Eating in LA past 10pm

[eberhard49]

Why is this so hard to do?

[karamazov]

Since this topic has been revived and I had the same question about something closer to WLA - what are the best spots open until at least 11 pm or later in SM/WLA/Brentwood area? I can submit one I know:

Sasaya Japanese Restaurant
11613 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
[phone]

This is a pretty good Izakaya restaurant. It's right next to the Terried Sake House, which may also qualify - not sure when that closes.

[notmartha]

Just went to Joe's Pizza at SM this past weekend and noticed that they are open past midnight on weekends.

[notmartha]

A lot of the Chinese restaurants are open until 3AM on weekends. I don't think Alhambra/Monterey Park is that far from downtown at that time of night w/o traffic.

[iknowfood64]

Ordonez in Monrtebello, they are open 24 hours, Oder the #8, chilaquiles, carnea asada, two eggs, and beans. Good Salsa, good food, good service.

[snooze button]

They recently remodeled because it looks very different from the outside. Not sure if they've changed much inside but I'm assuming that the food remains pretty consistent.

[sbritchky]

Tonny's in Pasadena is open 24 hours and has delicious soups and carnitas, among other things. Be sure to ask for the red and green sauces -- the sauce that comes with the chips is not as good. (Search this board for more discussion of Tonny's.)

[lllamlll]

I love the Brite Spot in Echo Park, mostly for the old lady waitress who walks really fast.

[sel]

Somebody posted recently that Tonny's was no longer open 24 hours a day.

[Lori SF]

there are many and one I remember I liked very much a decade ago was Fred 62

[fergusmccool]

Did you know at Norm's that you get soup AND salad?

[kinipela]

i do like norm's! they have pretty good late late nite belgian waffles with strawberries...

[lllamlll]

I like Norms too, mostly because I can be left alone to do my work at night there.

[fergusmccool]

I have to agree that Pacific D.C. is one of the best meals at any time of the day. Silver Lake is only about three miles from Downtown, and there is a newish French restaurant open until two a.m., right after Silver Lake Blvd. and then Westerly, on your left. I've had the savory crepes, which was pretty good and so was the lamb. They seem to specialize in martinis, but I found them under-chilled. The mojitos were fine, though.

[writergirl]

There's always the Pantry which has a loyal following. I'm not part of that following. I really wanted to like this place, in fact I like everything about it except for the food. And I LOVE diner food, especially for breakfast. They're open 24 hours right near Staples Center.

[Lori SF]

oh I miss the Pantry.. I have not seen that word in a long time..sign the best hash browns ever.. I now live in SF.

[LisaStitch]

Tommy's Original Hamburger at Beverly & Rampart, open 24 hours
greatest chili cheese fries!
but you may regret it the next day...

[Lori SF]

Oh yes!!! Wow a blast from my past. I live in San Francisco now for 10 years and I am really enjoying this thread.. the OP has now been enlightened to all the great late night eats.. SF has nothing compare to LA's late spot. Tommy's hangovers were worth it.

[coldwind]

I remember late night steak soup at Pam Pam in SF -- is it gone now? The greatest after-hours food I've ever known.

[ipsedixit]

As far as late night eats in Downtown LA, here are some suggestions (in no particular order):

Pete's Cafe http://petescafe.com/

Pacific Dining Car http://pacificdiningcar.com/

J Lounge http://www.jloungela.com/

E3rd Steakhouse http://www.eastthird.com/

416 Cantina http://416cantina.com/

Redwood Bar & Grill http://www.theredwoodbar.com/

[Chowpatty]

Yes, I second Redwood, soon they will have food service until 4 am.
Also not mentioned yet:
Suehiro in Little Tokyo until 2 or so
Nadpob in Silver Lake until 4 or so
Brite Spot in Echo Park - 24 hours
Full House Seafood in Chinatown -- after midnight

[ipsedixit]

I heard that Full House has a different (or limited?) menu after midnight.

[love2eat]

For something a little more upscale - Lucques (after 9:30pm) and Table 8 have late-night bar menus. I think Lucques serves till 11pm at the bar and Table 8 even later. For table seating, BLD serves until 11.

[David Kahn]

The steak frites on the Lucques late night bar menu kicks ass!

[hungrygirl106]

So true about the steak frites at Lucques!!! Other items on the bar menu are great, too -- if you're up for a serious calorie-fest, try the pasta carbonara....

BLD is also open after 10.

www.infinitefress.blogspot.com

[hungrygirl106]

I take back the BLD recommendation. Just had lunch there -- the food continues to wallow in mediocrity, the prices are unjustifiably high, and the service is an abomination. I'm so over it. Too bad it's so close by -- which is why I keep getting sucked back into the vortex of lame that is BLD. I'd rather go to a 24-hour IHOP (which I haven't been to since I was, like, 7) than waste more money at BLD. (Sorry -- I will calm down and, once I forget my rage, will probably end up eating at BLD again because of it's convenience to where we live. But right now I'm feeling deeply unsatisfied by my latest experience. Grrrrrr.)

[David Kahn]

Yeah, I really don't get the bad service, in particular. Went in once at 3 on a Sunday, the place was practically empty, and the service was still terrible. It's almost like it's deliberate or something.

[hungrygirl106]

I know! We had a late lunch today around that time and it was the same deal. If they were crowded or completely empty, I'd understand, but with a manageable number of tables, there is no excuse.

[maudies5]

For all of the reasons you stated, I also will not return to BLD. Would prefer a BLT at a coffee shop than a BLT at BLD. Give me servers in sensible shoes with no attitude and an honest meal at a fair price.

[SauceSupreme]

I just had a good BLT (with avocado) at Magnolia for lunch, but they're open late and have a nice couchy kind of vibe going on.

[mollyomormon]

Since we're expanding this to areas beyond downtown, both locations of Swingers are open late.

[glutton]

OK, before someone else mentions this option, I will bring it up. La Cabana in Venice (Rose/Lincoln) is open until 3AM. Lots of people seem to like this place and from what I can tell, they fall into three camps: the people who love the late hours, the people who are sentimental because this place has been there for years, and the people who like the bar scene (i.e. the girls).

I, for one, fall into none of those camps. In fact, I cannot stand this place. When I see the food, all I can think is that they took some Mexican combo plates from Acapulco's twenty years ago, froze them, and now they're reheating them with a fresh layer of cheap cheese on top. And the margaritas taste more like margarita mix than margaritas. This place is one of the inner circles of Hell in my mind. But it's open late and you asked about places that are open late.

[slacker]

lol! "one of the inner circles of hell" I'm still laughing! Thanks for making me laugh.

[westsidegal]

i completely agree with you about the slop they serve.
i thought i was the only one who felt this way.

[Dommy]

No you are NOT... We used to go there because it down the street from the softball field and the beers are cold... that was IT... I never figured out how folks could like it so... :P

[love2eat]

While I can't vouch for anything else on the menu; their quesadillas aren't bad. They make their flour tortillas in front of you.

[Scotty]

Do they have somebody making flour tortillas at 3:00 AM???

I know my little boy will get a big kick out of seeing tortillas being made (and no, I'll get him there before 3!). The quesadillas have to be at least OK using those flour tortillas, right?

[glutton]

There are enough other places in LA that make their own tortillas that you needn't expose him to the horrors of La Cabana just to get the sideshow of tortilla makers.

[Dommy]

LOL! This is the post of the DAY...

--Dommy!

[Das Ubergeek]

There's a whole tortilleria in Grand Central Market, which has much more chow credibility than the Mexican Food of the Damned.

[MeAndroo]

I know it isn't hard, because I eat in downtown after 10 all the time. Daikokuya, Pete's Cafe, Carnitas Michoacan, the aforementioned Weilands, along with places that I haven't been to, like Pacific Dining Car. You're not going to have as many options as other areas of LA, but it's primarily a business area.

[Vikzen]

Any specific recommendations at Weiland's? I've always bypassed it and didn't realize it was open late either!

[MeAndroo]

Well, their happy hour restarts at 10 and runs to close, so I'm usually eating their garlic fries, chicken wings, quesadillas or calamari. Everything's 2-5 bucks on the happy hour menu, plus $2.50 microbrew pints.

[DanaB]

Depends upon what you want. There is everything from full service meals, steaks, and breakfasts 24 hrs at the Pacific Dining Car (1310 W 6th St, 90017, Phone: [phone]) to excellent tacos at El Gran Burrito until at least 3 a.m. (Santa Monica/just W. of Vermont).

Edited to add the answer to the original poster's question: in Los Angeles, bars shut down at 2 a.m., but mainly close at 1:30, and many close at midnight. Los Angeles does NOT have a late night dining culture like New York. That does not mean you can't get good eats in your 'hood late. You need to be more specific about what you want, and where, late night. Mostly, you will find what you are looking for.

[Normal Garciaparra]

Los Angeles bars close down at 2am not because of a city regulation but because of STATE law. All bars in California (and yes that includes SF and SD) close down at 2. All you transplanted NYers like to think that it's all LA's fault.If you want the bars open later, then blame Sacramento.

[Das Ubergeek]

You can always go dancing at an after-hours club. No alcohol (eheh...eheheheh...eheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... sorry...) but the vibe continues, usually until 4 or even 6 AM. At which point it's time for T-bone and eggs at Pacific Dining Car.

[Emme]

Do a search for "late night" or "late + eats" or "open + late" and you'll turn up tons of recent threads.

[sel]

Hollywood Thai Town AND North Hollywood Thai Area have many good to excellent to spectacular places that are open far later than I have EVER eaten a meal!

[Burger Boy]

a few places in Chinatown, The New Won Kok, good, till 3 AM, i believe.

[slacker]

Also Phoenix in Chinatown, till 2am.

[jocey]

I'd think twice about the Won Kok. They are not up to par with Health Standards.

[Ogawak]

I second Won Kok, especially their house chow fun. GF likes their Hong Kong style chow mein. I don't stay up late anymore, but this place at midnight is like heaven.

[SauceSupreme]

Same with Koreatown and Hollywood, both catering to hungry bar hoppers and other nocturnal types. Just near the Arclight Theater, there's Magnolia, Bowery, Fabiolus, Hungry Cat, the Arclight Cafe, Citizen Smith...

In the Fairfax area, you've got Dupars as well as Canter's open 24 hours a day.

[kinipela]

yeah our go to places are k town, china town, fat burger, in and out, norms, and if we're desperate and it's the closest (depending on who has been drinking and if the dd doesn't want to drive relatively "far"), dennys.... yeah it's not great, but when usually at that point in time when it comes down to that decision, my friends don't care where they eat... hahaha just NOT pinks....

[mojoeater]

TONS of options. which part of LA do you find lacking?

[eberhard49]

Downtown

[mojoeater]

OK. Perhaps downtown is tougher than other places. But late night driving is easier, and good dining is only a few minutes away. Other than Thai (TOI on Sunset is open til 4am every day), you've got Fred 62 diner food in Los Feliz open 24 hours, House of Pies until 2 or 3am, Weiland Brewery (Downtown) serves food until 1:30am. The list goes on and on. Try CitySearch and search by neighborhood and then Late Night. You'll find a lot of options.

[SauceSupreme]

And Bossa Nova down the street from Toi is also open until 4am.

[eberhard49]

Fred 62 sucks

[mojoeater]

You didn't say you were looking for anything in particular, just a place to eat after 10pm. Be more specific and we can help you more.

[Burger Boy]

I sort of agree, but they do some things really well. They have a veggie bowl with rice that is really good, and i love the pop tart dessert.

[sel]

How are their (Fred 62's) burgers?

[techbod]

Pacific Dining Car - Open 24/7 downtown (also in SM, but you asked for Downtown).

After 10PM, they are serving dinner AND breakfast. Their breakfast is one of the best kept late night secrets in L.A.

You can eat like a king for about twenty bucks.

[David Kahn]

Yes indeed. (The serve breakfast 24 hrs/day, I think.) A couple of weeks back, the Missus was out of town, and after spending all day Sunday in the office, I stopped in on my way home (around 7 p.m.) for a baseball cut sirloin and some sauteed spinach. A couple of tables down, there was a young guy tucking into a full breakfast spread -- bacon and eggs, hashbrowns, toast, etc. Just seeing it made me happy. (Of course a belly full of sirloin didn't hurt either.)