The burrito 2.0 with grilled steak at Sonoratown in Los Angeles.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Nine affordable lunch spots in L.A. for a meal that costs $15 or less
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- You can eat lunch at any of these nine restaurants for $15 or less, pretip and tax.
- And at many of these restaurants, you’ll leave with leftovers for dinner.
You may have noticed the prices at the grocery store or your favorite restaurant on the rise as businesses struggle to keep up with the soaring costs of goods and labor. No matter who you are, the effects of inflation are widespread and jarring.
I’m ever cognizant of this as someone who eats out for a living, and I’ve watched my tabs grow at restaurants all over the city. But it’s still the best way to fall in love with Los Angeles, even if you’re on a budget.
Where to find all-you-can-eat sushi, Korean barbecue, dim sum and what’s up with Soup ‘n Fresh, the Souplantation dupe.
Maybe it stems from the summers I spent helping my grandmother cut coupons at her kitchen table, but I’m never prouder than when I find a deal, and get to share it.
The following is a guide to some of my favorite meals priced at $15 or less before tax and tip. Some of these deals are specific to lunch, and others you can enjoy any time of day. There’s a soul-nourishing plate of fried chicken and greens in Chatsworth, beef noodle soup in Hacienda Heights and an entire menu of $9 dishes in Santa Monica.
And if there’s a meal deal you love, please share the wealth in the comments below.
Showing Places
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Taiwanese sausage rice at Yi Mei, $12.95
San Gabriel Valley Taiwanese $
The sausage rice from Yi Mei deli is a utilitarian lunch plate I crave many times a week. It starts with fresh white rice that’s still a little sticky, spooned and spread to cover nearly every inch of the plate. On top is a mound of chopped Taiwanese sausage, the casing taut and caramelized and the meat salty and sweet. Next to the sausage is some sauteed cabbage and a pile of marinated cucumbers. In the middle, a soy sauce-marinated egg you can chop up and mix into the rice. Just don’t forget to visit the condiment bar. The rice plate is infinitely better with a drizzle of chile oil and the restaurant’s signature garlic soy sauce.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
Three piece fried chicken at Les Sisters, $13.99
Chatsworth Southern
Clara Huling and her friends Rhoda Hadi and Willie Stanford opened the original Les Sisters Southern restaurant in Chatsworth nearly 40 years ago. Now, Huling’s granddaughter Jess runs the remaining, newer location, also in Chatsworth. The fried chicken is golden, with a craggy, brittle coating. It’s seasoned well in a mixture of spices and herbs that brings to mind Thanksgiving dressing. The three pieces come with one side. Choose your own adventure from macaroni and cheese, cornbread muffins and coleslaw, but know that the collard greens are tender and submerged in pot liquor worth sipping.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
Local Love Lunch Bowl at the Park's Finest BBQ, $10
Echo Park Filipino $
The Local Love Lunch Bowl at the Park’s Finest is only available twice a week, between 11 a.m and 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Each bowl is served with two mounds of white rice, a spoonful of buttered corn and a massive portion of coconut beef, pulled pork, mushroom adobo or coconut jackfruit. The coconut beef is made with cubed chuck roast that’s been smoked for 16 hours. It’s stewed with coconut cream, chile, fish sauce and vinegar. It’s the heartiest of the proteins by far, coating the wooden bowl (and your insides) with the rich coconut sauce. The fish sauce and vinegar help lighten things up just enough so you can finish the entire bowl.
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(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Burrito 2.0 at Sonoratown, $12.50
Mid-Wilshire Mexican $
Jennifer Feltham and Teodoro Díaz Rodriguez Jr.’s taqueria is best known for its buttery, flaky, but pliable flour tortillas. They serve as the base for what may be the best burrito in the city. The tortillas barely contain a swell of grilled costilla (you can choose another protein, but this is the standout), guacamole, Monterey Jack cheese and pinto beans. There’s enough chiltepin salsa swimming around the middle to feel the burn. Each of the burrito’s components makes itself known, the smoke of the grilled meat softening into the richness of the beans. And it’s substantial in size but not overwhelming.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Beef combination noodle soup at Cindy's Kitchen, $13.50
Hacienda Heights Taiwanese $
Cindy’s Kitchen is a compact restaurant and deli in a Hacienda Heights strip mall where the staff is consistently friendly and exceedingly efficient. Someone will appear to take your order approximately 30 seconds after you’ve been given your menu. The specialty here is the beef noodle soup, a large bowl brimming with beef broth, noodles, bokchoy and boulders of beef tendon. The murky broth is tinged red, light on the heat but heavy on the warm spices like star anise and clove. The noodles are wonderfully springy. I like to load up the bowl with a few scoops of chopped pickled mustard greens, available in a complimentary jar on each table.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
The Barfly menu at the Misfit, $9
Santa Monica American $
The Misfit in Santa Monica offers a $9 menu at the bar, every day for lunch. These are not small plates or smaller portions intended to serve as a snack. Each item is its own entree, substantial enough for a midday meal. There’s a smashburger, tacos, a crispy chicken sandwich and even falafel wraps. For something a little lighter, the kale and quinoa salad is crowded with sunflower seeds, plump raisins, diced bell peppers, both Parmesan and Manchego cheeses and the zest of a preserved lemon. The kale is well massaged and dressed in a Champagne vinaigrette. I usually order something for lunch and another dish to take home for dinner later.
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(Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)
Quarter rotisserie meal at Saucy Chick Goat Mafia, $15
East Pasadena Indian Mexican $
The Yucatan-inspired pibil chicken is marinated for 24 hours in a rub of achiote, Mexican oregano, garlic and bright citrus. The earthy, garlicky rub will stain your fingers and lips crimson. The chicken is addictive on its own, but each plate comes with two sauces. I’m partial to the GG sauce, for its vibrant herbaceous garlic kick, and the macha chile oil, which imparts a bit of fruity, smoky heat to everything it touches. You take one of the buttery Mejorado tortillas and fill it with strips of chicken, a few pickled onions and a drizzle of each sauce. Wrap and repeat. The plate also comes with two small side dishes. The kachumber salad is cold, crunchy and refreshing, with diced cucumber tossed with peanuts and coconut in a lime vinaigrette. And if you opt for mom’s beans as one of your sides, you can use the whipped pinto beans, chorizo and cheese as a dip for any leftover tortillas.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Rice noodle plate from Bé ?, $14.50
Silver Lake Vietnamese $
Uyên Lê’s walk-up window in Silver Lake may be one of the tiniest restaurant operations in the city, but there always seems to be an abundance of choice at Bé ?. The banh mi ($13.50) is slathered with pate and generously filled with lemongrass chicken, pork or beef and a garden’s worth of pickles, vegetables and herbs. Her chicken rice porridge ($9.50) reminds me of my grandmother’s. Lately, I’ve been ordering the rice noodle plate ($14.50), with its confetti of textures and temperatures. Cucumber, pickled radish and carrot, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, peanuts, fried shallots, rice noodles and your choice of protein are all dressed in a tangy fish sauce vinaigrette.
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(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Turkey dog and chili cheese fries at Earle's on Crenshaw, $11.48
Leimert Park American $
Brothers Cary and Duane Earle started their business by selling hot dogs from a cart more than 30 years ago. Earle’s on Crenshaw in Leimert Park is the place to go if you are a connoisseur of condiments, with a menu that boasts more than a dozen hot dog toppings. My go-to is a turkey dog with Chipotle mayo, hot peppers, NY cooked onions and raw onions. If I’m feeling especially peckish, I’ll treat myself to an order of the chili cheese fries. The fries are always hot and crisp under a glorious mess of meaty chili and melted cheddar cheese. And if you’re vegan, there’s a plant-based option for just about everything on the menu.
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Eat your way across L.A.
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