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Nachos at Prank, Downtown
Courtesy Prank Bar

19 Places to Chase Nacho Perfection in Los Angeles

From the South Bay to the Valley, this is the good stuff

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Nachos at Prank, Downtown
| Courtesy Prank Bar

There’s no denying the allure of the nacho, each chip perfectly fried and laced with just the right amount of each balanced ingredient. Or maybe the perfect nacho plate is the one piled high with little more than meat, gooey nacho cheese, and a to-the-side splash of sour cream. No matter what one’s favorite style might be, Los Angeles has a restaurant to fill that need.

Usually the best nachos are reserved for pure Mexican restaurants and late nights, like at Carnitas Michoacan in Lincoln Heights. But don’t forget about the rest of Los Angeles and places like Holy Cow BBQ, where brisket nachos make their own strong and delicious case. In Los Angeles, there truly are nachos for all.

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Plancha Tacos

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Plancha plays the neighborhood taco shop card to perfection, especially at the company's Venice location. That's where surfers, locals, and tourists crowd in for classics like tacos and burritos, along with a hefty plate of classic Jimmy nachos. They're topped with throwback ground beef, an insane amount of melty cheese, and just enough sour cream.

Costa Grande

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La Costa Grande keeps it real in Van Nuys, with its few-frills interior and strip mall location off Sepulveda. They're content instead to let the food do the talking, especially when it comes to the carne asada nachos with plenty of real nacho cheese.

TLT Food

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The former Lime Truck has become TLT Food, a Westwood staple for the college crowds. Inside the fast casual eatery, expect high-impact food like nachos laced with plenty of short rib — or any other protein of one's choosing.

Tacos Charly

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Pacoima favorite Tacos Charly knows a thing or two about nachos. They sell tons of the stuff daily, served in a simple styrofoam box with cups and cups of nacho cheese cascading over fresh chips and meat. Don't skimp on the jalapeños either.

Holy Cow BBQ

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The brisket nachos at Holy Cow BBQ are a thing of beauty. Laced with cheese and thick, smoky wedges of well-cooked brisket, the whole thing is a perfect fit for Holy Cow's updated California barbecue style.

Komodo’s Asian fusion ethos permeates into their nachos with a kick that are topped with hot kimchi, bacon, chicken, jalapenos, and Sriraha aioli.

Sky's Gourmet Tacos

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25-year-old soul food legend Sky's Gourmet Tacos continues to fire on all cylinders. Just about everything here is a hit, but don't skip on an occasional dalliance with the nachos, which can be mixed and matched in plenty of awesome meat iterations — including filet mignon.

Petty Cash Taqueria

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There’s always something interesting happening on Petty Cash’s nachos. Sometimes they will be topped with things like pig ears and summer corn, or, as summer turns to fall, find them covered with rainbow cauliflower or al pastor.

El Cholo - The Original on Western Avenue

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El Cholo’s classic Carmen’s nachos are the archetype of simplicity. A flat layer of crispy chips is fully coated in jack and cheddar cheeses—no dry edges are to be found here. Paired with a few frozen margaritas, and this unfussy dish is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Burnt Tortilla

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Gardena's Burnt Tortilla is a classic Mexican local hang, with big plates of burritos, enchiladas, and the like. There are plenty of fans of the nachos too, which earn top billing on the menu (as "deluxe" no less), and can be customized with meats from carne asada to chicken to machaca.

Mexico City

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Los Feliz classic Mexico City has been doing drinks and casual Mexican fare for almost a quarter-century. Their happy hour includes $5 plates of nachos that come sans meat, but can be overloaded with protein for just $2 more — and that's to say nothing of the cheap, stiff drinks.

Mohawk Bend

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Vegans find a happy home at Mohawk Bend. Even happier are the early evening and late night specials that offer vegan nachos with salsa verde, salsa roja, guacamole, and vegan queso for only eight bucks. 

Prank Bar

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LA’s first-ever walk up bar just a stone’s throw away from Staples Center hawks vegan nachos with cashew cheese sauce, black bean puree, tomatoes, pickled vegetables, and guacamole for a perfect pre- or post-game snack.

Prank Bar

Bar Amá

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There are few more thoughtfully engineered nachos in Los Angeles than Bar Ama’s super nachos. Built on fried house-made corn tortillas topped with mornay sauce, salmoreja salsa, avocado salsa, and crema that’s layered throughout the delicious mass, there’s a reason they end up on everyone’s table. 

Mexicali Taco & Co.

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Mexicali's best menu items always involve carne asada, and their popular nachos are no different. The small Chinatown-ish shop does big plates of the stuff for plenty of customers daily, with room to improvise at the salsa bar.

Carnitas Michoacan The Original

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The nachos at Carnitas Michoacan in Lincoln Heights are about as famous as nachos get. Poured on with pure, gloopy nacho cheese and meat, they are unhealthy, over-abundant, and absolutely critical as far as nachos in Los Angeles go.

El Tepeyac Cafe

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Boyle Heights institution Manuel's El Tepeyac is known primarily for its classic Mexican dishes and one unbelievably big burrito. Expect an unreal amount of cheese topping fresh chips and piles of meat.

Gus's BBQ

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As one of LA's oldest restaurants, it would be easy for Gus's to just rest on its laurels. Instead, the family behind the South Pasadena institution continues to push for relevance and flavor, especially with big, bold dishes like their overclocked nacho plate that's topped with pulled pork, baked beans, and barbecue sauce.

Amor Y Tacos

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Cerritos has a good thing going with Amor Y Tacos. The casual modern Mexican outfit does a serious dish known as nacho libre, which comes with Oaxacan cheese and some seriously prime beef.

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Plancha Tacos

Plancha plays the neighborhood taco shop card to perfection, especially at the company's Venice location. That's where surfers, locals, and tourists crowd in for classics like tacos and burritos, along with a hefty plate of classic Jimmy nachos. They're topped with throwback ground beef, an insane amount of melty cheese, and just enough sour cream.

Costa Grande

La Costa Grande keeps it real in Van Nuys, with its few-frills interior and strip mall location off Sepulveda. They're content instead to let the food do the talking, especially when it comes to the carne asada nachos with plenty of real nacho cheese.

TLT Food

The former Lime Truck has become TLT Food, a Westwood staple for the college crowds. Inside the fast casual eatery, expect high-impact food like nachos laced with plenty of short rib — or any other protein of one's choosing.

Tacos Charly

Pacoima favorite Tacos Charly knows a thing or two about nachos. They sell tons of the stuff daily, served in a simple styrofoam box with cups and cups of nacho cheese cascading over fresh chips and meat. Don't skimp on the jalapeños either.

Holy Cow BBQ

The brisket nachos at Holy Cow BBQ are a thing of beauty. Laced with cheese and thick, smoky wedges of well-cooked brisket, the whole thing is a perfect fit for Holy Cow's updated California barbecue style.

Komodo

Komodo’s Asian fusion ethos permeates into their nachos with a kick that are topped with hot kimchi, bacon, chicken, jalapenos, and Sriraha aioli.

Sky's Gourmet Tacos

25-year-old soul food legend Sky's Gourmet Tacos continues to fire on all cylinders. Just about everything here is a hit, but don't skip on an occasional dalliance with the nachos, which can be mixed and matched in plenty of awesome meat iterations — including filet mignon.

Petty Cash Taqueria

There’s always something interesting happening on Petty Cash’s nachos. Sometimes they will be topped with things like pig ears and summer corn, or, as summer turns to fall, find them covered with rainbow cauliflower or al pastor.

El Cholo - The Original on Western Avenue

El Cholo’s classic Carmen’s nachos are the archetype of simplicity. A flat layer of crispy chips is fully coated in jack and cheddar cheeses—no dry edges are to be found here. Paired with a few frozen margaritas, and this unfussy dish is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Burnt Tortilla

Gardena's Burnt Tortilla is a classic Mexican local hang, with big plates of burritos, enchiladas, and the like. There are plenty of fans of the nachos too, which earn top billing on the menu (as "deluxe" no less), and can be customized with meats from carne asada to chicken to machaca.

Mexico City

Los Feliz classic Mexico City has been doing drinks and casual Mexican fare for almost a quarter-century. Their happy hour includes $5 plates of nachos that come sans meat, but can be overloaded with protein for just $2 more — and that's to say nothing of the cheap, stiff drinks.

Mohawk Bend

Vegans find a happy home at Mohawk Bend. Even happier are the early evening and late night specials that offer vegan nachos with salsa verde, salsa roja, guacamole, and vegan queso for only eight bucks. 

Prank Bar

LA’s first-ever walk up bar just a stone’s throw away from Staples Center hawks vegan nachos with cashew cheese sauce, black bean puree, tomatoes, pickled vegetables, and guacamole for a perfect pre- or post-game snack.

Prank Bar

Bar Amá

There are few more thoughtfully engineered nachos in Los Angeles than Bar Ama’s super nachos. Built on fried house-made corn tortillas topped with mornay sauce, salmoreja salsa, avocado salsa, and crema that’s layered throughout the delicious mass, there’s a reason they end up on everyone’s table. 

Mexicali Taco & Co.

Mexicali's best menu items always involve carne asada, and their popular nachos are no different. The small Chinatown-ish shop does big plates of the stuff for plenty of customers daily, with room to improvise at the salsa bar.

Related Maps

Carnitas Michoacan The Original

The nachos at Carnitas Michoacan in Lincoln Heights are about as famous as nachos get. Poured on with pure, gloopy nacho cheese and meat, they are unhealthy, over-abundant, and absolutely critical as far as nachos in Los Angeles go.

El Tepeyac Cafe

Boyle Heights institution Manuel's El Tepeyac is known primarily for its classic Mexican dishes and one unbelievably big burrito. Expect an unreal amount of cheese topping fresh chips and piles of meat.

Gus's BBQ

As one of LA's oldest restaurants, it would be easy for Gus's to just rest on its laurels. Instead, the family behind the South Pasadena institution continues to push for relevance and flavor, especially with big, bold dishes like their overclocked nacho plate that's topped with pulled pork, baked beans, and barbecue sauce.

Amor Y Tacos

Cerritos has a good thing going with Amor Y Tacos. The casual modern Mexican outfit does a serious dish known as nacho libre, which comes with Oaxacan cheese and some seriously prime beef.

Related Maps