While L.A. has a reputation for being an early-to-bed kind of town, there are many late-night spots (as in open after 11 p.m.) — if you know where to look for them. We've put together a comprehensive guide, by neighborhood, so that wherever you are when the hunger pangs strike, there's somewhere to head.
Why it matters: Because when you stumble out of the party, or bar, or concert, (or yes, even after the late shift), eating a convenience store hot dog just doesn't cut it.
Why now: Our last guide to L.A.'s late-night eateries stretches back to pre-pandemic times. A lot has changed since then, especially in the restaurant scene, so we figured it was time to bring everything up to date.
If you’re here, chances are you’re hungry, it’s late, and the clock is ticking. On the upside, traffic isn’t bad this time of night. On the downside, Los Angeles isn’t always known for late-night options unless you know where to go.
For those in the throes of a late-night food mission, let us guide you.
We’ve rounded up a list of (almost) all the late-night restaurants in the city. We skipped the major chains and fast food and decided anything before 11 p.m. isn’t truly late night.
During the pandemic, our city suffered significant restaurant closures. Nearly 100 restaurants from the last iteration of this list (2019) have closed. But while we’ve lost icons like Pacific Dining Car entirely, and Oki Dog now closes at 9 p.m., new spots have popped up in their absence.
One has a one-pound meatball, and another is a drive-thru pizza joint on the Sunset Strip. Koreatown still reigns supreme for late-night eats and adventures, but there’s a new upscale food court smack dab in DTLA.
Read on and bon appetit!
Koreatown, Mid-City, Pico-Union Nobody does late night eats like Koreatown. This bustling, self contained neighborhood has more 24-hour spots per square foot than anywhere else in town.
The obvious choice is Korean cuisine, whether it’s bubbling vegetarian hot pot from BCD Tofu House, street food inspired skewers in a graffitied booth at Dang Sung Sa, or K-fried chicken in a red restaurant that you’ve seen in New Girl.
But if you’re not feeling Korean food, the late night Korean spirit is awake at LOVE HOUR, a once beloved food truck with its own smashburger brick and mortar. While you’re there — don’t skip the elaborate cocktail menu or old school photo booth.
Address: 3470 W. 6th St., #6, Los Angeles, CA 90020 Closing time: Mon to Fri: 11 p.m., Sat/Sun: 1 a.m.
Bob's Big Boy in Burbank
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San Fernando Valley
Don’t call the San Fernando Valley a sleepy suburb. Where it lacks in nightlife options, it’s robust in nighttime food. There’s an array of old school diners, from David Lynch’s favorite Bob’s Big Boy to Mel’s Drive In. For juicy shawarma, try Sincerely Syria, regarded as some of the best Middle Eastern food in the city.
Craving a nostalgic and filling loaded baked potato? While enjoying a jazz performance? This unusual combination is only at The Baked Potato — a jazz club that’s been holding it down for over 50 years with more than a dozen topping combinations. Appetizers and small plates galore both high end (Bacari) and down home (Barney’s Beanery) are available late night for when choosing just one entree seems unfair.
Address: 150 S. San Fernando Blvd. #20, Burbank, CA 91502 Closing time: Mon to Fri: 12 a.m., Sat/Sun:1 a.m.
San Gabriel Valley
Any L.A. foodie knows SGV is heaven for Asian cuisine, and that doesn’t stop at 9 p.m. Grill your own KBBQ at King Charcoal BBQ or no frills fried rice at Phoenix Inn. But the diverse valley has plenty of taco options for just a few bucks each, and some of the city’s favorite pastrami in an unassuming corner stand. Take yours piping hot and freshly sliced in a sandwich or on fries at The Hat.
Address: 306 N. Garfield Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91754 Closing time: Mon to Thurs: 3 a.m., Fri/Sat: 4 a.m. Sun: 12 a.m.
A trio of sausages from Wurstküche
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DTLA
The concert has ended, the club is winding down, you’re downtown, what’s next? In most cities, “downtown” is the epicenter of it all, but Angelenos know our city works a little differently. Nevertheless, from the Historic Core to Little Tokyo to the Arts District, there’s options.
Keep it old school with a french dip at the counter of the over-100-year-old Cole’s (They claim to have invented the sandwich!) . Or give the new Downtown a shot at Level 8, a food and beverage mecca inside the Moxy hotel with Vegas-level immersive, Instagrammable dining, including tacos and shabu shabu open late. If you want to keep it simple, in true L.A. fashion, there are plenty of casual tacos in the area, too.
Address: 800 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 Closing time: Sun to Thurs: 12 a.m., Fri/Sat: 1 a.m.
Mel's Drive-in
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Photo by LaTur via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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Hollywood
In Hollywood, sometimes the real party is wherever you grab food after. If you’re looking to see, be seen, and keep the party going, Grandmaster Recorders, inside the same building where David Bowie and the Red Hot Chili Peppers once recorded hits, serves Italian inspired bites till 2 a.m. Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine attracts clubgoers and even your favorite rappers who want to soak up the tequila sodas with rich fettuccine alfredo and beans and rice plates. Vegans and meat eaters can indulge at Doomie’s Home Cookin’, an entirely plant-based diner serving comfort food favorites and elaborate house-made desserts.
Address: 5657 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 Closing time: 12 a.m.
Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles
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Photo by Melissa Acedera via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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Long Beach
Taco lovers are lucky with the array of options in Long Beach open late. Tacos Super Gallito has grilled meats, fried fish, fries and aguas frescas at their truck. For dine-in, despite its name, Los Tres Cochinitos serves both meat and mariscos, plus micheladas. While many other locations around town now close too early for this list, the original Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, which opened in 1975 in Long Beach, serves its namesake till midnight.
Address: 225 W. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA 90813 Closing time: 11 p.m.
South Bay
If you’re craving a burger, the South Bay is your oyster — no fast food chains required. Opt for quick and casual at Louis Burgers IV or Fabulous Charbroiled Burgers. Do it up at The Kettle, a diner that uses farmer’s market ingredients. You can get classic pad thai until 2 a.m. at Subhannahong or get quirky with their fusion laab tacos. Like the rest of town, there are late-night pizza and ramen options, too.
Address: 1644 W. Carson St., Torrance, CA 90501 Closing time: 11 p.m.
South L.A.
If you’re in South L.A., we can practically guarantee you’re less than 10 minutes from a King Taco, Tacos Gavilan, or Tacos El Unico. If you want pancakes while your BFF wants a full Thanksgiving dinner plate, there’s art deco legend Norm’s diner running 24 hours too. Mom-and-pop joints like Jim’s Super Burger and Louis Burger II are reliable and greasy in the right way. If you’re feeling bougie (we won’t tell), there’s yet another Bacari in this neck of the woods.
Address: 9901 Long Beach Blvd., Lynwood, CA 90262 Closing time: 11 p.m.
The Eastside
(Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Los Feliz, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, East L.A.)
Mexican food reigns supreme on the Eastside, whether it’s a big plate of enchiladas and a flaming margarita at El Compadre or bubbling, counter-service carnitas from Carnitas Michoacan. For those who want to split a slice of pie and chat into the wee closing hours of the night, Fred 62 has a robust menu with unusual diner options like falafel and familiar favorites, while House of Pies keeps it classic with old school prices, too. Locals know that Red Lion Tavern, a German-style bar, is best known for its wings.
Address: 4738 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90042 Closing time: 11 p.m.
West Hollywood
Got a hot date, but work ran late? West Hollywood is your best bet for high end, table service dinners at European hours. Your Instagram explore page has probably familiarized you with seafood spot CATCH, but newer LAVO Ristorante has a 1 pound meatball on the menu that is just as selfie-worthy and indulgent.
If you can manage to get a last minute table, old school red sauce joint Dan Tana’s will make anyone feel like a regular with service from seasoned waiters in tuxedos. Reality TV lovers may mourn the closing of PUMP, but Vanderpump Rules affiliate Tom Tom is now open. Those not looking to break the bank can go Tokyo mode and slurp ramen at Tatsu after the bars close, eat a hot dog in an old train car at Carneys, or spend under $10 for New York City export Prince Street Pizza (be warned, they don’t serve ranch).
Canter's Deli on Fairfax
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Photo by Chris_Lott via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Address: 8684 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069 Closing time: Sun to Thurs: 12 a.m., Fri/Sat: 1 a.m.
Mel's Drive-in on Sunset
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Photo by LaTur via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr.
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Westside
Whether you’re a student, a surfer, or just lucky enough to spend a night by the beach, the Westside has plenty of affordable options for a late night bite and a few sit-in restaurants that keep the doors open.
Gorge on a giant sandwich from Fat Sal’s or Johnnie’s Pastrami or ramen from Daikokuya’s west side outpost. For a full restaurant experience, grab a dimly lit booth at La Cabaña for tamales and chile rellanos or head over to sailor themed The Galley for not-too-expensive steaks. Those from the 310 will suggest a hickory burger from West LA institution The Apple Pan. The extremely experienced will remind you to leave room for banana cream pie.
Address: 1440 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291 Closing time: Sun to Wed: 12 a.m., Thurs to Sat: 1 a.m.
Restaurants that have closed since our 2019 guide
DTLA: Comfort LA, Coronados, Lupetti Pizzeria, Mezcalero, Pacific Dining Car, Suehiro Cafe, The Little Easy, The Pantry-TomGeorge, Wangs Tavern
Hollywood: 101 Coffee Shop, El Gran Burrito, Kitchen 24, Shin Ramen, Snow White Cafe, The Sit Down, Velvet Margarita, Yogi Dog
Koreatown: Beer Belly, Chadolpoong, Golden Pig, Kang Ho, Dong Baekjeong, KyoChon, Mountain Cafe, Nan Wok House, Plato, Red Pig, Secret IZT, Shuto Izakaya, Shin Jung, Star Night, Spare Tire Kitchen & Tavern, Stone Grill BBQ, Ten Ramen, Tengoku Ramen Bar, Touhmi, Won Jo Kokerang Agurang
Long Beach: Bangkok Blvd Restaurant, Cha2O, La Frida, SongHak
San Fernando Valley: Conrads- Dos Burritos- Harry's Family Restaurant- L'Ambiance Cafe- Nostal Cafe- Rock'n Pies, Trap Fried Chicken, Jerrys Deli
San Gabriel Valley: Altadena Wine & Ale House, Happy Kitchen, NYC Seafood, Tasty Garden
South Bay: Moshi Moshi Mambo, Ryo Zan Paku
South L.A.: Aldewaniah, Diana's Las Playas, El Oaxaco Taqueria y Antojitos Oaxaqueños, Tacos El Sinaloense
The Eastside: Electric Lotus Kitchen of India, Xelas, La India Bonita
West Hollywood: 8oz. Poke, Croft Alley at the Standard, Eveleigh, Greenblatt's, ISA Japanese, Kitchen 24, Michael's Pizza, Oki Dog, One80 Pizzeria, Pearl's Rooftop, Pink Taco, Plancha Tacos, Pump, Rock House Sliders, Saint Felix, Spare Tire, Sweet Chick, The 3rd Stop, The Hudson, The Pikey, The Sunset Trocadero, Toca Madera
Westside: Gabes Bar and Grill, Go Japanese Izakaya, Habibi Cafe, Izzy's Deli, James' Beach, Không Tên, Pacific Dining Car, Pho Shop-Plancha Tacos, Tasty Wok Cuisine, Swingers
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published August 26, 2026 5:00 AM
Nearly 300,000 California K-12 students experienced homelessness in the 2024-25 school year, according to research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools.
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Olivia Hughes
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Topline:
Nearly 300,000 California K-12 students experienced homelessness in the 2024-25 school year, the highest numbers ever recorded by UCLA researchers. Southern California counties, including Los Angeles and Orange, account for the highest numbers of students experiencing homelessness in the state.
Why it matters: Students experiencing homelessness are more likely to frequently miss school and fall behind academically. While many students have started to score higher on the state’s standardized math and reading tests following pandemic-related declines, the percentage of unhoused students who meet the benchmarks is about 20% lower than their housed peers, the research found.
SoCal numbers: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties account for half of the students experiencing homelessness in the state. About 62,000 – nearly 5% — of L.A. County students were unhoused in the 2024-2025 school year.
What's next: California’s most recent budget includes $116 million to help schools identify and support students experiencing homelessness. The report’s authors say while that’s “encouraging,” more than one-time funding is needed.
Nearly 300,000 California K-12 students experienced homelessness in the 2024-25 school year, the highest numbers ever recorded by UCLA researchers and a 10% increase from the prior peak in the 2018-19 school year.
“The sheer magnitude of how many students are experiencing homelessness and how much it's increased, that was the biggest finding for us,” said Grace Kim, study co-author and research analyst at the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools.
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties account for half of the students experiencing homelessness in the state. About 62,000 — nearly 5% — of L.A. County students experience homelessness in the 2024-25 school year.
Researchers at UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools examined data collected by the California Department of Education between the 2017-18 and 2024-25 school years, including homeless student enrollment, attendance and test scores.
Students experiencing homelessness are more likely to frequently miss school and fall behind academically. While many students have started to score higher on the state’s standardized math and reading tests following pandemic-related declines, the percentage of students experiencing homelessness who meet the benchmarks is about 20% lower than their housed peers, the research found.
Black, American Indian and Alaska Native students experienced higher rates of homelessness than their peers of other races — about 1 in 12.
California’s most recent budget includes $116 million to help schools identify and support students experiencing homelessness. The report’s authors say while “encouraging,” more than one-time funding is needed to support students experiencing homelessness.
“Having integrated systems of support is also a super important factor,” Kim said. “The reason why we see these gaps in terms of academic achievement or chronic absenteeism … it's not [students’] fault.”
Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published August 25, 2026 4:58 PM
The EPA says cleanup at this South Gate lot could take a few months for the soil and a year or longer for the groundwater.
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Topline:
Cleanup is just beginning for a contaminated industrial site in South Gate, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials who are leading the effort.
Why it matters: The small, southeast L.A. cityhas three Superfund sites, areas designated by the federal government as highly contaminated with hazardous waste.
The backstory: The site, known as the Southern Avenue Industrial Area, housed a screw manufacturing business for 30 years, then a carpet adhesive plant. Both businesses are now defunct and the site was designated by the federal government as a Superfund site in 2012.
What's next: EPA officials estimate soil cleanup will take about two months. Groundwater cleanup planning will start in 2027 and could take a year or more.
Read on ... to learn about the other contaminated sites in South Gate.
Cleanup is just beginning for a contaminated industrial site in South Gate, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials who are leading the effort.
The small southeast L.A. city was built on industry — in the early 20th century it boomed with auto, chemical and other manufacturers.
That legacy also left it with three Superfund sites, areas designated by the federal government as highly contaminated with hazardous waste.
The three sites are all clustered on a large lot framed by Southern and Rayo avenues. A residential neighborhood is nearby.
“This site is less than 50 yards away from a home, so we want to make sure that we clean it to a point where we can feel confident,” said South Gate Mayor Joshua Barron.
South Gate is home to about 90,000 people, the majority of whom are Latino. The median household income is about $74,500 and the state has identified the city and surrounding communities to be disproportionately burdened by pollution and its health effects.
This site, dubbed the Southern Avenue Industrial Area, housed a screw manufacturing business for 30 years, then a carpet adhesive plant. Both businesses are now defunct and the site was designated by the federal government as a Superfund site in 2012.
The pollution at this property was compounded by pollution from companies next door.
One of the two adjacent Superfund sites was used by Cooper Drum Co., a steel drum recycling plant. A group of Cooper Drum’s former customers, including chemical manufacturers and oil companies, are paying for part of that cleanup. The other site, previously operated by an aircraft rivet and conveyor belt manufacturer, is still in the analysis and planning stages.
Why does it take so long to clean up a Superfund site?
First, a site has to get officially listed. Then the EPA has to analyze the property to understand exactly what and where contamination occurred. Identifying who is responsible for pollution can take time, result in lawsuits, or not be resolved at all. If the responsible party is defunct or can’t pay for the cleanup, then taxpayers have to foot the bill.
EPA experts need to then analyze the site and develop a cleanup plan, and funding needs to be secured. The cleanup can take years, even decades. The federal government has been slowly working through a backlog of sites, identifying those of highest importance through the National Priorities List, of which there are 97 in California. Learn more about the Superfund process here.
At the Southern Avenue site where the EPA broke ground Tuesday, analyses commissioned by the agency found widespread lead and other toxic contamination in the soil, as well as a plume of trichloroethylene, a carcinogen, in the groundwater.
Officials say the plume has not affected the deeper aquifer South Gate and other southeast L.A. cities rely on for drinking water.
EPA project manager Kelia Liang explains the cleanup effort in South Gate on Tuesday.
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“ The water is safe to drink,” said Mike Montgomery, superfund director for the EPA. “What we're trying to do is prevent it from becoming impacted.”
EPA officials estimate soil cleanup will take about two months. Groundwater cleanup planning will start in 2027 and could take a year or more. The whole effort is estimated to cost between $45 million and $60 million, primarily through federal dollars.
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Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published August 25, 2026 3:50 PM
Flooding was an issue in Seal Beach in September 1997, a year when Southern California experienced one of its most damaging El Niño events.
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Don Bartletti
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
Forecasters predict that this year’s El Niño could be the strongest on record. LAist wants to help answer your questions about it.
The background: Scientists say an El Niño climate pattern has already formed in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Warming ocean temperatures are on track to exceed even the historic El Niño of 1997.
Why it matters: In Southern California, El Niño is expected to come with a lot of rain and high sea levels, as well as the resulting flooding, mudslides and coastal erosion.
Read on … to find the form where you can submit your questions about El Niño.
The summer heat may be sweltering at the moment in Southern California, but predictions about this winter’s El Niño show it could be the strongest on record.
So the LAist newsroom wants to know: What questions do you have? (You can submit below.)
We can tell you now that El Niño is a climate pattern that happens roughly every two to seven years, and is one of the most powerful drivers of the Earth’s weather.
During an El Niño event, the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America warms to above normal temperatures. The warm ocean adds moisture and heat to the atmosphere, influencing atmospheric circulation, temperatures and precipitation on a massive scale.
El Niño typically results in mild weather in the northern United States and wetter conditions in the southern part of the country.
In Southern California, we could start to see the effects of El Niño in the late fall or early winter. Generally, those effects include significant rain and high sea levels and the consequences that come with them, such as flooding, mudslides and coastal erosion.
Forecasters say there is a more than 90% chance of a powerful El Niño event this year, and a 70% chance that it’s record-setting.
That said, uncertainty remains around how exactly this winter’s El Niño will play out here.
So as you gear up for an El Niño winter, ask us your questions and we’ll do our best to get answers in the months ahead.
Jill Replogle
covers public corruption, debates over our voting system, culture war battles — and more.
Published August 25, 2026 2:41 PM
The GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove.
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Topline:
The company behind the Garden Grove hazardous waste scare earlier this year is planning to resume full operations in late September, subject to an independently monitored, court-approved safety plan. The company employs 500 people at its Garden Grove facility.
The details: GKN Aerospace said in a news release that it had permanently decommissioned the tank that set off the hazmat scare in May and forced some 50,000 nearby residents to evacuate. Removal of the tank is pending review and approval from state regulatory agencies, according to an emailed response from Salma Elshakre, a spokesperson for the Orange County Health Care Agency, which is overseeing the cleanup.
Read more ... for more informationon the controversy.
The company behind the Garden Grove hazardous waste scare earlier this year is planning to resume full operations in late September, subject to an independently monitored, court-approved safety plan.
GKN Aerospace employs 500 people at its Garden Grove facility.
What happened?
GKN Aerospace said in a news release that it had permanently decommissioned the tank that set off the hazmat scare in May and forced some 50,000 nearby residents to evacuate.
Removal of the tank is pending review and approval from state regulatory agencies, according to an emailed response from Salma Elshakre, a spokesperson for the Orange County Health Care Agency, which is overseeing the cleanup.
All of the toxic chemical, methyl methacrylate (also known as MMA), has been removed from nearby tanks as well, Elshakre said.
What about the compensation fund?
This week, the company also announced a forthcoming $100 million compensation fund for affected residents and businesses. GKN expects to release details on how to apply in the coming months.
What's next?
At least 39 lawsuits have been filed against the company in conjunction with the hazmat incident, according to a GKN webpage set up to track the fallout. The company pledged to explain the legal effect of participating in the compensation fund before it is launched.
What's the community reaction?
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said in a statement that the city “welcome[s] this progress and will continue to expect GKN to address the broader effects on our community.”
A coalition of community groups called GKN Out of Garden Grove Coalition wants the city to shut down the GKN plant completely. The coalition plans to release a report documenting the company’s alleged history of hazardous waste failures at a news conference Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at 11300 Stanford Ave. in Garden Grove.
