clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Potato balls open to reveal meat inside from a Cuban bakery.
Potato balls from Porto’s Bakery in Glendale.
Flickr/jreece

20 Iconic LA Dishes Still Available For Delivery and Takeout

Garlic cheese bread, shrimp tacos, and deep-fried potato balls

View as Map
Potato balls from Porto’s Bakery in Glendale.
| Flickr/jreece

Uncertain times call for tried-and-true standbys. From crispy shrimp tacos to juicy pork dumplings to the most memorable stack of pancakes in town, the dishes featured on this list have endured passing trends and withstood the test of time. Here now are 20 of LA’s most iconic dishes available for delivery and takeout through the pandemic.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Black pastrami Reuben at Brent's Deli Northridge

Copy Link

The black pastrami Reuben starts with house-cured meat that’s seasoned heavily with spices so that a black crust forms. The rye bread, which comes par-baked from a nearby bakery, gets another trip to the oven to create a crispy crust. House-made Russian dressing, and some crunchy sauerkraut round out the ingredients, but it’s all about the technique and quality of the meat.

Brent’s Deli The Hot Dish
Reuben at Brent’s Deli Northridge

Potato balls at Porto's Bakery and Cafe

Copy Link

From cakes to pastries and Cuban sandwiches, Porto’s is famous for many of its reasonably priced offerings but the papa rellena or potato balls is beloved most of all. Each mashed potato ball is filled with picadillo (seasoned ground beef, onions, and bell peppers) and fried until perfectly crisp-golden.

Koobideh at Raffi's Place

Copy Link

When the craving hits for heaping plates of grilled koobideh and fragrant basmati rice, beloved Persian-Armenian specialist Raffi’s Place is the go-to spot. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner for takeout and delivery through third-party services.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoke House Restaurant

Copy Link

There are few greater, more warming pleasures than diving into a basket of the garlic cheese bread from the historic Smoke House in Burbank. The nearly 75-year-old restaurant is so famous for its decadent, garlicky bread that it ships the stuff nationwide via its own website, and is currently still offering full meals (with said bread) for takeout and delivery.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoke House Restaurant.
Garlic cheese bread at Smoke House Restaurant
[Official Photo]

Fried eggplant and sausage pizza at Casa Bianca

Copy Link

The Martorana family has been serving Eagle Rock denizens since 1955. The fried eggplant and sausage pizza is the one to beat at this red sauce spot. The restaurant offers online ordering for takeout.

Cha gio at Golden Deli Restaurant

Copy Link

After a brief hiatus, Golden Deli is open for takeout and delivery on Grubhub. The best dish on the menu are the pork- and mushroom-stuffed cha gio served blistered-golden with fish sauce, fresh herbs, and lettuce.

Hui tou dumplings at Hui Tou Xiang Noodles House

Copy Link

Some of LA’s most unique dumplings are Hui Tou Xiang’s eponymous hui tou dumplings, flat-sided potstickers with scalding pork innards. Order online for takeout or opt for delivery from third-party vendors.

Beef roll at 101 Noodle Express

Copy Link

With its perfect ratio of braised beef to green onion pancake and fresh cilantro, the beef roll at 101 Noodle Express is rightfully more famous than any noodle dish on the menu.

Pancakes at Du-Pars

Copy Link

The legendary Original Farmers Market location remains open for delivery and takeout. The pancakes here are the fluffiest around and come drenched in an ungodly amount of clarified butter.

Smoked salmon pizza at Spago

Copy Link

The pizza that put Wolfgang Puck on the culinary map and sparked the California pizza trend is available for delivery and takeout through the pandemic.

Smoked salmon pizza at Spago.
Smoked salmon pizza at Spago
[Official Photo]

Slippery shrimp at Yang Chow

Copy Link

An ocean-dwelling cousin of General Tso, slippery shrimp is lightly coated in cornstarch and wok’d to perfection before being doused in a sticky sweet sauce. Yang Chow is open for takeout only.

Fried Chinese shrimp at Yang Chow on a plate.
Slippery shrimp at Yang Chow.
Cathy Chaplin

French dip sandwich at Philippe The Original

Copy Link

For a taste of culinary history, look no further than the French dip at Philippe The Original. The restaurant is open for takeout and delivery from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Yedoro wot from Rosalind's

Copy Link

When Fekere Gebre-Mariam relocated his restaurant to Fairfax Avenue in 1988, he was the first Ethiopian entrepreneur to lay down roots in what is now known as Little Ethiopia. While everything on the menu is fantastic, hone in on the house-special yedoro wot — fabulously tender chicken slowly simmered in a spicy sauce with onions, garlic, cardamom, and nutmeg.

#19 at Langer’s Delicatessen

Copy Link

The #19 may very well be LA’s most iconic sandwich — complete with a mile-high stack of pastrami, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw on twice-baked rye. It’s available for pick-up or delivery from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don’t forget the latkes, too.

#19 sandwich at Langer’s Deli
#19 at Langer’s
Wonho Frank Lee

Galbi at Park's BBQ

Copy Link

In addition to pitch-perfect executions of Korean standbys like kimchi jjigae and galbitang, Park BBQ’s galbi is the best rendition available in the U.S. with its balanced marinade of crushed pears and soy sauce.

Short rib tacos at Kogi Taco Truck

Copy Link

While Roy Choi is feeding vulnerable Angelenos and frontline workers, his trio of Kogi trucks continue to serve across the Southland. Check Kogi’s website for the latest schedule and dig into some short rib tacos.

Tonkotsu ramen at Daikokuya

Copy Link

Daikokuya’s signature tonkotsu ramen is made from Kurobuta pork bones that are carefully simmered for hours on end. Once the broth is perfectly milky and luscious, it’s ladled atop curly noodles and garnished with scallion confetti. Don’t forget to request extra back fat (kotteri) for an even porkier experience.

Shrimp taco at Mariscos Jalisco

Copy Link

While there is no shortage of outstanding taco trucks in Los Angeles, Mariscos Jaliscos may very well be the most beloved thanks to Raul Ortega and his crispy shrimp tacos. The Boyle Heights truck is operating usual business hours.

Pescado zaradeado at Coni’ Seafood

Copy Link

The famous pescado zarandeado at Sinaloan specialist Coni’Seafood is comprised of snook that’s butterflied then grilled with precision. Served with tortillas and an onion salsa, it’s one of the most spectacular seafood dishes in the city and available daily from noon to 6 p.m. for takeout and delivery.

Grilled snook at Coni’Seafood.
Grilled snook at Coni’Seafood
Cathy Chaplin

Hollenbeck burrito at El Tepeyac Cafe

Copy Link

Wrapped in a giant flour tortilla and crammed to maximum capacity with slow-cooked pork, rice, beans, and guacamole, the Hollenbeck burrito is as deliciously gluttonous as they come. Best of all, the massive parcel is ladled with additional pork, making for a sopping and saucy creation of epic proportions. The La Mirada location is open for takeout and delivery.

Loading comments...

Black pastrami Reuben at Brent's Deli Northridge

The black pastrami Reuben starts with house-cured meat that’s seasoned heavily with spices so that a black crust forms. The rye bread, which comes par-baked from a nearby bakery, gets another trip to the oven to create a crispy crust. House-made Russian dressing, and some crunchy sauerkraut round out the ingredients, but it’s all about the technique and quality of the meat.

Brent’s Deli The Hot Dish
Reuben at Brent’s Deli Northridge

Potato balls at Porto's Bakery and Cafe

From cakes to pastries and Cuban sandwiches, Porto’s is famous for many of its reasonably priced offerings but the papa rellena or potato balls is beloved most of all. Each mashed potato ball is filled with picadillo (seasoned ground beef, onions, and bell peppers) and fried until perfectly crisp-golden.

Koobideh at Raffi's Place

When the craving hits for heaping plates of grilled koobideh and fragrant basmati rice, beloved Persian-Armenian specialist Raffi’s Place is the go-to spot. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner for takeout and delivery through third-party services.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoke House Restaurant

There are few greater, more warming pleasures than diving into a basket of the garlic cheese bread from the historic Smoke House in Burbank. The nearly 75-year-old restaurant is so famous for its decadent, garlicky bread that it ships the stuff nationwide via its own website, and is currently still offering full meals (with said bread) for takeout and delivery.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoke House Restaurant.
Garlic cheese bread at Smoke House Restaurant
[Official Photo]

Fried eggplant and sausage pizza at Casa Bianca

The Martorana family has been serving Eagle Rock denizens since 1955. The fried eggplant and sausage pizza is the one to beat at this red sauce spot. The restaurant offers online ordering for takeout.

Cha gio at Golden Deli Restaurant

After a brief hiatus, Golden Deli is open for takeout and delivery on Grubhub. The best dish on the menu are the pork- and mushroom-stuffed cha gio served blistered-golden with fish sauce, fresh herbs, and lettuce.

Hui tou dumplings at Hui Tou Xiang Noodles House

Some of LA’s most unique dumplings are Hui Tou Xiang’s eponymous hui tou dumplings, flat-sided potstickers with scalding pork innards. Order online for takeout or opt for delivery from third-party vendors.

Beef roll at 101 Noodle Express

With its perfect ratio of braised beef to green onion pancake and fresh cilantro, the beef roll at 101 Noodle Express is rightfully more famous than any noodle dish on the menu.

Pancakes at Du-Pars

The legendary Original Farmers Market location remains open for delivery and takeout. The pancakes here are the fluffiest around and come drenched in an ungodly amount of clarified butter.

Smoked salmon pizza at Spago

The pizza that put Wolfgang Puck on the culinary map and sparked the California pizza trend is available for delivery and takeout through the pandemic.

Smoked salmon pizza at Spago.
Smoked salmon pizza at Spago
[Official Photo]

Slippery shrimp at Yang Chow

An ocean-dwelling cousin of General Tso, slippery shrimp is lightly coated in cornstarch and wok’d to perfection before being doused in a sticky sweet sauce. Yang Chow is open for takeout only.

Fried Chinese shrimp at Yang Chow on a plate.
Slippery shrimp at Yang Chow.
Cathy Chaplin

French dip sandwich at Philippe The Original

For a taste of culinary history, look no further than the French dip at Philippe The Original. The restaurant is open for takeout and delivery from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Yedoro wot from Rosalind's

When Fekere Gebre-Mariam relocated his restaurant to Fairfax Avenue in 1988, he was the first Ethiopian entrepreneur to lay down roots in what is now known as Little Ethiopia. While everything on the menu is fantastic, hone in on the house-special yedoro wot — fabulously tender chicken slowly simmered in a spicy sauce with onions, garlic, cardamom, and nutmeg.

#19 at Langer’s Delicatessen

The #19 may very well be LA’s most iconic sandwich — complete with a mile-high stack of pastrami, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw on twice-baked rye. It’s available for pick-up or delivery from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don’t forget the latkes, too.

#19 sandwich at Langer’s Deli
#19 at Langer’s
Wonho Frank Lee

Galbi at Park's BBQ

In addition to pitch-perfect executions of Korean standbys like kimchi jjigae and galbitang, Park BBQ’s galbi is the best rendition available in the U.S. with its balanced marinade of crushed pears and soy sauce.

Related Maps

Short rib tacos at Kogi Taco Truck

While Roy Choi is feeding vulnerable Angelenos and frontline workers, his trio of Kogi trucks continue to serve across the Southland. Check Kogi’s website for the latest schedule and dig into some short rib tacos.

Tonkotsu ramen at Daikokuya

Daikokuya’s signature tonkotsu ramen is made from Kurobuta pork bones that are carefully simmered for hours on end. Once the broth is perfectly milky and luscious, it’s ladled atop curly noodles and garnished with scallion confetti. Don’t forget to request extra back fat (kotteri) for an even porkier experience.

Shrimp taco at Mariscos Jalisco

While there is no shortage of outstanding taco trucks in Los Angeles, Mariscos Jaliscos may very well be the most beloved thanks to Raul Ortega and his crispy shrimp tacos. The Boyle Heights truck is operating usual business hours.

Pescado zaradeado at Coni’ Seafood

The famous pescado zarandeado at Sinaloan specialist Coni’Seafood is comprised of snook that’s butterflied then grilled with precision. Served with tortillas and an onion salsa, it’s one of the most spectacular seafood dishes in the city and available daily from noon to 6 p.m. for takeout and delivery.

Grilled snook at Coni’Seafood.
Grilled snook at Coni’Seafood
Cathy Chaplin

Hollenbeck burrito at El Tepeyac Cafe

Wrapped in a giant flour tortilla and crammed to maximum capacity with slow-cooked pork, rice, beans, and guacamole, the Hollenbeck burrito is as deliciously gluttonous as they come. Best of all, the massive parcel is ladled with additional pork, making for a sopping and saucy creation of epic proportions. The La Mirada location is open for takeout and delivery.

Related Maps