Eduardo's Border Grill on Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, has served carne asada fries, burritos and combo plates from a corner counter for decades.
Must order: Carne asada fries and a steak burrito with house red salsa for the table.
Tip: This is a Westwood lunch counter; cash and card both fine, expect a queue around the UCLA lunch hour.
Address: 1830 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Cassell's Hamburgers inside the Hotel Normandie in Koreatown grinds its own chuck for griddled patties, a recipe in continuous use since 1948.
Order: The third-pound cheeseburger with grilled onions, plus a vanilla malt for the side.
Tip: Cassell's grinds beef in-house every morning; the breakfast burrito is the under-rated order from the same kitchen.
In-N-Out Burger on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, is the chain landmark closest to the Walk of Fame, with late-night drive-through service until 1:30.
Order: A Double-Double Animal Style with grilled onions and extra spread, plus fries well done.
Tip: Late-night Friday and Saturday closes at 1:30, the queue spills around the block by midnight.
In-N-Out Burger near LAX on Sepulveda sits at the end of runway 24R, making it the chain branch that doubles as a plane-spotting picnic spot.
Order: A Double-Double Animal Style and a chocolate shake to eat on the patio.
Tip: The patio is the move; aircraft pass directly overhead on approach to runway 24R every two minutes.
Jessica Koslow's Sqirl on Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles invented the ricotta toast format in 2012 and still draws a daily brunch line at the counter.
Order: Ricotta toast on Sqirl brioche with house jam.
Tip: Order at the counter, sit at a sidewalk picnic table; the queue is for groups, not solos.
Guisados in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles serves mini braised-meat tacos from a tortilleria a block away. Six locations across the city, this is the original.
Order: Sampler plate of six mini tacos with chicharron in salsa verde.
Tip: The original Boyle Heights branch is the strongest; salsas are made every morning. Closes by 21:00.
Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson's Kismet in Los Feliz, Los Angeles plates a vegetable-led California Mediterranean menu in a sunny corner room.
Order: Crispy turmeric chicken with sumac and freekeh.
Tip: Brunch on weekends from 09:00 takes walk-ins; dinner is a 30-day-out booking.
