Best 10 Street Food in Downtown LA

Downtown Los Angeles is home to some of the best street foods in the world, thanks to the rising diversity of this region. Whether you are craving delicious shawarma, sizzling tacos, fresh bagels, or sweet churros, this city is packed with mouthwatering flavors from every corner of the world. So, without wasting any time, get ready to explore bold flavors, trendy delights, and local favorites through our detailed guide because the best places to eat in downtown LA are not here to disappoint.

Serving fresh on a vintage truck, Mariscos Jalisco offers more than just flavors—they offer emotions!! They are known for their crispy shrimp tacos, with the dorado de camaron taco being their highlight. The fresh shrimp in a corn tortilla garnished with avocado is also a fan favorite. Also, don’t forget to try the chef’s special tostadas topped with red shrimp aguachile, shrimp ceviche, and octopus. They do not accept card or online payments, so carry some cash with you.

Downtown LA's Piñata District is a hive of street cuisine, with street food sellers offering a variety of Mexican and Salvadoran options. Foodies can enjoy Tacos, pupusas, churros, elotes, and birria. Tacos El Chivo's al pastor is particularly good. Flavors from Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Sinaloa coexist with Mexico City and Puebla specialties. Additionally, it's one of the few places in downtown LA to find “Pulque”, a traditional fermented beverage with an alcohol content comparable to beer.

They say LA never sleeps, well so does the Corn Man located in Northeast Los Angeles! It is a popular late-night setup that opens around 11 p.m., serving corn slathered with a variety of options like cheese, chili, lime, butter, and mayo. The owner has been doing this work for almost 30 years, which clearly says a lot about the bold flavors and popularity of these corns.

Why visit the best restaurants downtown Los Angeles when you can enjoy delicious and economical Korean BBQ by the street? Available in three different locations, which extend from Whittier to the town of Sherman Oaks, Kogi BBQ serves a delicious combo of Mexican and Korean flavors. The popular items include Kimchi Quesadilla, caramelized flavorful Korean BBQ with salsa roja, and Blackjack Mexican quesadilla with pork and rich salsa verde. And don’t worry if meat is not your cup of tea because you can go for a tofu filling as well.  

Now you can grill your street food-inspired skewers from the Philippines for as little as $1 in the parking area of Dollar Hits in famous Filipinotown. Visitors can choose from traditional selections like chicken and pork, but the offal selection—which includes intestines, pork blood, and more—is the actual highlight. Visitors can also enjoy potato fritters, longganisa sausage, and fish balls, while balut (fertilized eggs of a duck) and turon (fried banana rolls) at the hot food stand are also preferable options.

Enjoy the delicious flavors of Thailand right outside LAX-C known as Thai Costco close to Chinatown. The stand is open from 9 to 5 only on weekends serving specialties like green papaya salad, pork and chicken skewers, and authentic Thai sausage. The highlight of Mae Ting's extensive menu is her coconut cakes, which are made by pouring fresh coconut into the iron mold, giving them a soft and crusty texture.

Some of LA's most inventive mariscos may be found at Simón, a popular and stunning blue lonchera located at Sunset Triangle Plaza at Silver Lake. With a degree from culinary school, chef Francisco Aguilar creates a seasonal menu of tacos, ceviches, tostadas, and agua chiles that are exploding with flavors. The crab taco with a soft shell, enchilada suiza—which comes with grilled shrimp, salsa verde, melted cheese, and fan favorite habanero lime crema—are all must-try. A bright, delectable seafood experience is waiting for you, which is worth the lengthy wait.

After 5 PM, the best assortment of food carts and tables come together at 6th Street and Bonnie Brae in Westlake. The foodies can have delicious tostadas, tamales (chuchitos), and garnachas (deep-fried tortillas stuffed with meat, cotija cheese, and tomato sauce) from mainstay vendors. Depending on the day you visit, you can discover deep-fried chicken-filled dobladas, also known as empanadas, sweet masa-based atolls, boiling caldos, and Guatemalan chow mein. Be sure to bring cash to enjoy this hidden culinary gem.

This family-friendly Whittier event takes place every weekend in the afternoon and evening and is a spin-off of the now-closed Avenue 26 Night Market. Like its older version, the Avenue 26 Family Night Market offers the best food in downtown LA with an overwhelming variety of Mexican street cuisine, including tacos, mulitas, tamales, menudo, taquitos, and more. Smash burgers, desserts, BBQ platters, and even freshly stir-fried noodles are available at the market for visitors to enjoy, making it one of L.A.'s most popular street food spots.

Tire Shop is a unique street food eatery in South LA that sells $2.50 Tacos in the Tijuana manner, filled with rich avocado salsa. The smokey char of mesquite-grilled meats, particularly the carne asada, adds more flavor to the meal. The worst part? Here, tortillas are prepared to order and then folded into cones wrapped in paper, with one end dripping green salsa (a bit messy, we know… but that’s the fun part!). Additionally, the food stall only takes cash, so carry it along if you are planning to visit.