B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L
M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - Tand all points in between,
here are the places to eat
after hours in LA...
A note about "Food Grade". We don't mean the grade the restaurant received from the Health Department, but the grade we give the food based on how it tastes.
Astro's Family Restaurant
2300 Fletcher
Silverlake
323-663-9241
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- Rowena
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- coffee shop
- Food Grade:
- B+
- Ambiance:
- coffee shop
- We Like:
- the salads with beets, fried chicken, bowl of veggie soup with a big spoonful of salsa, and the spinach & meatball soup on Thursdays.
- Comments:
- A solid entry into the coffee shop category. A sister of Jan Restaurant, they've finally condensed the separate menus into one successful bill of fare, so if you like it at one, you can get the same thing, your way, at the others.
Bob's Big Boy Burbank
4211 Riverside Drive
Burbank
818-843-9334
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- west of Alameda
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Bob's
- Food Grade:
- B
- Ambiance:
- authentic 50's diner
- We Like:
- Bob's Big Boy Combo
- Comments:
- Check out their web site for all sorts of historical and trivial information about this Bob's, built in 1949.
- Net Presence:
- http://www.bobs.net/
Caffe Luna
7469 Melrose Ave.
Hollywood
323-655-8647
- Hours:
- till 2 or 3 am
- Where:
- east of Martel
- Parking:
- street as you can
- Cost:
- $$$
- Cuisine:
- Melrose snootery (nouveau Italian)
- Food Grade:
- Don't know yet
- Ambiance:
- GenX
- We Like:
- don't know yet
- Comments:
- Go here to see & be seen at a reasonable price for this sort of place. Closing time varies depending on how busy it gets - generally open till 3 Friday & Saturday nights.
Canters Deli
419 North Fairfax
West Hollywood
323-651-2030
- Hours:
- 24 hours
- Where:
- between Beverly & Melrose
- Parking:
- validated lot south of restaurant
- Cost:
- $$-$$$
- Cuisine:
- Greasy spoon deli
- Food Grade:
- B
- Ambiance:
- HUGE kitschy 50's coffee shop
- We Like:
- Matzo ball soup, chopped veggie salad
- Comments:
- Fifties Time Warp - one of the originals, complete with epoxy resin decor, kidney cove lighting, naugahyde bar with live lounge music ("The Kibbitz Room"), and the crabbiest waitresses this side of Brooklyn. Canters has bounced back with a bullet (and an 'A') after the recent Health Department witch hunt. (V/MC)
Damiano's Restaurant
412 North Fairfax
Los Angeles
323-658-7611
- Hours:
- 10-6am !
- Where:
- Across from Canters
- Parking:
- street
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Italian
- Food Grade:
- D
- Ambiance:
- dark but no longer divey
- We Like:
- single slice pizza, as you like it
- Comments:
- 7/26/01 - What the HELL happened to Damiano's?!? Granted, since we moved to the east side from Hollywood, we haven't been as often, but the food, well, basically it blew. Hard. Had the ravioli marinara and an olive and 'shroom pizza. The marinara sauce was a watery red canned tasting thing. No garlic, no oregano, no tomato paste; just because you tout a menu item as "completely vegan" doesn't mean it has to be completely flavorless. And we've had better pizza from the 'Hut. In comparison with our last review, Damiano's has really taken a slide. Sorry, can't get over the marinara thing - I mean, really, how do you screw up marinara?!? Anyhow, we'll give it another try soon, if for nothing else, to see if we just caught them on a REALLY bad night...but in the meantime, they've slid two complete grades, from a B to a D
our previous review: "If you gotta have that ravioli with meat sauce right away, if you like oregano & tomato paste, if you're in the mood for a drippy, thin crust cheese pizza slice with anything you like on it, or if you just don't feel like going to Canters, Damiano's is for you. The good news is they say they'll deliver anywhere in the city (for a fee), the bad news is that the food doesn't travel well at all (I used to live 3 minutes from the restaurant and it didn't even make it that far). Karen likes the food, Tim can live without it."
Denny's (Rock & Roll)
7373 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood
323-876-6600
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- west of La Brea by a few blocks
- Parking:
- crowded lot, or limited street
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Denny's
- Food Grade:
- B
- Ambiance:
- Denny's
- We Like:
- Patty Melts and Breakfast
- Comments:
- Since Rock'n'roll Ralphs has closed, this is the best place to get your overdose of ratty black hair, and black leather and spandex. Watch your feet, so you don't trip over all the guitar cases. And if you don't feel like waiting for a table, one block west is the rock'n'roll 7-11.
Dolores's
Los Angeles
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- just west of the Nuart on Santa Monica
- Parking:
- catch as catch can
- Cost:
- $-$$
- Cuisine:
- diner
- Food Grade:
- B
- Ambiance:
- We Like:
- mammoth dinner rolls
- Comments:
- The late night bryl creamed staff is wonderfully kitsch, the decor hasn't changed since 1975. Different specials every night, most often a recombinated meat dish. Huge servings, $5-10/per person.
Fred 62
1850 North Vermont
Hollywood
323-667-0062
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- 1 block south of Franklin
- Parking:
- catch as catch can
- Cost:
- $$-$$$
- Cuisine:
- faux American diner, with Asian to boot
- Food Grade:
- B
- Ambiance:
- stylized 50's diner
- We Like:
- the noodle bowls; that breakfast thing with tomatoes and hollandaise
- Comments:
- Time to rewrite Fred 62 after several years of hoping they'd get it right. The finally did! Great service with a smile, perfectly cooked food, quick and tasty. A complete turn-around. Finally, it's someplace we're happy to visit. Most restaurants on our list get 3 chances. This time, it took 6 for them to get it right, and it'll take a few more before we're sure it wasn't just a fluke that it was fabulous this time.
as of 5/25/01: Looks like it was a fluke. What a shame. Granted it was a Friday night at bar rush, but we expect at least a little bit of competency at their busiest hour! The music was so loud that the waiter couldn't even hear us order, not that he cared much. The food was wrong on two of the five orders, and that was after making our requests repeatedly. (No really, I don't want mayo, no matter that you think I should have it.) Then, after making us wait 20 minutes for our check, they cleared our table completely before we'd even finished. (I mean, really, I know when you're busy you're looking to turn-and-burn on the tables, but maybe you should consider letting folks finish their meal before you start clearing it? Especially when it's your fault they've been sitting there so long?) The upshot - steer clear when they're busy - they're great when they're not, but they really don't have a handle on the rush times.
The Hat
1 W. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra
626-282-0140
- Hours:
- till 1 am
- Where:
- at Garfield
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $-$$
- Cuisine:
- pastrami sandwiches, plus
- Food Grade:
- B+
- Ambiance:
- white & bright
- We Like:
- hto pastrami sandwiches, wet fries
- Comments:
- For a greasy, juicy, dripping-down-your-elbows hot pastrami sandwich, this is the number one spot in town. Well worth the drive. There are others around the city, including one on North Lake in Pasadena, but as with Tommy's, the original shack is still the best.
Jay's Jayburgers
- Comments:
- OPEN AGAIN!!! Celebrate with a Jayburger.
The Kitchen
412 North Fairfax
Los Angeles
323-658-7611
- Hours:
- till 3am Fri-Sat, 1am the rest of the week
- Where:
- corner of Sunset & Fountain, behind the Akbar
- Parking:
- some lot, street
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- fancy comfort food
- Food Grade:
- B
- Ambiance:
- hip yet quiet
- We Like:
- the cioppino
- Comments:
- 10/26/2001: For a first try, not too bad! Our waitress was good, the salads pretty good, and the cioppino spectacular. All in all, definitely a place to visit again, for some of the other items on the menu. There were quite a few that looked darn tasty. Plus they didn't try too hard to impress us with how cool they are. Good after-club restaurant if you're burned out on the hip.
Lucy's
1373 S. La Brea, or
1302 W. Washington, or
1568 W. Pico
- Hours:
- unknown - used to be 24
- Where:
- all over the city
- Parking:
- don't bother to park, drive thru instead
- Cost:
- $-$$
- Cuisine:
- Mexican American
- Food Grade:
- B-
- Ambiance:
- N/A
- We Like:
- #23 with egg, #24, #77, and the fresh OJ
- Comments:
- The only food that's been requested by a transplanted LA native in Seattle; however, in recent months the Pico Lucy's has closed for the night, which wouldn't be a disaster if we didn't drive so far to get there... It's hit or miss, but more often hit than miss.
Mel's Drive-In Sunset
8585 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood
310-854-7200
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- Sunset Strip
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- diner
- Food Grade:
- B+
- Ambiance:
- 50's diner
- We Like:
- pancakes, bacon...okay, breakfast
- Comments:
- The latest entry in the Mel's Drive-In chain, it successful walks the retro-diner tightrope between kitsch and good food, though we haven't tried the keystone of a good diner yet, the mashed potatoes & gravy.
Mel's Drive-In Hollywood
In the Max Factor Building
1660 N. Highland
Hollywood, CA
323-465-2111
- Hours:
- 6a-1a weeknights
6a-3a weekends- Where:
- just off Hollywood Blvd.
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- diner
- Food Grade:
- B+
- Ambiance:
- 50's diner
- We Like:
- pancakes, bacon...okay, breakfast
- Comments:
- Not a lot of difference between this one & the one on the Strip excect the hours are worse but the parking is better. Tasty food, friendly staff even when we wandered in right before closing, the food was right, the bacon was crispy. Pretty much a thumbs up! Can't beat breakfast at 2:30.
The Original Pantry
9th & Figueroa
Los Angeles
213-972-9279
- Hours:
- 24 hours
- Where:
- 9th & Fig, 2 blocks north of the Convention Center
- Parking:
- validated lot across the street
- Cost:
- $$-$$$
- Cuisine:
- Grill
- Food Grade:
- B+
- Ambiance:
- brown formica
- We Like:
- the ham steaks and sourdough bread
- Comments:
- The Pantry is back - for a while they were pertty darn bad, but on our last visit, they rocked. The waiters were back to properly cranky, the food was perfect, and everything went perfectly smoothly. What a relief! The Pantry has been open continuously, and never without a customer, 24 hours a day for 74 years even when they changed locations, and so remains a Los Angeles nighttime landmark.
Pacific Dining Car
1310 N. 6th
Los Angeles
213-483-6000
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- at Whitmer
- Parking:
- valet
- Cost:
- $$$$
- Cuisine:
- American steak
- Food Grade:
- A-
- Ambiance:
- white linen
- We Like:
- the beef
- Comments:
- Open since 1921, L.A's premiere steak house was rated one of the top 5 steakhouses in the nation by Wine Spectator. As far as we know, the only restaurant in town with its own aging room for beef. On a recent visit to the breakfast menu, interrupted by the unfortunate presence of a pesky studio film crew (and don't get me started on that!), we would highly recommend staying with dinner. Although the prices are much higher, mayonnaise don't pass for hollandaise in our book... You can visit their web site to read more about the history of this fancy restaurant. For decades, the Dining Car's gold room has been the back-room where many a city policy has been hammered out. It's where the big boys meet to talk.
- Web Presence:
- http://www.pacificdiningcar.com/
PDQuick
(formerly Pink Dot - what's with the lame name change?)
- Hours:
- 9am - 3am
- Where:
- delivered to your home
- Parking:
- no need
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- name it
- Food Grade:
- ??? (they don't deliver to my neighborhood)
- Ambiance:
- just like home!
- We Like:
- that we don't have to get off the sofa
- Comments:
- Not 24 hours, but hey, delivery till 3am, so who's complaining? I feel like I'm in an episode of Seinfeld - they deliver just 2 blocks away, but not to me. *sigh*
Pink's Hot Dog Stand
711 N. La Brea
Hollywood
323-931-4223
- Hours:
- only open till 2 am, so avoid the 7-11 and go here instead
- Where:
- just north of Melrose
- Parking:
- HAH!
- Cost:
- $-$$
- Cuisine:
- Dogs and more dogs
- Food Grade:
- B-
- Ambiance:
- chaotic, but the crowd is entertaining
- We Like:
- almost everything on the menu
- Comments:
- A standard, but only open till 2 am. Dr. Brown's line of sodas available. This may be a plus or a minus in your book. Prepare for a line, and good luck parking.
Piper's Restaurant
222 N. Western
Los Angeles
323-465-7701
- Hours:
- 24 / 7
- Where:
- south of Beverly
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Coffee Shop
- Food Grade:
- B-
- Ambiance:
- used to be medieval, now it's Koreatown-Italian deco
- We Like:
- Patty Melt, Piper's Porridge, Rice Pudding
- Comments:
- While the menu hasn't changed, even price-wise, Piper's used to be worth visiting for the medieval kitsch. An unfortunate remodel has left this once cozy restaurant on the somewhat sterile side. However, the food is still just fine for those after-hours quiet chats. A nice out-of-the way spot, away from the Canter's madness. And cheaper, too!
Rambo's Taco Truck
approximately 4200 N. Figueroa, also 4700 block of Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles
- Hours:
- till midnight weekdays, late night till about 3 weekends
- Where:
- Avenue 42 and Figueroa, on the east side of the street, a block & a half south of Jack in the Box
- Parking:
- N/A
- Cost:
- less than $
- Cuisine:
- taco truck
- Food Grade:
- A-
- Ambiance:
- street corner
- We Like:
- carne asada, al pastor tacos
- Comments:
- There's another truck up on Eagle Rock, but this one's so close to home, and the tacos are some of the best. You'll freeze to death in the winter waiting for them, but they're worth it. Get extra salsa & limes, and hurry home to eat them while they're hot. (Beware the taco truck next to Jack in the Box - highly NOT recommended.)
Sanamluang Cafe
Hollywood Boulevard at Kingsley
Hollywood
- Hours:
- till 5am
- Where:
- west of Normandie
- Parking:
- ???
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Thai
- Food Grade:
- A
- Ambiance:
- slightly lacking
- We Like:
- don't know yet, but we're looking forward to testing the menu for you.
- Comments:
- This comes as a suggestion from the net, and I'm looking forward to it immensely - Thai at 5am! Highly recommended by the person who submitted it.
Swingers
8020 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048-4504
- Hours:
- till 4am Tuesday-Sunday, till 2 on Monday
- Where:
- 2-1/2 blocks west of Fairfax
- Parking:
- street, sometimes difficult
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Hollywood-hip coffee shop
- Food Grade:
- B+
- Ambiance:
- trendy but entertaining to look at
- We Like:
- Stuffed french toast, yes please!
- Comments:
- The food is yummy and perfect for the after bar food craving. Busy but moving, unexpectedly good service, tasty coffee. Worth the parking hassles, and worth the wait if you get there at the same time as everyone else.
Toi
75051/2 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood
- Hours:
- daily till 4am
- Where:
- at Gardner
- Parking:
- on the street, but watch the signs
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Thai
- Food Grade:
- B-
- Ambiance:
- painfully hip
- We Like:
- most of the noodle dishes, Toi on Sunset Rice Special
- Comments:
- The food is fine, not great but not bad either. If you enjoy an A.D.D. atmostphere, you'll like the place. The service isn't the best, but it's a fun place. Plus a doorman who actually (gasp!) opens the door. The famous and should-be-famous can be spotted on a regular basis.
There's another Toi at 1120 Wilshire in Santa Monica, but we don't drive that far west very often, since Sunset is so much closer to home.
Torung
5657 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood
323-464-2750
- Hours:
- 5pm 'til 4am
- Where:
- Hollywood at Wilton
- Parking:
- street (watch the signs), or here's an update: park across the street at the Mobil station without being hassled. They have little signs inside the restaurant that say it's okay! Our roving reporter has done it several times and never had a problem.
- Cost:
- $
- Cuisine:
- Thai
- Food Grade:
- A
- Ambiance:
- Thai-diner - a little bright
- We Like:
- pork & ginger salad; flaming War soup
- Comments:
- Some of the best Thai food we've had yet in Los Angeles, and then we had a marvelous surprise when the bill came. We ate ourselves silly for under $20. You can bet we'll be driving the extra couple of miles to eat here again and again!
Tommy's Original World Famous Hamburgers
2575 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles
323-389-9060
- Hours:
- 24 hours
- Where:
- at Rampart
- Parking:
- across the street if you're not lucky
- Cost:
- $
- Cuisine:
- Chili Cheeseburgers
- Food Grade:
- A
- Ambiance:
- street carnival shack
- We Like:
- everything but the french fries
- Comments:
- Opened in 1946, this little shack houses the best chili burger this side of Houston. Beware the new franchises - there's no comparison. Also avoid the namesakes you'll see throughout the city: Tomy's, Tomboy's, Tommie's, ad nauseum. There's a reason you'll see so many imitators...but there's only one Original Tommy's. Eat it there, as it doesn't travel well...but find another place to use the bathroom. Another little known fact is that Tommy's chili is available by the pint or quart to go if you feel like taking it home and getting creative on your own.
- Net Presence:
- www.originaltommys.com/
T. V. Cafe #1
Alameda & Olympic
Los Angeles
- Hours:
- 24/7
- Where:
- Alameda & Olympic
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$
- Cuisine:
- Truck stop Mexican
- Food Grade:
- C+
- Ambiance:
- surreal
- We Like:
- combo plates
- Comments:
- Three restaurants in one, it's one of those places you always seem to end up at with the .025 crowd. Visit here after Al's and Joel's, or even Sam's Hofbrau, and bring a bunch of friends. Lock your car. Give a miss to the TV on North Figueroa - not open 24 hours, and definitely not worth the time it takes to park.
Won Kok Restaurant
208 Alpine Street
Los Angeles
213-613-0700
- Hours:
- till 3:15 Sun-Thu, 3:45 Fri-Sat
- Where:
- at Spring Street, Chinatown
- Parking:
- lot
- Cost:
- $$+
- Cuisine:
- Chinese
- Food Grade:
- C
- Ambiance:
- fluorescent
- We Like:
- almond cookies, the hot oil...
- Comments:
- If you've gotta satisfy that urge for late night Chinese, you don't have a lot of options - this is the spot. Stay away from the orange chicken. You'll have a good time people watching, too, especially on the weekends: off-duty mariachi bands, after-hours group dates, downtown hipsters, and Gen-Xers all showed up here the night we went.
