Where and What to Eat at Grand Central Market
A segment on KCET's award-winning TV show "SoCal Connected" has been produced in tandem with this story. Watch it here now.
There are dozens of different places to eat at Grand Central Market. Come for breakfast or lunch every day of the week or swing by for dinner on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evenings. If you travel by the L.A. Metro, show your TAP card at the Market's information desk and receive a $2 token, redeemable at any vendor. The trickiest part is deciding where to eat. Here's our comprehensive list of all the options:
Ana Maria
The neon sign hanging above Ana Maria may read "especialidad in tacos," but it's the gorditas -- oversized and overstuffed with your choice of meat -- that draw crowds of hungry fans.
Belcampo Meat Co.
Both a full-service butcher shop offering top-quality, organic, grass-fed meats and a miniature, retro-style diner with counter stools and a fantastic dry-aged cheeseburger on the menu.
Bento Ya Japanese Cuisine
Sushi, ramen, and bento boxes packed with rice, salad, and your choice of grilled beef or seafood and vegetable tempura, all at bargain prices.
Berlin Currywurst
This popular stall is the fourth outpost of Berlin Currywurst, an L.A. mini-chain founded by husband and wife team Hardeep and Lena Manak. In addition to authentic nürnberger and paprikawurst drenched in orange-ginger sauce, there are also a few breakfast options.
Better Booch
After indulging in a few too many of the tempting foods at Grand Central, head straight to this tiny kombucha bar and order a cup of fermented tea on tap. Or better yet, pick up a bottle or two to take home with you.
China Cafe
One of the most iconic stalls in the Market and one of the first to fill up in the early morning hours, China Cafe has leagues of long-time patrons, who come to slurp the house wonton soup.
DTLA Cheese
Marni and Lydia Clarke, granddaughters of one of the founders of Alta Dena Dairy, offer a meticulously curated selection of domestic and imported cheeses. Chef Reed Herrick highlights a few of them in griddled sandwiches and seasonal salads.
Eggslut
The never-ending line, usually the longest one at the Market, is proof that Eggslut is indeed all that it's cracked up to be.
G & B Coffee
Come for the touted iced almond-macadamia milk latte; stay for the overlooked but equally rousing pastries, including a vegan strawberry muffin.
Hawaii BBQ
Barbequed chicken, teriyaki meats, fried mahi mahi, and pork chop katsu for a little taste of aloha in downtown L.A.
Horse Thief BBQ
Perhaps the best seat in the house can be found somewhere on the outdoor patio alongside Horse Thief. The brisket sandwich and black-eyed peas are pretty exceptional, too.
Jose Chiquito
For sixteen years, Jose Chiquito has served breakfast all day. They are most famous for their breakfast wrap, a tortilla filled with eggs, cheese, hash browns, and sausage or ham, but they also offer hamburgers, Reuben sandwiches, and gyros.
Kabab & More
Beef, chicken, and lamb kebabs, served with a generous scoop of rice, pita bread, and a handful of grilled vegetables.
Las Morelianas
It's nearly impossible to stroll past Las Morelianas and not be handed a generous sample of their Michoacán-style carnitas, juicy and tender from a long, slow simmer, wrapped in a steaming tortilla.
Lupita's Seafood
Lupita's sells both fresh and prepared seafood, though most patrons go for the ceviche. At $3.50 for a half-pint of fish, shrimp, or shrimp-and-crab ceviche, plus two tostadas and a couple of lime wedges, it's a real bargain.
Olio GCM Wood Fired Pizzeria
Chewy yet thin pizzas with heroically charred crusts and your choice of classic toppings or novel additions, served up in less than five minutes.
McConnell's Fine Ice Cream
When deciding which flavor of ice cream to try, your best bet is to go for the flight of three scoops in a single waffle cone. Don't miss the churros con leche, Eureka lemon and marionberries, or the Turkish coffee.
Press Brothers Juicery
Raw, organic juices that are cold-pressed every morning and mixed together in pleasing combinations, including Liquid Gold (pineapple, apple, lemon, mint), Rx Tonic (celery, yam, lemon, ginger, turmeric, garlic), and the ever-popular Drop Acid (Cucumber, apple, arugula, lemon, parsley, cilantro, ginger, habanero).
Roast To Go
Roast To Go has been a Market standby since 1952, and crowds still gather to pick up burritos, tacos, and various meats (cabeza, lengua, barbacoa) by the pound.
Sarita's Pupuseria
Try the jamaica agua fresca, fried plantains, and a pupusa made with cheese and loroco, an edible flower native to Central America.
Sticky Rice
The namesake dish here is served with half a mango (for $4) or with a full mango (for $7). Other Thai comfort foods on offer include a special curry of the day, tangy barbeque chicken with green papaya salad, and Hainan chicken with soup.
Tacos Tumbras a Tomas
Sidle up to the counter and put in an order for a $3 pork, beef, or chicken taco. The portion size is generous enough to fill you up for the whole day, especially with the extra tortillas that are served on the side.
Valerie at GCM
You may have seen the Valerie Confections stand at the Hollywood and Santa Monica Farmers' Markets, displaying elegantly wrapped pastries, petits fours, and chocolates. Expanding on those sweet offerings, Valerie at Grand Central Market has Chinese chicken salad, breakfast sandwiches, savory hand pies, and much more.
Wexler's Deli
The old school deli soul food at Wexler's is all fastidiously made. The wait can feel unendurable, but when your pastrami sandwich, with its thick slabs of house-cured meat, is placed in front of you, the minutes you waited seem more than worthwhile.