The Brief

Editor's note: We updated this guide for the 2025 World Series against the Blue Jays.

Once again, in the immortal words of Vin Scully: "It's time for Dodger Baseball."

If you are one of the lucky ones heading to Dodger Stadium for the World Series this year, there's a good chance you'll be looking for sustenance before the ump calls, "Play ball!"

See it as fuel to get through the traffic and trek to your seats.

These are some of my favorite places to eat and drink within 5 miles of the ballpark. If I've missed one of yours, please let me know. You can email me at gchabran@laist.com or reach out via Instagram.

Pro-tip: If you're short on time (which you will be, since traffic and parking are always issues in L.A.), consider ordering ahead and having a passenger jump out to pick up the food while the driver circles the block. There's no parking cost, and you can have your private tailgate.

Lowboy (Echo Park)

Dodgers Blue Cheeseburger, topped with blue cheese mornay, caramelized onions, apple, and pickled mustard seed relish at Lowboy in Echo Park.

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Courtesy of Lowboy

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Located on Sunset Boulevard, Lowboy is a casual sit-down bar and restaurant just down the street from the main stadium entrance in Echo Park. Lowboy embraces neighborhood vibes, offering an extensive selection of cocktails, beer and wine, along with reasonably priced food.

The bar menu includes their Sunset Shandy ($15), made with Knob Creek rye whisky, Campari and a mix of passion fruit, grapefruit and lime juices, plus Miller High Life.

Other options include Greener Days ($16), which features tequila and Kummel liqueur (caraway, cumin and fennel), mixed with celery juice, arugula and green peppercorns (for those seeking to add more veggies to their tequila). Finally, there's the First Pitch, a Jell-O shot with mezcal, raspberry and citrus flavors, topped with raspberry powder.

For food, you can't beat the Triple Play ($16), which includes their signature Lowburger, small fries and a draft beer.

OTOTO (Echo Park)

OTOTO, the sake bar in Echo Park will be offering a variety of Dodger theme specials throughout the regular season.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Saddle up to the bar at OTOTO, situated just catty-corner from Vin Scully Avenue leading up to the stadium entrance.

It’s a perfect place to grab a drink and bite inside the minimalist yet comfortable bar and small seating area. It has an extensive sake collection from across Japan, offered by the glass or the bottle, and a small selection of Japanese lagers on draft.

Every game night — home and away — they'll be offering a Dodger Don special: a menu of donburi (rice bowls), including Ohtani's fave (Oyako-don, or chicken and egg over rice, $20); Ebi menchi katsudon (crispy prawn patties over rice, $21); Steak-don, with sliced American wagyu with egg ($32).

A celebratory sake toast is complimentary after every Dodgers homer. Remember that OTOTO doesn’t have a TV, so track it on your phone!

Taqueria Frontera (Cypress Park)

Taqueria Frontera in Cypress Park, whose tacos “Tijuanense” have captured the hearts (and mouths) of many locals.

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Courtesy Taqueria Frontera

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Suppose you've been following the taco scene in Los Angeles, as any good Angeleno should. If so, you may already be familiar with new-school favorite Taqueria Frontera.

The mighty yet straightforward taco creations perfectly exemplify what make Tijuana-style tacos great. Freshly made corn tortillas and even fresher salsa are prepared in-house. They're topped with delicious proteins such as pastor, birria and lengua ($3.75-$4), all finished with a cool slather of guacamole — the defining characteristic of Tijuana-style tacos. Assembled perfectly and inhaled, it's clear why this little corner taqueria, with its prominent yellow signage, has recently established a strong reputation for itself.

Homage Brewing (Chinatown)

Homage Brewery in Chinatown is game day ready with plenty of specials for the World Series.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Tucked away off a small street, the quasi-clandestine spot, located in an industrial section of Chinatown, offers a great mix of eclectic beers and tasty food.

For the World Series, Homage is going all out with its food and drink specials, offering a stadium-eats menu that includes a hot dog, buffalo wings and garlic parm fries, along with pitchers of beer starting at $20 and a $5 gameday pint.

They also will be showing all games on their two jumbo screens and a 50-inch screen upstairs, along with three screens throughout the venue's brewery.

Homage is open late on weekends, so you can take advantage of the resident DJs they host to dance the night away after the game.

LaSorted's (Chinatown and Silver Lake)

La Sorted's Visitor Dogs series will offer themed hot dogs inspired by famous dishes from each opposing team's region.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Whether at their Silver Lake location along Sunset or the newer Chinatown location on Broadway, LaSorted's Pizza is the place to celebrate all things Dodgers, especially since its name is an homage to the famed Dodgers coach.

A good place to start is the pizza. My favorite is the Upside Down Mamba ($5 a slice, $20 for a whole pie), a signature cheese slice, flipped upside down with the cheese melted directly onto the crust and topped with a thick layer of tomato sauce.

As part of the 2025 Dodgers season, LaSorted’s is offering a special at its Chinatown location called the Visitor Dog. Owner Tommy Brockert and his crew will create a hot dog inspired by a famous dish from each opposing team's region.

The Douglas (Echo Park)

A juicy cheeseburger, crispy tots, and warm pretzels with mustard and beer cheese from The Douglas in Echo Park, a perfect way to fuel up before the game.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Another self-appointed Dodgers Bar in Echo Park that goes all out for L.A., The Douglas offers a variety of cheap menu items.

During Dodgers games, the bar offers $5 draft beers. And make sure to try some of my favorite Japanese craft beers from Ikasu, brewed right here in downtown L.A. They go well with the restaurant’s food specials, such as the Backyard Burger ($12) and Old Bay tater tots ($8).

The Park's Finest BBQ (Historic Filipinotown)

The Park’s Finest BBQ in Historic Filipinotown brings Filipino flavors to the smokehouse tradition — a longtime neighborhood favorite.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Head over to Historic Filipinotown for some of the best Filipino barbecue in all of Los Angeles.

Be sure to try their Mount Mayon Hot Link Medley ($12.49), a smoked, sliced, sweet-and-spicy Filipino longanisa. Or the Timuay Beef Tri-Tip ($18.99) — a half-pound of tender, seasoning-crusted sirloin beef, cut deli-thin and paired with their pungent horseradish crema.

Make sure to wash it down with the general array of draft beers.

Thunderbolt (Historic Filipinotown)

The terrazzo textures set the vibe at Thunderbolt, where laid back charm meets modern cocktail craft are a perfect place to grab a drink before or after the game.

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Courtesy Thunderbolt

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Directly next door to The Park's Finest is one of L.A.'s best cocktail bars. Thunderbolt has made a name with a menu of creative cocktails, like Echo Park Trash Can #3, made with mezcal, green apple, apple-miso distillate and pecan. Another recommendation is their Fu Gwaa Falsetto, featuring shochu, Oaxacan rum, bitter melon, manzanilla, suze, lemon and Li Hing. Don’t sleep on the food — especially if you like gluten-free options. Check out Momma Leah's Chicken Drumettes, served with a tamari glaze — or their mac 'n' cheese, made with cheddar and bleu cheese.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.