(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)
- Stay calm and learn to love the journey to LAX.
- Timed right, your drive to or from one of the busiest airports in the world can include a satisfying dip into intriguing dining options.
- Here are 15 restaurants or bars that aren’t In-N-Out or Randy’s Donuts to try before takeoff or after landing.
Dread is usually the first sensation Angelenos conjure when they hear “LAX.” It doesn’t have to be this way, L.A.
You might be preparing to check in toward a faraway destination, or doing what is often called the ultimate expression of love here: driving someone to or from one of the busiest airports in the world. Either way, if timed right, your journey can become a satisfying dip into the culinary scene surrounding our vice for the airborne, our awkward beauty, El Ay Ex.
Mariscos El Chente staff members Denise Miranda and Maria Peñuelas.
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
No, you don’t have to limit yourself to the touristy In-N-Out on Sepulveda Bouelvard. Skip Randy’s Donuts if you’ve done it before. For this guide, we’re zeroing in on local favorites in the quietly robust scene of dining and drinking within one mile of the airport’s perimeter. No hotel restaurants or lounges.
A tight proximity to the runways means you’re mostly surrounded by busy LAX workers and hardcore locals from the communities of Westchester, El Segundo, Lennox, Hawthorne and Inglewood. Sprinkle in people who’ve just landed from just about anywhere in the world, and the magic of the LAX cultural orbit comes alive. I’m no longer kidding or holding my secret: Because of the restaurants and bars, I actually love hanging out around the airport.
This makes me part of a low-key membrane of Angeleno who enjoys watching jetliners serenely glide their passengers through the sky, landing a kiss away from the gleaming Pacific, as we sip a nice lager or chomp into a mulita. I can trick my brain on any day into thinking I’m just about to take off myself.
Showing Place Places
Melody Bar & Grill
Westchester American $
(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)
Considered the closest bar to LAX that’s not in a hotel complex, Melody Bar & Grill is a true neighborhood anchor, drawing locals and airport workers, and open in some form since 1952. The vibe is built around DJs and live music usually playing R&B, soul and hip-hop. The kitchen keeps its dedicated regulars coming back for birthdays, team wins or the simple achievement of getting through the day. Wings are a house favorite. I’ve enjoyed the pulled pork sliders and the tangy tomato bisque soup (a cup with a grilled cheese dunker is $12). A Raiders hangout, it’s also a good spot for game-day brunch, where you can work through an American breakfast or burrito with a bottle of sparkling wine for the cost of about a couple mimosas. Mostly, we coming back for the amorphous vibe. You’re at the gateway to L.A., with planes landing just outside the window, and can also be transported to a “real L.A.” of a local mythos, for the people of South L.A. and the South Bay. Note: There’s a $10 cover on weekend nights.
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Mariella's Tacos
Westchester Mexican Tacos $
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
This truck has served the LAX worker community for more than two decades on an otherwise dark block of West 102nd Street. Mariela Roberts is proud owner of a lonchera with a menu as extensive as any cantina or grill. The main draw are the handmade tortillas, best enjoyed doubled as a mulita with your choice of meat. There are borderlands and Sinaloa vibes throughout the menu, including birria and tacos gobernador. Mariella’s is open until 2 a.m., sometimes even later on weekends, making it a reliable draw for dedicated taco mavens near the airport.
Tomat
Westchester Californian $$
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
This is the most upscale option available in the LAX area for a memorable conversation-starter meal in a bracket involving higher prices for higher-quality ingredients. The menu is California-centric with a British lean. A subtle heartiness rotates precisely with the seasons and the restaurant’s small farm suppliers. Whatever they’re doing with legumes on any given day, try it. Pop in for a glass of wine or a pastry, and maybe sit at the counter that looks directly into the open kitchen and the wood-fire grill. The arrival of Tomat — which made the 101 Best Restaurants list in 2025 — feels like more than the planting of a flag in Westchester, where so many restaurants still seem stuck in a time capsule from the 1990s. Also a good spot for a last-minute power meeting before a flight out.
Watch Tomat’s Harry Posner ‘Chef That’ black-eyed pea stew
Watch Tomat’s Harry Posner ‘Chef That’ black-eyed pea stew
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Mariscos Chente El Original
Inglewood Mexican Seafood $
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
Mariscos Chente El Original is operated by a member of the family known for award-winning Coni’Seafood, and in some way it feels like its sentimental anchor in western Inglewood. Photographs with celebrity visitors like Cesar Milán and Anthony Bourdain hang in a space that could be a beachside palapa set up by patriarch Vicente “Chente” Cossio himself. There is no pescado zarandeado on this menu, but much of the other Nayarit-style seafood dishes that regulars love at Coni’Seafood are here. A highlight are the camarones borrachos, beautiful shrimp sautéed in chiles, garlic and a shot of tequila. The inked ceviche marinero with chunks of mango is a personal favorite.
Shokudo Westchester
Westchester Japanese Korean $$
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
A comfortable Japanese slash pan-Asian drop-in restaurant that’s only been open since December 2025, Shokudo will let you know it means business with the arrival of its Japanese-style potato salad. It’s made with Kewpie mayo, crispy onions and topped with a soft-boiled egg and mustard. It’s a hit. Chef-owner Jimin Kim’s signature is the handmade udon, offered in several varieties featuring brisket, beef mala and seaweed. There are also katsu plates and a few Korean comfort dishes. Beer and wines by the glass are available, plus several specialty bottled brews not often seen on this side of the Pacific, like a lychee ale from Wakayama Brewery.
The Proud Bird
Westchester Barbecue American Asian Italian $$
(Daniel Hernandez/Los Angeles Times)
You’re here for the view. The Proud Bird is a food hall slash banquet center with relatively limited options, the standout being the outpost of barbecue specialist Bludso’s. But its location cannot be beat. On the parklike patio outside, a visitor gets to sit as close as you could get to Runway 25L (mostly used for cargo and wide-body jets) without needing a security clearance. These massive machines start looking like airborne cruise ships with wings the closer they get to the Proud Bird’s playground set. There’s a full bar with aviation-themed cocktail names, an arcade section and a huge parking lot, so it’s easy to sit here comfortably if a flight is delayed. Also a good alternative for jet fanatics looking for a better view than the In-N-Out near runway 24R. At the Proud Bird, go for a Bludso’s’ pulled pork or brisket sandwich.
The Manchester
Westchester American $$
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
A black windowless corner building with a neon sign that looks like it could possibly offer refuge to a Rat Pack crowd, this is the place to stop for an intimate spread of cocktails and American food. The spot would feel right at home in old Hollywood or in the power-lunch scene of Studio City. But it belongs proudly to Westchester, and if you’re headed in from much farther east, it can feel like you’re driving to the edge of the continent by the time you reach the pin. Come in through the back, to the Manchester’s moody but warm interior. Well-prepared lounge staples like the steak frites and tuna tartare will hit the spot. Also consider the short rib stroganoff, the fried chicken sando or the grilled cauliflower. Bread is from Inglewood’s excellent Cadoro Bakery.
Aliki's Greek Taverna
Westchester Greek Vegetarian $
(Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)
This casual restaurant is literally hiding in plain sight, wedged into what feels like an impossible location amid the diesel stations, long-term lots and service entries of the airport. Planes come in so close it feels as if you can make eye contact with arriving passengers. Aliki’s Greek Taverna, founded by a Greek family, has been in operation for two decades. Here you may find one of the best Greek eateries in all of Southern California; I’ve heard at least one L.A. native describe its food as the best Greek in L.A., period. Certainly it is reliable, with appealing dishes like the musaka, the traditional casserole or lasagna-type dish of Greek comfort foods, plus gyros, salads and a dish called sizzling feta. Lots of vegan and vegetarian options, plus several approachable Greek wines are available. Of course the tables are draped in blue-and-white checkered cloth.
Ayara Thai
Westchester Thai $$
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
An outstanding outpost for Thai cuisine that is well-known by now to regular L.A. Times Food readers. Open since 2004, and family- and women-run, Ayara’s signature is its khai soi, a northern specialty featuring chicken drumsticks and egg noodles. It’s also been praised for its occasional “pork pan” hot pot special. Note: carryout only during the day, though a pandemic era patio with tables remains out front.
Saloon Osaka
El Segundo Japanese Seafood $$
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
A terrific unsung gem of a Japanese tavern that wouldn’t feel out of place in Sawtelle or Little Tokyo. Saloon Osaka sits in a cramped strip mall directly across from the south side of LAX, near the eastbound starting point of the 105 Freeway. It first opened in 2006, closed then reopened in 2019, offering sushi, sashimi, rolls and udon, plus several carpaccio. The LAX Roll of spicy tuna and avocado is topped with yellowtail sashimi, ikura, yuzu truffle sauce and wakame.
Three Weavers Brewing Co.
Inglewood Brewery $
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Three Weavers is one of the earliest entrants to the active South Bay brewery scene and is practically a legacy destination by now, a success story built around a massive onsite brew operation and plenty of outdoor areas to sit, lounge, watch planes or the passing trains on the K Line nearby. The brewery’s unapologetically dank Expatriate West Coast-style IPA remains its most prized calling card. Food trucks rotate.
Tacos Tamix at Snappy Liquor
Westchester Mexican $
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
LAX workers swear by Mariella’s Tacos (see above), but they also frequently recommend the outpost lonchera of well-known chain Tacos Tamix, located at the parking lot of Snappy Liquor on the southeast edge of the LAX perimeter. Workers come here late at night for tacos, burritos, mulitas and the Tamix chain’s abundant salsa bar. Two other Tamix locations are also in the general vicinity.
Triangle Wines
Westchester Wine Shop $
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
The opposite of an overly thematic, design-focused wine shop but with maximum heart and knowledge. The space is small so the selection feels extra-thoughtful. The Belotto family are Westchester and Torrance natives who opened Triangle Wines in 2023. They quickly proved to locals that they’re passionate about identifying excellent wines at excellent prices. An always interesting beer selection amps up the value inside. For an LAX-adjacent moment, slide into the tiny tasting area in the rear, which feels like a secret neighborhood hideout, for a four-pour flight at just $15. There’s no food past a few packaged snacks, but engaging conversation is sure to bloom.
Reu Cafe
Hawthorne Guatemalan $
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
It’s slightly farther than a mile to get here from the edge of the airport, but the exception is worthwhile. Reu is an outstanding Guatemalan cafe opened just over a year in Hawthorne. The decor is contemporary but the food projects the inside of a cozy Guatemalan home kitchen with comforting garnachas, a breakfast Chapín, and platanitos fritos. There are also perfect Guatemalan tamales served with a side bolillo. If you’re a matcha lover, Reu is for you: Grab a maple cinnamon matcha or a Guate Latte made with horchata.
Purple Orchid
El Segundo Tiki Bar $
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
One afternoon years ago I stumbled upon the Purple Orchid and have kept it in my veritable back pocket as a great option to meet someone who just landed in L.A. and wants a boozy welcome. Tested the theory once with a friend’s arrival from Oakland, and she still talks about it. Open since 2001, this relatively newer-generation tiki bar offers all of the trappings you’d expect from this genre of drinking experience. The Funky Monkey mixes vodka with coconut, banana and “exotic spices.” I usually just tuck in for a couple of the classics, like a Dark n’ Stormy, to help me contemplate the traveler’s delights.
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