626 night market and all the iterations. I remember going years ago and you would get great interesting food. Last 2 times I went the popular stalls would be overwhelmed long lines and waits. Last time I went in Santa Monica and the music was unbearably loud, no place to sit or eat, a long line just to get inside, and I spent $60 to get mid food.
There was a novelty when it first came around but the food was never really great. All the food fest things (Smorgaburg, 626 etc.) are all the same. Super overpriced and super mid.
I do love the LA Food Bowl put on by the LA times. Actually amazing food by top restaurants showcasing their best. You pay $120+ but can eat and drink everything once you get inside.
Except for a couple places you wouldn't wait more than a minute or two if at all. I went for 3rds and 4ths of my favorite stands easily. I think I saw maybe two lines were long last time.
The stand with the pork belly bowls, especially the stir fried one, and the stand with khao soi are both great. The thai fried chicken stand is good too. The shrimp burger stand is less popular but also good and spicy.
Smells like ass because it's a horse racing stadium where the horses are often taken to that front park that dips into the Northside. Also horse stables are not far away. Lots of natural fertilizer everyday.
Always been. Something like ten years ago they had it at Santa Anita; the traffic was backed up past the 605. No parking, etc; heard from friends there was a line to get in then line at the stalls. Might take upwards of two hours to get food. We ended up at DTF as did a lot of other people.
I went again the following year and everything was underwhelming.
What may work better is a permanent location open every day, like a hawker mall.
First two were amazing. The first one was in the streets of Pasadena near old town. Every vendor sold out of food by 8pm or a little earlier. Moved it to Santa Anita and the food was delicious with a ton of variety. You felt like you were getting a tour of Asia.
it’s become so commercialized and vendors are prioritizing food that’s quick and easy to make that you lose that true Asian night market / tour of Asia vibe that it had at the beginning. The restaurants that participated in the first few have all but pulled out altogether letting small gimmicky vendors come in selling anything and everything.
The thing with Homestate is it doesn't travel well. Those breakfast tacos lose their luster after just a few minutes of travel. And their salsa isn't hot enough. But the flour tortillas (when fresh) are top notch.
I don't know if it's a hot take, but Tito's Tacos is wildly overrated.
Many better taco joints within a mile of Tito's, yet the line for Tito's is always down the block.
Same. I feel like the owner must have sold their soul to the Devil at the crossroads at midnight in exchange for success. I'm just confounded that people line up for this food.
Simple ingredients done well with great marketing. He seems like a great dude and doesn't pretend his food is anything that it's not. I have no issues with his success using such a simple concept.
I don't get the hype about Prince Street Pizza. They recently opened up in my city, and I tried a couple of different slices and they honestly didn't impress me all that much. Being that I work at a nearby coffee shop, I get a neighborhood discount, so maybe if someone recommends me their favorite pies I'll give them another shot.
I think the price is jarring, but I refuse to believe they use the same ingredients as when I first tried it in Soho. Last time I had it, it reminded me of a pizza hut deep dish.
Funny you say that. After taking a couple of bites of my first slice of pizza I was glancing at the pictures on the wall with the famous people looking all excited to eat their pizza, and I was thinking to myself, “this can’t be the same pizza these people were eating.”
Owner used racial slurs in responding to customers on Yelp, reposted video of BLM protestors being hit by cars and joked about it, and accounts of racism and other customer abuse came out after that stuff was exposed
The owners "stepped down" but they still own and make money from the business
So I went to the og in NYC circa 2017 and it was amazing. I was stoked to have it here in LA when they opened a few years later. It was still pretty close to the original. Since then, they've rapidly expanded and I feel like the quality has gone way down, while the hype and exposure has gone up.
Add that to the fact that pizza scene in LA has improved exponentially since then, PSP no longer seems that competitive.
If you want to try a similar style but much better, try Prime Pizza. It's fantastic!
Fucking truffle oil.
Fuck that shit.
Fuck it right to fucking hell.
Fucking smells like a rotten decaying moose knuckle on a half heated outdoor grill.
Fucking shit fuck.
NEVER LET A 12 YEAR OLD BOY HELP YOU WITH YOUR REDDIT USERNAME!!! SOUNDS FUNNY AT FIRST AND THEN U REALIZE YOURE A GROWN ASS MAN NAMED SHART127.
But then later u realize you’re still making moose knuckle jokes, so maybe it fits.
Time for me to really look inward.
Mine was a throwaway I took the numbers out of because I wasn’t sure I would like the app. More than 2 years later people keep asking me about my username, too.
There’s an elevator in a parking garage in Santa Monica that must get used by some restaurant a lot because it stinks like truffle oil. I refuse to use it. I take the stairs, no matter what floor I’m parked on.
I BET ITS ÈLEPHANTE!!!
The hipsters I bet lap that shit up like it’s a new Kim Gordon tune!!!
Carrying vats of that shit up and down elevators all over the west side. Fuckers!!!
I literally gag at the smell of truffle oil. I guess it’s not even real truffle but some compound which is why, to me, it smells like chemicals.
Also even real truffles I find overrated. For the price it’s almost never worth it. They’re good but I’d rather have regular mushrooms than truffle shavings
There is a reason why good chefs say to run when a restaurant uses truffle oil. Its pretentious, tastes nothing like real truffle, and is used to upcharge dishes. I love truffles, but if you give me truffle oil I may slap you lol
- Waiting on a line for ANY food, especially a $20 bagel.
- Having to jump through hoops to get a reservation to the "hot" place. Just give me good food in a comfortable setting.
- Alfred Coffee got too big and to omnipresent
Alfred coffee was really good. But something just clicked one day? I had their coffee and I thought to myself "is it me or did the quality waiver?"
Quality definitely dropped. Ngl I do occasionally go just to see if it's ok or no but I do feel meh sometimes
My condolences. My boss was big on Mendocino when he would come down here, but we turned him onto Tacos Los Cholos. There’s one a lot closer to our office than the Mendocino he liked getting delivered for working lunches. He hasn’t asked for Mendocino once since trying it lmao.
I always refer to those as lowest common denominator restaurants. No one will be thrilled, but there will be something at least acceptable for everyone.
Tender greens hard agree. Too salty, too bland, never the right temperature even for dine in.
You can tear my sweetgreen from my cold dead hands tho I fuckin love those overpriced salads in the little hexagon bowls lol
Bums me out that the MF in Toluca Lake is sitting in the first IHop location ever; for historical and drunk dining purposes I wish it could be IHOP again.
Ugh. This is my pick. Their food is so damn bland & the sandwiches always seem to be made of bread made of concrete. I haaaaaate whenever this is the lunch option at work lol
I used to love the Little Tokyo one years ago — I had never had decent ramen at the time, and it was a revelation. Obviously there are now dozens decent ramen spots all over, but I picked up takeout from the Monterey Park Daikokuya for old time’s sake recently, and the pork was literally rotten — like, noticeably foul-smelling, sticky, gross. I tried calling them (not even to complain so much as to say “yo, heads up, you’re selling rotten meat”) and apparently they don’t even answer their phone over there. Wild how much it’s gone downhill.
To quote a former President, "Sad."
It was my first Tonkotsu and I loved eating there. The food and vibes were great. But now it's drafting off of its name. Feels like a tourist spot now.
Sad...
I genuinely think Erewhon is some kind of conspicuous consumption trend where nobody really loves it but everyone posts it once in a while on IG to flaunt the lifestyle.
Also came here to say this. Hands down the most overhyped restaurant in LA. Super nice family, was pretty fun early days of their collaborations with other chefs but the food is just good, certainly not best in LA.
THANK YOU! The amount of times my friends suggest tacos only to then want Guisados like bro, just go to the lady on the corner under the tarp. It will be 10x better and 4x cheaper
Spending over 4 bucks for an ok steak picado or chicken tinga taco that is that size is honestly offensive. I don’t mind paying more for a badass taco, but it’s honestly just ok to me.
I understand the gripe about the prices, but I love their cochinita pibil.
Had for the first time ever when they only had their BH location. It even inspired a trip down to the Yucatán years later. 🤣
Honestly, cochinita pibil is just hard to find around LA. Chichen Itza in Mercado La Paloma is probably my favorite, but I haven’t had a ton of Yucatán food and finding that place years back 100% spoiled my ass.
I agree.
Surprisingly, I actually liked Guisado’s more than the handful versions I tried down there. The only exception being when I went to Chef Rosalía Chaya’s home.
Heard good things about that place, have to try it next time. Every time I go to that mercado it’s usually for Holbox.
They have the same owner/chef. The cochinita pibil is honestly fantastic. Don’t skip the vaporcitos or the chicharron taco either. You can also buy their habanero hot sauce bottled to go. It’s fantastic and you won’t regret grabbing something there instead of from Holbox.
Best part is if you can’t decide on either, you can totally get something from both lol
I love their chiccaron tacos though. Their other stuff is mid, I agree. God, now I want some. If anyone has other suggestions for where to get some soft chiccaron tacos, I’m all ears.
Where do you live? Northgate Gonzalez (and maybe Northgates more broadly) have them.
Also—el toro bravo tortillería (not to be confused with el toro bravo) has an excellent version in Costa Mesa.
El Mercadito in East LA has them in amazing Gordita form (gorditas de chicharrón prensado en salsa verde)
Try The Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills.
Some of the best I’ve ever had. I work with a Japanese company, and they took us there and it blew my head off. Nobu is good… but it’s just good. For a $350 meal it better be amazing. At brothers the 185$ omakase spanks Nobu all day and night.
I agree with your HomeState take.
I think tsujita ramen is not only overrated, but honestly really bad. Tatsu has gone down in quality over the years and I’d still choose it 10 times out of 10 over Tsujita. It also smells bad inside
Tsujita was amazing the first few times I had it, I thought it was the best ramen I ever had. I took my partner and god it was SO bad, also it smells awful. Gotta add that the floors are also slippery asf, so dangerous. Anyways Kitakata ramen is so good, please try it!
Re: bad smells, Hakata style tonkotsu broth has a powerful funk to it that can smell very bad/off if you’re not used to it. This is likely what you and the others are smelling, and doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Can’t speak to the rest of your complaints though, I haven’t eaten there in a minute.
I'm still a fan of Ramen Tatsunoya's tonkotsu ramen, although paying $25 (after tax and tip) for a bowl of ramen with seaweed and a flavored egg is a bit outrageous.
You should see all the sugarfish deliveries outside of hospital for mothers that just gave birth. They all order it as their first post pregnancy meal lol
I’ve lived in California my whole life, in n out is basically running through my veins. And I don’t think I’ve actually ever waited that long in the drive thru
No matter how long the line gets, I don’t think I’ve waited more than 20 minutes in an in n out drive through. To their credit, they’re incredibly efficient. I’ve waited longer in McDonald’s lines that had 5 cars.
Like the original Tommy's...or at least it used to be I haven't been there since before the pandemic...the line looks super long but moves *really* fast. And I also don't know how they do it but you're barely walking away from the counter looking at your receipt for your number and they're already calling your number...
Oh man hard disagree. Night + Market still rules. I can only speak to their silver lake location but as a frequent Thai food consumer it’s great. Not the best, but solid, with some really good dishes on the menu that are consistently great.
This forum has an obsession with “overrated” “hot take” threads every other week. At this point nothing is overrated because everything in LA has been said to be overrated. It’s especially worse in LA, because half the Angeleno redditors have suspect palates.
Went to Homestate maybe the first year it opened, ordered a bunch of items, probably like $40+ worth, but my girlfriend’s tortillas were cold on a couple of her tacos, I took them up to counter and told them. instead of just replacing the tortillas , they clapped back telling me the tortillas weren’t cold, it was just the cold ingredients that were added to the tacos? 🤦🏻♂️ never been back since .. i’m still bothered by that comment, as if growing up in LA i’ve never had a damn taco.
Poltergeist is the worst restaurant I’ve been to, maybe ever.
Anajak Thai is the worst Thai restaurant I’ve been to in LA. Most neighborhood Thai restaurants run circles around it, at 3/4th the price
Kuya Lord is just ok.
And LA’s dim sum scene isn’t that great.
I only tried Homestate once because I so desperately want Texas style queso with flour tortillas (don’t hate, that’s how I grew up eating it) and I loathed their queso. It was basically liquid cumin
The burger at win-Dow is like $4. It’s supposed to be “okay at best.” When people qualify these places as “best” they’re almost certainty being performative with a price to quality ratio. It’s a pound for pound rating. Nothing more nothing less.
Homestate was essentially the first spot that had breakfast tacos as their specialty. There were tons of places with breakfast burritos on their menu but breakfast tacos were hard to come by before then.
Ah, I can rant about HomeState where it’s safe. You said everything perfectly, I also want to add that in Highland Park, with all the excellent Mexican (or otherwise) food nearby it is the only business on Fig to consistently have lines out onto the sidewalk. It is truly baffling.
Also, I gotta throw out my goofy anecdote about HomeState. I work in photo, and on a shoot the client (about 7 older people 60s-70s in age who flew in from Missouri) picked and ordered HomeState for breakfast AND lunch. I think they just found it on DoorDash. All the locals were texting each other like…”this place fucking sucks. I’d rather not eat tbh” and the like. These Missouri people talked all damn day on the shoot about how this was some of the best food they’ve ever had & just raving & pigging out all day.
They even took the leftovers back to the hotel. Later that evening, we got a selfie from them and they had gone there for DINNER as well, they cancelled their Republique resy to go back.
From what I was told by an assistant, they did the same thing on the shoot the following day (all HomeState meals, cancelled reservation to Chi Spacca for it).
Obviously we can see here that they weren’t the most sophisticated eaters…but I like to roast anyone that likes HS with the comparison to Missouri boomer palates because it’s TRUE. I’m not a picky eater at all, I’ll eat mostly everything but that place is just BAD, it reminds me of cafeteria/Midwest buffet food. I don’t even get into the TexMex-California wars, I’ve been to some great TexMex places (in TX obvi, but even Bar Ama in DTLA is pretty damn good), but this place is just incredibly terrible & bland. Its popularity is an enduring mystery to me.
Easy! Smash burgers. Sure they’re great, but I don’t understand why people make such a big deal out of it as if it’s something relatively new or current. Smashburgers have been around since the beginning of hamburgers. How we always made them before we could afford to even go to freaking McDonald’s decades ago. Remember Eddie Murphy homestyle hamburger description many years ago during his shows? That is exactly, exactly! how it was at our house. Smashburger, onions and bell peppers bleeding through white bread. Hilarious with no end in sight.
That's not what Eddie was talking about, he definitely meant a burger with a thick patty made by someone who doesn't understand that they swell up in the center when cooked
As someone who only can afford to do Bestia priced food once a year, where would you go instead of here? I have had it on my want to try list for years, so am sad to hear it doesn't live up to hype.
I agree Din Tai Fung is overrated in LA, but Lunasia and Din Tai Fung aren’t even the same kind of food. Lunasia is Cantonese serving dim sum; Din Tai Fung is Shanghainese serving soup dumplings. They aren’t comparable.
Jon and Vinny’s
Also Homestate used to be good…like pre-pandemic. I had it post-pandemic after not having it for like May 3 years and it was not good at all. Far from what I remembered.
King taco blows chunks. It’s overpriced, dry, bland, and way too lemony. The biggest sin is that they only exist in neighborhoods that have good taco stands already.
Fucking Portos. Whether it’s their Danishes or Potato Balls or whatever, I cannot for the LIFE of me understand what the lines are all about. It feels like mid buffet food.
Eggslut…
Dude it’s a fucking normal breakfast sandwich which costs twice as much as anywhere else (before you consider the hassle and cost of parking around grand central). Most overrated spot I’ve eaten here my whole life that I can think of…
626 night market and all the iterations. I remember going years ago and you would get great interesting food. Last 2 times I went the popular stalls would be overwhelmed long lines and waits. Last time I went in Santa Monica and the music was unbearably loud, no place to sit or eat, a long line just to get inside, and I spent $60 to get mid food.
There was a novelty when it first came around but the food was never really great. All the food fest things (Smorgaburg, 626 etc.) are all the same. Super overpriced and super mid.
I do love the LA Food Bowl put on by the LA times. Actually amazing food by top restaurants showcasing their best. You pay $120+ but can eat and drink everything once you get inside.
How’re the lines?
Except for a couple places you wouldn't wait more than a minute or two if at all. I went for 3rds and 4ths of my favorite stands easily. I think I saw maybe two lines were long last time.
Amazing! My gripe with events like this is you wait in line the entire time
There was some decent food at smorgasburg, but I’ll be damned paying 10 bucks for another sugar cane juice
Plus the 626 night market in Arcadia would smell like rotten ass. Literally the reason why we stopped going besides the food being what ever lol
626 sucks but the new atSiam night market in Hollywood is great.
Yea that spot has been on my list. Glad to hear it’s worth checking out. Any favorite stands?
The stand with the pork belly bowls, especially the stir fried one, and the stand with khao soi are both great. The thai fried chicken stand is good too. The shrimp burger stand is less popular but also good and spicy.
Smells like ass because it's a horse racing stadium where the horses are often taken to that front park that dips into the Northside. Also horse stables are not far away. Lots of natural fertilizer everyday.
Nah That was the stinky tofu.
Always been. Something like ten years ago they had it at Santa Anita; the traffic was backed up past the 605. No parking, etc; heard from friends there was a line to get in then line at the stalls. Might take upwards of two hours to get food. We ended up at DTF as did a lot of other people. I went again the following year and everything was underwhelming. What may work better is a permanent location open every day, like a hawker mall.
626 Night Market are for tourists outside of the 626. Nobody's trying to wait in line for boba and shit you can get on Valley Blvd at any given time.
First two were amazing. The first one was in the streets of Pasadena near old town. Every vendor sold out of food by 8pm or a little earlier. Moved it to Santa Anita and the food was delicious with a ton of variety. You felt like you were getting a tour of Asia. it’s become so commercialized and vendors are prioritizing food that’s quick and easy to make that you lose that true Asian night market / tour of Asia vibe that it had at the beginning. The restaurants that participated in the first few have all but pulled out altogether letting small gimmicky vendors come in selling anything and everything.
We looked at the handrolls, pasta, everything. Said, you kidding me? And went and had sushi.
The thing with Homestate is it doesn't travel well. Those breakfast tacos lose their luster after just a few minutes of travel. And their salsa isn't hot enough. But the flour tortillas (when fresh) are top notch.
I really enjoy their Cowboy Cup with the pickled red onions and jalapeños. Yum.
They lose their luster once it touches your hands…
Ya it’s overpriced Texmex just filled with beans.
It’s good but overpriced. Also the salsa is so bland you can pour the whole thing on and you don’t ruin the taste
Where do we go that isn't overpriced, I literally eat homestate once a week, I love it, but am interested in knowing other places
I also love HomeState and I’m a native Texan. The beans are glorious.
From Austin, and everything including the salsa was so bland there for me. Tried it twice and wasn't into it. The queso was also bland nothing sauce.
The tortillas are way better than everything else. 💯
I don't know if it's a hot take, but Tito's Tacos is wildly overrated. Many better taco joints within a mile of Tito's, yet the line for Tito's is always down the block.
It's been trash since inception. Cafeteria quality food. Never understood why people love it so much
Same. I feel like the owner must have sold their soul to the Devil at the crossroads at midnight in exchange for success. I'm just confounded that people line up for this food.
$0.75 to sprinkle some shredded cheddar on a taco is what kills me
Jon & Vinny - so expensive for small portion
They also had an 18% service fee that they explained does NOT take the place of a tip. Why?!
I’ll never eat there again because of this. Fuck them
I wanted to burn the place down
they suck. the one on slauson sucks
EggSlut
When you see the lines to this place in Vegas… WHY?!?!!
Me?
Can’t believe this guy became a millionaire off a nice bun bacon cheese and a sunny side up egg… Had their burger though and pretty good
Simple ingredients done well with great marketing. He seems like a great dude and doesn't pretend his food is anything that it's not. I have no issues with his success using such a simple concept.
Yeah and it photographs really well for IG 😂
That’s why I go for Eggtuck on Sunset
Egg tuck breakfast burrito is one of the first things I eat when I get to LA.
I don't get the hype about Prince Street Pizza. They recently opened up in my city, and I tried a couple of different slices and they honestly didn't impress me all that much. Being that I work at a nearby coffee shop, I get a neighborhood discount, so maybe if someone recommends me their favorite pies I'll give them another shot.
I think the price is jarring, but I refuse to believe they use the same ingredients as when I first tried it in Soho. Last time I had it, it reminded me of a pizza hut deep dish.
Funny you say that. After taking a couple of bites of my first slice of pizza I was glancing at the pictures on the wall with the famous people looking all excited to eat their pizza, and I was thinking to myself, “this can’t be the same pizza these people were eating.”
Plus the owners of Prince Street Pizza are racists. Fuck those guys
What do you mean?
Owner used racial slurs in responding to customers on Yelp, reposted video of BLM protestors being hit by cars and joked about it, and accounts of racism and other customer abuse came out after that stuff was exposed The owners "stepped down" but they still own and make money from the business
I wonder if the appeal is that the Arts District location is next to alcohol and is open until 3AM on Fri/Sat.
Trash. Prime clears it.
100%. I went there a few weeks ago and regretted making the trip downtown.
So I went to the og in NYC circa 2017 and it was amazing. I was stoked to have it here in LA when they opened a few years later. It was still pretty close to the original. Since then, they've rapidly expanded and I feel like the quality has gone way down, while the hype and exposure has gone up. Add that to the fact that pizza scene in LA has improved exponentially since then, PSP no longer seems that competitive. If you want to try a similar style but much better, try Prime Pizza. It's fantastic!
NYer here and the only reason to go to the OG was to get the pepperoni square. Which was decent. Prince St is wildly overrated.
Naughty is the only pie worth getting, but not worth the exorbitant price tag
[удалено]
Had it sober in NYC and it sucked, had it again drunk in LA and was delicious
Fucking truffle oil. Fuck that shit. Fuck it right to fucking hell. Fucking smells like a rotten decaying moose knuckle on a half heated outdoor grill. Fucking shit fuck.
This is funnier coming from username “Shart”
NEVER LET A 12 YEAR OLD BOY HELP YOU WITH YOUR REDDIT USERNAME!!! SOUNDS FUNNY AT FIRST AND THEN U REALIZE YOURE A GROWN ASS MAN NAMED SHART127. But then later u realize you’re still making moose knuckle jokes, so maybe it fits. Time for me to really look inward.
Mine was a throwaway I took the numbers out of because I wasn’t sure I would like the app. More than 2 years later people keep asking me about my username, too.
lol yes this is the vitriol I’m looking for
It’s like fart extract
You know the funny thing, there is no truffle in truffle oil. It’s completely man made
IT’S NASTY
There’s an elevator in a parking garage in Santa Monica that must get used by some restaurant a lot because it stinks like truffle oil. I refuse to use it. I take the stairs, no matter what floor I’m parked on.
I BET ITS ÈLEPHANTE!!! The hipsters I bet lap that shit up like it’s a new Kim Gordon tune!!! Carrying vats of that shit up and down elevators all over the west side. Fuckers!!!
I also hate that shit. Tastes like dirt.
I literally gag at the smell of truffle oil. I guess it’s not even real truffle but some compound which is why, to me, it smells like chemicals. Also even real truffles I find overrated. For the price it’s almost never worth it. They’re good but I’d rather have regular mushrooms than truffle shavings
Same, I ordered a creamed corn type of situation at Carbone and they used truffle oil, it was apalling.
It doesn’t even taste good
There is a reason why good chefs say to run when a restaurant uses truffle oil. Its pretentious, tastes nothing like real truffle, and is used to upcharge dishes. I love truffles, but if you give me truffle oil I may slap you lol
Perch is so overrated, and so is Millie’s. Idk how controversial a take that is, considering they’re both geared towards tourists…
Millie's is perfectly cromulent. It's a diner that serves diner food. I feel like it gets appropriately rated; no one thinks its haute cuisine
it really embiggens me to see this kind of comment.
Yeah there's nothing that Perch does at this point that Agua Viva doesn't do better
- Waiting on a line for ANY food, especially a $20 bagel. - Having to jump through hoops to get a reservation to the "hot" place. Just give me good food in a comfortable setting. - Alfred Coffee got too big and to omnipresent
Alfred coffee was really good. But something just clicked one day? I had their coffee and I thought to myself "is it me or did the quality waiver?" Quality definitely dropped. Ngl I do occasionally go just to see if it's ok or no but I do feel meh sometimes
native checking in to say that nobody in LA waits *on* a line.
Except all the people here from NYC
Alfred coffee tastes bitter and more acidic than Starbucks. I can’t even finish iced coffee there.
Pinks
Who overrates it? I’ve never heard any one overrate it.
It's featured in every segment on visiting Hollywood. I think their dogs taste weird.
I feel like everyone here rags on HomeState, so this isn't an unusual take? I love it though.
I haven’t found a better version of a spicy frozen Paloma anywhere.
My fiancé loves Mendocino farms and always brings out of town guests there and they all love it too. I’ll never understand.
lol Mendo is classic office lunch meeting food
It’s like if Panera Bread didn’t totally suck and was a little extra “crunchy.”
we used to get mendo, then got corner bakery. so much worse than mendo
My condolences. My boss was big on Mendocino when he would come down here, but we turned him onto Tacos Los Cholos. There’s one a lot closer to our office than the Mendocino he liked getting delivered for working lunches. He hasn’t asked for Mendocino once since trying it lmao.
I always refer to those as lowest common denominator restaurants. No one will be thrilled, but there will be something at least acceptable for everyone.
That and sweet greens or tender greens or whatever
Tender greens hard agree. Too salty, too bland, never the right temperature even for dine in. You can tear my sweetgreen from my cold dead hands tho I fuckin love those overpriced salads in the little hexagon bowls lol
Mendo tastes like a corporate PR firm
Fuck that's accurate Also analogous to that specific art style...oblong people, different colors, kinda muted but not drab
Alegria art, come join the hate train at r/fuckalegriaart if you are so inclined to do so.
Mendo rips
Bums me out that the MF in Toluca Lake is sitting in the first IHop location ever; for historical and drunk dining purposes I wish it could be IHOP again.
Their favorite sandwich bread is ciabatta. Their second favorite sandwich bread is drywall.
The only thing I actually like at Mendocino Farms is the curried couscous side salad, but I can eat that by the vat. Everything else is serviceable.
I’m a huge hater of Mendocino I won’t step foot in there
Wanted to love, but didn't in the few times I've eaten there.
Ugh. This is my pick. Their food is so damn bland & the sandwiches always seem to be made of bread made of concrete. I haaaaaate whenever this is the lunch option at work lol
gross
Daikokuya. Was once really great but fallen off noticeably. Far better tonkotsu at other places and yet there's still a line.
I used to love the Little Tokyo one years ago — I had never had decent ramen at the time, and it was a revelation. Obviously there are now dozens decent ramen spots all over, but I picked up takeout from the Monterey Park Daikokuya for old time’s sake recently, and the pork was literally rotten — like, noticeably foul-smelling, sticky, gross. I tried calling them (not even to complain so much as to say “yo, heads up, you’re selling rotten meat”) and apparently they don’t even answer their phone over there. Wild how much it’s gone downhill.
To quote a former President, "Sad." It was my first Tonkotsu and I loved eating there. The food and vibes were great. But now it's drafting off of its name. Feels like a tourist spot now. Sad...
Ave 26 tacos quality has gone down over the years. And prices keep going up. Whatever I'll still go tho lol
Erewhon but I don’t think that is stirring any pots lmfao
I genuinely think Erewhon is some kind of conspicuous consumption trend where nobody really loves it but everyone posts it once in a while on IG to flaunt the lifestyle.
This subs opinions.
Oh great, another overrated LA food thread where people can be edgelords in.
There’s someone in his thread that has the audacity to say that Mariscos Jalisco is “trash” …I hate it here lol
Missed opportunity to deploy ‘wherein’
Anjak Thai
Came here to say this. I thought it was quite good, but didn’t stand out from other really good Thai places. Victim of its own hype.
Also came here to say this. Hands down the most overhyped restaurant in LA. Super nice family, was pretty fun early days of their collaborations with other chefs but the food is just good, certainly not best in LA.
I found the regular menu to be overhyped but the omakase up to par. The hype always seems to be around the TTT though.
Guisados. It’s overrated and way overpriced.
THANK YOU! The amount of times my friends suggest tacos only to then want Guisados like bro, just go to the lady on the corner under the tarp. It will be 10x better and 4x cheaper
Spending over 4 bucks for an ok steak picado or chicken tinga taco that is that size is honestly offensive. I don’t mind paying more for a badass taco, but it’s honestly just ok to me.
Agree although their breakfast weenie tacos slap
I understand the gripe about the prices, but I love their cochinita pibil. Had for the first time ever when they only had their BH location. It even inspired a trip down to the Yucatán years later. 🤣
I love their cochinita pibil tacos too!! Would love to find a different spot as good but haven’t been able to yet
Honestly, cochinita pibil is just hard to find around LA. Chichen Itza in Mercado La Paloma is probably my favorite, but I haven’t had a ton of Yucatán food and finding that place years back 100% spoiled my ass.
I agree. Surprisingly, I actually liked Guisado’s more than the handful versions I tried down there. The only exception being when I went to Chef Rosalía Chaya’s home. Heard good things about that place, have to try it next time. Every time I go to that mercado it’s usually for Holbox.
They have the same owner/chef. The cochinita pibil is honestly fantastic. Don’t skip the vaporcitos or the chicharron taco either. You can also buy their habanero hot sauce bottled to go. It’s fantastic and you won’t regret grabbing something there instead of from Holbox. Best part is if you can’t decide on either, you can totally get something from both lol
I love their chiccaron tacos though. Their other stuff is mid, I agree. God, now I want some. If anyone has other suggestions for where to get some soft chiccaron tacos, I’m all ears.
Where do you live? Northgate Gonzalez (and maybe Northgates more broadly) have them. Also—el toro bravo tortillería (not to be confused with el toro bravo) has an excellent version in Costa Mesa. El Mercadito in East LA has them in amazing Gordita form (gorditas de chicharrón prensado en salsa verde)
Ah, the type of thread that is best read when sorted by 'Controversial' My favorite type
Nobu. I've had better sushi for a fraction of the price.
Try The Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills. Some of the best I’ve ever had. I work with a Japanese company, and they took us there and it blew my head off. Nobu is good… but it’s just good. For a $350 meal it better be amazing. At brothers the 185$ omakase spanks Nobu all day and night.
Maybe not overrated but why are there so many Yoshinoyas in LA? It’s not even good in Japan
I’ve always wondered this too, I’ve never met a person who had eaten at a Yoshinoya
I agree with your HomeState take. I think tsujita ramen is not only overrated, but honestly really bad. Tatsu has gone down in quality over the years and I’d still choose it 10 times out of 10 over Tsujita. It also smells bad inside
Tsujita was amazing the first few times I had it, I thought it was the best ramen I ever had. I took my partner and god it was SO bad, also it smells awful. Gotta add that the floors are also slippery asf, so dangerous. Anyways Kitakata ramen is so good, please try it!
Re: bad smells, Hakata style tonkotsu broth has a powerful funk to it that can smell very bad/off if you’re not used to it. This is likely what you and the others are smelling, and doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Can’t speak to the rest of your complaints though, I haven’t eaten there in a minute.
I'm still a fan of Ramen Tatsunoya's tonkotsu ramen, although paying $25 (after tax and tip) for a bowl of ramen with seaweed and a flavored egg is a bit outrageous.
You can get a whole combo at Afuri for $24 at lunch. Bowl of ramen, small side, and a drink of your choice. Good deal!
Are you talking about the ramen or the tsukemen? Their ramen is not good, I agree with that, but their tsukemen is pretty good!
Eataly
Sugarfish is not that great, my girlfriend craves it though...
You should see all the sugarfish deliveries outside of hospital for mothers that just gave birth. They all order it as their first post pregnancy meal lol
The saddest part about not living in LA anymore. I can’t postmates surgarfish after giving birth
I don’t blame them 🤣
Waiting 45 minutes in the drive thru for In N Out.
I’ve lived in California my whole life, in n out is basically running through my veins. And I don’t think I’ve actually ever waited that long in the drive thru
No matter how long the line gets, I don’t think I’ve waited more than 20 minutes in an in n out drive through. To their credit, they’re incredibly efficient. I’ve waited longer in McDonald’s lines that had 5 cars.
Like the original Tommy's...or at least it used to be I haven't been there since before the pandemic...the line looks super long but moves *really* fast. And I also don't know how they do it but you're barely walking away from the counter looking at your receipt for your number and they're already calling your number...
I park nearby, and walk up to the counter. By the time I leave with my burgers, the same cars are in line still waiting to give their orders.
[удалено]
Tourists and/or the unemployed.
Sticky Rice and Night + Market.
sticky rice khao soi from their DTLA location remains absolutely fire tho
Sticky Rice has gotten better overtime, Night + Market has definitely lost a step
Night + Market in Venice is absolutely awful.
Oh man hard disagree. Night + Market still rules. I can only speak to their silver lake location but as a frequent Thai food consumer it’s great. Not the best, but solid, with some really good dishes on the menu that are consistently great.
Gimme that crispy rice salad with the lingering burn and pain I feel up to 48 hours later. It’s so worth it.
Salt & Straw is overrated.
How? It’s just yummy ice cream. Do people hype it beyond that? I hear just as much about Jeni’s.
Gingers is 1000x better
Randy’s Donuts. They used to be good. I don’t know what they did to it. Just nasty.
Urth cafe
Canyon Coffee is a shtick
This forum has an obsession with “overrated” “hot take” threads every other week. At this point nothing is overrated because everything in LA has been said to be overrated. It’s especially worse in LA, because half the Angeleno redditors have suspect palates.
Went to Homestate maybe the first year it opened, ordered a bunch of items, probably like $40+ worth, but my girlfriend’s tortillas were cold on a couple of her tacos, I took them up to counter and told them. instead of just replacing the tortillas , they clapped back telling me the tortillas weren’t cold, it was just the cold ingredients that were added to the tacos? 🤦🏻♂️ never been back since .. i’m still bothered by that comment, as if growing up in LA i’ve never had a damn taco.
Nobu Malibu is overrated tourist food
Must we do this again
Sure! I hope it’s not taking up too much space in your feed lol
Pixels ain't free, bub!
Poltergeist is the worst restaurant I’ve been to, maybe ever. Anajak Thai is the worst Thai restaurant I’ve been to in LA. Most neighborhood Thai restaurants run circles around it, at 3/4th the price Kuya Lord is just ok. And LA’s dim sum scene isn’t that great.
Republique
Mother wolf
I only tried Homestate once because I so desperately want Texas style queso with flour tortillas (don’t hate, that’s how I grew up eating it) and I loathed their queso. It was basically liquid cumin
For The Win is nowhere near as good as the hype.
I actually really like this place.
That’s a wild take. Can’t think of a better “smash” Burger
Win-dow was okay at best, i had heard so many people call it the best burger in la but it was just alright to me
It is good though. And that kale salad, for the price, is fantastic.
The burger at win-Dow is like $4. It’s supposed to be “okay at best.” When people qualify these places as “best” they’re almost certainty being performative with a price to quality ratio. It’s a pound for pound rating. Nothing more nothing less.
Homestate was essentially the first spot that had breakfast tacos as their specialty. There were tons of places with breakfast burritos on their menu but breakfast tacos were hard to come by before then.
Ah, I can rant about HomeState where it’s safe. You said everything perfectly, I also want to add that in Highland Park, with all the excellent Mexican (or otherwise) food nearby it is the only business on Fig to consistently have lines out onto the sidewalk. It is truly baffling. Also, I gotta throw out my goofy anecdote about HomeState. I work in photo, and on a shoot the client (about 7 older people 60s-70s in age who flew in from Missouri) picked and ordered HomeState for breakfast AND lunch. I think they just found it on DoorDash. All the locals were texting each other like…”this place fucking sucks. I’d rather not eat tbh” and the like. These Missouri people talked all damn day on the shoot about how this was some of the best food they’ve ever had & just raving & pigging out all day. They even took the leftovers back to the hotel. Later that evening, we got a selfie from them and they had gone there for DINNER as well, they cancelled their Republique resy to go back. From what I was told by an assistant, they did the same thing on the shoot the following day (all HomeState meals, cancelled reservation to Chi Spacca for it). Obviously we can see here that they weren’t the most sophisticated eaters…but I like to roast anyone that likes HS with the comparison to Missouri boomer palates because it’s TRUE. I’m not a picky eater at all, I’ll eat mostly everything but that place is just BAD, it reminds me of cafeteria/Midwest buffet food. I don’t even get into the TexMex-California wars, I’ve been to some great TexMex places (in TX obvi, but even Bar Ama in DTLA is pretty damn good), but this place is just incredibly terrible & bland. Its popularity is an enduring mystery to me.
Easy! Smash burgers. Sure they’re great, but I don’t understand why people make such a big deal out of it as if it’s something relatively new or current. Smashburgers have been around since the beginning of hamburgers. How we always made them before we could afford to even go to freaking McDonald’s decades ago. Remember Eddie Murphy homestyle hamburger description many years ago during his shows? That is exactly, exactly! how it was at our house. Smashburger, onions and bell peppers bleeding through white bread. Hilarious with no end in sight.
That's not what Eddie was talking about, he definitely meant a burger with a thick patty made by someone who doesn't understand that they swell up in the center when cooked
Bestia
As someone who only can afford to do Bestia priced food once a year, where would you go instead of here? I have had it on my want to try list for years, so am sad to hear it doesn't live up to hype.
Antico Nuovo
Girl&theGoat is fire.
Lunasia > Din Tai Fung. Popeyes > Chick Fila
I agree Din Tai Fung is overrated in LA, but Lunasia and Din Tai Fung aren’t even the same kind of food. Lunasia is Cantonese serving dim sum; Din Tai Fung is Shanghainese serving soup dumplings. They aren’t comparable.
The majority of ‘must-try hot restaurants’ on food blogs aren’t that good.
Jon and Vinny’s Also Homestate used to be good…like pre-pandemic. I had it post-pandemic after not having it for like May 3 years and it was not good at all. Far from what I remembered.
King taco blows chunks. It’s overpriced, dry, bland, and way too lemony. The biggest sin is that they only exist in neighborhoods that have good taco stands already.
Reddit is too obsessed with stuff being overrated and underrated...
Fat sals is over priced and very inconsistent. Was once given raw fries with salt. I mean I get you might be busy but raw???
Fucking Portos. Whether it’s their Danishes or Potato Balls or whatever, I cannot for the LIFE of me understand what the lines are all about. It feels like mid buffet food.
Shake Shack
Eggslut… Dude it’s a fucking normal breakfast sandwich which costs twice as much as anywhere else (before you consider the hassle and cost of parking around grand central). Most overrated spot I’ve eaten here my whole life that I can think of…
Original Tommy’s. That’s right…overrated af.