Hot Dog on a Stick is a street-food stop in Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
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.
Address: 1633 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90401
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: Made-to-order omusubi
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
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: Asada tacos on handmade tortillas
Tip: Tacos on handmade tortillas with cilantro and onions are the order; parking sits right beside the shop.
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: Hard-shell tacos and burritos
Tip: The lunch rush peaks at noon sharp; order the chicken taco plate and grab salsa from the bar before sitting.
Heavy Handed smashes short-rib-blend patties on Main Street in Santa Monica, beef tallow fries and Straus soft serve from a pandemic pop-up made good.
Try: Short-rib smashburger
Tip: Double smash with American cheese, fries in tallow, soft serve after; the line moves faster than it looks.
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 tacos
Tip: The rotisserie chicken plate feeds two; finish with the cream-filled churros even if you think you will not.
Bay Cities Italian Deli, family-owned since 1925, bakes and stacks the Godmother on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica behind hour-long lunchtime queues.
Try: The Godmother sub, takeout counter
Tip: Order the Godmother online ahead and skip the queue; it is debit or cash only and closed Monday and Tuesday.
