Long lines in Los Angeles

The viral places people queue for, what to get when you reach the front, how long the wait usually is, and how to beat it. Waits are typical, not live.

12 places in Los Angeles · by Chef Amazing · updated October 23, 2026
Photo: https://langersdeli.com/

1. 1

   Howlin' Ray's

   Chinatown

   Get: Nashville hot chicken sandwich, ordered medium if you're new to it

   The hot chicken line that's been a rite of passage in LA for years. Expect: often 1 to 2 hours on weekends. Beat it: join the online waitlist or go at weekday opening.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
2. 2

   Leo's Tacos Truck

   Mid-City (La Brea and Venice)

   Get: Al pastor, sliced off the trompo with a flick of pineapple

   The pastor spit and the pineapple toss are a video in themselves. Expect: 10 to 30 min late at night. Beat it: go before 9pm or on a weeknight.

   1515 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019 · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
3. 3

   Eggslut

   Grand Central Market, Downtown

   Get: The Slut (coddled egg over potato purée) or the Fairfax sandwich

   The egg sandwich that made Grand Central Market a stop for every visitor. Expect: 20 to 45 min on weekend mornings. Beat it: go on a weekday before 9am.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
4. 4

   Courage Bagels

   Bagels · Virgil Village

   Get: A bagel with tomato and cream cheese, or the lox

   Hand-rolled bagels with a cult following and lines to match. Expect: often 45 min to over an hour on weekends. Beat it: go at opening on a weekday; they sell out.

   Also on the list: Where locals eat in Los Angeles.

   777 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029 · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
5. 5

   Matsu Matcha

   Koreatown

   Get: An iced matcha with a layered topping, like brûléed sugar or fruit purée

   Part of LA's matcha craze. You'll recognise the cups from your feed. Expect: around 30 min on weekends. Beat it: go on a weekday afternoon.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
6. 6

   Mariscos Jalisco

   Mexican seafood tacos · Boyle Heights

   Get: Tacos de camarón: fried shrimp tacos topped with salsa and avocado

   A truck whose shrimp tacos keep showing up on best-in-LA lists. Expect: 10 to 30 min at lunch. Beat it: go late morning.

   Also on the list: Los Angeles: what to eat and where.

   3040 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023 · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
7. 7

   Langer's Delicatessen

   Jewish deli · Westlake

   Get: The #19: hot pastrami, coleslaw and Swiss on rye

   Many say it's the best pastrami in America, better than Katz's. Expect: 15 to 30 min at weekday lunch. Beat it: go after 2pm, or order curbside.

   Also on these lists: Breakfast and sandwiches in Los Angeles, Where locals eat in Los Angeles.

   704 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057 · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
8. 8

   République

   French bakery and bistro · Mid-City

   Get: The breakfast pastries and the kouign-amann at the counter

   A grand 1920s room with a bakery case people line up for. Expect: 30 to 60 min on weekend mornings. Beat it: go on a weekday, or skip brunch and just order pastries.

   Also on the list: Breakfast and sandwiches in Los Angeles.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
9. 9

   Pink's Hot Dogs

   Hollywood

   Get: A chili dog

   A hot dog stand since 1939 and a Hollywood late-night ritual. Expect: 20 to 40 min at night. Beat it: go mid-afternoon.

   709 N La Brea Ave · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
10. 10

    Holbox

    Mexican seafood · South LA

    Get: The smoked kanpachi taco and a seafood cocktail

    Michelin-starred Yucatán seafood inside the Mercado La Paloma. Expect: 30 to 60 min at lunch. Beat it: go when it opens, on a weekday.

    Critics: 84% liked it, from 4 reviews (2024 to 2025). Read MICHELIN Guide 2024, The Infatuation 2025, Time Out, Los Angeles Times / AOL syndication.

    3655 S Grand Ave · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
11. 11

    Diddy Riese

    Westwood

    Get: An ice cream sandwich: two warm cookies, your pick of ice cream

    The UCLA cookie shop with a cheap, famous ice cream sandwich. Expect: lines down the block on weekend nights. Beat it: go before 7pm.

    926 Broxton Ave · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
12. 12

    Philippe The Original

    Chinatown

    Get: A lamb French dip, double dipped, with the house hot mustard

    Claims to have invented the French dip in 1908. Expect: short to 30 min at lunch. Beat it: go mid-morning or late afternoon.

    1001 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 · Map · Add to Chef Amazing