Any advise on "Only L.A." restaurants?

[bribert]

Hi, all.
Trying to find some family places to eat in the DL/LA/So. Cal area that the whole family will enjoy, but not any chains or franchises, somewhere that's only in LA. Not interested in chains like Bubba Gump, Rainforest Cafe, etc.
Any info greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[Mister Toad]

Hi, all.
Trying to find some family places to eat in the DL/LA/So. Cal area that the whole family will enjoy, but not any chains or franchises, somewhere that's only in LA. Not interested in chains like Bubba Gump, Rainforest Cafe, etc.
Any info greatly appreciated!!!!

Its a chain but a local chain. In N Out, I love that place.

 

[Somegirl]

It sounds like you will be in Los Angeles as well?
Pinks Hotdogs is an only in LA kind of thing.
Musso & Franks in Hollywood comes to mind, more expensive though.
Nate & Al in Beverly Hills is a really good oldtime Jewish Deli and I've seen someone famous every time I've been (don't ask for autographs ).
Phillipes is where the french dip was invented and is very affordable and good.

Those are some of my favorites and they are as far away from a chain like experience as you can get.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

In N Out ~ isn't a S CA thing ~ heck it's in NV and UT maybe other places, but I'll agree it's not McD's or something like that.

 

[DisneyMom70]

Some of these are small chains that are local to So Cal. I am primarily addressing the "family" aspect of the OP.

Old Spaghetti Factory - Very kid friendly, good variety of Italian (but not super authentic)
Don Jose's for Mexican food - My 4 yr old loves it, quick service and large variety.
Original Tommy's. The most amazing chili burger. Messy but awesome. The original location is great (LA), but no seating. Long Beach and Westminster locations are good as well.
The Oinkster in Eagle Rock - as seen on DD&D with Guy Fieri - Great food, the kids loved it.
Neptunes Net in Malibu - Great seafood - casual beach atmosphere.
Lazy Dog Cafe - very fun family and pet friendly restaurant with REALLY good food.

That's all I can think of for now.

 

[Fantasy Girl]

I like a little taqueria down the street from DL called Los Sanchez Restaurant. http://www.lossanchez.com/loca.htm

 

[Sherry E]

If you are up in the L.A. area, the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax is a place I highly recommend. They have been kind of forced to add in some chains in the last decade (like Starbucks and Johnny Rockets), but at the core and heart of the Farmers Market are the family-run, mom & pop counter service places that have been in operation for years. The food is wonderful - and you can find anything from French cheeses to tasty baked goods & ice cream to authentic New Orleans dishes to freshly made toffee to Italian food, Chinese food, BBQ, Mexican food, corned beef & cabbage, etc., etc. The Farmers Market is a gem in this big city!!

Just up the street from Farmers Market (Fairfax Avenue) is Canter's Deli - that is an L.A. staple for decades that is extremely popular with all ages, celebrities, ethnic backgrounds, etc.

I agree with the suggestions of Pink's Hot Dogs on La Brea and Philippe's (home of the famous French dip) downtown. Those are L.A. institutions, for sure!

 

[the donut]

There's amazing Korean and Vietnamese food somewhat nearby to DL in Garden Grove and Westminster.

 

[DisnyMama]

Just under 10 minutes North on the I-5 from DL is the NorthWoods Inn restaurant. The Log cabin look building with the snow on the roof adjacent to the Holiday Inn, Elephant Bar and of course....In-N-Out! My favorite and simplest, which they are known for is their "2" salad combo and cheeeeeeese..Yummm... bread. You get these with most meals but can also just order "just the salad and bread" which is what I do.

Also, another favorite of mine is Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner Restaurant on the outside (in the Market Place which is Free of charge and so is parking if you eat in the restaurant). Very homey atmosphere and good food.

 

[Pollito916]

If you are up in the L.A. area, the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax is a place I highly recommend. They have been kind of forced to add in some chains in the last decade (like Starbucks and Johnny Rockets), but at the core and heart of the Farmers Market are the family-run, mom & pop counter service places that have been in operation for years. The food is wonderful - and you can find anything from French cheeses to tasty baked goods & ice cream to authentic New Orleans dishes to freshly made toffee to Italian food, Chinese food, BBQ, Mexican food, corned beef & cabbage, etc., etc. The Farmers Market is a gem in this big city!!

Another vote for the Farmers Market if you head up to LA! I travel to LA frequently for business, and my office is only 1-2 miles from there so I go there at least 1-2 times each week.

Pink's hot dogs is also good, there is now another location in Buena Park at Knott's Berry Farm, about 10 minutes from DL if that is more convenient than the LA location. Also near there, is a Chicago restaurant that I love (and miss), called Portillo's. I think hot dogs is also in the name, but they're really know for their Italian beef sandwiches, and I love their hamburgers and french fries! I'm hungry just thinking about it, good thing I'll be there tomorrow!

 

[DmaxHawk]

The Tam O' Shanter comes to mind. Very nice restaurant with great atmosphere.

Was a favorite of Walt's in fact..

http://www.lawrysonline.com/tamoshanter_gen_info.asp

 

[spacemermaid]

Another vote for Canter's Deli...as a Los Angeles native (stuck in AZ for the time being), I grew up teething on Canter's bagels & having their chicken matzo ball soup whenever I had a cold . It's open 24 hours. The menu is enormous. Their bakery is the BEST; get some bagel chips and cookies to take back to your hotel room to snack on. It's impossible to have a bad meal there. What more can I say? You gotta try it!

No one's mentioned the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop (about a 5 min. drive from the Park, on Euclid) yet. This is another "must try", IMO. You can get an entire meal with the best chicken pie in the world (the place has been there since around when Disneyland opened, so they must be doing something right!), cole slaw or salad, mashed potatoes & gravy, soup (get the chicken noodle with the homemade noodles!), fresh baked roll, and pie for dessert for around $8. Here's a pic of the deliciousness that is a La Palma Chicken Pie:

Mentioned before: North Woods Inn. Check out their website; their restaurant is like a lost annex of Disneyland. Eat dinner in a snow-covered mountain chalet...be sure to try their cheese toast and famous "two salads"!

And also: Original Tommy's...don't leave SoCal without trying their famous, fabulous Tommyburger! It has all the usual hamburger toppings, and also their famous chili topping. Messy. Greasy. But oh-so-yummy!

 

[disneynerd420]

I would like to cast my vote for Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles! It is the best!


http://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/

 

[Somegirl]

I would like to cast my vote for Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles! It is the best!


http://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/

I was going to put Roscoe's in my post too but pushed send too soon. I'm glad you put them in. My daughter wants to stop there on our way home from DLR, she loves the place!

Oh and that La Palma place looks really good. We may just have to venture by and give it a try.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

I would like to cast my vote for Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles! It is the best!

Hey disneynerd, nice to see you back on the boards!

 

[disneynerd420]

Thanks Kayla's Mom! I'm hoping to be able to post a little more often. Especially since I have a total of 3 DLR trips in the next 6 months. The first of which is only 16 days away!

 

[jlmarr]

I like a little taqueria down the street from DL called Los Sanchez Restaurant. http://www.lossanchez.com/loca.htm

Another vote for Los Sanchez, a great counter service place with inside seating. It used to be on Harbor Blvd near Chapman but was displaced by the redevelopment of that part of town. It's now on Garden Grove Blvd about where Disneyland Drive/West Street ends. A hopping place, great food.

I'll also vote for Tommy's, an LA institution. There are a few in OC, one in Fountain Valley at Magnolia and Warner might be the closest to DLR.

And I'll suggest Ruby's Diner, which has a few locations in other states but is primarily SoCal, with several locations at the end of piers, such as the Balboa Pier and Huntington Beach Pier. The newest location is actually in downtown Anaheim: http://www.rubys.com/2-locations/spotlight.aspx. We've been there (inside, not in the drive-in), and they did a super job renovating the old structure there. Great food too - have a malt served with the mixing cup on the side for seconds.

 

[wdwmickey]

I was just going to suggest Ruby's on the pier! It will be the first place DD and I stop in August!!

 

[bribert]

Thanks all for all the great tips!!!!
Jlmarr, can you tell me more about Ruby's? We were thinking of going to Huntington Beach on Tuesday night for their "Surf City Nights" event. Have you, on anybody, ever been to this? Is it "Family friendly?"
Thanks again for all the info!!! please keep them coming!!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

Thanks all for all the great tips!!!!
Jlmarr, can you tell me more about Ruby's? We were thinking of going to Huntington Beach on Tuesday night for their "Surf City Nights" event. Have you, on anybody, ever been to this? Is it "Family friendly?"
Thanks again for all the info!!! please keep them coming!!

Ruby's is great and absolutely family friendly!

http://www.rubys.com/