dining institutions west of the 110 freeway
This blog has moved to Twitter! Check out my twitter feed for the latest restaurant, retail, and cultural news in the neighborhood.
For you Downtown residents who never considering venturing west of the 110 Freeway for dinner, let me suggest two long-time institutions in City West you should know about.
La Parrilla at the corner of Wilshire and Witmer has long been hailed as Downtown’s best authentic Mexican grill. The menu covers all traditional dishes in addition to fish and steak entrees. Each meal is served with a small vegetable or lentil soup appetizer - a charming touch. If you’re not hungry, a full bar area serves a different drink on each day of the week for $2.50 (during Happy Hour) - Tuesday is margarita day.
One unexpected detail you may notice while dining here is the collection of Charlie Chaplin homages decorating the walls. When asked about his significance, a server will explain that the old Queen Anne-style house (built in 1905) in which the restaurant is located was once owned by Mr. Chaplin.
However, a little research reveals that the home was actually once owned by Charles Chapman (yes, as in the Chapman Building and Koreatown’s Chapman Market). Some history buff apparently confused the two and decided to adorn the interior with Chaplin movie memorabilia.
Just down the block to 6th Street sits the legendary Pacific Dining Car, or PDC as locals call it. If the large bovine on the street sign didn’t give it away, this restaurant is famous for its steak! But unless you’re willing to shell out $40 - $50 for a dinner entree, I recommend ordering from the affordable breakfast menu which is served around the clock. You’ll still receive the same gourmet experience for a fraction of the price.
From the street, PDC may not look like much, but there’s some interesting history to be known. In 1921, the establishment was born in an old railway train car parked in an open lot at 7th and Westlake (I’m imagining Carney’s in West Hollywood). Once the restaurant became popular, the cramped railway car was replaced with a larger custom-built dining car with room for longer counters and tables and chairs.
In 1923, the dining car was forced to move to a new location at Witmer and 6th when its leased land was snatched up by an investor during a land boom. Its steel wheels never rolled again.
Today PDC is comprised of the “original” dining car and several less-mobile expansions. Vintage luggage, tasseled curtains and dark oak finishes give the place tons of authentic character. Another important detail- it’s open 24 hours!
Further west in MacArthur Park, an age-old Jewish deli has been standing for over sixty years. Langer’s Deli at 7th and Alvarado is self-proclaimed “legendary institution” and is famous for its hot pastrami sandwiches, which according to The New Yorker is “the finest in the world.”
The establishment has seen much change in its neighborhood over the many decades. Urban blight and gangs nearly forced it closure in the 1990s, until the metro red line station nearby revived the area.
Today a very eclectic mix of loyal patrons from Downtown, Koreatown and the predominately Hispanic Westlake district pass through its doors daily. The restaurant’s website proudly mentions one Korean business man refers to the pastrami as “Jewish kimchee.”
But don’t expect the same convenient hours as PDC. Langer’s closes promptly at 4pm everyday, in addition to being closed on Sundays. Try it for lunch!
La Parrilla
1300 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90017
8am-10pm
213-353-4930
Pacific Dining Car
1310 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
24 Hours
213-483-6000
Langer’s Delicatessen
704 South Alvarado Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90057
8am-4pm (closed Sundays)
213-483-8050
21 comments
Don’t forget Moxie. It is a great place on 7th near the new middle school.
Sorry guys, I must chime in with a dissent on La Parrilla. The food is just not that good. The godfather of one of my sons hosted his baptism party here. So we got a good feel for the menu. My wife is Mexican and we both can’t recommend the place. Yes, it has been around forever. Yes, the ambiance is pleasant enough. But, the food is just not that good. You can do better.
My recommendation for great Mexican is La Fondita on Union just below 6th. It fronts the tire dealership. Excellent food lovingly prepared in a fine setting. There’s a real attention to detail here. The patio out front is nice. The staff is warm and friendly. The carne asada is excellent. They used to cook it over a grill right out front until the city shut that down. Stop by and tell them the gringo with the kids sent you.
And good luck getting those downtowners to cross the freeway! Ha!
That’s the first negative comment I’ve heard about La Parrilla! Everyone who lives in Vero raves about it, including me. I eat there at least twice a week and I think many Downtowners would enjoy it also.
There are countless crappy Mexican joints, but this is definitely not one of them. The food is very high-quality, well-seasoned and not the least bit greasy - and they only use white-meat chicken breast. Try the chicken burrito and enchiladas!
I’m now curious to hear other people’s opinions? Who’s eaten at La Parrilla?
Well, I suspect the Vero residents don’t have a beautiful Mexican wife. But, if it works for them, great! Sadly, yes, L.A. is awash in a sea of crappy Mexican restaurants.
I’m (half) Mexican and I love La Parrilla.
By the way, La Fonda on Union is closing, unfortunately. There are rumors that Mariachi Los Camperos and the restaurant will be relocating to the Eastern Columbia Building’s ground floor space, however!
You are confusing La Fonda on Wilshire near MacArthur Park with La Fondita on Union just south of 6th Street. La Fonda was an institution with mariachis. La Fondita on Union is a more humble restaurant. Check it out. It is a real gem.
Thanks for clearing that up, David.
parrilla is hit or miss. i like their molcajete stuff and their guacamole, but everything is ehhh. i’d say chichanitza has better quality by far.
david, was it you on one of the blogs a while back who mentioned a great hole in the wall Mexican place near 9th and Broadway? would love to know about it and what to order.
Peter, Chichen Itza is great, but it’s an entirely different type of Mexican food.
absolutely, rico. i used to live in the asbury building and ate there quite a bit. i know it’s cooking from the yucatan. but still counts as mexican? it’s funny i think most anglos, myself included, when we think of mexican food, the first thing that pops into our head is tex/mex, frankly, a style cooking that doesn’t hold a candle to the many wonderful regional mexican cuisines.
At La Parilla I only order the combo fajitas, chicken, shrimp, beef. That is all I would order from there, the rest of the food is a bit questionable.
WOW! Awesome stuff…this is what makes me excited to be living here and reading this blog.
So it looks like mixed (!) reviews on La Parilla. I haven’t been, and frankly don’t get west of the 110 very often! I need to!
Didn’t know the PDC was 24hrs! That will get an automatic visit by me in the 2am timeframe one of these days.
What a crackup on the Chaplin vs. Chapman duel. Did you dare to bring your research back to em? :O
How about Langers, at 7th & Alvarado, home of the best Pastrami sandwich in Los Angeles if not the World.
DrBoris:
You’re absolutely right about Langers! Great suggestion. When I was writing this post, I had dinner options in mind - Langers closes at 4pm. Although, they’re worth a mention. I’m considering adding it. Thanks.
Actually, La Parilla is a small LA chain, and we’ve usually headed to the East LA location. To add to the thumbs up/down discussion, we gringos generally like the food there. We first visited that location with some friends who hail from Mexico City who liked it very much. Don’t know if the different locations have differing quality.
La parilla is good mexican fare ,but there are other better mexican around the area like el cholo,only downside of la parilla is GM he is crude and speaks limited english!
Peter, I missed your inquiry about that hole-in-the-wall place on Broadway & 9th. It is El Antojito’s. I don’t know the exact address. But, it is on the east side of the stree across from the entrance to the parking lot just north of the Broadway Bar. It has a blue awning. It is open every day except Saturday. My wife recommends the chulupas (sic?).
La Fonda on Wilshire will reopen on Thursday, February 14th for Valentines Day. There will be 3 live perforances by the Mariachi Monumental de America and it will be accompanied by the new Mexican Cuisine of Chef Scott Velasquez. For reservations call: 213-380-5053.
Hey all - My coworkers at work ate at La Parilla once and none of us were impressed. That Charlie Chaplin crap on the walls is hideous too. I always give places a second chance so will try it again someday. I like El Conquistador a little farther in Silverlake. It has a fun vibe too and friendly people.
I have a rebuttal (?), though it’s late (to Stephen Friday’s #3 comment on 11/14/07). No, not all of Vero raves about La Parrilla (the one across the street, haven’t tried the other ones). It’s barely passable, only the guacamole gets a thumbs-up. I’d rather trek over to El Conquistador in Silverlake (woo-hoo Kirby) or El Compadre in Echo Park, in spite of La Parrilla’s convenient stone’s-throw location. It’s not Patti’s favorite either.
I have to agree with the rest here that La Parrilla’s Wilshire is not one my faves as far as good mexican food go. However, the East LA location is MUCH better and should be the true winner! Been going there for years and not only is it a gringo fave but a lot of my traditional and old school family members and friends love it as well. Can’t say I have ever taken anyone there who didnt like it and its pretty authentic!