There is perhaps no more traditional of a side than mashed potatoes. Neal Fraser takes them to the next level by mixing creamy potato puree with an equal proportion of unbelievably rich and buttery Point Reyes Toma cheese. Enter the cheesy mashed potatoes of your dreams that just may be better than your entrée.

You know what’s even better than an great side dish? A side dish you don’t even have to pay for! Free sides, or banchan, are only one of the many reasons Korean food is so great (sizzling marinated meat hello?!), but amazing banchan is really a special treat. Mapo Kkak Du Gi’s eponymous dish, kkak du gi, is perfectly fermented cubes of radish with the funk and spice that is an essential component to a Korean meal.

When asked if you want fries with your meal at Dino’s, the answer should always be yes. When ordered with Dino’s famous chicken, the fries act as a base to soak up the garlicy chicken drippings. Or give your fries the VIP treatment and get them DUI style with chili, cheese, carne asada, pastrami, and Dino’s sauce. Yes, please!

Not only does Hangari Bajirak Kalgooksoo have one of the best kalgooksoos, or Korean chicken soup with knife-cut noddles, in town, but that also an incredibly unique banchan. Typically a peasant dish, boribap, literally barley rice, comes with fermented bean paste, young radish kimchi, and sesame oil for a sort of DIY bibimbap that’s as authentic as it gets.

The buttery hoe cake at Chef Timothy Hollingsworth’s Barrel & Ashes has become the must-order side. Served in a sizzling skillet with a side of maple butter, this corn bread-esque dish is the ideal complement to an elevated barbeque meal.

An integral part of the dining experience, sides can tell a lot about a steakhouse. Take upscale steakhouse chain Mastro’s, who goes beyond the classics to include sides that truly exhibit magnificent excess. Take the Alaska king crab black truffle gnocchi. Paired with a solid porterhouse, could it get any more luxurious?

Tom Bergin’s fried pickle chips are the ultimate way to satisfy cravings for deliciously salty fried food. House dill pickles are coated in Bergin’s Brew for a super light batter than gets perfectly crispy. Dunk them in buttermilk ranch and forget about the rest of the meal.

These aren’t your middle school cafeteria tater tots. Dog Haus smothers their tots in house-made cheese sauce, cheddar, Haus chili, and spiced scallions. Just be sure to take your Lipitor.

If a side dish actually requires you to play with your food, it automatically deserves some recognition. One of Koreatown’s KBBQ stars offers lunch box rice, a gold tin full of fried rice, egg, seaweed, and kimchi that is vigorously shaken tableside until well mixed.

There’s just nothing like the crispy Yorkshire Pudding with a soft, well, pudding-like center from Lawry’s. A prime rib meal just isn’t complete without sopping up the meat’s jus with the essential side.

If diners consumed this as an entrée, you’d probably see a row of gurneys prepared to haul ‘em out. But really, what could possibly complement a gluttonous meal of Kansas City BBQ better than straight up bacon? The answer is nothing.

Although you may expect to see gastropub-like fare from Chef Brendan Collins’ Birch, the menu is actually rather international, reflecting the culinary fabric of LA. Consider the fried Thai curry sunchokes for a complex side with a rich spice that is brightened by a squeeze of lime.