When you think of a list of famous restaurants in Los Angeles, visions of Hollywood or Beverly hills fine dining with the paparazzi waiting by the curb come to mind. Everyone is a movie star in that fantasy. The reality is that the great restaurants in LA range from the glitzy to down home Americana. One little known fact is that the Los Angeles area is where American fast food originated, so two members of the list of famous Los Angeles restaurants are actually fast food chains, one a household name and the other an up-and-comer well known in Southern California.
In compiling this list we decided to select the top 10 most famous restaurants in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and the region. This is a highly subjective list, since there are so many as the area is the heart of the worldwide entertainment industry.
If you haven’t guessed by now, McDonald’s originated in the LA area, and the oldest remaining McDonald’s, can be found in Downey, a suburb. But LA landmark restaurants are not just fast food. Great fine dining also is found on the listing, along with destination venues like Gladstone’s for fish.
| Rank | Restaurant | Where | What makes it famous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Trader Vic’s | Beverly Hills Hilton | Some say garish, others call it an institution. Polynesian theme in the Beverly Hilton hotel. |
| 9 | Nate ‘N Al | Beverly Hills | 64+ years of history in a Jewish Deli |
| 8 | McDonald’s | Everywhere | Yes, this is THE McDonald’s. The first was in San Bernardino, opened by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1948, expanding on a theme started by their father. They started to expand in the 1950s, opening up in Downey, southeast of LA, where the oldest remaining McDonald’s still exists. Expanded widely following acquisition by Ray Kroc. |
| 7 | In-N-Out | Everywhere | Original salty burger and fries, now expanding widely in Southern California. Started in LA |
| 6 | Brown Derby | Hollywood | Originating in Hollywood, now a chain in the Los Angeles area. Co-founded by Herbert Somborn, one of golden era actress Gloria Swanson’s husbands. |
| 5 | Lawry’s | Beverly Hills | The original of this expanded chain. Known for their famous prime rib. |
| 4 | Gladstones | Malibu | Terrific fish on the ocean. |
| 3 | Spagos | Beverly Hills | Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant for innovative fine dining. Renovated in summer of 2012. |
| 2 | The Ivy | Robertson Bl. | Kind of aging, but still among THE places to be seen, if you want to be seen. After all the paparazzi regularly line the front patio, so if you are a starlet, model, producer, or anyone and want to be photographed, this is one of the known spots to make a reservation. |
| 1 | The Original Pantry Cafe | Downtown LA | Hometown cooking, and the business crowd at lunch. Best known for breakfast, and there can be a line for breakfast and brunch time on the weekend. Also known for the mashed potatoes. So if you decide to venture downtown, or work there, try it early for breakfast one day. Long owned by former Los Angeles Mayor Dick Riordan.  |
Who can benefit form this list: If you live in the Los Angeles / Beverly Hills / Hollywood area, surely you’ve tried the fast food places already. But what about the others? Make a date with your loved one, make a reservation and enjoy. You probably can’t go wrong with any of them. If you are a tourist in the area, or at any of the theme parks like Disneyland or Universal Studios, you can get a taste of the real L.A. at these landmark restaurants.
There were many others we wanted to mention, such as Campanile’s and The Rose Café in Venice. Who do you think should be included in the update?
