The quiet dining room of Kobee Factory, with its smattering of rickety tables, is a great place to enjoy a generously portioned plate of kebabs and other Syrian dishes in a Van Nuys strip mall.

Dine at the bar at Sugarfish and taste a full omakase with swift, attentive service and a parade of fresh fish with warm rice. Doing away with the formality of interacting with a sushi chef, nigiri or sashimi comes on clean white plates that are taken away immediately. Sugarfish remains one of the best quick solo dining experiences in town at its multiple locations.

Counter-only seating always works for people eating solo, especially at the longtime burger destination Apple Pan. Order a hickory burger, fries, a soda, and a slice of fresh pie for a complete meal served in less than half an hour, though be prepared to wait during prime hours.

There are very strong cafeteria vibes at this “por-kilo” style Brazilian barbecue, but the notion of going to Fogo de Chao or M Grill by yourself seems difficult to swallow. At both the Culver City and Original Farmers Market locations of Pampas, you get top-quality Brazilian salads and sides, plus freshly sliced meats priced by the pound, all of which can be enjoyed on sprawling patios.

Vegan destination Crossroads has a wide bar where dining solo feels like the norm. Step up, order up a great cocktail, and check out some of the best plant-based food in the city, like homemade pastas, pizza, and scallopini milanese.

Belly up to the bar at barbecue spot Bludso’s and order up just the right amount of peppery smoked meat served with a spicy sauce for one person. The drinks are strong, and there are plenty of TVs to take in sports games too.

The convivial family-like environment at Hotville Chicken makes it a great place to order up a quarter bird of Nashville fried chicken or a chicken sandwich. Find a quiet booth and enjoy one of LA’s best Southern specialties in solitude.

One of the original tiny restaurants in LA, the bar seating-only dining room of Petit Trois has all the energy and bustle of a full bistro, but with direct interaction with cooks, servers, and bartenders. Start with a piece of fresh baguette and soft butter, then bite into the saucy cheeseburger or trout almondine paired with a glass of wine.

The counter or the small booths at Langer’s are a great place to have a solo lunch in Los Angeles, with hefty pastrami sandwiches, comforting matzo ball soups, or loaded chili fries. Sit down and people-watch at one of LA’s most energetic lunch crowds.

The bar-height seats looking out to Atwater Village’s Glendale Boulevard are a great way to have one of Los Angeles’s best pizzas. Hail Mary has a focused, simple menu of seasonal salads and New York-style pies served in personal sizes.

There’s something about having a steaming bowl of pho in an old-school Chinatown restaurant that just feels right when dining solo. The quiet dining room, the reasonably-priced noodle soup, and the comfort of being somewhat anonymous at Pho 87, all make for a timeless LA experience.

Quiet SGV eatery 101 Noodle Express has a huge menu of crowd-pleasing favorites, though the dan dan noodles with beef roll are must-orders for anyone that hasn’t tried them. The portions are big enough that a solo diner will be able to take home leftovers too.