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10 Restaurants to Try Around Staples Center in Los Angeles

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Since 1999, the Staples Center has been home to the 16-time NBA World Champion LA Lakers, the 2-time Stanley Cup champion LA Kings, the 3-time WNBA Champion LA Sparks and countless high-profile musical performances. Oh, and the LA Clippers.

The world-famous venue houses decent eats, including tacos from BS Taqueria and those fried chicken sandwiches from LudoBird, but those looking to grab a bite before bearing witness to LeBron James or taking in the brilliance of Anze Kopitar might want to look to the surrounding area. Here are some of the best places to grab a bite near Staples Center (limited to a half-mile walking radius).

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Fogo de Chão

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A Brazilian barbecue meat binge hardly sounds like the best pre-game meal, but the worldwide churrasco chain slices fat-lined picanha (an uncommon cut of fat-lined top sirloin) and snappy linguiça (pork sausage) beckon, along with those heinously addictive pao de queijo (cheese bread). Who needs to stand and cheer at Staples Center anyway? Just eat like a king and golf clap like a boss.

The Original Pantry Cafe

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There are few guarantees in life, but a line to get into Pantry Cafe in the morning or wee hours of the night might be right up there with death and taxes. Big pancakes, crispy bacon and eggs are available around the clock at this slice of LA history. Just be sure to bring cash.

Original Pantry Cafe Pancakes

Breva Restaurant

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Breva’s wonderful dining room isn’t all empty flash (but what a great bit of flash that would be, regardless). The menu plays to reliable, well-trod favorites (blistered shishito peppers, hummus with crudite, oysters and large format proteins come to mind) but it’s the thoughtful — and extensive — cocktail program that’s bound to get the night started off the right way.

Zamora Brothers

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This Los Angeles institution’s Pico outpost serves up the city’s best chicharrones alongside a host of porky favorites including a darn-solid carnitas taco. One would be hard-pressed to find a more iconic (and authentically LA) way to prep for a game at Staples Center.

El Parian Restaurant

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Birria (goat meat) is the specialty at El Parian, and it’s worth the price of admission at El Parian. Pillowy tortillas, heaping plates of rice and beans and the aforementioned gamey goat meat is a perfect pair for a cold Modelo to get you ready for the game.

Broken Spanish

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Thoughtfully prepared Mexican dishes are the name of the game at Ray Garcia’s brainchild. Its cheeky location (across the street from LA institution El Cholo in Downtown) serves as a modern and refined contrast to the kitschy (and wonderful) El Cholo and its famous Nacho Table. At Broken Spanish, tamales of lamb neck and king oyster mushroom warp one’s conception of the perfect autumn dish, while hulking rolled porchetta “chicharron” come crispy-yet-meltingly tender and adorned with opaque slivers of elephant garlic.

The famed chicharron porchetta dish from Broken Spanish in Los Angeles.
Chicharrón at Broken Spanish
Stan Lee

The Palm Los Angeles

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Los Angeles’s Downtown branch of the classic Manhattan steakhouse features the stiff drinks, big ribeye steaks, and pretty-darn-good Italian food (that veal parmigiana is anything but an also-ran) that’s endeared it to so many of the Staples Center’s well-heeled entertainers (including countless ballplayers).

Mikkeller DTLA

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For a burger and a beer, it’s tough to beat this Copenhagen-based microbrewery’s LA outpost. The Lamb burger and the extensive charcuterie selection is a safe bet for solid pregame eats.

Birdies

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Between donuts and fried chicken, Birdies’ does a couple things — but it does the fried chicken sandwich exceptionally well. The clean, minuscule space is practically a take-out only operation, but that shatteringly crispy batter sheathing big-ol’ filets of chicken breast is the centerpiece of a sandwich worthy of a serious detour.

barcito

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This sleek, wood-adorned dining room with checkered floors has been serving hungry and hip South Park residents with top-of-the-line bar snacks (some killer empanadas come to mind) alongside a robust cocktail and wine list.

Barcito, Downtown
Barcito, Downtown
Wonho Frank Lee

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Fogo de Chão

A Brazilian barbecue meat binge hardly sounds like the best pre-game meal, but the worldwide churrasco chain slices fat-lined picanha (an uncommon cut of fat-lined top sirloin) and snappy linguiça (pork sausage) beckon, along with those heinously addictive pao de queijo (cheese bread). Who needs to stand and cheer at Staples Center anyway? Just eat like a king and golf clap like a boss.

The Original Pantry Cafe

There are few guarantees in life, but a line to get into Pantry Cafe in the morning or wee hours of the night might be right up there with death and taxes. Big pancakes, crispy bacon and eggs are available around the clock at this slice of LA history. Just be sure to bring cash.

Original Pantry Cafe Pancakes

Breva Restaurant

Breva’s wonderful dining room isn’t all empty flash (but what a great bit of flash that would be, regardless). The menu plays to reliable, well-trod favorites (blistered shishito peppers, hummus with crudite, oysters and large format proteins come to mind) but it’s the thoughtful — and extensive — cocktail program that’s bound to get the night started off the right way.

Zamora Brothers

This Los Angeles institution’s Pico outpost serves up the city’s best chicharrones alongside a host of porky favorites including a darn-solid carnitas taco. One would be hard-pressed to find a more iconic (and authentically LA) way to prep for a game at Staples Center.

El Parian Restaurant

Birria (goat meat) is the specialty at El Parian, and it’s worth the price of admission at El Parian. Pillowy tortillas, heaping plates of rice and beans and the aforementioned gamey goat meat is a perfect pair for a cold Modelo to get you ready for the game.

Broken Spanish

Thoughtfully prepared Mexican dishes are the name of the game at Ray Garcia’s brainchild. Its cheeky location (across the street from LA institution El Cholo in Downtown) serves as a modern and refined contrast to the kitschy (and wonderful) El Cholo and its famous Nacho Table. At Broken Spanish, tamales of lamb neck and king oyster mushroom warp one’s conception of the perfect autumn dish, while hulking rolled porchetta “chicharron” come crispy-yet-meltingly tender and adorned with opaque slivers of elephant garlic.

The famed chicharron porchetta dish from Broken Spanish in Los Angeles.
Chicharrón at Broken Spanish
Stan Lee

The Palm Los Angeles

Los Angeles’s Downtown branch of the classic Manhattan steakhouse features the stiff drinks, big ribeye steaks, and pretty-darn-good Italian food (that veal parmigiana is anything but an also-ran) that’s endeared it to so many of the Staples Center’s well-heeled entertainers (including countless ballplayers).

Mikkeller DTLA

For a burger and a beer, it’s tough to beat this Copenhagen-based microbrewery’s LA outpost. The Lamb burger and the extensive charcuterie selection is a safe bet for solid pregame eats.

Birdies

Between donuts and fried chicken, Birdies’ does a couple things — but it does the fried chicken sandwich exceptionally well. The clean, minuscule space is practically a take-out only operation, but that shatteringly crispy batter sheathing big-ol’ filets of chicken breast is the centerpiece of a sandwich worthy of a serious detour.

barcito

This sleek, wood-adorned dining room with checkered floors has been serving hungry and hip South Park residents with top-of-the-line bar snacks (some killer empanadas come to mind) alongside a robust cocktail and wine list.

Barcito, Downtown
Barcito, Downtown
Wonho Frank Lee

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