Last-Minute Holiday Gifts Call for Marvelous LA Restaurant Merch

For Angelenos looking for last-minute gifts while supporting their favorite restaurants, buying branded swag is a win-win to consider — in addition to dining in, ordering takeout, and purchasing gift cards, of course. From snazzy snapbacks to cozy hoodies and delightful tchotchkes, LA’s food and drink spots are selling irresistible merch this holiday season. And don’t forget about Eater gear, including comfy maroon and gray sweatshirts.

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Hats

Danny Boy’s Pizza

A grail piece for some, this Danny Boy’s Pizza navy blue snapback has already sold out three times this year. Its merch shop online is now taking presale orders for the cap to be shipped in mid-December. Complete the outfit with a blinged-out pizza chain and pin.

Moo’s Craft Barbecue

Food and streetwear festival Family Style may have already happened in October, but there are still some remaining limited-edition restaurant merch available, like this Dodgers-inspired Moo’s Craft Barbecue snapback. Check out some more of the event’s leftovers, like Broad Street Oyster Company socks and a Howlin’ Rays pullover.

Yangban Society

This Korean-American-inspired restaurant is racking up accolades, including being crowned one of Eater LA’s best restaurants of the year. A great addition to any food-centric wardrobe, the Yangban-embroidered hat, which comes in green and black and in pink and blue stitching, can be purchased at the restaurant’s mini-store inside.

Messhall Kitchen

Los Feliz’s longstanding gastropub has a snazzy black dad hat with its woodsy logo as well as some cozy beanies, all of which can be purchased in person at the restaurant.

Petit Trois

Sport Petit Trois’s signature snail logo with this black snapback with gold embroidery. One size fits all.

Genghis Cohen

The fine folks at West Hollywood’s beloved Chinese-American haunt are selling hats in nearly every hue with bold stitching to boot. Also available are baby onesies and long-sleeved shirts.

Go Get Em Tiger

Go Get Em Tiger went the extra mile getting a burnt-orange dad hat embroidered with a Fetco coffee maker. Also in the merch shop are sweatshirts, tees, and tumblers.

Superfine

Who doesn’t want a cap that confidently declares one’s super-fine status?

Hop Woo

This beloved Chinatown restaurant is serving looks with its fashionable black snapbacks embroidered red logo. The caps can be purchased in-person at the restaurant.

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T-Shirts

Side Pie

Consider the merch at Altadena’s Side Pie for tees with cool psychedelic and vintage-inspired designs. The shop also carries hats and totes.

RE:Her

Regarding Her, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of women restaurateurs has a line of merch that includes a spiffy deviled eggs-inspired tee. Merch sales go toward funding grants that benefit women-owned restaurants in Los Angeles.

Night + Market

This one goes out to all the larb kings and queens out there. Snag one of Night + Market’s tees or onesies emblazoned with chef Kris Yenbamroong’s artwork giving thanks to larb.

Prime Pizza

From beanies to onesies and even tube socks, there’s plenty to cover when it comes to Prime Pizza’s merch selection but the Jordan-era tee is the one to get.

Otium

With just four items in total, Otium’s merch selection is limited but well executed. The gray Elements tee features the restaurant's typographic logo on its front pocket and high-contrast renderings of the restaurant’s facade and interior on the back.

Heavy Handed

Smash burger pop-up Heavy Handed’s cool line of merch includes crisp white tees that read, “Heavy Sauce.” The peachy ombre effect looks a bit like Thousand Island dressing.

Yang’s Kitchen

Support Alhambra’s destination for thoughtful, well-sourced cooking with a timeless black tee featuring the restaurant’s classic script logo and playful pup.

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Outerwear

Camphor

Look extra stylish this winter with a vegan-leather varsity jacket designed with the modern French restaurant Camphor in mind. The embroidered jacket comes from the new food-meets-fashion brand Menu.

Tacos 1986

Tacos 1986’s quick ascent from a humble stand at Smorgasburg to multiple brick-and-mortar locations in LA is a testament to its popularity. Its supporters can snag one of its coolest merch: a red coach’s jacket.

Jinya Ramen Bar

Tokyo import Jinya Ramen Bar has grown into a dependable ramen chain with many locations throughout the United States. And for its fans, the restaurant has some sweet merch, including a soft gray hoodie, that will pair nicely with a warm bowl of noodles.

Uncle Paulie’s

What’s more hip than eating at this popular East Coast-style Italian deli shop? Getting an Uncle Paulie’s-branded hoodie while munching on a cold-cut sandwich.

Cofax

This “Burritos & Caffeine” hoodie is the perfect weight and color for wintertime in LA. Also available are graphic tees and embroidered hats.

Gogo’s Tacos

It doesn’t get any plusher than this unisex sky blue pullover sweatshirt from the stylish folks at Gogo’s Tacos.

Goldburger

This navy blue “Sun Hoodie” from Goldburger features the restaurant’s logo on the front and channels burger and sunshine vibes on the back.

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Totes

Vinovore

This Eagle Rock bottle shop that celebrates women-made wine also has a sweet denim tote bag that does the same.

Bloom & Plume

Support brothers Maurice and Moses Harris and their Historic Filipinotown coffee shop with this dependable tote. Also in the merch shop are insulated mugs and well-fitted tees.

Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen

Carry this eye-popping canvas tote designed by local artist Lauren Levi in collaboration with this beloved Inglewood coffee shop.

Sightglass Coffee

Hollywood’s Sightglass is the San Francisco import’s first and only LA outlet, and it has a line of totes bags, including a gift set that comes with a travel mug and instant coffee.

Kismet

Kismet’s colorful totes, which come in lavender and orange, are in collaboration with Los Angeles-based Everybody World, a socially conscious fashion label.

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Miscellaneous

Tail O’ the Pup

The 1946-born Tail O’ the Pup reopened in July after a decade of being closed. Newly revamped in West Hollywood, fans can purchase a specialty throwback mug by walking up to the kiosk on the side of the hot dog building.

Guelaguetza

Guelaguetza’s burnt-orange apron designed by Finery is a must-get for the season, as the Lopez family behind one of LA’s most prized Oaxacan restaurants got help from local artisans and friends in Mexico to hand-weave the straps, which are all uniquely different. All proceeds go to No Us Without You, which helps support undocumented workers in the hospitality industry.

Steep

This modern Chinatown tea shop has branded candles with scents like green and citrus white teas.

Connie & Ted’s

A gift for future seafood lovers, Connie & Ted’s has baby onesies (in sizes newborn to 18 months) bearing its anchor logo. The onesies can be found at the restaurant or can be ordered via phone for pick up.

Eszett

For those who love spice and Eszett, this place delivers. The Silver Lake restaurant’s holiday box contains its Sbez-branded hot sauce, Meyer kosho, salsa macha, and Eszett swag, like its stylish mug, wine key, and blue t-shirt.

Playa Provisions

Fans of Top Chef winner Brooke Williamson and her Playa Provisions restaurants compound may find her and her husband Nick Roberts’ candles enticing. Made in collaboration with Stone Candle Bar in Santa Monica, the scents pay homage to its food-and-beverage concepts: Dockside has a coconut, salt, and sunscreen scent; and Grain smells of smokiness and amber as a nod to the whiskey bar. They can be purchased in-person at Playa Provisions.

Philippe’s the Original

The t-shirts, baseball tees, and aprons available at this LA institution’s online store are nice, but it’s all about Philippe’s incredible line of holiday ornaments featuring hot mustard, pickled eggs, and beef dip sandwiches.

Casa Vega

The rose-patterned apron from Casa Vega is a stunner and comes in a variety of colors including muted pink, green, and blue. The apron was designed in a collaboration with actress Dakota Fanning.

Strings of Life

Keep this bold black and yellow bandana from West Hollywood’s Strings of Life handy for protective and decorative purposes.

The Spare Room

Who doesn’t love filling in the blanks with nouns, adjectives, and verbs while playing Mad Libs?

Interstellar

The Korean American-owned cafe in Santa Monica has a stellar merch shop full of design-forward shirts and drinkware, but its enamel pins stand out the most.

Woon Kitchen

These calf-hugging tube socks are made in collaboration with Tailored Union and feature the restaurant’s squiggly noodle logo designed by artist Robbie Simon.

Konbi

Who wouldn’t appreciate a pair of egg-forward socks from Konbi? And best of all, 100 percent of profits are donated to a good cause.

Now Serving

“Take Away Los Angeles,” a series of narrative- and recipe-driven books available at Now Serving, was created to help a handful of local restaurants (Kato, Sonoratown, Bub & Grandma’s Bread, Porridge + Puffs, Holbox, and Hop Woo) get through the pandemic. Restaurants earn a portion of the profits from book sales.