Los Angeles: 12 Foodie Spots You Have to Try

When we’re in the Los Angeles area, we love checking out new places to eat. Here are some of our favorites thus far—one of which Nevaeh and I have visited twice!

We went to Venice Beach so I could surf, but I never expected the place to be coffee chain central. Now, I’m not just talking about your average Starbucks—these coffee shops are quintessential for bringing third-wave coffee to America.

Each of them was unique and good. Here’s a roundup for your tasting pleasure.

Third Wave Coffee Shops

Alfred’s Coffee Shop

Address: 1653b Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

This coffee shop is bright and colorful- they even trademarked the quote “But First Coffee.” There is plenty of place to sit and enjoy a drink, either inside or outside.

If you are in a hurry, there is a grab-and-go refrigerator; hopefully, you are not, and if that’s the case, I recommend getting their world-famous vanilla latte. It was the perfect amount of sweet- something that is majorly important to me (I normally ask for half-sweet at most coffee shops). If you go in the morning, getting it hot is the way to go. SoCal mornings near the ocean are always chilly.

I almost want to say their breakfasts are better than their coffee, though, so if you want a full meal in a coffee shop, this is the place to go. There are three different types of burritos. The Alfred comes with egg whites, avocado, chicken chorizo, and tater tots. It also had a cilantro sauce and molcajete salsa.

We also got an almond croissant with a nice almond paste in the middle. This is probably one of my favorite stops. As an added bonus, it’s next door to the Erewhon grocery store.

Can’t get to the one in Venice Beach? There are sixteen other locations throughout Los Angeles!

Blue Bottle Coffee

Address: 1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

I went to Blue Bottle for the first time back in April when I visited New York City with my mom. Their quality was just as outstanding this time as it was the first.

The barista was super helpful and sweet. I ordered the seasonal drink, The Sumara Latte. Honey and vanilla make up the syrup, and a dash of Ethiopian cinnamon is on top. The cinnamon was in Arabic lettering, which I totally didn’t realize!

These are some of my favorite coffee flavors. It was smooth and delicious, with a slight kick from the cinnamon.

I ordered the last cookie in the case because… when in Rhome, right? I cannot say the cookie was memorable, but it satisfied my hunger.

Blue Bottle gave Mom the energy boost she needed to continue on our journey, and I knew that Nevaeh would want to go back the next morning before we hit Disneyland. I was unsure of where else I would try, but I knew I wouldn’t have them two days in a row.

The next morning, we dropped her off at Blue Bottle. I put “coffee shops near me” into the GPS, and Intelligentsia Coffee came up. How could I not?

Keeping up with the stats, there are roughly eighteen Blue Bottles throughout Los Angeles.

Intelligenstia Coffee

We walked down Abbott Kinney Drive about a tenth of a mile to get from Blue Bottle to Intelligentsia, passing the Butcher’s Daughter along the way.

Intelligentsia is tucked further in the walkway, so you might miss it first. But if you look up, you’ll see a big, lit-up coffee cup and know you’re at the right place.

Everything about this store screams open and airy. The longer you walk into the store, the doors are already open, and the large skylight in the ceiling makes the outdoors come inside. There is also Wi-Fi, making it the perfect place to work away from home.

I ordered the Avena coffee, which is made with Oat milk and our organic turbinado sugar simple syrup spiced with ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange peel. The added bonus? The dash of cayenne on top. It was probably the best drink I had the entire time, but are you surprised? I like the more unique stuff and the flavor punch in my mouth!

I ordered a gluten-free donut and a pistachio croissant. Both were very good and kept us full until lunch, even at Disneyland!

There are only four Intelligentsia coffee shops in the Los Angeles area- so this one maybe a bit harder to find!

Local Coffee Shops

Blk Dot Coffee

In the summer of 2022, Nevaeh and I visited Anaheim for two days. On the first day, we went to Disneyland, and on the second day, we explored Chapman University. Knowing we needed breakfast, I loaded my Starbucks card, and we headed that way. On route there, though, we stopped by Blk Dot Coffee, and I was so disappointed- I would much rather go to a local coffee shop than Starbucks, but money had already been loaded, so it was a no-go.

The day after our trip to Disneyland in 2024, I decided to make up for it.

I woke her up and said, “Let’s go.”

She sleepily got into the car, and I rolled the sunroof down to enjoy the cool air in Los Angeles.

The baristas were super nice when we arrived since we took a bit to order.

We finally ordered their signature VTM lattes- me hot, her iced, and a Wild Brekkie Bowl to share.

The food was exactly how a breakfast bowl should be, in my opinion. Chocked full of veggies: Sautéed mushrooms, farm egg frittata, breakfast potatoes, American cheese, pico de gallo, avocado, chipotle mayo, and cracked black pepper. We got the sour cream on the side.

\It was good. I am already thinking about when to go back.

Series A Coffee

This Asian-inspired coffee shop is in the Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles. You should get an iced latte from this place; they have plenty to choose from. Their most popular is the Black Sesame. We just needed a pick-me-up. Otherwise, we would have gotten a tayaki as well. Perhaps next time.

Alchemist Coffee Project

Located in the heart of Koreatown (which felt like the heart of Los Angeles, if I’m being honest), Bre and I went here right before we left. The place is dark and funky, but with the name, I kind of expected that. They are serious about their coffee at Alchemist. I recommend getting the Spanish Latte with sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Next time, I’ll bring my computer and stay a while because it was fun to watch the people interact.

Lunch/Dinner

Lemonade LA

In 2020, we drove by the Lemonade near Muscle Beach, and I was smitten. I loved their yellow exterior and googled them immediately. I was hooked when I saw that they have a seasonal menu that rotates based on what’s available nearby. Imitated placement on the bucket list.

A mere two years later, I got to try the one in San Diego. It was everything I hoped it would be: fresh and vibrant, filling but not overly so. The lemonade is tart and has lots of unique flavor combinations.

And the atmosphere inside is just as colorful and uplifting as it is outside. It was the perfect food for venturing out to the San Diego Zoo afterward.

Fast forward another two years, and I went there for my birthday after surfing in Santa Monica. Our cashier was a bit rude, not letting me change out of my wet swimwear before we ordered. Okay then, I’ll drip on your floor, order, and then change. *insert eye roll*

But the food did not disappoint, and- I got to use my free birthday lemonade coupon!

The Butcher’s Daughter

Heather Tierney is the owner and creative director behind The Butcher’s Daughter. She originally founded Apothéke, a cocktail bar. In creating these drinks, she fell in love with juicing.

This spurred her to create The Butcher’s Daughter, a vegetarian restaurant with unique menu items like the classic Beet and akua kelp patty burger or seasonal draft drinks. Being on the beachy side of Los Angeles made it even better!

Their motto? Take food and drink not too seriously.

The atmosphere at the Los Angeles suburb Venice Beach location is perfect, too. It feels like you are in a greenhouse since they have a glass roof. Their front doors are left wide open to let that natural Californian air in, and the greenery makes a person feel even more in their environment.

And it’s located on the strip with all the hob-knob third-wave coffee shops in the area.

Erwhon Grocery Store

On our last night in Los Angeles, we stopped at Whole Foods Market for dinner* when I realized I knew A LOT about the history of the Erwon grocery store. Thanks to Ticktock, the girls knew that it was the most expensive grocery store in the US. Their cheapest smoothie runs twenty-one dollars.

One thing I’ve noticed about higher-end places is their attention to detail. The bell peppers are thrown into an area at Walmart or even HEB. At Erwon, they are neatly stacked, one on top of the other. For those of you who love organization, this would “scratch your brain,” as Nevaeh would say.

I was disappointed that they did not sell John Kelly Chocolate, which is made in the LA area and one of my favorite treats.

Pricey? Yes. Missing the best chocolate ever? Yes. Yet, on a Wednesday evening, we brought Nevaeh by to show her that it was a busy place.

If you want the history of the Erwhon Grocery store and its significance to our food history, shoot me a message below! I could get nerdy on here, but that’s not what this post is about.

*Side note: This might become a staple if we visit big cities. We stopped at Whole Foods in New York, Chicago, and LA. Chicago even had us stopping at Whole Foods’ baby sister, Amazon Fresh.

Anaheim Packing District

I found out about this open, airy food hall thanks to Instagram. When I found out, I saved different places I wanted to try, many of which have moved on. That being said, the food that is there now makes it worth the stop.

When I was in the Los Angeles area, I always looked for healthy places to eat, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Parfait Paris’ Vanilla New York Roll. It was the perfect croissant on the outside, with creamy vanilla bean paste custard on the inside and white chocolate on the outside. It’s one of those foods you see and wonder how you’ll get your hands on it (without making it yourself).

We all ate at different places that day merely because we wanted to, and even better, we can tell you about all of them!

• Nevaeh got: the chicken karaage from Zabon Ramen. As someone who is typically vegetarian, I was surprised she chose the chicken, but she said it was tasty. Her favorite part was the sauces and lemon on the side.
• Breanna got: Country Fried Chicken Poutine from the Kroft Kitchen. Definitely on the junky side, but man, oh man, it was drool-worthy. Not something I would eat every day, though.
• Mom got a Mediterranean bowl from Healthy Junk. This is where I figured Nevaeh would eat if we’re being honest. Her bowl had many healthy ingredients, but Mom stated that the falafel stood out the most. She really enjoyed it; she felt it was the quintessential California-type food.

I shared with everyone else and still left full. The Packing District is perfect if you are with a group who all like different things—everyone stays happy.

In & Out Burger

Yes. I know that you can get In and Out Burger in areas other than Los Angeles, but it doesn’t hit quite the same in Fort Worth as it does where the air is the perfect temperatures and the palm trees grow like they are meant to. Even Bre, who is not a burger girlie, feels she needs to get her grub on at In and Out when she’s in the area.

It’s one of those comforts you should not miss out on. So much so that I will say it should be your first meal when you land in the area.

Wrapping It Up

I try to get to Los Angeles as much as possible and hope to add more soon.

So tell me, what are you go-to Los Angeles restaurant?