11 Best Restaurants in Echo Park For Lunch
Drive down on Sunset Blvd. and visit these restaurants in and around Echo Park—you won’t regret it!
If you live in Echo Park, there’s baseball to enjoy in nearby Dodger Stadium. But then there are also the restaurants to visit when you want to celebrate a Dodger victory or to mourn a loss. Heck, you can invent any reason you want to get a table in these eateries, as long as you get to enjoy the experience.
1. Mohawk Bend – California craft beers & a locally sourced American menu with vegan options
Location: 2141 Sunset Blvd
It all starts with Mohawk Bend, and we’re not just talking about geographical location. This is where tourists and locals congregate with friends and family. You have high ceilings with craft beer, and menu items ranging from vegan dishes to sinfully cheesy meat. What’s not to like?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6WawAEl8rx/
2. Elf Café – Organic, locally sourced, Mediterranean-style vegetarian dishes
Location: 2135 Sunset Blvd
Now if your party is a group of dedicated vegetarians and you can’t stand even the sight of people eating meat, this is your stop. It’s a small place that’s completely vegetarian. This has lots of regulars coming infrequently, and you can be one of them when you like sophisticated meals.
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3. Cosa Buona – Italian-inspired wood-fired pizzas made with California produce
Location: 2100 Sunset Blvd
Cosa Buona restaurant can be found at the corner of Sunset and Alvarado. It’s often busy, but then lots of people love pizza with puffy crusts and mozzarella sticks while sipping wine. Be early if you plan to visit on a weekend evening, as there are usually long lines of hopeful patrons waiting outside.
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4. Trinit – Modernist-inspired espresso bar with seasonal food
Location: 1814 Sunset Blvd
This is supposed to be a coffee shop, but the quality of the elegant and somewhat Scandinavian food makes this so much more. Get yourself some cortados, and enjoy the use of the handcrafted ceramic bowls.
5. Masa of Echo Park Bakery & Café – Family-run pizzeria turns out Chicago-style, deep-dish pies
Location: 1800 Sunset Blvd
When the Dodgers are playing the Cubs, you can bet the place is going to be mobbed. That’s because it’s famous for its deep-dish pizza, though of course, its menu does offer a lot more than that. Still, you don’t have to be a Cubs fan (or a baseball fan for that matter) to just order this red sauce classic on any given day.
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6. Tacos Ariza’s – Taco Truck
Location: Corner of Sunset Blvd and Logan St
You don’t have to look hard to find taco trucks in and near Echo Park. But Ariza‘s is easier to find than most because of its central location. And you’ll want to find it because their tacos use a lot of chorizos.
7. Honey Hi – Healthy, fresh & seasonal breakfast & lunch options
Location: 1620 Sunset Blvd
Yes, this place sounds like the kind of LA restaurant that people from other states envision what an LA restaurant might be. Here the meat is organic, the drinks are all healthy, the servers are friendly and smiling, and the décor is just so colorful. But so what? The food is good, and that’s what counts!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B71gtSSjMm2/
8. Blue Corn Quesadilla Cart
Location: 1246 Echo Park Ave
It’s easy to recognize a great quesadilla cart. It’s where you have long lines of people from all cultures (not just Hispanic) hopefully waiting for their turn. Bring cash, as the nice woman who runs this cart doesn’t take credit cards.
9. Patra Burgers On Sunset
Location: 1524 Sunset Blvd
In LA, it’s like you have a designated place for both burritos and burgers where all the locals go. For Echo Park denizens, that place is Patra. Just come in at any time for their great burgers. After a night of partying, you have to try their breakfast burrito.
10. Ostrich Farm
Location: 1525 Sunset Blvd
This is the place, Ostrich Farm, that families go to when they celebrate an important event, or if they have relatives coming in to visit. Come in for brunch or a relaxed lunch with tartines. Maybe visit for dinner too, when you’ll want the braised pork shoulders. Try some cocktails first to whet your appetite.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be3dV-3FNgw/
11. Trencher – American, casual-style sandwich spot
Location: 1305 Portia St
Turn off from Sunset Blvd for a little bit and visit Trencher. This is the classic spot for large affordable meals, especially if you just want a sandwich (or two). Plenty of baseball fans come here for sandwiches right before the game. Then they annoy the heck out of the other fans with their self-satisfied smirks because the sandwiches really are that good.
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