Holbox is a mexican restaurant in Los Angeles.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: A Mexican seafood counter in Mercado La Paloma that locals nominate for the Best New Restaurant lists every year and tourists rarely find.
Tip: The aguachile flight is the order; come on a Wednesday at 13:00 when the market is quiet and you can sit at the counter.
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Address: 3655 S Grand Ave, Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Chris Phelps and Zak Walters's Salt's Cure on Highland, Los Angeles butchers whole animals in-house and plates a California-Italian menu in a small room.
Why locals goWhole-animal butchery and California-Italian cooking from a 22-seat room on Highland that's been on the chef-tourist short list for years.
TipSix-pack-and-grill saturdays at lunch sell out by 11:00; come for the brunch on a Sunday for the strongest version of the menu.
Vanda Asapahu's Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery in Pasadena, Los Angeles ages cheese on site and runs a cheese-driven California menu in the dining room.
Why locals goA Pasadena cheese-driven restaurant from chef Vanda Asapahu, with a year-round cheese counter and a tasting room that locals book first.
TipThe cheese tasting flight at the counter is the strongest expression of the menu; book the back-room tasting only after a counter visit.
Camphor in the Arts District, Los Angeles is Lijo and Max's French-Indian tasting room, with a Michelin star awarded in 2023 and bar seats walk-in available.
Why locals goA French-Indian room in the Arts District from chefs Lijo and Max who quietly earned a Michelin star in 2023, still books in two days.
TipThe bar serves the full menu walk-in; sit there if the dining room is booked, the pours are the same.
Chef Gilberto Cetina's Chichen Itza in Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles serves Yucatecan dishes from a market counter. At 3655 S Grand Ave. Booking recommended.
Why locals goYucatecan cooking from a counter inside a market most tourists pass by. The cochinita pibil panuchos cost less than $12 and are the city's reference.
TipCloses at 17:00 daily, no dinner; come at 12:30 weekdays when there is no line and the cochinita has just come off the rotisserie.
Sun Nong Dan in Koreatown, Los Angeles simmers seolleongtang ox-bone soup 24 hours a day and serves a cheese-finished galbi jjim with TikTok-driven crowds.
Why locals goA 24-hour Koreatown room where the late-night oxtail and cheese-melted galbi jjim earn the wait, even at 02:00. Most visitors only know the daytime version.
TipThe 02:00-04:00 window is when locals book the back room; the cheese galbi jjim arrives sizzling and is finished tableside.
Avish Naran's Pijja Palace in Silver Lake, Los Angeles fuses Italian-American pasta and pizza with Indian sauces in a sports-bar room. Open since 2022.
Why locals goA sports bar serving tikka masala rigatoni and chicken tikka pizza, walk-in only, with TVs and a 70s-Italian aesthetic that flies under the tourist radar.
TipWalk in at 17:00 sharp to avoid a 90-minute wait; the sports bar is part of the experience, ask for the patio booth.
