Restaurant Guide
Updated in July 2011.
Click here for a PDF copy of my latest restaurant guide for Eagle Rock, Northeast L.A. and occasional forays into Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena.
If you have any places you would like to add, email me!
This is my personal, subjective, and sporadically updated guide to local food and drink establishments located mostly in the Northeast Los Angeles area, branching out to Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Gabriel. Asterisks indicate that one of us on my team has been there, tasted the food, and likes it. Call the restaurant for current hours. Several of the Highland Park entries were taken from a brochure made by Amy Inouye at Future Studio, 5558 N. Figueroa St, 90042. FutureStudio@sbcglobal.net www.chickenboy.com.
| *La Abeja | 3700 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.221.0474 | Mural by Leo Limon, the artist who has painted the cat faces in the LA River for over 35 years! Great huevos rancheros if you don’t mind mostly canned ingredients, and I mean that. | |
| Antigua Bread | 5703 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.259.9345 | http://www.antiguabread.com/ | Bakery and cafe. |
| Antojitos Guerrero | 5623 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.254.6118 | Salvadorean & Mexican, 4-taco special | |
| El Arco Iris | 5684 York Blvd | Highland Park | 323.254.3401 | www.elarcoiris.com | Popular with locals, good authentic Mexican food |
| *Armon’s | 5056 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.478.1440 | Good solid American breakfast and lunch, also some Chinese fare. Nice neighborhood atmosphere, friendly waitresses, good daily lunch specials. | |
| *Auntie Em’s | 4616 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.255.0800 | www.AuntieEmskitchen.com | Great breakfast and lunch, cookies, soups, indoor and outdoor seating, also excellent catering. New! Home delivery and holiday pickup options. Vegetarian friendly but they also have good pulled pork sandwiches. Occasional Market Dinners with wine suggestions you can buy from Colorado Wine Company—sign up for their email newsletter and catch the next Dinner, it’s fantastic! |
| Bellissimo Cafe | 2501 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.255.2233 | ||
| *Bistro de la Gare | 921 Meridian Ave. | South Pasadena | 626.799.8828 | www.bistrodelagare.com | Really charming, great French bistro food, wine bar, located right by the Gold Line. |
| *The Black Boar | 1630 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.258.8800 | This is one cool bar, no food served at all. English pub-like interior with great jukebox, good martinis, good selection of beers on tap and bottled, friendly staff. | |
| *Blue Dot Acai Yogurt now Spoon | 5110 Townsend Ave | Eagle Rock | 323-259-0544 | www.bluedotacai.com | Frozen yogurt with toppings priced by the gram. Also coffee, smoothies, pretty healthy choices. I hope this incarnation makes it because the quality of the menu is great. |
| *The Blue Hen | 1743 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.5654 | www.eatatbluehen.com | Vietnamese food, lunch and dinner. This restaurant supports local farms and sustainable farming practices, and it is good food, too. |
| *Brownstone Pizza | 2108 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.4992 | Good New York style pizza and you can also buy it by the slice! Since they are 2 doors down from Colorado Wine Company, you can order pizza and they’ll bring it to you at CoWineCo. | |
| *The Bucket | 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.5654 | www.thebucket1935.com/ | Known for Basque-style hamburgers. Longtime Oxy hangout. |
| *Bulgarini Gelato | 749 E. Altadena Dr. | Altadena | 626.791.6174 | http://www.bulgarinigelato.com/ | Voted best gelato by LA Weekly, a great write-up by Jonathan Gold, and I have to say I had some of the best peach sorbet in my life there. It’s the real deal, though I would rather be in Rome than Altadena sometimes, just sometimes. |
| *Cacao Mexicatessen | 1576 Colorado Blvd | Eagle Rock | 323-478-2791 | www.cacaodeli.com | Smell the made-on-premises tortillas as you enter the doorway and get ready to be transported to Mexico. Specializing in mole, but there is a variety of styles and flavors from all over the country. Take-out, eat-in, and catering. Really yummy huevos rancheros. |
| *Café Beaujolais | 1712 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.255.5111 | Classic French bistro food, wine & beer. Extremely good. | |
| *Café Culture | 1359 N. Altadena Blvd. | Pasadena | 626.398.8654 | Coffee house with good baked goods. | |
| *Café de Leche | 5000 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323-551-6828 | www.cafedeleche.net | Remember how the Renaissance of Eagle Rock began with Swork’s Coffee? Here is a great new coffee place in Highland Park, though I’d have to say the tide began to turn here with Marty’s and the York Pub. |
| *Camilo’s Café & Catering | 2128 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.478.2644 | California bistro serving tasty breakfast, lunch, dinner. Also afternoon tea by reservation and excellent catering. Live music on Thursday and Saturday evenings. Atmosphere is lovely, great for any occasion. Serves high-end huevos rancheros. | |
| *The Capri | 4604 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.3225 | Good solid traditional Italian food, large portions, old-style Italian restaurant atmosphere. | |
| *Casa Bianca | 1650 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.256.9617 | http://casabiancapizza.com | “The Best Pizza in Southern California.” Try to beat the rush, but they have chairs outside so you can just visit with your friends while you wait. Takeout is a good choice. |
| El Chile | 4017 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.221.5555 | The only arepas (baked or fried cornmeal cake of traditional Colombian cuisine) on Figueroa, covered patio dining. | |
| *Cinnamon Vegetarian | 5511 Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.982.9480 | www.CinnamonVegetarian.com | An international but mostly Southwest/South American menu, all meat-free. Very tasty food, a nice, clean, comfortable space, friendly service. |
| *Classic Thai | 1708 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.478.0530 | Charming atmosphere with outdoor seating, moderate prices, good Thai food. | |
| *The Coffee Gallery | 2029 N. Lake Ave. | Altadena | 626.398.7917 | www.coffeegallery.com | Neighborhood coffee house with entertainment in the back room venue. Get on their email list, they have incredible talent performing, especially old folkies, acoustic guitarists and songwriters. |
| *The Coffee Table | 1958 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.255.2200 | www.coffeetablebistro.com | Sister to the one in Silverlake. Great space, good food, coffee and now beer and wine. Sensitive restoration of the historic building and old photos of Eagle Rock add to the ambiance. |
| *Colombo’s | 1833 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.254.9138 | Prime rib, steak, seafood, pasta. Piano music every evening, dimmed lighting, full bar with the strongest drinks around, interesting paintings, old neighborhood feel. Now with some outdoor seating as well. | |
| *The Colorado Wine Co. | 2114 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.478.1985 | www.cowineco.com | Neighborhood wine bar with tastings Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon. Buy a glass or a case. No corkage fee on Wednesdays, which makes for a neighborly evening. Sign up for the email list for John’s literary musings on the art and comedy of wine as well as details of the next tasting or art opening there. Twitter @CoWineCo. |
| *The Corner Pizzeria | 2136 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.255.8300 | http://www.cornerpizzeria.com/. | Famous for New York style pizza, also known for our Kapouri’s- freshly baked oval bread stuffed with Mozzarella cheese, Feta and organic eggs. Also served are appetizing breakfast scramblers, hearty salads, mouthwatering pastas, tasty sandwiches, to appetizers and desserts (from their website). |
| *Dave’s Chillin’ & Grillin’ | 2152 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.490.0988 | www.daveschillin.com | Dave is passionate about his sandwiches and he has every reason to be. Fresh, tasty, a bargain—the Eagle Rock business model between two halves of a fresh roll. |
| *Eagle Rock Brewery | 3056 Roswell St. | Glassell Park | 323.257.7866 | www.eaglerockbrewery.com | Artisanal beers, the first microbrewery to be licensed in the City of Los Angeles in over 60 years! Beer for the people. Good beer. I like the Revolution, others prefer Manifesto. There’s more. There was a big brewhaha (sic) over the name of Eagle Rock for a Brewery in Glassell Park. Get over it and enjoy. Check out the website for a list of all the bars that are pouring this brew–more all the time. |
| *Elvira’s | 1757 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.3216 | Homemade Mexican food with lots of vegetarian options, prepared and served with love. Pepe Serna paintings decorate the walls. Will deliver. | |
| Ernie Jr’s Taco House | 2803 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.256.1298 | www.erniejrs.com/ | One of the oldest restaurants around serving old-style American Mexican food. I have to mention that they put mayonnaise in their tostada dressing. |
| *La Estrella #3 | 6103 N. Figueroa | Highland Park | 323.982.0179 | Colorful house, corner location, great tacos. Served open with shredded carnitas, limes and very inexpensive. Voted one of the top 25 Mexican restaurants in LA in 2004. | |
| *Footsie’s | 2640 N Figueroa Street | Highland Park | 323.221.6900 | No food here, but great laid-back bar with a pool table, good tunes, and plenty of colorful characters. | |
| *Four Cafe | 2122 1/2 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.550.1988 | www.fourcafe.net | Just opened in 2010 and the buzz is all positive. Right now it’s salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. Fresh, slow food, tasty, fast, fun. Plus, you can order there and they will bring your food to you at the Colorado Wine Company just 2 doors down so you can have a glass of wine with your meal. How civilized is that? They also do take out and catering. The menu changes with the seasons, hence the name… |
| *Firefly Bistro | 1009 El Centro Ave. | South Pasadena | 626.441.2443 | www.eatatfirefly.com | Exceptional New Orleans style cuisine, the signature dish is pecan-crusted catfish, oh yes. Check out special menus and music on Wednesdays and Thursdays. |
| *Folliero’s | 5566 N Figueroa St | Highland Park | 323.254.0505 | www.Follieros.com | Established in 1968, Tony Folliero still makes his own pizza dough every morning, though daughter Titina now runs the restaurant. Friendly staff, great thin-crust pizza, other yummy Italian dishes you will love as much as do the generations of Highland Parkers who still go there. Cash only! But beer and wine are served. Really reasonable prices. |
| *La Fuente | 2256 W. Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.344.3796 | Reliable Mexican food, recently reopened after a remodel. Full bar. | |
| 5530 Monte Vista St. | Highland Park | 323.258.6109 | |||
| *Good Girl Dinette | 110 N. Avenue 56 | Highland Park | 323.257.8980 | http://www.goodgirldinette.com/ | American diner meets Vietnamese comfort food. |
| 5552 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.257.3564 | One door south of Future Studio | ||
| El Huarache Azteca | 5225 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.478.9572 | A hotspot for locals and visiting foodies. See if you agree with Jonathan Gold. | |
| Italiano’s | 5101 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.255.0016 | Pizza. Free delivery with minimum order. | |
| 6500 N. Figueroa | Highland Park | 323.255.6155 | |||
| *Jamba Juice | 5053 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.349.0670 | www.jambajuice.com | One of the many signs that Eagle Rock has arrived. Healthy, quick juiced drinks. This is in a building that was not torn down by the Walgreen’s next door. |
| *Johnny’s Bar | 5006 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.551-6959 | Evilly good martinis. No food. Eat at the nearby York Pub or Marty’s and stop in here as part of your Highland Park Pub crawl. | |
| The Kitchen | 1434 W. Colorado Blvd. | Pasadena | 626.793.7234 | http://thekitchen.net/ | Offering catering, gourmet take-out and assorted gift items. |
| *Larkin’s Joint | 1496 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.254.0934 | www.larkinsjoint.com | Contemporary California soul food in a juke joint atmosphere. Come here when you have no dietary restrictions, because this is good old fried catfish & greens, sweet potato pie, BBQ’d tri-tip kind of fare. |
| *Lemongrass | 1952 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.258.8050 | http://lemongrassvietnameserestaurant.com | Simple, good Vietnamese food with beer and wine served. Featured dishes include banh mi (sandwiches), pho (soup), spring rolls. Inexpensive, fresh, delicious food. Sit outside and enjoy life in the heart of Eagle Rock. |
| *Little Cave | 5922 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.255.6871 | www.littlecavebar.com | Formerly Sir Richard’s biker bar and Hofbrau, now painted black inside and quite a hangout for local hipsters. |
| *Little Flower Candy Company | 1424 W. Colorado Blvd. | Pasadena | 626.304.4800 | http://www.littleflowercandyco.com/ | Adorable spot with a cafe (fantastic quiches) and a store with delicious handmade candies. |
| Mariscos Estilo D.F. Truck | 4702 N. Figueroa St. at Sycamore Grove Park | Highland Park | Blue truck, seafood tostadas, eat in park. Made to order. | ||
| *Marty’s | 5137 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.256.2400 | The gentrification of Highland Park began here. Yummy bar food like Kobe beef burgers. Bouncers dressed in black, valet parking. Yes! | |
| El Metate | 5305 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.478.8383 | Homemade tortillas, cart often in front after dark with huge sizzling fresh meat spit. | |
| *Mia Sushi | 4741 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.256.2562 | www.mia-sushi.com | Eagle Rock’s first sushi restaurant. Great food, decor, valet parking. For you no raw fish die-hards, there is a selection of cooked non-fish Japanese-style items that is very good as well. |
| *My Taco | 6300 York Blvd | Highland Park | 323.256.2698 | Potato tacos, carne asada fries. Good huevos rancheros as well. | |
| *Oinkster | 2005 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.3892 | www.theoinkster.com | “Slow fast food” is their motto. It’s really good and it’s really, really slow—the service, that is. House cured pastrami, slow roasted pork and chicken, fresh good food. Now serving craft beers including the Eagle Rock Brewery. This has become a friendly neighborhood gathering spot. *Pst! we’ve heard they also are opening an Italian restaurant on York Blvd, stay tuned! |
| *Panang | 1801 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.344.3796 | If you’re feeling like you might be coming down with a cold, go have a nice big bowl of Thai noodles, a tall frosty beer and be happy. | |
| *Polka | 4112 Verdugo Road | Eagle Rock | 323.255.7887 | www.polkacatering.com | Jonathan Gold says, “Polka, a sweet Polish restaurant near where Eagle Rock fades into Glendale, is that rarity in Los Angeles, an authentic, home-style Eastern European restaurant of the kind so common in Cleveland and Chicago…” |
| *Pat & Lorraine’s | 4720 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.7926 | Local breakfast and lunch joint—it closes at 2:30 pm! | |
| El Pescador | 5230 N. Figueroa St. | Highland Park | 323.255.8164 | Popular for after church brunching | |
| *Petit Beaujolais | 1651 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.255.5133 | Great coffee, fresh croissants, very tasty breakfast and lunch, a perfect place to sit outside on a balmy day and just be in the heart of Eagle Rock. | |
| *Purgatory Pizza | 1326 E. 1st St. | East LA | 323-262-5310 | www.eatpurgatorypizza.com | New York-style pizza traditional style or hip with peperoni, or goat chees and pesto, or vegan. And Carmela’s ice cream which is amazing. Seasonal flavors harvested from local farmer’s markets vary daily. We tried cardamom, strawberry sorbet, and cranberry-orange-thyme. Oh yum! Right off the eastside Gold Line. |
| *Santa Maria Barbecue | 626.963.3935 | www.santamariagrill.com | All you can eat barbecues, parties, events. Simple fare and really tasty. Tri-tip top sirloin, chicken, beef ribs, beans, hot dogs or hamburgers, and that’s about it. They only cater. | ||
| *Scoops | 712 N. Heliotrope Dr. | Los Angeles | 323.906.2649 | Gelato, vegan ice cream & sorbet. You can have a taste of whatever they have available that day. Wild tastes like Jack Daniels & Cream, Blackberries and mango. Worth the drive out of Eagle Rock! | |
| *Senor Fish | 4803 Eagle Rock Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.7167 | http://www.senorfish.net/ | Great fish tacos and other Mexican food. Good outdoor seating. |
| *Schodorf’s Luncheonette | 5051 York Blvd | Highland Park | 323.258.8040 | The Schodorf’s have begun a friendly empire on York Blvd with their Cafe de Leche and now Schodorf’s. A simple menu with fresh and tasty sandwiches and salads. Eat in or take out, either way, you will be glad you did! | |
| Spring Street Smokehouse | 640 N. Spring St | Downtown | 213.626.0535 | www.sssmokehouse.com | The LA BBQ Guy is the Truck, and you can follow him on Twitter. |
| *Spitz | 2505 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.5600 | www.eatatspitz.com | Home of the Doner Kebab: lean meat, chilies, tzatziki, tomatoes & cucumbers in grilled focaccia, sweet potato fries. Good fast food plus gelato! Two Oxy grads went to Europe, loved it, and brought it back to Eagle Rock. |
| *The Spot | 2032 Lincoln Ave. | Altadena | www.thespotpasadena.com | Now a catering business only, and really good. | |
| *Starbucks | 4430 York Blvd | Highland Park | 323-340-8059 | www.Starbucks.com | Practically in Highland Park, this Starbucks has a drive through. |
| *Stoney Point | 1450 W. Colorado Blvd. | Pasadena | 626.449.9715 | www.stoneypointrestaurant.com | Italian-style cuisine, great atmosphere. |
| *Swork | 2160 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.258.5600 | www.swork.com | Good coffee, Free—note, Free wireless internet, kid-friendly hangout, a great community hangout, the first of the “cool factor” beginning of Eagle Rock’s commercial core. |
| *The Taco Spot | 2005 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.257.4727 | www.taco-spot.com | Really tasty, fresh Mexican food. Reasonably priced, good service, very convenient. |
| Tacos El Michoacoano | 5933 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.258.0794 | Authentic excellent Michoacan made from scratch | |
| *Tamales Liliana’s | 4629 E. Cesar Chavez Ave | East LA | 323-780-0989 | Everyone says have the tamales or the pozole, so that’s what we did, and we loved it. Really exceptionally fluffy and yummy tamales. 2 blocks from the Indiana Gold Line stop. | |
| *Thai Spirit | 2617 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.256.1644 | Free delivery with minimum order. | |
| *Tommy’s Burgers | 1717 Colorado Blvd. | Eagle Rock | 323.982.1746 | Some people in my family love Tommy’s. If you want a heart attack on a bun, you can start here. | |
| *Two Guys from Italy | 405 N. Verdugo Rd. | Glendale | 323.254.0404 | glendaletwoguysfromitaly.com | Free delivery with minimum order. I think their pizza rivals that of Casa Bianca, plus they have really good sub-sandwiches. |
| *Verdugo Bar | 3408 Verdugo Rd. | Glassell Park | 323-257-3408 | www.VerdugoBar.com | Open 8 pm-2 am. A large selection of custom beers including Crown City Brewery. Art Deco interior. Look for the small “Cocktails” sign or you’ll miss it. |
| *Villa Sombrero | 6101 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.256.9784 | Formerly Villa Sombrero and now formerly Felipe. We are back to the good solid Mexican food, guacamole made at your table, beer and amazing Margaritas. Hooray! | |
| *York Pub | 5018 York Blvd. | Highland Park | 323.255.9675 | www.theyorkonyork.com | Another of the new bars along York Blvd, part of the renaissance of Highland Park and the birth of the cool. Lots of good beers, good food, good times, and now even open for brunch on the weekends. Even beer from the Craftsman Brewery in Pasadena is served, a major treat. |
| *Zankou Chicken | 1415 E. Colorado Blvd. | Glendale | 818.244.1937 | zankouchicken.com | Some of the best fast food in the world. Garlic sauce, hummus, pita bread, rotisserie chicken, shwarma, it’s actually addictive. |
Do you have restaurants you’d like to see included on this list? Do you have any real estate needs? Call Tracy King, Realtor, Teles Properties, 626-827-9795, email at Tracy@TracyKing.com. Check out my website at www.TracyKing.com. Please comment on my blog at www.LADigs.com.
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