Where to dine and drink near Dodger Stadium

Whatever you want to call it—restaurant, bar, arcade—Button Mash has created a category all its own in L.A. The food is fantastic and Pan-Asian–leaning, with crispy tofu balls, incredible Vietnamese spring rolls, a decadent double cheeseburger and a selection of rice dishes, noodles, sandwiches and larger plates to be enjoyed at the bar or in the dining room. They’ve even got some of the best wings in town. The drink menu includes a unique list of beer and wine, and Button Mash is home to more than 100 arcade cabinets from the ’70s to ’90s—but they keep around 50 on the floor at one time. Still more than enough to occupy your time before or after a ball game.

This izakaya charmer is but a 10 minute walk from the stadium, so you can load up on Japanese skewers and small plates—and some serious sake safely—before heading to the game. Easily one of the nearest high-quality restaurants, Tsubaki is also one of the most spirited: Keep an eye out for baseball-season treats such as katsu-sando boxes to-go, special home-game menus and earlier hours.

Whether you’re in need of a casual dinner or a late-night bite, Taco Zone is a Mexican-food favorite. From burritos to quesadillas, what sets these authentic meals apart is the salsa. And with a $2 taco, it’s hard not to wait in the late-night line, which wraps around Echo Park. Just make sure you hit an ATM before, because this fun food joint is cash only.

Past the pupusa and hot dog street stands sits a black box of a bar, with a blazing neon sign as its marker. Inside is a divey hub for hipsters in bandanas and baseball fans in Dodgers caps to enjoy unpretentious atmosphere while sipping libations. The retro hangout is most known for its popular, disco-ball–bedecked dance room and cheap drinks. Just a 15 minute walk from Dodger Stadium, there’s no better place to delight in a post-game night out.

What better way to celebrate the home team’s win (or mourn their loss) than to stroll 10 minutes west of Dodger Stadium and tuck into some hearty Mexican eats? El Compadre serves house-made tortilla chips and salsa that rival any you’ll find south of the border, and their flaming margaritas are a must-try. The moody lighting, mouth-watering menu and live mariachi make the El Compadre experience a spicy one. There’s also no better spot to relive the glory (or hash out what went wrong) than the bar here: Two big TVs play everything Dodgers-related, and vocal fans hang at the bar with micheladas and lots of opinions.

This beer store and bar offers a gigantic selection of brewskies, from West Coast microbrews to rare Belgian ales and small-production specialty bottles. (There’s also wine, and a pretty good little selection, but we rarely see anyone drinking it here.) There are refrigerated cases from which you can grab bottles to-go, or get one opened at the bar (for a small corkage fee) and hang out with a plethora of beer nerds and Dodger-blue–bedecked baseball fans.

Baseball and BBQ go together pretty well, and this spot is just south of the stadium, on Temple—enough of a walk to get your appetite up. Run by the Concordia family, who’ve been mastering the art of BBQ for generations, the Park’s Finest spices up traditional American cuts with Filipino flavor. Known for their “50% mom, 50% pop, 100% L.A.” mantra, this one-of-a-kind BBQ restuarant has grown from a small catering company to a popular eatery near Downtown L.A.

This Boyle Heights taco institution launched its second taqueria in Echo Park back in 2013. Snag a table on the outdoor patio or sit inside to watch the kitchen in action as you dig into the mouthwatering tacos (around $2.95 apiece). We like the saucy tinga de pollo, the rich and juicy mole poblano, and the flavorful cochinita pibil topped with tart pickled red onions—all washed down with refreshingly tart jamaica aqua fresca or creamy, spiced horchata. Can’t decide what to order? The taco sampler offers two-bite tastes, while spice fanatics can’t miss the chiles toreados—muy caliente.

This venerable French-country–cuisine restaurant, which dates back to 1927, boasts an extensive wine collection (more than 400), with exquisite bread and nightly dinner specials along with smart music in a genteel setting. For the more casual diner, there’s the 321 lounge, offering a late-night menu, live music and comedy on the regular. This laid-back lounge is also a popular spot pre- and post-Dodger games.

This is a perfect spot to go post-game if you’re out with clients or a date. The cozy, family-owned vibe at Masa matches with a mouth-watering menu of classic Italian and Chicago-style edibles (vegan options too!), turning an average night out to dinner into a hug on the inside and out. The Chicago deep dish at Masa of Echo Park is the real deal, folks. You’ve got your two-inch–deep pan, your fresh cornmeal crust, your cheesy sauces and chunky fillings for days. Wash down your ’za with a bottle of pinot, and don’t forget dessert.

This Echo Park bistro is where locals go for dinner, lunch and weekend brunch, and is a great place to stop before or after a game—especially if you’ve got parents or out-of-town visitors in tow. The menu is solid, with eclectic offerings such as Szechuan fried calamari, seafood fideos, chicken shawarma, roast chicken and spaghetti carbonara. They’ve updated their patio, which makes alfresco dining here a delight—and if you want to escape the sweltering heat in the summer, the Park has some much-appreciated AC.

This former dive bar brings a little bit more joie de vivre—and upgraded digs—to Echo Park. When the bar’s coveted stools are taken and the only booths in the joint are at capacity, standing room allows for old-fashioned mingling in the fairly small space, and a game of pool. The drink menu is straightforward—full bar with standard bottle selections—with a handful of beers on tap, including an option or two for gluten-free imbibers. If you’re shaking off a Dodgers loss, you’re in luck: Little Joy’s got regular programming in spades, with comedy nights, karaoke, DJ sets and other entertainment to take your mind off the game.

It’s not the beloved dive it once was, and the crowd these days mostly feels like thirtysomething males sipping $13 cocktails and glasses of malbec, but you can still get boilermaker specials and the jukebox still has amazing Mexican hits mixed with hilarious stateside hammers (think Meatloaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love”). You’ll most likely spot other fans in here, too—there’s a Dodgers flag usually hanging outside, after all—and that’s not limited to patrons: Servers also don Dodger blue in season.

Dinette is a petite cafe from Cafe Stella’s Gareth Kanter, but here, you order from a counter after perusing cake stands filled with quiches and tarts and cookies, all separated by a sleek glass window. There is no indoor seating area, only scattered chairs and tables in a small alcove bound by plants and the sidewalk lining Sunset Boulevard. Energize here pre-game with waffles, avocado toast and ample lattes.