Bay Cities Italian Deli is an italian deli budget eat in Downtown, Santa Monica.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Tip: Order the Godmother online ahead and skip the queue; it is debit or cash only and closed Monday and Tuesday.
Address: 1517 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401
La Purepecha hand-presses corn tortillas on Broadway in Santa Monica, a Michoacan-style counter of asada tacos and machaca burritos without the fuss.
Try: Handmade-tortilla tacos
Tip: Tacos on handmade tortillas with cilantro and onions are the order; parking sits right beside the shop.
Benny's Tacos brines its rotisserie chicken for 24 hours in citrus and garlic on Wilshire in Santa Monica, with churros piped full of Bavarian cream.
Try: Rotisserie chicken plates
Tip: The rotisserie chicken plate feeds two; finish with the cream-filled churros even if you think you will not.
Hot Dog on a Stick still hand-dips corn dogs at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, where Dave Barham began hand-dipping them at his 1946 lemonade stand.
Try: Corn dog and lemonade
Tip: The rebuilt stand pounds its lemonade by hand the way it did in 1946; corn dog and lemonade is the whole menu you need.
Tacos Por Favor has fed Santa Monica's Olympic Boulevard workshops since the nineties, a no-frills counter of hard-shell tacos and chile relleno burritos.
Try: Taco plates
Tip: The lunch rush peaks at noon sharp; order the chicken taco plate and grab salsa from the bar before sitting.
La Purepecha hand-presses corn tortillas on Broadway in Santa Monica, a Michoacan-style counter of asada tacos and machaca burritos without the fuss.
Try: Handmade-tortilla tacos
Tip: Tacos on handmade tortillas with cilantro and onions are the order; parking sits right beside the shop.
Gilbert's El Indio has run its family Mexican dining room on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica since 1974, taquitos, shrimp plates and jalapeno margaritas.
Try: Taquitos and combo plates
Tip: It won Santa Monica's 2024 Most Loved Mexican Food award; Sunday closes at 14:00, so go for breakfast burritos.
Benny's Tacos brines its rotisserie chicken for 24 hours in citrus and garlic on Wilshire in Santa Monica, with churros piped full of Bavarian cream.
Try: Rotisserie chicken plates
Tip: The rotisserie chicken plate feeds two; finish with the cream-filled churros even if you think you will not.
Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.
Try: Omusubi
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
