Best Lunch Restaurants in East Los Angeles

Really awesome experience! Maria S was our server and she was the sweetest. It was my mom’s bday and we just decided to go for lunch. Didn’t realize there wasn’t valet parking for lunch so went in circles trying to figure out parking - park in the visitor underground parking garage of the US bank building. Restaurant will validate 2 hours of parking for $10 (instead of $40). Loved all the food. Ceviche was fresh, the pasta appetizer felt like a huge portion, hanger steak and smashed fried potatoes were divine, and the seared ahi tuna over veggies/salad was refreshing and light. The view is grand and made the meal feel so worth it.

We ordered the Prosciutto Di Parma with Fried Sage Dough & Stracciatella and the Mandilli de Seta and both were AMAZING!

We went to Manuela’s for brunch before heading out to Pantages to see Wicked. The food here is delicious and the service impeccable. I had been here before but my two family members had not. They loved it as well. The coffee is bold and strong, as we like it. The sweet cream biscuits and beignets to starts were a hit. Then our meals of hazelnut French toast, eggs with very thick homemade bacon, shrimp with rice grits, and an arugula pear salad to share. We will definitely be back again!

Had a wonderful time celebrating my partner's birthday. The food was delicious, the service was great, and the restaurant's ambiance was perfect. We loved the location and the decorations, it's a beautiful restaurant, it reminded me of old L.A. We will definitely be coming back for more.

I've seen lots of negative comments about pre-theater meals at Vespaio. I can't speak to these. The four of us went early (5 p.m.) after a matinee at the Ahmanson, partially in order to avoid rush hour traffic. Our meal was outstanding! We had pork belly, a pasta, pizza, and rockfish (special for the night). All were very, very good. The rosemary potatoes were probably the best potatoes I've EVER had (potatoes may seem like a trivial part of a meal, but they're an indicator). Service was prompt, friendly, and helpful. My guess is that if you pick the time you go so the restaurant isn't too crowded and if you're not too rushed, you'll have as good a meal as you'll find almost anywhere in the L.A. area.