There are many fine-dining restaurants and cafes available all across the city that serves the best gastronomic delights. Whether it's street food, healthy food, or most Instagrammable food, LA is brimming with some of the best classic foods that you must taste before leaving the city.
To make your job easier in discovering these authentic foods in Los Angeles, we have listed down the top 8 classic food dishes of this city and which restaurants are the best in making them.
The Top 8 Classic Food in Los Angeles and the Best Places to Find Them
1. French Dip Sandwich
In contrast to the name of the dish, it is an American origin instead of French. It is an absolute must-have if you are in LA as two of LA-based restaurants claim to be the birthplace of the French Dip sandwich. The main ingredient of this dish is quite easy to find.
A thin slice of roast beef is kept in a French roll, otherwise known as a baguette. Although this is the original way to serve it, many restaurants like to spice it up and thus use other ingredients to top it off. The most common variation is top with Swiss cheese, onions, and beef broth as a dip.
Best place to find it- Philippe the Original and Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet
Approximate price- $4.49
2. Green Tea Matcha Latte
Matcha lattes are the on-going trend at the moment. And, LA being a trend-setter, you can rest assured that all cafes and restaurants in this city include a matcha latte in their menu list. Apart from being trendy, the drink also has many health benefits. Matcha is full of antioxidants, helps to boost immunity and energy. Also, they are amazing in taste. You can either have it with steamy hot milk or with ice.
Best place to find it- Nimbus Coffee, The Butcher's Daughter
Approximate price- $3.19 - $4.99
3. Wood-fired pizzeria
One can never turn down a cheesy and crispy crust pizza. And since it's Los Angeles, the city has every type of pizza you can name of. However, one type that stands out the most among others is a wood-fired pizza. A pizza cooked inside a brick oven gives it a delightful taste and makes the edges more flavorful and smoky.
Best place to find it – Pizzeria Mozza, Milo + Olive
Approximate price- $18.50 - $23.50
4. Chopped salad
LA is a fancy place, and everything in this city is fancy as well, including their food choices. A regular salad might look boring for some of us, but a chopped salad is anything but boring. Even though it is just like a regular salad, it differs in the presentation. Every ingredient in this healthy meal is chopped, including greens and all, rather than layered. Even though it's a minute detail, it turns any boring looking salad into a glamorous one. It is a favorite type of salad to many top celebrities.
Best place to find it- La Scala
Approximate price – $8.79
5. Hollenbeck burrito
Burritos are quite famous in LA, but the Hollenbeck burrito from Manuel's Original El Tepeyac Café is world-renowned. The chef uses all the freshest ingredients to create this iconic burrito. Inside, it has seared pork meat, rice, beans, guacamole, cheese, and salsa. Moreover, it is not your regular sized burrito. Thus, we suggest sharing it with others if you don't have a big appetite.
Best place to find it – El Tepeyac restaurant
Approximate price - $20
6. Hickory burger
If you are a burger lover, you cannot leave this town without having a taste of this classic big juicy burger. It consists of a beef patty topped with sweet-smoky hickory sauce, mayo, pickles, and iceberg lettuce for the extra crunch. The sauce has a unique taste of something between a barbeque sauce and ketchup. However, it's not only the sauce that gives such a flavorful taste to the burger. The meat isn't a regular beef patty; instead, it has a liquid smoke taste to it. Include French fries and coke as your side and enjoy the burger at its best.
Best place to find it – The Apple Pan
Approximate price - $12
7. Vegan food
The first place that comes to one's mind when thinking about vegan food is undeniably Los Angeles. It is because the recipes of this food in LA are distinct and innovative. Almost every corner of this city has a plant-based restaurant. Even though these are plant-based, the city doesn't lack to provide meat-related food as well. Moreover, vegan meat is the most popular in Los Angeles. You can find vegan hot dogs, burgers, nuggets, chicken-style cutlets as well as vegan cheese. And even if you are not vegan, you will find these foods as tasty and flavorful as anything else.
Best place to find it – Shojin, Crossroads, and Plant Food + Wine
Approximate price - $8 - $20
8. Flaming margarita
'WOW' is the only word you'll able to utter after seeing a flaming margarita. It looks intriguing and striking when you see a burning flame in your drink. However, when you look carefully, you will notice a small disc of lemon floating on the surface of your margarita. And on top of that, a blue flame is burning, then dims. Eventually, the flame ends up disappearing. It is a popular drink in Los Angeles that you wouldn't want to miss ordering when you hit a bar.Best place to find it – El Compadre
Approximate price – $13
This list includes the best of every type of food in Los Angeles. You must try them out at least once in your lifetime as they are not only the most popular dishes in the city