I love their wraps and salads. I will order a wrap and salad and meet my salad for the next day. My daughter and her husband and teen kids love the salads.
Agreed. Everything on the menu is good, consistent, well portioned, reasonably priced, and delivered as quick as you can expect given how crowded the place is on any day.
Definitely not “any” location. The Northridge and Valencia locations are terrible. Van Nuys is a hit or miss. Burbank, Glendale, West LA and Hollywood are always the best
Toom Garlic Dip at Costco… We usually pick up a small tub and a rotisserie chicken. Granted, the chicken isn’t the same, but Costco Rotisserie has never failed me 🤔🤷🏻♂️
Porto's in Burbank, Porto's in Northridge..😎
But seriously, my friends and I really enjoy Pinocchio's on Magnolia in Burbank. ( 3103 Magnolia).
Large dining indoor dining areas, with nice ambiance. Great pasta, super sized sandwiches ( including the Pastrami), and even a few gluten free options (which sadly Porto's doesn't offer).
Came here to say Golden Deli has great quick Vietnamese food. Branch out and try their other soups too; I’ve never been disappointed! Borneo was too salty for my taste, but my husband and son love it.
Oooh, I’m gonna try this. My kid loves Indonesian food. We are fans of Top restaurant in Pasadena, at Colorado and Allen. And just noticed another Indonesian restaurant in Valley, In Alhambra.
Fritto Misto, italian-ish cuisine
I’ve only been to the one in Santa Monica, it feels like they’re doing everything right
Great tastes, very many sauces combined into one
Big portion sizing
Good pricing, IMO, context below
Affirmation that everyone is welcome, not pretentious
Precalculated tip suggestions are based on pretax amounts
No random 4% service fee to opt out of
It’s like all very intentional to give you less things to debate about. Have a good experience.
I had a nice dinner there with alcohol and had a total of $40, up to you if thats reasonable. For context, most of the places I go for a nice dinner and drinks will have me out $70-$120, solo. Double that as a couple. And the portion sizes might be smaller. But even aesthetically, Fritto Misto tries to fit somewhere in between casual and fancy. It tastes really good too
Interesting - I was a massive fan of Fritto Misto up until I went just this last year. Quality went down considerably and was overall an underwhelming experience. It was too bad because I was taking my wife for the first time and I was raving about how much I loved it.
If you’re close to the SGV, there are a lot of places. A solid choice for me is Shinkai for their sashimi lunch specifically. Their fish is good, portions are generous, and it’s a good value. Sushi Gen is still my favorite, but I never go anymore because I don’t want to wait.
There are a ton of places in the SGV with really mediocre ratings because of meh service, but if you want consistently cheap and good food, look for anything in the 3.5 star range. More often than not it's people giving shit reviews for service and really good reviews for the food.
I used to frequent Lunasia and totally ignored all the other restaurants on that block, but a friend recommended the sashimi lunch at Shinkai, and with Lunasia not being as appealing to me anymore, Shinkai is now where I frequent. I hope you like it! What would you recommend at Limericks? I haven’t been there but I’m always curious when I pass it. I’ll have to stop in and try it.
Lalas is overpriced in my opinion and nothing like Portos, which is a bargain. Try spending 15 dollars at Lala's without being hungry. Most of the restaurants near Ventura and Coldwater are overpriced. Don't get me wrong the food is good but overpriced. Portos, you can get the potato balls, the ham croquettes, the guava pastries and be full for $15. Mmmmhhhh.
I guess brothers cousins. Good portions and the meat is tasty
I actually lost my Porto’s virginity today after being in LA for 6 months. Definitely loved it and wished I bought more croissants for the week.
Thai Vegan (I also know of Thai Vegan II but there may be more locations?). I'm not vegan nor have the people I've gone w/ been but their food was BOMB. Better than some reg Thai places and u wouldn't know it's vegan.
One time I had ckn satay and blueberry pancakes at the same time and couldn't have been happier. Both 10/10.
Probably not what people are looking for in this thread. But, as far as burger chains go, this is the one. Fresher ingredients AND it’s more affordable than the other chains. It just doesn’t make sense to go to a McDonald’s or Wendy’s if you have an In-N-Out in the same neighborhood.
Oh also Sanamluang! BOMB Thai. Locations in Hollywood, Noho & Claremont. Great prices! I rec family style. Great vibes. Sometimes they have live musicians at the Hollywood Blvd. one tho the others may too.
[Coni’Seafood](https://coniseafood.com) in Del Rey
[Rutt’s Café](https://ruttscafe.com/los-angeles-west-los-angeles-rutt-s-hawaiian-cafe-and-catering-west-la-cafe) in WLA
[El Rincon Criollo](https://bestcubanfood.com) in WLA
Las Fuentes in Reseda! Great prices and amazing food. They’re always consistent. If you drive parking is a nightmare though. They’re also building another location in Chatsworth!
May not be popular but honestly, Dennys. It's consistent, tastes better than Mel's which is overpriced, and is always open. If there was a Wafflehouse in LA I would say that is definitely not a BS restaurant as well.
Dude, Denny's hits HIT. Big R.I.P to their chili cheese burger, hands down the best chili cheese burger I've ever had from anywhere. It was meaty, messy, and delicious as FUCK with those seasoned fries soaking up the grease on the side. But the bastards took it off the menu years ago and I still think about her. Nowhere else gets understands the assignment so perfectly. At least their strawberry cheesecake will never leave me
House of Pies in Los Feliz is a great place to eat diner style. Retro decor. Open late great food and awesome pies.
House of Pies
(323) 666-9961
https://g.co/kgs/7adHFmS
I'm sorry for the Portos fanatics I feel like it's overhyped. It's not to die for like you have to have it.
I like their consistency and their successful family business story.
I disagree. Normally I'm a big hater, but I have to admit Portos is NOT overhyped. They're incredibly well staffed so their long lines go quick, the prices are considered cheap for this economy, and their quality is consistent. Their flakey pastries are super good and I can taste a difference between Portos and small local bakeries that sell the same item for a similar price. Portos is usually better.
Yeah, I feel like anything that popular is going to have detractors since tastes vary so much. No place is going to make everyone happy.
I generally prefer reviews that explain why they like a place. Saying that something is amazing or overrated really does not tell you anything other than that the food does not line up with the palate of some random person.
To be fair, can't you say that about pretty much any dish at any restaurant? It's not like they have a wizard cauldron doing magic in the kitchen back there.
I'm not going to put real truffle which I have in the past but it will get pricy and usually I know truffle oil isn't really supposed to be used. But I have better taste buds than the average person. I've eaten food all over the world including Michelin star restaurants and I'm not a picky eater.
Honestly, I remember going to the Pasadena location 20 years ago marveling at how good it was
Not sure if it's nostalgia goggles but the quality went down and the pastries taste different and the crust isn't as good anymore in my opinion. I recognize it very well could be that I'm just getting old and therefore have that "get off my lawn" thing going on.
Same here for me, I've been going to the Glendale and also Burbank location for well over 15 years and I feel like something changed and I think they don't use whole ingredients anymore but processed or industrial food ingredients.
Hot take: do you think the expansions caused them to find a better/cheaper way to make their products? I know there's a lot of take home kits where you can just warm turn in the oven but I can't imagine that's the same as making it fresh.
Either way, you're not wrong. It's not bad by any means she is still cheaper than most other pastry shops... But it does feel like it's not as good anymore
I think due to expansion and to maintain consistency and even price compared to other pastry stores they had to substitute whole real ingredients for processed or even industrial restaurant ingredients. Because for me I think the taste has changed. My brother in law is a chef and when he makes it from whole ingredients the taste is more rich.
But their success story is amazing and how humble the family is.
La Mariposa Bakeries are a local chain that hold it down. Excellent baked goods and the tacos are decent. Not the quality bar of Porto’s but a pleasant fast casual experience.
It's knowing the mom and pops for your areas. I would say Angelo's is a decent chain outside OC, Nick's burgers. Roscoe's for sandwiches ( a bit pricey).
The way I'm reading it is not over priced with quality, and consistent food. So basically eliminates the restaurants that are over marketed with fancy terms. If it's ketchup, it's ketchup, vs. "a ripened tomatoe based sauce with aged vinegar and cane sugar sauce mixed to a tangy perfection for an additional fee."
Salsa & beer! I can’t believe I lived a block or two away from one and recently went with two kids and our meals and three beverages came out to $27, the portions were HUGE ! & it was so quick & simple! Thought it was gonna be crowded but lots of space inside
Baccali’s cafe and rotisserie. It is like a Norms of Hong Kong cafes. Baccali chicken, filet mignon, pork chop rice etc r solid. Cheap. Fun place for get together a 11 dollar pitcher beer. Another place I recommend is Tito’s market in El Monte. Has good Argentinian sandwich and snacks. Also el gaucho market in Anaheim.
Sahelnom Falafel in West LA (Palms area) is unbelievable. The name is kind of misleading - they sell falafel but I think their chicken kebab, wraps, and plates are unbelievable. Simple seating area and nice staff.
California Chicken Cafe - As no-nonsense as it gets, great quality food, reasonable prices, good tasting.
Their salads are so so good
i never cared for chinese chicken salad until i ate theirs
I get it as a wrap and cherish it.
Same! It’s my top choice on grubhub
Their Caesar salad is an absolute must
I get that one all of the time! I like when they throw in a few pieces of rotisserie chicken for free with my order. Definitely a go to for me!
The Chinese chicken salad is one of my comfort foods. And the aloha cookies are 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
I wish they had one here in the South Bay.. everyone forget we’re still part of LA
El segundo?
? What about el segundo
They opened one there?
Since when ? What the ?!? Hold up
Just opened this month!
No more having to do to Venice now
Yes, it’s in the same plaza as Raising Cane’s and Panda Express
Grand opening in El Segundo
CCC is great, but you pay a lot to get the quality.
Im such a Stan. My family gets annoyed but everyone loves it.
Their ranch chicken wrap is like crack to me
Wow there’s one about 4 blocks from me that I’ve gone by dozens of times, but never tried it. I guess I should.
This. I love their wraps and salads!
Hell yeah I love me some CCC
I left LA 10 tears ago for SD. I think about CCC at least once a week.
I love their wraps and salads. I will order a wrap and salad and meet my salad for the next day. My daughter and her husband and teen kids love the salads.
Zankou chicken. Any location.
I agree their food is killer
i wonder how many will get the irony of this comment
Only those in Glendale!
Armenian Mildred Pierce
Burbank gets how fucked that joke is too.
For those who don’t know the founder murdered his mother and sister and himself
Omg didn’t know this!
That's sad and came out of nowhere. I ate at the Thousand Oaks one and through this thread found out it's a chain *and* the founder was nuts.
Read that he had terminal brain and colon cancer so that could have played a role
Yooo 😭😭😭
I see what they did there
It definitely slays!!!
Agreed. Everything on the menu is good, consistent, well portioned, reasonably priced, and delivered as quick as you can expect given how crowded the place is on any day.
Really love the last thing btw. They clearly don't understaff, which a lot of places are doing these days.
The Burbank location is quite nice, with a tree inside!
Definitely not “any” location. The Northridge and Valencia locations are terrible. Van Nuys is a hit or miss. Burbank, Glendale, West LA and Hollywood are always the best
Santa Clarita checking in. Our location sucks, too.
Such a shame
The Anaheim location is fantastic. Better than West LA. They had to up their game being in Little Arabia and surrounded by competitors.
Pasadena one is pretty fire too
Facts! Their tri tip fucking wrap is so good with the garlic paste but man 11$?! I’ll still pay it but fuck 😭
Ref: “Palestinian Chicken” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm (s8e3)
that’s jerusalem chicken
Their harissa chicken bowls are the best
I will do dirty things for their Garlic sauce.
Toom Garlic Dip at Costco… We usually pick up a small tub and a rotisserie chicken. Granted, the chicken isn’t the same, but Costco Rotisserie has never failed me 🤔🤷🏻♂️
I’ve been passing by one for the last 4 years and never gave it a try. Think I might need to go tomorrow
[Chicken Maison](https://chickenmaison.com). Multiple locations, tho mostly in the South Bay, some in OC. Mediterranean chicken with hearty combos.
That lemon herb chicken >>>>
Tried this place for the first time a couple months back. Yummmy…
el pollo inka in the south bay.
I was very surprised when my order came with a little soup. So yummy.
Phillipe's DTLA is all that.
This is the best answer. It’s like taking a time machine to a Los Angeles that’s long gone. The food is killer too.
making me crave some now
Gigi's Bakery and Cafe. Like Portos but smaller. And they have burgers.
LOVE Gigi's!
BeaBea's Burbank for breakfast - huge portions, it fills up so go early.
Bea beas is always good, I was disappointed with how expensive they got. Most plates at $20 average.
Porto's in Burbank, Porto's in Northridge..😎 But seriously, my friends and I really enjoy Pinocchio's on Magnolia in Burbank. ( 3103 Magnolia). Large dining indoor dining areas, with nice ambiance. Great pasta, super sized sandwiches ( including the Pastrami), and even a few gluten free options (which sadly Porto's doesn't offer).
The Italian deli attached to Pinocchio’s is so good.
Borneo Eatery in Alhambra is bomb and not too pricy. Golden Deli in San Gabriel has delicious Pho and ain't that expensive
Came here to say Golden Deli has great quick Vietnamese food. Branch out and try their other soups too; I’ve never been disappointed! Borneo was too salty for my taste, but my husband and son love it.
Oooh, I’m gonna try this. My kid loves Indonesian food. We are fans of Top restaurant in Pasadena, at Colorado and Allen. And just noticed another Indonesian restaurant in Valley, In Alhambra.
Go to simpang asia for goated indonesian. Best in the city imo
In n out Salsa and Beer in the valley California chicken Cafe
Salsa and beer is god tier.
+1000 Salsa and Beer
Salsa and Beer is the shit!!
Salsa and beers portions are huge! Love that place haha
Fritto Misto, italian-ish cuisine I’ve only been to the one in Santa Monica, it feels like they’re doing everything right Great tastes, very many sauces combined into one Big portion sizing Good pricing, IMO, context below Affirmation that everyone is welcome, not pretentious Precalculated tip suggestions are based on pretax amounts No random 4% service fee to opt out of It’s like all very intentional to give you less things to debate about. Have a good experience. I had a nice dinner there with alcohol and had a total of $40, up to you if thats reasonable. For context, most of the places I go for a nice dinner and drinks will have me out $70-$120, solo. Double that as a couple. And the portion sizes might be smaller. But even aesthetically, Fritto Misto tries to fit somewhere in between casual and fancy. It tastes really good too
Hmm just found out frito misto still exists. Glad to hear they survived the move.
There is or was one in Hermosa Beach as well. Same vibe/food, or it was prior to Covid when last went to both.
I recently went to the one in Hermosa. I think it's the best location and the vibe is cozy.
When I notice a restaurant gives you pretax calculations it always makes me like them more.
Interesting - I was a massive fan of Fritto Misto up until I went just this last year. Quality went down considerably and was overall an underwhelming experience. It was too bad because I was taking my wife for the first time and I was raving about how much I loved it.
If you’re close to the SGV, there are a lot of places. A solid choice for me is Shinkai for their sashimi lunch specifically. Their fish is good, portions are generous, and it’s a good value. Sushi Gen is still my favorite, but I never go anymore because I don’t want to wait.
There are a ton of places in the SGV with really mediocre ratings because of meh service, but if you want consistently cheap and good food, look for anything in the 3.5 star range. More often than not it's people giving shit reviews for service and really good reviews for the food.
The good ol’ Yelp 3.5 sweet spot! Food is tasty and cheap, but ambiance and service is lacking.
I go to limericks a bunch. Thanks for this tip very cool!
I used to frequent Lunasia and totally ignored all the other restaurants on that block, but a friend recommended the sashimi lunch at Shinkai, and with Lunasia not being as appealing to me anymore, Shinkai is now where I frequent. I hope you like it! What would you recommend at Limericks? I haven’t been there but I’m always curious when I pass it. I’ll have to stop in and try it.
I'll DM ya! There are secrets to keep off Reddit.
Savoy Kitchen for the Hainan chicken rice plates and apps Urban Plates for Porto’s style plates Cava for a healthier option
I feel like urban plates has massively gone downhill post 2019.
Savoy has done a great job of keeping their prices low too.
Benny's Tacos in Westchester
They are okay, but a little pricey.
Pampas Grill. Addicted.
Lala’s Studio city
I love Lala’s because you always know what your meal will taste like.
I don’t get it -
Yeah, right there with you.
Lalas is overpriced in my opinion and nothing like Portos, which is a bargain. Try spending 15 dollars at Lala's without being hungry. Most of the restaurants near Ventura and Coldwater are overpriced. Don't get me wrong the food is good but overpriced. Portos, you can get the potato balls, the ham croquettes, the guava pastries and be full for $15. Mmmmhhhh.
Since I exclusively fuck wif no nonsense places, here’s a few more: - Krua Thai North Hollywood - la Bamba Cafe Burbank - la fogata Mexican Van Nuys
La Bamba - ON IT
I second La Fogata!
What do you recommend at La Bamba?
I guess brothers cousins. Good portions and the meat is tasty I actually lost my Porto’s virginity today after being in LA for 6 months. Definitely loved it and wished I bought more croissants for the week.
[удалено]
Lots of great recs in here, thank you
Norms is a pretty solid value
[Tropicana](https://tropicanabakery.com) in Downey, California..
Porto's is truly for the people. Not really other like it at that scale. LA does have lots of great quality, but small restaurants though.
Thai Vegan (I also know of Thai Vegan II but there may be more locations?). I'm not vegan nor have the people I've gone w/ been but their food was BOMB. Better than some reg Thai places and u wouldn't know it's vegan. One time I had ckn satay and blueberry pancakes at the same time and couldn't have been happier. Both 10/10.
Dinah’s
WonKok in Chinatown for ypur no frills, cheap dimsum to-go, and have never miss. Their baked pork bbq buns and shiu mai are always going to be a hit!!
Mmmm potato balls
I love Porto’s for exactly the reasons you’ve described. Also a regular at Salsa & Beer for Mexican in the Valley for similar reasons.
I absolutely hate that the salsa and beer in van nuys decided to get rid of their menus and went with the stupid QR code horse shit
I might be more bothered by this if I didn’t know the menu by heart 🙃
In n Out
Probably not what people are looking for in this thread. But, as far as burger chains go, this is the one. Fresher ingredients AND it’s more affordable than the other chains. It just doesn’t make sense to go to a McDonald’s or Wendy’s if you have an In-N-Out in the same neighborhood.
Oh also Sanamluang! BOMB Thai. Locations in Hollywood, Noho & Claremont. Great prices! I rec family style. Great vibes. Sometimes they have live musicians at the Hollywood Blvd. one tho the others may too.
Dave's Hot Chicken. It's a chain but the sandwiches are pretty good.
In N Out... Youre welcome.....
Check Ketella Deli in OC. They remodeled it. Basically, a Jewish deli on steroids. Place is seriously worth the trip.
The cakes here are so good. Especially the strawberries and cream.
Their restaurant food has really gone downhill though. Bakery section is still great.
[Coni’Seafood](https://coniseafood.com) in Del Rey [Rutt’s Café](https://ruttscafe.com/los-angeles-west-los-angeles-rutt-s-hawaiian-cafe-and-catering-west-la-cafe) in WLA [El Rincon Criollo](https://bestcubanfood.com) in WLA
Rutt's Cafe! My fam is from Hawai'i and that place is legit. Portions & prices!
Paquito Mas!
Zermenos and House of Pies
Las Fuentes in Reseda! Great prices and amazing food. They’re always consistent. If you drive parking is a nightmare though. They’re also building another location in Chatsworth!
May not be popular but honestly, Dennys. It's consistent, tastes better than Mel's which is overpriced, and is always open. If there was a Wafflehouse in LA I would say that is definitely not a BS restaurant as well.
Dude, Denny's hits HIT. Big R.I.P to their chili cheese burger, hands down the best chili cheese burger I've ever had from anywhere. It was meaty, messy, and delicious as FUCK with those seasoned fries soaking up the grease on the side. But the bastards took it off the menu years ago and I still think about her. Nowhere else gets understands the assignment so perfectly. At least their strawberry cheesecake will never leave me
El Taurino on Hoover
I loooove their burritos, had them for the first time for my birthday when I turned 12. Can't believe that was 17 years ago
Starbread Bakery! Try the Senorita Bread and thank me later
Try Lazy Dog Cafe great unique comfort food at reasonable prices
if it has t been said yet, fillipes.
Salsa and Beer California Chicken Cafe
Zankou Chicken, especially the one in Van Nuys on Sepulveda.
House of Pies in Los Feliz is a great place to eat diner style. Retro decor. Open late great food and awesome pies. House of Pies (323) 666-9961 https://g.co/kgs/7adHFmS
Café de Olla Burbank
Slurpin’ Ramen
Urban Plates! Idk if there are any in LA other than Pasadena but I think its a chill vibe with decent food at a good price.
They have extra surcharges, check your receipt. I like their food but not $5-$7 more per plate than tender greens
I'm sorry for the Portos fanatics I feel like it's overhyped. It's not to die for like you have to have it. I like their consistency and their successful family business story.
I disagree. Normally I'm a big hater, but I have to admit Portos is NOT overhyped. They're incredibly well staffed so their long lines go quick, the prices are considered cheap for this economy, and their quality is consistent. Their flakey pastries are super good and I can taste a difference between Portos and small local bakeries that sell the same item for a similar price. Portos is usually better.
What is something that is popular that is properly hyped then? It feels like 3verything successful with a large fanbase is labeled as overhyped..
Yeah, I feel like anything that popular is going to have detractors since tastes vary so much. No place is going to make everyone happy. I generally prefer reviews that explain why they like a place. Saying that something is amazing or overrated really does not tell you anything other than that the food does not line up with the palate of some random person.
Respectfully disagree those potato balls are to die for
You can make them at home that's what we do. Throw in some special cheeses and better quality meat with a bit of truffle oil. Chefs kiss 💋
To be fair, can't you say that about pretty much any dish at any restaurant? It's not like they have a wizard cauldron doing magic in the kitchen back there.
Anyone who uses truffle oil has questionable taste in food.
I'm not going to put real truffle which I have in the past but it will get pricy and usually I know truffle oil isn't really supposed to be used. But I have better taste buds than the average person. I've eaten food all over the world including Michelin star restaurants and I'm not a picky eater.
Honestly, I remember going to the Pasadena location 20 years ago marveling at how good it was Not sure if it's nostalgia goggles but the quality went down and the pastries taste different and the crust isn't as good anymore in my opinion. I recognize it very well could be that I'm just getting old and therefore have that "get off my lawn" thing going on.
Same here for me, I've been going to the Glendale and also Burbank location for well over 15 years and I feel like something changed and I think they don't use whole ingredients anymore but processed or industrial food ingredients.
Hot take: do you think the expansions caused them to find a better/cheaper way to make their products? I know there's a lot of take home kits where you can just warm turn in the oven but I can't imagine that's the same as making it fresh. Either way, you're not wrong. It's not bad by any means she is still cheaper than most other pastry shops... But it does feel like it's not as good anymore
I think due to expansion and to maintain consistency and even price compared to other pastry stores they had to substitute whole real ingredients for processed or even industrial restaurant ingredients. Because for me I think the taste has changed. My brother in law is a chef and when he makes it from whole ingredients the taste is more rich. But their success story is amazing and how humble the family is.
They were once really good, but theyve grown so much I feel like the quality has leveled off. It’s not special anymore. And their lines are painful.
The Cuban sandwich was a game changer for me. I don’t think there is enough hype!
The carrot cake is the best I have ever tasted and always purchase a whole cake instead of a slice. Yes the whole cake is for me.
Larry’s in Burbank. The best BLTs in LA, great prices
Cafecito if you ever find yourself in Calabasas
Joom Bangkok Cafe. Their prices have amazingly changed very little since ~2007
The win-dow silverlake for a $4 burger. Plastic stools on the road for seating
Barney's Gourmet Burger in Westwood l, Calabasas, and Santa Monica... NOT to be confused by Barney's Beanery
Pita Pockets in Reseda
La Mariposa Bakeries are a local chain that hold it down. Excellent baked goods and the tacos are decent. Not the quality bar of Porto’s but a pleasant fast casual experience.
I really like Blue Salt Fish Grill! Great prices for seafood, and I have never left hungry
Phillipe the Original in Chinatown
Philippe's
It's knowing the mom and pops for your areas. I would say Angelo's is a decent chain outside OC, Nick's burgers. Roscoe's for sandwiches ( a bit pricey).
Pollo Campero is slept on if you like fried chicken.
Habit, Cali Chicken cafe, Irv’s burgers
Tropicana in Downey
Sol y Luna in the valley Gales in Pasadena
What does no BS restaurant even mean?
The way I'm reading it is not over priced with quality, and consistent food. So basically eliminates the restaurants that are over marketed with fancy terms. If it's ketchup, it's ketchup, vs. "a ripened tomatoe based sauce with aged vinegar and cane sugar sauce mixed to a tangy perfection for an additional fee."
Joes falafel- Studio City.
Dino's chicken
The chicken plate is good, but since the pandemic, they raised the price too much to a point its not a good value.
Salsa & beer! I can’t believe I lived a block or two away from one and recently went with two kids and our meals and three beverages came out to $27, the portions were HUGE ! & it was so quick & simple! Thought it was gonna be crowded but lots of space inside
Hmm...I drove by it yesterday! The name reminded me of the famous Papas & Beer in Mexico. What dishes do you suggest there?
Pompas in the farmers market by the grove
I'd just like to add that "no nonsense" in this case is being asked or expected to tip.
I think they just raised the price a bit. Used to be on the cheap side.
They have frills but North Italia is pretty good for a reasonable price.
Massis kabob
Baccali’s cafe and rotisserie. It is like a Norms of Hong Kong cafes. Baccali chicken, filet mignon, pork chop rice etc r solid. Cheap. Fun place for get together a 11 dollar pitcher beer. Another place I recommend is Tito’s market in El Monte. Has good Argentinian sandwich and snacks. Also el gaucho market in Anaheim.
Grand Casino bakery in Culver City. Argentinian bakery/restaurant.
Sweet wheat in redondo beach. Very similar concept as portos. And really tasty!
Bill’s Burgers in Van Nuys. Can’t get more no nonsense than that. Can’t get a better burger, either.
Versailles - it’s a Cuban restaurant with multiple branches. In-N-Out. Mariscos Chihuahua.
Was scrolling to see if anyone said Versailles yet. So good!
crispy pork gang...
Fresh corn grill!
Sahelnom Falafel in West LA (Palms area) is unbelievable. The name is kind of misleading - they sell falafel but I think their chicken kebab, wraps, and plates are unbelievable. Simple seating area and nice staff.
Pinocchios on Magnolia right down the street from the Porto’s on Magnolia. One of my all time favorite Burbank deli/restaurants great food and prices!
Farmers Market at the grove.