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When driving along Highland Park’s York Boulevard and Figueroa Street, there’s no denying that the neighborhood is undergoing tremendous changes. While the restaurant scene has steadily transformed over the past decade, the ongoing uptick in new tenants has left some longtime residents and business owners feeling uneasy . Gentrification is a complicated matter — one that will continue to face many of Los Angeles’s neighborhoods in the coming years.
Here are the 18 best restaurants to try in Highland Park. In this update is the addition of Santa Canela by native-Northeast LA pastry chef, Ellen Ramo’s; Carla’s Fresh Market; and pizzas by Wildcrust. Eater removed Bagel and Slice, Hippo, and Via-Mar Restaurant Express.
Eater LA Southwest editor Mona Holmes has strong roots in Northeast Pasadena. She’s known to walk far with her pup to seek out strong coffee, new bites, or take in the beauty that is Southern California. Carla’s Fresh Market The owner of Carla’s Fresh Market has a long career involving bringing local food (especially from farmers) into Los Angeles.
Inspired to open a neighborhood market, Ariell Ilunga did that in 2023, where she has big-box grocery store items, curated specialty food items, wines, and a fantastic farmers market selection. Carla’s provides Counter Culture Coffee and pastries, prepared foods, and a grab-and-go deli section, making this the ideal neighborhood place for groceries and more. Highly Likely Highland Park Though the interior is comfy and stylish, it’s all about the patio at Highly Likely in Highland Park.
The stunning restaurant fills up quickly, especially the outdoor bar that serves frozen daiquiris on weekends and a cocktail menu at all other times. The daytime menu is the same as the original West Adams restaurant, but chef-partner Kat Turner’s dinner options are all new. Starters include yuzu deviled eggs and chicken liver mousse, while Midwest comforts from Turner’s childhood are featured with fettuccine Alfredo, fried chicken schnitzel, and steak au poivre.
Rosty Former nurse and local resident Maritza Gomez opened Rosty in 2018 on a busy side of Figueroa and Avenue 55. It’s a family-run operation where traditional Peruvian fare is some of LA’s best, with ceviches, fried rice, lomo saltado, and more. The anticuchos arrive smoky and tender and are an absolute must-order for those who embrace offal.
The kitchen doesn’t skimp on portions, so dine with a group and share everything on the table before taking a stroll up and down the neighborhood. Also featured in: 15 Succulent Roast Chickens to Savor in Los Angeles 12 Flavor-Packed Peruvian Restaurants to Try in Los Angeles Santa Canela While pastry chef Ellen Ramos worked at Cha Cha Cha LA, she invented a pastry that became her signature creation: an LA-shaped churro. At Santa Canela , her cozy Highland Park bakery offers that as well as other sweet and savory options inspired by her LA childhood (and restaurant tenure), including concha croissants, pepita-infused financier cakes, a kale and cured beef focaccia sandwich, and champurrado-flavored maple doughnuts.
Grab a cappuccino too. Also featured in: The Hottest New Restaurants in Los Angeles The Best Bakeries in Los Angeles, According to Eater Editors Las Cazuelas Restaurant & Pupuseria Opened in 1985, this family-owned restaurant prepares some of LA’s homiest Salvadoran dishes in a comfortable setting. The menu is comprised of recipes that have been passed down matrilineally for decades by owner Carlos Lopez’s mother.
The most popular dish is the pupusa revuelta stuffed with crisped chicharron and a mix of Monterrey, cotija, and ranch cheeses. This restaurant also has ample parking in the back, so pull up, settle into a leather booth, and prepare for a world-class cheese pull from the pupusas. Also featured in: The 15 Essential Salvadoran Restaurants in Los Angeles Sign up for our newsletter.
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Please enter a valid email and try again. Penny's Burgers Corner burger and breakfast burrito spot Penny’s has been serving Highland Park since 1969, offering a crowd-pleasing menu that spans Mexican and American comfort foods. It takes up a prominent corner spot on the east end of Highland Park, where asada platters with a side of rice and beans, burritos, tacos, burgers, classic tuna melts, pastrami, chili dogs, and a surprisingly solid fried chicken.
A post shared by Solomon Krause-Imlach (@solomonjki) Mala Class It’s hard to miss Mala Class on York Boulevard with its bright green facade and large windows. The Sichuan restaurant by Kevin Liang and chef Michael Yang has been slowly catching on with the neighborhood, and beyond, for its deft cooking that balances tradition — Yang grew up in Chongquing and returns often to research culinary trends — with innovation. The chicken wings and french fries, both dusted in flavorful ground spices, make for fantastic starters before digging into all the noodles one’s table can handle.
The best one is the dan dan mian. The noodles, handmade to spec at a nearby facility, cling onto the punchy sauce while a bit of ground pork, preserved vegetables, and fresh scallions add interest in every bite. Also featured in: The Best Affordable Restaurants in Los Angeles Maciel's Plant-Based Butcher & Deli The stellar sandwiches at Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli are constructed using cold cuts made from recognizable ingredients like chickpeas, vegetables, seitan, tofu, spices, and brines.
The Reuben comes with pastrami, sauerkraut, vegan cheese, and vegan Russian dressing on rye bread, while the popular Flores is made with Mexican ribs, pickled onions, arugula, and vegan mayonnaise on ciabatta. Also featured in: The Best Sandwiches in Los Angeles, According to Eater Editors The Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Los Angeles Goldburger In LA’s crowded smash burger scene , Goldburger stands out with its 100 percent grass-fed meats sourced from regenerative farms in California. The patties are not fully flat, with a medium smash in the center and edges that spread out, leaving a very juicy middle and crispier rim.
There’s a charming covered side patio that’s brightly painted with hanging plants, lights, and plenty of seats to grub while watching the neighborhood go by. Also featured in: The Best Burgers in Los Angeles 15 Restaurants for Kid-Friendly Carryout in Los Angeles Villa’s Tacos Villa Tacos debuted a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2023 after five years of operating out of owner Victor Villa’s grandmother’s Highland Park house and along York Boulevard. Villa opened a Grand Central Market location in 2024 and a new spot on the north end of Highland Park in April.
The menu brings together family recipes with Villa’s culinary flair. The signature tacos are made using blue corn tortillas with a crispy cheese-griddled interior, refried beans, onions, cilantro, crema, cotija, guacamole, and a choice of three kinds of mesquite-grilled meat. El Huarache Azteca The Mexico City-style antojitos or “little whims” served at this neighborhood gem are perfect for any meal of the day.
The namesake huraches are wonderfully filling deep-fried rafts made of masa dough and topped with things like huitlacoche (a sporous fungus that feeds off corn before its ears fully develop), head cheese, and chorizo, never fail to satisfy. If at Huaraches Azteca in the early hours, opt for chilaquiles verdes or huevos rancheros A post shared by Danelle (@mumblez916adventures) Belle's Delicatessen & Bar It took the owners of Belle’s Bagels four years to transform their takeout-only operation into a full-fledged Jewish deli, and the wait was worth it. The all-day neighborhood spot — decked out in cozy booths and whimsical photographs — is worth visiting for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Bagel and hot sandwiches headline the daytime menu, while crisply fried mushroom or chicken schnitzel appeals to the evening crowd, along with cocktails to fit every taste. Also featured in: The Best Jewish Delis in Los Angeles, According to Eater Editors Wildcrust Pandemic-era pop-up-turned-permanent restaurant Wildcrust is a family affair. Chef Miles Okabayashi, brother Sam, and sister-in-law Jean Okabayashi debuted their elegant space inside the same courtyard as Queen St.
and Fondry . Wildcrust’s food includes blistered pizzas topped with braised lamb tzatziki, duck croquettes with a duck jus, a bone-in pork chop, and roasted meatballs doused with a tomato chipotle and Parmesan sauce..
