant or a smaller, independent eatery. You can even visit Caioti Pizza Café, where the man responsible for creating the California-style pizza in the 1980s opened his artisanal pizzeria.
California-style pizza
6. Strawberry doughnuts
A sugar rush at any hour of the day
Ideal para: Alimentação, Famílias
Strawberry donuts are a popular choice in Los Angeles during the summer months. Tempt your tastebuds with a fresh donut. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, filled with a juicy mix of fresh strawberries and homemade strawberry jelly, then finished with a rich, gooey glaze. Prepare to get messy as you devour this local delicacy.
You’ll find fresh strawberry donuts throughout California from February to September. But the original creator of this sugary delight has customers visiting his bakery from all over the state. The Donut Man invented fresh strawberry donuts back in the early 1970s and his original recipe is still going strong. Locals feast on these donuts for breakfast, lunch, and dessert too.
Strawberry doughnuts
7. Hot fudge sundae
A classic ice cream
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico, História
The hot fudge sundae is one of America’s most consumed desserts, and you’ll find it in on menus all over Los Angeles. It’s a yummy dessert that dates back over a century. In 1906, Clarence Clifton Brown opened his ice cream parlor in downtown Los Angeles and created the first hot fudge sundae. It’s an irresistible base of soft-serve vanilla ice cream, topped with roasted almonds, whipped cream, a chocolatey hot fudge sauce, and a plump red cherry.
Today, you’ll find it in eateries worldwide, ranging from fast food chains and ice cream parlors to diners and restaurants. The decadent combination of cold, creamy ice cream and a hot, syrupy sauce makes this an irresistible treat for dessert lovers everywhere.
Hot fudge sundae
8. Avocado toast
A great choice for vegetarians
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais, Famílias
It’s no surprise that avocado toast is so popular in Los Angeles. It’s rich in good fats, fiber, protein, and vitamins for health-conscious Californians and it tastes delicious. You’ll see it on breakfast and brunch menus throughout the city, and locals relaxing over a lazy meal with this filling dish and a steaming cup of coffee.
Traditionally, avocado toast is thick and crusty, toasted bread smothered with mashed ripe avocado and a hint of salt and pepper. In Los Angeles, you can enjoy lots of variations on this filling brunch staple, including a topping of tomato and olive salsa, and both scrambled and poached eggs. It’s a great choice for vegetarians and there are vegan and gluten-free options too.
Avocado toast
9. Pastrami sandwich
Hot meat delights
Ideal para: Alimentação, História
The pastrami sandwich is often dubbed the official sandwich of Los Angeles. However, it originated on the east coast of America, thanks to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe settling in New York. Nowadays, it’s a much-loved deli staple in Los Angeles and, of course, there’s a west coast twist to the dish.
You’ll often find it in the city’s delis and diners served on sourdough bread instead of the usual rye. Other variations include pastrami served on a fresh roll with mustard, accompanied by chili fries, and hot pastrami with iceberg lettuce and pickled jalapenos. You’ll even see pastrami quesadillas and pastrami burritos in food trucks throughout the city.
Pastrami sandwich
10. Korean food
Mouthwatering Asian cuisine
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais, Grupos
Korean food is ubiquitous in Los Angeles. The city is home to a huge Korean community, so it’s no surprise to find delicious Korean cuisine in many of its restaurants. Head to Koreatown, around Eighth Street and Irolo Street, and indulge in succulent meat at a Korean BBQ. Bulgogi is a popular choice, thinly shaved beef marinated in a sweet and savory sauce.
If you like rice, tofu, meat, and vegetables, you’ll love Korean food. It’s healthy and spicy, with lots of flavor. A great choice in restaurants is bibimbap, which is a copious rice bowl topped with lots of meat and vegetables, as well as spicy tteokbokki, which is made from rice cake and is usually suitable for vegetarians.
Korean food
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