LAGuide
Which TikTok-Famous Restaurants In LA Are Actually Good?
Find out whether those spots blowing up your feed are worth visiting IRL.
Some restaurants that gain traction on TikTok appear to have more style than substance. Their hype tends to be centered around super specific aesthetics (why is everyone still obsessed with pink?), showboat-y food (not everything needs to be prepared tableside), and exclusivity. But what if, under that oddly soothing, robotic text-to-speech voice, there’s a TikTok-famous spot worth seeking out in real life? Find our verdicts below on this regularly updated list of TikTok restaurants in LA.
THE SPOTS
Verdict: It's like Courage Bagels but on the Westside, with slightly shorter lines.
This Santa Monica bakery specializes in hand-rolled sourdough bagels, which are light and airy with a tangy flavor that goes well with smoked salmon and cream cheese. They only stock four flavors of bagel at the moment, but weekend-only specials like jalapeño cheddar occasionally make a surprise appearance. Order a bagel sandwich—like the one topped with gloriously smooth cream cheese, juicy blood orange, and honey—which will have your produce-loving heart fluttering.
Verdict: A shell of its former self.
There was a time (2017, to be exact) when we would’ve emphatically told you Dave’s was making some of the best hot chicken in LA. But that was a long time ago—our night serum regiment is much stricter now and Dave’s Hot Chicken is no longer a destination. That’s partly because this chain with East Hollywood roots can now be found in over 21 states, but also because the quality of food here has nose-dived faster than a Cessna in the Bermuda Triangle. If you’re completely hammered walking down Fairfax at 1am, their slider combo will probably hit the spot. Otherwise, this dry, poorly built sandwich can be skipped.
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Verdict: Approved, but stick mostly to the New England-y stuff.
Boston has given LA a lot of great things over the years: Mark Wahlberg, Uma Thurman, and an uncanny sense that anyone inside Sonny McClean’s could punch you at any time. Now we can add Saltie Girl to the list. This upscale seafood spot on the Sunset Strip has some annoying aspects (neon lighting, touristy hotel crowds, and did we mention it’s on the Strip?), but overall, this place delivers on what matters: hearty, well-executed New England dishes. Think buttery clam chowder, decadent bar burgers, and lobster rolls overflowing with sweet, juicy meat. Scoring a table can be excruciating at the moment, but it’s worth it.
Verdict: Worth it for a day-off brunch.
There’s a good chance you'll drop $40 per person on a brunch in West Hollywood, no matter where you go. So the $28 all-you-can-eat, plant-based brunch deal at Weho’s The Butcher’s Daughter is a huge win. Not only can you get as many frittatas and pita platters as you want, you’ll also have access to an unlimited supply of matcha lattes and nitro cold brew for the same price. The catch is that the deal is only available Monday-Friday, which is probably not an issue if you're the type of ambiguously employed person who eats brunch in Weho on weekdays.
Verdict: Nothing special, unless you’re looking for vegan sushi.
With so much great sushi in LA, new spots either have to be exceptional or really lean into trends to stand out. Fiish, whose name your phone will relentlessly try to autocorrect, is the latter. This Culver City spot pushes its use of dry-aged fish, which sounds fancy, but ends up not tasting that different from what you'd find at places like Sugarfish. Plus, that pricey dry-aged fish gets covered in ponzu, garlic aioli, and pickled onions anyway. However, their plant-based sushi options, like a silky miso eggplant nigiri, are delicious and way more appealing than tapioca-based "fish."
Verdict: Perfect for a special-but-not-stuffy date night.
Larchmont’s newest ramen spot, Tonchin, has everything you’d want in a fun dinner—good ramen, solid bar bites, a long list of natural wines, and a packed dining room that's energetic without being annoyingly loud or chaotic. They've even got some attention-grabbing desserts like matcha kakigori and a caramelized banana served on a slab of shortbread. Keep Tonchin in mind for a sexy date night, which you can always extend by grabbing a drink at a fun bar in Hollywood down the street.
Verdict: A smash hit, especially for hot girlies with dairy issues.
Awan serves creamy, plant-based ice cream from a tiny takeout window in West Hollywood. You come to this Indonesian-inspired dessert shop for refreshing flavors like blood orange, lemongrass, and rhubarb pie—not a basic scoop of chocolate on a sugar cone. In fact, we think this is some of the best ice cream anywhere in LA. And you won’t even need a Lactaid pill to enjoy it.
Verdict: Go with someone who's excited about aesthetically pleasing environments.
Located in the same boutique hotel as Kodō, this daytime spot in the Arts District is nice if you're looking for a unique cafe experience. Everything about the tea-garden-esque interior is jaw-dropping, from the smooth cement walls to the in-ground tree in the middle of the dining room. But that’s probably the best thing about Rykn. Other than the iced black sesame cappuccino, the drinks are fairly straightforward and the brunch menu of dishes like yuzu avocado toast and a miso salmon bento box is just so-so.
Verdict: Tasty, cheap, and quick. What more could you ask for?
With three locations split between Venice and Silver Lake, this convenient takeout window sells simple smashburgers with caramelized onions, american cheese, pickles, and tangy house sauce for a value price—the single burger costs under $5. Good luck trying to find a lunch cheaper than that anywhere near Abbott Kinney or Sunset Blvd. Oh, did we mention they're one of the best burgers in LA, too? If you're feeling something more green, they also do a fantastic sub-$10 kale salad that tastes like leafy cacio e pepe (spoiler: it's also one of our favorite salads in town).
Verdict: Skip the pricey smoothies and go directly to the hot bar.
Chances are, you’re not Bella Hadid. And a $22 smoothie won’t get you any closer to appearing on the cover of Vogue. While we won’t deny that some of Erewhon’s hyped smoothies are objectively tasty (love you, Coconut Cloud), they're still mind-bogglingly overpriced. That said, you’ll get more bang for your buck ordering a full-on meal from the store's hot bar. Get the juicy salmon filet with a side of Japanese sweet potatoes and some buffalo cauliflower.
