L.A.’s Best Casual Bites: Tacos, Burgers and Sandwiches Worth Seeking Out

It’s an old rubric that size doesn’t matter; it’s what you do with the space that counts. And though that might or might not be true in other contexts, it has never been more relevant on L.A.’s restaurant scene. Some of the best burgers, sandwiches, pastries and more have been doled out of tiny windows and itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny spaces since long before the first Smorgasburg vendor got its own brick-and-mortar — and the trend’s legs are long and cover the entire city. Here are five of the best new ultra-casual, ultra-small spots in the city right now.

LITTLE FISH

Located next to Dada Market on a busy stretch of Sunset, Little Fish was a pandemic-era pop-up before finding a perma-spot in the heart of Echo Park. To experience the full menu, arrive at 10:45 a.m. and order breakfast goodness like smoked whitefish tartine on rye, then with the switch to lunch at 11, don’t miss the beer-battered-bass fish sandwich — essentially the best Filet-O-Fish you’ve ever had.

» 1606 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, littlefishechopark.com

JILLI MODERN SOOL JIB

The lone nighttime-only place on this list is the walk-in-closet-sized Jilli in K-town — with a bigger than expected bar-snack menu and a massive list of soju, sake and more. The ahi fish dip is smoky and delightful, and the fried chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, but the surprise standout is the kimchi rigatoni, with creamy mozzarella and crispy bacon mixed into chewy al dente pasta.

» 3905 W. 6th St., Koreatown, jilli.la

FABBY’S SANDWICHERIE

This pint-sized spot is right down the street from Grand Central Market and is serving up some of the best tortas in town — stuffed with Frenchy flavors like beef bourguignon — as well as more classic offerings, all of which are panini-pressed for extra excellence. Don’t sleep on the ceviches, which come on a crispy tortilla and are packed with zing.

» 351 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A., @fabbys.sandwicherie

MIDEAST TACOS

The people behind longtime also-super-tiny Glendale favorite Mini Kabob are also responsible for this new Silver Lake taco joint — which, (you guessed it!) presents Middle Eastern ingredients in flavor-packed taco delivery systems. Even if you’re not vegetarian, don’t pass up the falafel: It’s perfectly crispy and jam-packed with sumac, red onion and avocado salsa for a full-on umami bomb.

» 3536 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, mideasttacos.com

RITA’S DELUXE

If you’ve ever been like, “I don’t care about trends, and all I want is an old-school diner burger like we used to get back in the day,” and you’re also done chasing the kids off your lawn, head to Rita’s — which is doing grilled burgers and fried chicken sandwiches with a kitschy ’50s vibe out of the former RiceBar space Downtown. There’s also a special every month, so if you’ve been clamoring for a classic patty melt, you just might be in luck.

» 419 W. 7th St., Downtown L.A., ritasdeluxe.com