The best restaurants in Highland Park

After years of popping up around Highland Park (and a stint on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles), Victor Villa has brought his critically acclaimed blue corn tacos and mesquite-grilled meats to a strip mall spot along Figueroa. Made with family recipes, these “tacos estilo Los Angeles” are among the very best in the city, with seven different salsas to choose from and excellent guacamole (which is never extra). Three solid vegan taco options further broaden the appeal of Villa’s cooking, but the first-timer’s go-to order is usually the sampler trio of quesotacos with charred, crispy Monterey Jack soldered to each handmade tortilla, drizzles of fresh snow white crema and a shower of cotija cheese. Lines here usually form early, but these tacos are worth the wait.

Run by Vivian Ku, who also runs Pine & Crane in Silver Lake, this sleekly designed, community-focused Taiwanese spot draws sizable lines for some of the best fast-casual food in Highland Park. Efficient staff members will nimbly help you order at the counter, which features a rotating selection of various chilled Chinese starters. On its small menu, the standouts include a thousand-layer pancake with egg, cheese and basil (be sure to ask for chili oil) and the chiayi chicken rice bowl. Our favorite dish, however, is the pillowy clamshell bun, which can be made vegan with bean curd and mushrooms. If you can, save room for the peanut and black sesame hakka mochi.

Just a few minutes southwest from York Boulevard, this upscale dining destination in Glassell Park offers a delicious, historically informed take on Southern cuisine. Run by eponymous chef-owner Brian Dunsmoor—formerly of Culver City’s Hatchet Hall—the restaurant serves a rustic mix of raw seafood dishes, meaty larder sides and larger wood-fired entrées better shared between four people rather than two. Walk-ins and locals can try their luck at the wine bar around the side, but Dunsmoor tends to fill up nightly with reservations (a casual neighborhood spot, this isn’t). Don’t leave without trying the buttery shishito cornbread and the creamy chicken liver; while the menu changes regularly, these two things stick around, and they never fail to deliver.

With all the anticipation of a Fairfax Avenue sneaker drop, sleepy patrons line up outside Belle’s Bagels early on weekend mornings, hoping to score one of the shop’s signature, double-fermented bagels. Coming in the usual flavors like everything, onion and plain, Belle’s also offers a unique cacio e pepe bagel dusted in pecorino cheese and pepper. With high-quality cream cheese in beet, scallion, lox and vegan cashew varieties, plus delicious, hefty bagel sandwiches with must-try spicy tomato jam, it’s no wonder people line up at Belle’s most days of the week. (Planners can skip the line and place an order online the day before.)

A graduate of L.A.’s buzzy pop-up scene, this Mexican-Italian restaurant in Highland Park comes from veteran chef Danielle Duran Zecca and her husband Alessandro, who runs front-of-house. Must-order dishes like elote agnolotti and "noprese" (nopal plus caprese) salad reveal a surprising synergy between both cuisines, though you’ll be equally delighted by the rest of the menu. Housed inside an old denim repair shop, the pint-sized dining room and cobbled-together back patio confer a more scrappy neighborhood feel, but the unforgettably delicious cuisine has already made Amiga Amore a veritable dining destination across Northeast L.A.—so book ahead if you’re coming from out of the way.

Located on Figueroa, this gorgeous Spanish restaurant by chef Teresa Montaño sneaks global flavors into classic dishes from Valencia and Catalonia. Here, you’ll find a crispy, mouthwatering seafood paella as well as a dizzying number of tapas—including a must-order pan con tomate with optional (but not really) jamón ibérico. Drinkwise, you’ll find gin-and-tonic goblets brimming with herbs and botanicals, vermouths, sherries, natural wines and, of course, sangria, most of which you’ll find at budget-friendly prices during “Siesta Hour,” from 4:30 to 6:30pm, along with jamon croqueta and an excellent frito mixto with lemon aioli.

Made with minimally processed ingredients like beans, chickpeas and tofu, the deli “meat” sandwiches defy all flavor and taste expectations at this daytime-only vegan spot. Owned by namesake chef Maciel Bañales Luna and her husband, Joe Egender, the storefront offers fully plant-based takes on classics including a delicious Italian cold-cut sandwich made with vegan cheese from Follow Your Heart. Before noon, there’s a delicious breakfast burrito and French toast, and a small selection of desserts and sides (we recommend the chicharrones made with tofu skin). A cold case towards the back also offers packages of housemade deli meats, if you’re interested in bringing home a taste of Maciel’s.

For two decades, El Huarache Azteca has been drawing crowds of hungry fans for their excellent Mexico City-style huaraches. They recently underwent a stylish makeover—switching red walls to black and expanded the seating options—but have maintained the magic. For the uninitiated, huaraches are a flat oval of masa resembling a sandal that’s topped with beans, meat or vegetables, Mexican crema, crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro. It’s a beautiful, delicious mess. Besides the signature huaraches, we also recommend the quesadillas (particularly those filled with huitlacoche, an earthy corn fungus) and the barbacoa special on weekends. Cool off with a refreshing agua fresca made with fresh fruit.

The second location of Highly Likely offers something a little something for everyone, plus a beautiful patio filled with olive trees, greenery and an outdoor bar. As with the West Adams original, it's a neighborhood coffee shop with delicious grain bowls, salads and other all-day fare, plus a fully loaded espresso, tea, beer and natural wine. During the day, the U-shaped indoor bar is a haven for local remote workers. Unlike the original Highly Likely, however, the Highland Park location stays open until 10pm, when the space transforms into a mood-lit dinner spot perfect for casual date nights and get-togethers. After dark, snack on tasty dishes like koji chicken schnitzel, crispy brown rice salad and harissa meatballs. 

Since 2015, Bub and Grandma’s has provided bread to many of L.A.’s finest restaurants, but it wasn’t until quite recently that bakery owner Andy Kadin opened a daytime-only deli in Glassell Park serving all kinds of heavenly sandwiches, pastries and side salads. A carb lover’s dream, and a weekend brunch destination that draws Angelenos from all over, this isn’t quite a neighborhood spot—you’d be hard-pressed to walk in, even on weekdays, and not wait half an hour or more to order. Still, for diners willing to put up with a longer wait, Bub and Grandma’s delivers the perfect mix of retro-cool vibes and a delicious, gluten-based meal.

Six days a week, this well-established daytime-only food truck off Figueroa serves delicious Sinaloa-style seafood, including an excellent red aguachile, freshly shucked oysters and deep-fried shrimp empanadas stuffed with cheese. No matter what you order, every bite is a party in your mouth, from the tostadas to deli containers of cocteles filled with plump shrimp and hefty chunks of avocado. A few tables and stools on the sidewalk means you don’t have to take your food to go—all the better to sit a spell and enjoy one of El Faro’s refreshing micheladas.

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For those hunting for pizza on Fig—and really, some of the best fast-casual pizza anywhere in L.A.—head to Triple Beam’s original location in Highland Park. Helmed by local culinary icon Nancy Silverton and former Mozza chef Matt Molina, Triple Beam sells Roman-style pizza by the ounce, plus focaccia and garlic knots. Thanks to a partnership with the team behind Everson Royce Bar and Silverlake Wine, this spot also serves beer and wine. Although the team typically slices up several varieties at a time, we love their vegan-friendly pomodoro and the truffle-laced fontina, mozzarella, potato and sage; they also offer pre-ordered gluten-free whole and half-size pies.

Often erroneously listed online as Dos Mujeres, Jenny’s Tacos is a small, cash-only sidewalk cart selling tacos made with six kinds of meat and vegan-friendly nopales, or prickly pear cactus pads on some of the best handmade corn tortillas in all of L.A. Open nightly from 8pm to 2am on a quieter stretch of York, Jenny’s typically offers mouthwatering juicy cuts of asada, al pastor, pollo, buche, chorizo and tripas as well as cups of at least one type of horchata or aguas frescas. Paired with a few pickled onions and jalapeño peppers, they’re quite possibly the most perfect post-drinking late-night snack.

Located next door to Highland Park’s very own Chicken Boy, La Fuente serves a budget-friendly all-day menu that includes huevos rancheros and chilaquiles—otherwise known as our favorite way to eat chips for breakfast. Inside, you’ll find a pretty casual restaurant with a checkered floor, pink vinyl booths and a hodgepodge of Mexican and Wild West-themed prints on the walls. In addition to attentive service and generous portions of delicious, old school Mexican American food, each table receives a seemingly endless shower of chips accompanied by two types of red salsa.

With its retro diner feel and a wooden paneled curbside patio, this two-location burger spot’s Highland Park location is a quaint respite from the car and pedestrian traffic on nearby Figueroa Street. Housemade vegan patties dot both classic cheeseburgers and the Brainburner: a crunchy, spicy sandwich full of jalapeño chips, chopped banana peppers, garlic aioli and vegan provolone. Although the nutty-tasting shakes and golden fries are serviceable, our favorite side item is the crispy tofu nuggets, served with your choice of two sauces.

The retro Italian charm might be slightly contrived, but the spirit of la dolce vita is wholly genuine at this Eagle Rock bar located in a former red sauce restaurant. Unlike most L.A. watering holes, the bar sits at the nexus of casual, stylish and cool—and best of all, the reasonably priced bar bites are tasty enough to turn into a full-on meal. Though the bar fills to the brim (and spills out onto the sidewalk) nightly with well-dressed patrons sipping away on aperol spritzes, natural wine and cocktails, those who head here on the earlier side can snag a table and enjoy meatballs, fried pasta and larger plates of lasagna on Monday nights.

Though this all-day Tex-Mex L.A. restaurant now has five locations across the city, HomeState’s Highland Park location features a charming string-lit brick patio—the perfect place to dip their excellent breakfast tacos into queso with a swig of housemade frozen margarita or paloma, or perhaps their Ranchwater cocktail made with tequila, orange liquor, Topo Chico and lime. While you can’t go wrong with any of their tacos, the must-orders are the Trinity (bacon, eggs, potato, cheddar) and Guadalupe (chorizo or soyrizo, eggs, cheddar) on HomeState’s award-winning flour tortillas, made fresh daily. For fork-and-knife fare, look towards their migas and their take on the classic Frito pie in a bag.

Abbreviatorily named after the space’s previous tenant—the Highland Park Post Office—Hippo is a full-service neighborhood Italian restaurant from the same Mozza-partnered crew behind adjoining Triple Beam Pizza. Indoor diners are likely to get an earful of early 2010s alt and indie rock as they dine on starters, pasta and wood-grilled proteins alongside well-made cocktails or a glass of wine from its small, curated selection of sparkling, white, orange, rosé and red wines. Although most of its pastas are made in house, Hippo also sources from Semolina Artisanal Pasta in Pasadena. Come dessert, there’s scoops of Silverton’s famous “Nancy’s Fancy” gelato, as well as a seasonal fruit-topped custard brioche tart and a passable Basque cheesecake.

The vibe is casual and the menu here is brief, limited to a handful of boiled and fried dumplings, one or two bao and one or two rice bowls, but it's hard to go wrong with any of them. Unless, of course, you sleep in. This fast-casual spot comes by way of the owner of Monrovia's Luscious Dumplings, which prepares the goods for both spots each day; get here early, because Mason's tends to sell out and once these mouthwatering dumplings are gone, you'll have to come back tomorrow. 

Run by Highland Park’s Maritza Gomez, this casual, takeout-friendly Figueroa Street restaurant serves massive portions of Peruvian food at budget-conscious prices, including lomo saltado, a delectable arroz chaufa with customizable protein, and tallarín saltado (stir-fried linguini noodles). Here, you’ll also find traditional Peruvian dishes like papa a la huancaína and a zesty pollo a la brasa, served with choice of side. For a show-stopper, order the la copa nostra. Served in a giant goblet, it’s a mixed ceviche consisting of both raw and sauteéd seafood in a spicy leche de tigre.

This charmingly cozy café is the perfect nook for nibbling a healthy breakfast or lunch while catching up with friends over coffee. Run by ex-punk-singer-turned-chef Erica Daking, the space is flooded with natural light and includes lots of flower-adorned, wooden tables. The mostly gluten-free and vegan menu—you can add eggs to most dishes—features plenty of market-fresh produce while still being filling for even ravenous omnivores. Favorites include the buffalo bowl with brown rice, black beans, collard greens, yams and dill-cashew and buffalo sauces; for something sweet, don’t miss the buckwheat pancakes topped with Vermont maple syrup, coconut and berries. Next door, don't skip the restaurant's new bakery and deli, TOPO. It's there you'll find vegan and gluten-free sandwiches, cakes, cookies and to-go items, plus gifts and knick-knacks for all.

Highland Park’s first ramen destination comes from the team behind the popular Silverlake Ramen. At this bare-bones noodle shop lined with red stools and narrow counters you can order the mini-chain’s popular pork-based tonkotsu broth or try their lighter chicken shoyu broth named “The Soul.”  There’s also a hearty vegetarian version, as well as the tsukemen dipping noodles. Not feeling ramen? There are sushi rolls and rice bowls (with option to swap for quinoa) topped with pork belly, chicken karaage and more. While there’s no booze, you can sip their cucumber mint yuzu-nade or iced green tea.

The team behind the all-vegan Donut Friend might since have opened a Downtown location and ice cream-centric Creamo in Silver Lake, but their original location in Highland Park is still more than worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood. Though Donut Friend also fries up tried-and-true favorites like maple glazed old fashioned and doughnut holes, their unique, quirkily named signature flavors take the lion’s share of the limelight. Take the raised Green Teagan and Sara, which comes glazed with matcha and a sprinkling of toasted black sesame seeds and freeze dried raspberry powder. Filled doughnut lovers will enjoy the Bavarian cream-infused Youth Brulée, which cracks just like its namesake dessert when you bite in.