Off The Beaten Path - A Foodie’s Guide To Los Angeles, California

When most people think of Los Angeles, their minds tend to wander to the Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive, bumper to bumper traffic, and palm trees. While all of this is very much a part of the LA scene, there is more than what meets the eye. With a diversity score of 95 out of 100, Los Angeles is more diverse than other US cities. You can travel from a Thai market to a Guatemalan market in as little as 15 minutes. Thai Town. Koreatown. Chinatown. Little Armenia. These are the communities I fell in love with. These are the people of LA. People living their daily lives. Simply trying to make a living to support their families. And from that has come some of the best food you can find in the states. The best part is you don’t have to make a reservation at a fancy restaurant. It’s all right there, made for you on the streets. LA is a foodie's heaven. Today I look forward to sharing some of my favorite spots, environments, and some places I was dying to try along the way.

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Breakfast

Gigis Café Cubano

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I highly recommend ordering Papas Rellenas! Papas Rellenas - A ball made of ground beef and mashed potatoes fried to perfection. Trust me, you will want one than one!

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Located in Historic Koreatown / Bakery & Cafe / Cuban

The bakery opens at opens at 6:30 AM and closes shop at 8 PM. The spot is perfect for breakfast, a hardy lunch, sweet treats, and everything in between.

République Café Bakery & République Restaurant

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The space features a casual bakery, café, and bar in the front with a more formal dining area located in the rear, serving a French-inspired menu created daily by chefs.

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Miracle Mile / Cafe / French Inspired

EGG TUCK HOLLYWOOD

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The servings are large so come hungry! I reccomend the Gochuracha Royal Burrito and the Bacon & Cheese Sandwich. There is no indoor seating so we walked to Formosa Park to eat our breakfast!

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Located in Hollywood / Brick & Mortar / Korean Breakfast

This meal made me have a whole new appreciation for eggs. With each bite, I kept asking, "How do they make them this fluffy?!"

There is nothing better than finding a restaurant that takes a simple meal, like an egg sandwich or a breakfast burrito, and turns it into something exquisitely out of this world.

Please note, Egg Tuck has four brick & mortar locations in Koreatown, Hollywood, and Westwood Village. Visit their website for additional location's addresses.

Lunch & Dinner

Chicas Tacos

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The Miracle Mile location has a late-night food menu if you don't have time to make it for lunch!

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Miracle Mile / Located Within All Season Brewing Company / Mexican

Please note, Chicas Tacos has four brick and mortars located in Westminster, Culver City, Miracle Mile, and Venice.

Visit their website for additional location's addresses.

IndiMex Eats

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Lunch menu available everyday but Wednesday!

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Located in Hollywood / Brick & Mortar / Fusion of Indian and Mexican Delicacies

Genghis Cohen

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Genghis Cohen was started up by Jewish owner, Allan Rinde. It serves up NYC Style Chinese food to LA locals. Yup, you read that right. There is also a small music venue in the back of the restaurant!

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Fairfax District / Brick & Mortar / NYC Style Chinese Food

Street Food

Thai night market

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Bring cash with you!

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Located in Thai Town / Street Food / Thai

The Thai Night Market operates daily from 5 PM to 12 AM in front of a 99 Cents Only Store.

The atmosphere was like that of a neighborhood block party or a family reunion. The market was centered around locals, authentic food, and hospitality. Vendors lit up their small, charcoal stoves to cook skewers over the open fire.

Guatemalan Night Market

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Bring cash with you!

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Located in Downtown Los Angeles / Street Food / Guatemalan

The Guatemalan Night Market operates daily from 5 PM to 12 AM.

Alameda night market

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Bring cash with you!

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Located in Downtown Los Angeles / Street Food / Mexican

The Alameda Night Market operates Fridays from 6 PM to 11:30 PM, Saturdays from 5 PM to 11:30 PM, and Sundays from 5 PM to 11:00 PM.

Smorgasburg (Los Angeles)

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This is an event with trendy food trucks for any occasion. Smorgasburg had everything from local beer and micheladas to lobster, snow cones, oysters, and vegan dishes. Not hungry? No worries! Smorgasburg is well worth checking out anyways. The event has numerous craft vendors set up along with a DJ spinning tracks from her VW bus.

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Located in Downtown Los Angeles / Food Truck Market / Variety

The market takes place in Los Angeles every Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Dollar Hits

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Featured on Netflix's Street Food documentary!

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Located in Koreatown / Brick & Mortar / Filipino Skewers

Pick out skewers for $1.25 a piece and you grill the skewers yourself!

Radna Silom

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I highly recommend the Pad See Ew but you cannot go wrong with any item on the menu!

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Located in Thai Town / Street Food / Thai

Drinks

All Season Brewing Company

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Free Skee-Ball on Mondays & massive outdoor patio!

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Miracle Mile / Brewing Company / Craft Beer

Angel City Brewery

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Come take a peek behind the scenes of Angel City Brewery with free public & paid private tour experiences!

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Located in Downtown Los Angeles / Brewery / Craft Beer

Guide inspired by my blog post below! ⬇️

Off The Beaten Path - A Foodie's Guide to Los Angeles, California

www.trailspicetravel.com

Have any questions? Contact Trail Spice Travel ☺️

Home | Trail Spice Travel

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Haley Voss

Trail Spice Travel aims to assist adventurous and open-minded travelers who are ready to experience immersive travel. I am here to do the hard work for you before your trip so you can fully engage in learning the history of a quaint town, taste test street food that is important to a city and feel comfortable having a conversation with a local about their culture and way of life. I understand that one travel plan does not fill all. My mission is to help travelers create an itinerary that fits their needs, wants, and budget so they can enjoy their travels to the fullest extent possible. Trail Spice Travel is an agency that takes trip planning to the next level. A constant line of communication between agency and traveler to create an itinerary and guide that is detailed yet flexible, so you have what you need in the moment.

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Los Angeles, CA, USA