20 Best Cheap Eats in Los Angeles
20 budget-friendly Los Angeles restaurants that still deliver on quality — from casual lunches to laid-back dinners.
The best cheap eats in Los Angeles are Roots Indian Bistro, India's Grill, Mayura Indian Restaurant, and more. Start with Roots Indian Bistro if you want the strongest overall first pick.
How we picked: We weight quality-per-dollar, depth of the cooking, and whether the place would be in the guide even if it cost more.
Top picks at a glance
These are the fastest answers for people searching for the best cheap eats in Los Angeles, with direct links to the full ranked entries below.
Roots Indian Bistro
Roots Indian Bistro is a indian restaurant pick in Los Angeles in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned. Paneer Masala Fries and Samosas also give you a decent sense of the menu.
India's Grill
India's Grill is the kind of indian restaurant room in Los Angeles you reach for when the evening is meant to matter a little more.
Mayura Indian Restaurant
Mayura Indian Restaurant is a indian restaurant pick in Los Angeles in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned. Mayura Uthappam and Dosas also give you a decent sense of the menu.
Practical notes
What to plan for before you book — spend, reservation strategy, and who should skip this guide entirely.
- Expected spend
- $10–25 per person across these picks. A few will land closer to $15 with a drink.
- Booking strategy
- Most of these are walk-in. Arrive a few minutes before service or right at open for the shortest wait. Cash-friendly is common at counter spots.
- Where to look
- Concentration of cheap-eats picks is strongest in Los Angeles — plan a multi-stop tasting if you're new to the city.
- Skip if
- you want a long sit-down meal with drinks and service. Cheap-eats culture is about the food, not the room.
Who this guide is for
The best cheap eats in Los Angeles don't ask you to compromise. The taco truck and strip-mall restaurant culture here is genuinely world-class — Boyle Heights, Koreatown, and the San Gabriel Valley all reward exploration. These picks are sorted by quality and review volume, not price alone — spots that happen to be affordable and still worth the trip.
Quick picks
On this page
- 1. Roots Indian BistroView →
- 2. India's GrillView →
- 3. Mayura Indian RestaurantView →
- 4. Flavor of India - Studio CityView →
- 5. L.A. CRAZY CRABView →
- 6. Bollywood Cafe Indian RestaurantView →
- 7. Vinh Loi TofuView →
- 8. H&H Brazilian SteakhouseView →
- 9. Electric KarmaView →
- 10. Palermo Italian RestaurantView →
- 11. Saigon Dish Vietnamese RestaurantView →
- 12. Flavor of India - West HollywoodView →
- 13. Philippe The OriginalView →
- 14. Langer's Delicatessen-RestaurantView →
- 15. Fisherman's OutletView →
- 16. Crown of IndiaView →
- 17. Carnival RestaurantView →
- 18. Star of IndiaView →
- 19. Golden Deli San GabrielView →
- 20. Bombay BeachView →
How the restaurants compare
How we chose
We looked for restaurants that feel like a strong fit for the guide topic, not just the most obvious names in the city. The shortlist favors rooms with clear mood, dependable pacing, and enough distinction to help someone decide faster. Read our full methodology →
Lighting, pace, and general energy all need to support the reason someone clicked this guide.
We favored restaurants that feel best suited for the moment, not just restaurants with broad reputation.
The final list tries to give readers enough variation in neighborhood, price, and style to compare real options.
20 ranked picks
Roots Indian Bistro looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Paneer Masala Fries and Samosas also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.8 rating across 13,359 Google reviews.
India's Grill is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. It also holds a 9.8 rating across 6,330 Google reviews.
Mayura Indian Restaurant looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Mayura Uthappam and Dosas also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 13,053 Google reviews.
Flavor of India - Studio City is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 3,124 Google reviews.
L.A. CRAZY CRAB is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 1,749 Google reviews.
Bollywood Cafe Indian Restaurant works for date night in Los Angeles because the room and the food both help the evening land. Chicken Tikka and Seekh Kebab also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 1,603 Google reviews.
Vinh Loi Tofu is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 1,072 Google reviews.
H&H Brazilian Steakhouse is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 1,999 Google reviews.
Electric Karma looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 1,954 Google reviews.
Palermo Italian Restaurant looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 1,845 Google reviews.
Saigon Dish Vietnamese Restaurant works for date night in Los Angeles because the room and the food both help the evening land. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 1,773 Google reviews.
Flavor of India - West Hollywood works for date night in Los Angeles because the room and the food both help the evening land. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 1,646 Google reviews.
Philippe The Original looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 12,135 Google reviews.
Langer's Delicatessen-Restaurant works for date night in Los Angeles because the room and the food both help the evening land. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 3,691 Google reviews.
Fisherman's Outlet works for date night in Los Angeles because the room and the food both help the evening land. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 2,902 Google reviews.
Crown of India looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Chicken Tikka and Crisp Coconut Shrimp also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 2,032 Google reviews.
Carnival Restaurant is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,468 Google reviews.
Star of India looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,413 Google reviews.
Golden Deli San Gabriel looks like a good night-out option in Los Angeles in Los Angeles because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,157 Google reviews.
Bombay Beach is an easy yes in Los Angeles when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. Tandoori Lamb Boti Kabob and Chili Paneer also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,017 Google reviews.
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