Eight years ago, this was a taco stand in Victor Villa’s grandmother’s front yard in Highland Park. This February, Villa and those same tacos were asked by Bad Bunny to be a part of his Super Bowl halftime show. That doesn’t happen without being particularly delicious…and you guys confirmed it -  these are our most recommended LA tacos. They’ve won LA Taco's “Taco Madness” championship three times and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for three consecutive years. Their signature is the blue-corn tortilla quesotaco. Our fans say don’t sleep on the giant jugs of agua fresca. Villa’s now has three locations - Highland Park, a second Figueroa spot, and a stand inside Grand Central Market. The line is longer now, but it’s worth every second.

Fans Recommend: The quesotaco. The potato taco. Vegan Trio.

Opened in 1947 with just 12 seats, one of the best traditional New York-style Jewish delis on the West Coast is still a powerhouse after almost 80 years. The pastrami sandwich - hot hand-cut pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, Russian dressing on double-baked rye - has been called the best pastrami sandwich in America by critics on both coasts, including Nora Ephron in The New Yorker. Open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 4pm only. Get it while you can. Norm Langer has committed to keeping his spot open specifically through this summer and the 2028 Olympics…but after that you may have missed your chance.

Fans Recommend: The pastrami sandwich.

In 1918, Philippe Mathieu accidentally dropped a French roll into a pan of beef drippings. A customer said he'd take it anyway. The French dip was born. For more than 100 years now, Philippe The Original’s - sawdust on the floor, communal tables and paper plates - has been serving hungry Los Angeles at a clip of almost 10,000 sandwiches a week. Our LA locals recommended it with a reverence reserved only for the true legends. There’s a rival French dip a mile away, but our fans love Philippe. It’s called The Original for a reason.

Fans Recommend: The French dip.

In true Angeleno fashion, one of our fans’ most recommended spots was a burger joint with a claim to the best breakfast burrito in the city. The burrito stans used words like “perfect,” “massive,” and “the one food item to get in LA” to describe it. A perfect ratio of eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, and hash browns with ranch sauce AND hot sauce. Throw some chili-cheese fries on the side if you’re feeling brave. Beyond the burrito, this place has insane range - gyros, donuts, tacos, tuna melts, fries with anything you want on them, and of course…burgers. Worth the jaunt to Pasadena and open til midnight.

Fans Recommend: The massive breakfast burritos.

LA is a city of legends, and our fans made sure not to miss another one of the absolute GOATs - Roscoe’s. It’s the place that started fried chicken and waffles as a country-wide brunch phenomenon. Harlem native Herb Hudson opened this place in 1975 as a soul food restaurant specializing in that strange, beautiful, perfect breakfast combo. To say it’s become an icon wouldn’t really do it justice. The list of famous fans is premier - from OGs Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole and Redd Foxx to Barack Obama, Snoop Dogg and Shaq. They’ve got six locations across LA now, giving you plenty of chances to stop by when you’re in the City of Angels…and Chicken and Waffles.

Fans Recommend: Chicken and waffles.

A casual bakery, cafe, bar, and formal dining spot in a stunning building on La Brea erected by Charlie Chaplin in 1929. You told us about everything from the pastries and croissants in the morning to the French brasserie it turns into at night. A great option for a relaxed, vibey breakfast or relaxed, sexy dinner. The space inside is beautiful, the food is delicious…it’s a perfect combo of new and old LA, reflected through the lens of accessible French cuisine.

Fans Recommend: Mushroom toast. Baguettes.

A K-town bar-restaurant fever dream inspired and designed by owner Carol Cho to feel like the pojangmachas - Korean street cars/stalls/tents - she frequented in South Korea. You could say it’s one of the best-kept secrets in LA, but our local fans knew a whole lot about it. The wood-panelled walls are carved with decades of signatures. The menu is printed on giant wooden blocks and runs nearly 100 anju (Korean bar bites) deep. Open daily from 4pm to 2am, absolute scenes the entire time. One question the internet frequently asks is if people are still doing parking-lot beers before and after dinner. What more do you need to know than that? (And yes, they are).

Fans Recommend: Hot cabbage soup.

Of course our fans would recommend a pizza joint named after a Burning Man story about someone shouting out the Dodger legend Tommy LaSorda’s name. That’s LaSorted’s Pizza. The Chinatown location is appropriately a short walk from Dodger Stadium and is covered floor-to-ceiling in three generations of Dodger memorabilia (they also have a Silver Lake spot). The pizza is LA-style - crispy sourdough hybrid, unpretentious, genuinely delicious. The Mamba pizza with garlic-oil crust is an ode to Kobe - they claim it was his favorite. Open late on weekends.

Fans Recommend: Mamba pizza.

An LA sushi pioneer, Shogo Noshi opened his K-town spot in 1983 when the Japanese sushi landscape here was nascent. They’ve kept things the same, and in a town where sushi has gotten very popular, and very expensive, Noshi has stayed true to their quality and loyal patrons. Our fans said that this tucked-away local gem is one of their favorites. Skip the wait and the high prices at other places and still get some of LA’s best sushi.

Fans Recommend: Super chirashi bowl.

Los Angeles has incredible Thai food, so we had to get a verified banger of a Thai place to include in our Starting XI. Our fans told us that Hollywood’s Luv2Eat Thai Bistro was the one. Like many of LA’s best, it’s a spot in a strip mall that doesn’t look like it’s won the kind of culinary credentials it has - Michelin guide, James Beard semifinalist, LA Times best lists. The Southern Thai cooking here - spice-forward, turmeric-rich, genuinely Phuket - is some of the best in town.

Fans Recommend: Blue-crab curry. Pork skewers.

An authentic Oaxacan restaurant in Koreatown is exactly what makes LA the wonderful melting pot it is, and Guelaguetza has been one of the city’s under-the-radar superstars since it opened in 1994. Our fans focused on one thing - the mole. They said it’s the best mole in LA and maybe the best they’ve ever had, period. Their website URL is literally I Love Mole dot com. Find the bright orange pagoda-roofed building on Olympic and you’ll be treated to a truly authentic Mexican restaurant experience. Live music at night. Drinks and mole flowing the entire time.

Fans Recommend: Mole. Mezcal.

“Food and Grog for the weary soldier” is how HMS Bounty describes itself. We don’t know what that means, but the LA locals do. And they recommended it as one of the best hole-in-the-wall dives in the city. Founded in 1962 within the historic Gaylord Apartment Building, HMS Bounty conjures 60s-era LA lounge culture. Versions of the bar have occupied the room since 1924 - the Fountain Room, the Gay Room, the Secret Harbor, the Golden Anchor. Its current form is a nautical dive with portholes in the walls, a scale model of the ship behind the bar, and plaques on the booths naming the celebrities who preferred them: Winston Churchill, William Randolph Hearst, Elizabeth Taylor. All ashore indeed.

Fans Recommend: Baseball steak. Fish and chips.

Opened in 1971, this classic LA dive in Los Feliz claims to have “the best buffalo wings on the West Coast and the friendliest service in town.” Our fans agree, and recommended it as one of their favorite watering holes in the city. Shaded brown walls, antler chandeliers, red booths and an old jukebox…all the weird, dark and cozy you want in your hole-in-the-wall. Karaoke Tuesdays, Bingo Wednesdays, Bloody Mary breakfast weekends - every day is a vibe. As they say, it’s “a place to meet your next best friend.”

Fans Recommend: The wings.

In a city full of places to drink with haunted celebrity pasts, Hollywood’s Frolic Room may be the king of the ghosts. Started in 1930 as a speakeasy attached to the Pantages Theater, Frolic Room went legal in 1934. Howard Hughes bought both the theater and the bar in 1949. Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland drank here. It’s the last place the infamous Black Dahlia was ever seen alive. Charles Bukowski's portrait hangs above the register. A full-length Al Hirschfeld mural of Marilyn Monroe, Groucho Marx, and company runs the entire interior wall. It’s got secret doors and hidden seats and all the LA intrigue you could want in a place to get a beer and a shot.

Fans Recommend: PBR and a shot.

A Windy City dive bar after Roger Bennett’s heart that somehow sprouted in West LA. Tiny’s opened in 2022, but locals say it immediately felt like it had been there for forty years. It’s a cocktail dive where you can get High Lifes or Malort with your Chicago-style dog. Red leather booths, year-round Christmas lights, pool, pinball. A Walter Payton mural. Happy hour daily 2–8pm. Open until 2am every night. And if you didn’t think it could get better than that, they LOVE dogs. Check out their IG.

Fans Recommend: Malort and a hot dog.

“Caffeine & Burritos: The Cofax Way” is how this Fairfax spot describes itself. The name is a mashup of coffee, legendary Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax and the Fairfax area it calls home. And they have a fitting portmanteau of offerings - coffee, donuts, pastries, horchata lattes, hand-made matcha and six different breakfast burritos (that you can also get as frozen 6-packs to go!). This beloved cafe is one of our fans’ most recommended breakfast spots in the whole city. They’ve got a Culver City location now as well. Sandy would be proud.

Fans Recommend: Cold brew. Breakfast burrito.

Our most-recommended soccer bar in LA is this Culver City Irish pub. Joxer D checks all supporter’s boxes - the screens, the outdoor patio, the soccer swag on the walls, the morning pub smell. Throw in some really great food, a little live music, and a happy hour every weekday from 3-7pm and this should be one of your go-to spots to watch all the games in LA. Our fans say you can throw it on your pregame list, too - it’s just 15 minutes north of the stadium on the 405.

Opened in 1997 on Ventura Boulevard, the Fox and Hounds is Studio City’s long-serving British pub champion. Home to Arsenal Los Angeles since 1998 - before Arsenal America even existed as an organization - it’s the oldest Arsenal pub in the city. Sixteen imported beers on draft, two projector screens, a full English menu…plus comedy shows, sing-with-the-band karaoke and 8-dollar bloodies and mimosas all weekend. One of your top LA soccer-watching spots.

An Old Town Pasadena legend, Lucky Baldwin’s opened in 1996 as an answer to an expat Englishman’s dismay about the lack of pub culture in Cali. They brought brews like Chimay and Duvel to SoCal before anyone else had em, and now boast more than 60 beers on tap. Multiple supporter clubs call it home. The place is named after 19th century California businessman Elias "Lucky" Baldwin, whose story is worth a dive in itself. Let’s just say, everything worked out for him. If you’re superstitious or just a little stitious during the games, this is your spot.

A powerhouse craft brewery that doubles as an ideal pregame spot. Founded by a South Bay local in 2018, this is a 24,000 sq foot warehouse with a giant outdoor patio that’s minutes from the stadium. Award-winning craft selections, two outdoor beer gardens and rotating food trucks, they’re dog-friendly, family-friendly and they open early for major matches. LA is going to be tough to pregame if you’re going to the stadium - this is one of the few places our fans highlighted that will make it easy.

Your go-to Santa Monica soccer pub entry - O’Briens. Established in 1994 by Cork ex-pat Willy O'Sullivan - who you’ll still find behind the bar - this is where footy fans in Santa Monica go to watch the games. It’s the home of the Los Angeles Red Army - the official LA Man U supporters club - and also reps Leeds and the NY Giants. Twenty TVs, an outdoor patio and a full Irish menu - it’s the classic Irish pub done up with an American sports bar shine. A perfect spot before, during and after the games.

An LA icon our fans insisted on - The Getty Museum. It’s one of the great free museums on Earth, perched on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains with views stretching from the Pacific to downtown. The building itself, clad in Italian travertine with fossils embedded in the stone, is worth checking out before you've seen a single painting. Take the tram up, walk the Central Garden, find the Van Gogh. Some new exhibitions that will be featured during the summer: the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Baroque Paintings and Sculptures, Earl Stendahl’s Ancient Mexico.

Fans recommend: Parking is $25. Museum is free.

The best way to see LA is probably from the Griffith Observatory, the copper-domed LA icon that’s been overlooking the city since 1935. Griffith J. Griffith donated 3,015 acres to the city of Los Angeles in 1896 with a single condition: it must be "a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people." He left money in his will to build an observatory on the hill, free to the public forever (how pure his motivations were here is unclear, to say the least). Since its opening, over 9 million people have looked through the 12-inch Zeiss refracting telescope - more than any other telescope on Earth. The views take in downtown, Hollywood, and the Pacific. Free admission. It’s closed Mondays, but the hike up is still worth it.

Fans Recommend: Hike there. Go at sunset. Take a picnic.

You can find Cali’s largest indie bookstore in Downtown LA. It’s big, like “22,000 sq feet inside a former bank filled with over 500,000 books and records” big. The name was meant to be a little ironic, yet they keep getting bigger. It may well be the final boss of bookstores. According to them, the place is full of “ghosts, tunnels, bank vaults, vinyl, and tons of books”. There is an upstairs labyrinth - curved book tunnels, arched sculptures made entirely of books, art galleries, hidden rooms - that’s given this the title of most photographed bookstore in the world. Our fans say go get lost in the books, or in the store itself.

LA’s only place that can claim this holy trinity: bar, record store, and live music venue. As their owner says: “It combines three of the best things in the world…records, live music, and booze.” Our fans recommended it as one of the more unique places to visit in a city full of idiosyncrasies. Music-wise - punk, garage, and psychedelic rock are the focus, but the weekly calendar swings wide: jazz on Wednesdays, comedy Thursdays, punk Fridays, electronic Saturdays. Dig for vinyl during a live set while drinking a michelada on the outdoor patio. Pick your spots…it’s only open Wednesday-Sunday from 6pm to midnight.

One of our fans’ more unique recs rounds out our LA list - Now Serving - a tiny cookbook shop in Chinatown's Far East Plaza opened by a former chef and his wife in 2017. This is LA's only dedicated cookbook and culinary shop, with a curated selection of books  representing more than 20 countries, plus magazines, handmade ceramics, kitchen gear and home goods like nowhere else in the city. And it has one of the more interesting and diverse event calendars you’ll find at any bookstore. Check out a really under-the-radar LA gem.