The Best Food And Drinks In Los Angeles

Whether you're visiting Los Angeles for some California sunshine or have lived there for years, the number of incredible restaurants and bars to choose from can be overwhelming. And while that's not the worst problem to have, it's always nice to have some help narrowing down your list.

Luckily, The Daily Meal just released a list of the Best Food And Drink In California For 2018 — and it's no surprise that Los Angeles topped the charts in several of their 4o-plus categories in the state. After all, the city is home to tons of fresh food, new health food trends and some of the best brews around.

Filled to the brim with legendary restaurants that range from no-frills establishments like Father's Office, where you can indulge in the city's juiciest burger, to upscale "dock to fish" restaurant Providence, there's something delicious to suit every palate imaginable.

See which local restaurants serve the most mouthwatering delicacies in all of LA, and why The Daily Meal feels they are worthy of their "Best In State" titles, below.

See The Daily Meal's Best Food And Drink Picks In Every State For 2018

Best Brazilian Steakhouse: M Grill

"An open charcoal grill sends aromas wafting through this dimly lit, elegantly modern churrascaria, inviting in hungry diners. The picanha here lives up to the aroma, and meat-eaters won’t be disappointed with the other offerings like marinated spareribs. The hot buffet has tasty creamed corn, beef stroganoff, and stuffed peppers. A cold soda, Guarana Antarctica, is just the thing for those not drinking wine or cocktails, and everyone raves about M Grill’s pineapple, grilled with cinnamon and sugar. Exemplary service throughout the meal makes this an even better experience."

READ MORE: America’s Best Brazilian Steakhouses

Best Burger: Father’s Office

"What do you get when you go to Father’s Office, chef Sang Yoon’s gastropub in Los Angeles (now in both Santa Monica and Culver City)? No table service. And no pretension. It has the wood-paneled, comfortable vibe of a great local lived-in spot, but it’s clean, to the point, and one of The Daily Meal’s 101 Best Casual Restaurants of 2017. You’ll find great craft beers and small bites (think smoked eel with fennel and onions). You can also “Eat Big” and opt for the spicy oatmeal stout ribs or the bistro steak. But let’s face it: you’re there for the Office Burger, which many people in LA refer to as the city’s best burger. There’s nothing frou-frou about it, just arugula, bacon, caramelized onion, Gruyère, and Maytag Blue on a loaf that’s more similar to a baguette than a bun. It’s a very, very juicy burger with funk, freshness, and great flavor. The fries are also among America’s best, but don’t forget that there’s no ketchup on the premises."

READ MORE: The 101 Best Burgers in America

Best Cheesesteak: Boo’s Philly Cheesesteaks

"This family-run shop is serving the best cheesesteaks in Los Angeles, starting with rolls shipped in from Philadelphia’s Amoroso’s. The formula here is simple — griddled thin-sliced rib-eye, grilled onions, and your choice of American, Cheese Whiz, or provolone — but the ratio is a lot harder to perfect than you might think. These guys hit the nail on the head."

READ MORE: America’s Best Cheesesteaks

Best French Fries: Petit Trois

"The French fries at rock star chef Ludo Lefebvre’s casual Petit Trois take three days to prepare, and are the result of a fair amount of trial and error. Skin-on Kennebec potatoes are cut and soaked in cold water overnight, blanched the following day, and fried again to order. Though Petit Trois prepared fries in beef tallow upon the restaurant’s opening, Lefebvre is currently frying them in clarified butter, making it one of the only restaurants in the country to do so. The results, if it’s not already obvious, are spectacular. Eschew the ketchup and aïoli and instead dunk them is cheesy house-made Mornay sauce."

READ MORE: America’s 50 Best French Fries

Best Fried Chicken: Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles

"This late-night spot, originally located in Hollywood, has been serving fried chicken and waffles since 1975 — when owner and Harlem-bred Herb Hudson brought some recipes from home to the West Coast — and has since expanded into a small local chain of restaurants. The list of celebrity diners is endless (which is no surprise, considering its Los Angeles locale), but regulars include Snoop Dogg and Larry King; even President Obama made a pit stop at Roscoe’s during a visit to Los Angeles. The chicken is skillet-fried fresh to order, and make sure to ask for your waffles to be cooked extra-crispy."

READ MORE: The 75 Best Fried Chicken Places in America

Best Homemade Ravioli: Osteria Mozza

"Mario Batali and partner Joe Bastianich teamed up with La Brea Bakery’s Nancy Silverton to open this stunner of an Italian restaurant that specializes in fresh handmade pastas. Their ricotta and egg raviolo is a master class in making this difficult-to-execute dish, but the real star is the simple and perfect goat cheese ravioli with Coach Farm goat cheese and “five lilies,” meaning five members of the allium, or onion, family."

READ MORE: America’s Best Restaurants for Homemade Ravioli

Best Restaurant: Providence

"Los Angeles is a city that thrives on food trucks and pop-ups, but sometimes a no-holds-barred fine-dining experience is called for. Chef Michael Cimarusti, who opened this upscale eatery with co-owner Donato Poto in 2005 on the southern edge of Hollywood, serves market tasting menus as well as an à la carte listing of carefully selected seafood from both coasts and beyond, prepared with great originality. Wild Japanese tai sashimi with cherry leaves and blossoms and geoduck; “dock to dish” local halibut with smoked potato, stinging nettle, and watercress; spiny lobster with macadamis nut and black truffle; and A5 wagyu with Tahitian squash terrine, pickled shiitake, and miso are just a few example of Cimarusti’s brilliance. With four tasting menus ranging from $120 for four courses to $220 for 12, Providence isn’t for diners on a budget. But the impeccable service combined with the quality of the seafood and the lapidary perfection of the plates Cimarusti sends out makes it clear that this restaurant has few equals."

READ MORE: 101 Best Restaurants in America

Best Hot Dog: Pink’s

"Is there anything to say about Pink’s that hasn’t been said? Hard to imagine. Even detractors define themselves by it. But you won’t find many of those — just check out the line at this family-owned hot dog stand that has been around since 1939. At our last count, owner Richard Pink said he offers 35 varieties of hot dogs and toppings and sells on average about 2,000 hot dogs a day. Credit much of Pink’s success to its chili — it once led then New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl to go dumpster-diving to figure out the recipe (true story). And while he wouldn’t divulge its ingredients, in an interview with The Daily Meal, Pink did note “that it needs to be relatively smooth, but still have enough texture to make it stand up to hot dogs and hamburgers.” For all the bacon-, sour cream-, guacamole-, pastrami-, and nacho cheese-topped hot dogs, the Three Dog Night is the right move. This “dog” (shouldn’t it really be called a meal?) features three hot dogs wrapped in a giant tortilla with three slices of cheese, three slices of bacon, chili, and onions. It’s a best-seller that was born the Laker Three-Peat Dog, was then renamed after Matrix Reloaded, and after the movie had its run, finally settled into a permanent homage to the ‘70s rock band."

READ MORE: America’s 75 Best Hot Dogs

Best Irish Pub: Tom Bergin’s Tavern

"Founded in 1936, and thus one of the oldest (almost) continuously operated bars in LA (it closed briefly in 2013, but was reopened by a regular patron who took it over), Tom Bergin’s was said to have been one of the inspirations for the ‘80s sitcom Cheers, and also has long disputed with San Francisco’s Buena Vista Café over which one of them introduced Irish coffee to America."

READ MORE: America’s 25 Best Irish Pubs

Best Jewish Deli: Canter’s

"After its humble beginnings on the East Coast in Jersey City, this 24-hour Jewish deli has been a Los Angeles staple since 1931. Its bakery is the heart and soul of the operation, where it pumps out items like bagels, rye bread, pumpernickel, and challah several times daily. All of its signature sandwiches like pastrami, corned beef, chopped liver, or oven-roasted turkey are served on rye, unless the customer requests otherwise. Today, it also caters to the vegetarian and gluten-free communities by offering gluten-free buns, bagels, and matzoh."

READ MORE: America’s 20 Best Jewish Delis

Best Mexican Restaurant: Guelaguetza

"With the 1994 opening of Guelaguetza, the Lopez family introduced Los Angeles to authentic Oaxacan cuisine. Now the number of local Oaxacan restaurants trails only those of Mexico City and Oaxaca itself, at least according to respected critic Jonathan Gold — and much of that can be attributed to the success of this Koreatown spot. Named for Oaxaca’s famous traditional summertime festival, Guelaguetza is a year-round destination for its tamales, memelas (chubby cornmeal cakes similar to sopes), unstuffed enchiladas, and of course, exquisite moles."

READ MORE: The Best Mexican Restaurant in Every State

Best Over-the-Top Grilled Cheese: The Grilled Cheese Truck

"At this popular truck, you’ll find a wide variety of creative grilled cheeses, including the Pepperbelly Melt (chili, habanero Jack cheese, cilantro-lime sour cream, tomato salsa, and Fritos); Cheesy Mac ‘n’ Rib (mac and cheese, smoked barbecue pork, barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, and sharp Cheddar); and Brie Melt (brie, sliced pears, fresh thyme, toasted almonds, and honey). There are also a ton of add-ons available, including chili, Fritos, caramelized onions, brown butter apples, and peanut butter."

READ MORE: The Best Over-the-Top Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in America

Best Pizza: Pizzeria Mozza

"Osteria Mozza is a Los Angeles hot spot where the famous clientele pales in comparison to the innovative, creative fare. The pizzeria, attached to the main restaurant, offers a variety of Italian specialties, from antipasti to bruschetta, but the Neapolitan pizzas steal the show.
Their list of 21 pies ranges from a simple aglio e olio, a classic cheese pizza, to a more unique pie with squash blossoms, tomato, and burrata — a delicious and simple pizza that transports through the quality and nuance of its ingredients. No matter where you eat this pizza or what you order, you’re going to get a beautifully executed, superior puffy cornicione and excellent ingredients."

READ MORE: The Best Pizza in Every State

Best Sandwich: The French Dip from Philippe the Original

"Countless restaurants serve French dip sandwiches, but the definitive version can still be found at the restaurant where it was invented: Los Angeles’ Philippe the Original. Because it’s been around for 105 years, the exact origins of the sandwich are disputed. (The most commonly held belief is that it was created as a way to soften up day-old bread, but nobody knows where the “French” part came from.) However, the process behind this masterpiece is no mystery: Bottom round is seasoned with salt, pepper, and mashed garlic, slow-roasted with a mirepoix until medium-rare, and sliced and placed onto a fresh French roll from a local bakery that’s been dunked into jus made with homemade stock and the intensely flavored pan drippings. (The “single dip” means that just the top half is dunked, but the more popular “double dip” includes both halves.)"

READ MORE: The Best Sandwich in Every State

Best Sushi Bar: Urasawa

"This two-Michelin-star Japanese culinary shrine, with a sushi bar and just enough room for 10 diners nightly, located in a shopping center off of Rodeo Drive, might be called the West Coast version of New York City’s Masa. That’s not surprising: Not only did Urasawa chef-owner Hiroyuki Urasawa train under Masa Takayama before opening his eponymous restaurant here, but the spot previously housed Takayama’s Ginza Sushi-ko, where Masa made his reputation. Urasawa has a nearly 30-course omakase menu that changes daily, not to be missed if you can afford to pay $395 for the privilege."

READ MORE: The 50 Best Sushi Bars in America

Click here to see the full list of categories and winners on The Daily Meal.

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