The Best Places To Eat Near LAX

You’re fresh off a cross-country flight, and the only thing that was left when the food cart went past your seat was a very sad “cheese platter.” Don’t succumb to the first thing you see when you get off the plane (In-N-Out, as much as we love you, it's time to diversify). The area around LAX is full of better options than anything in the terminal—from Thai food in Westchester to Mexican seafood in Inglewood. So the next time you need to pick up food before a flight or get a meal as soon as you clear baggage, check this guide for all the restaurants near LAX worth your while.

THE SPOTS

Checo's Seafood

Chances are you might need to decompress a bit after landing (figuratively and literally), so plan for a meal at Checo's Seafood when you aren't in a rush. That way you'll have time to fully appreciate the flaky whole grilled snook, green apple ceviche, and camarones borrachos spread across your table. This fantastic mariscos restaurant is as relaxed as it gets, and no one will bat an eye if you show up with a rolling suitcase or neck pillow in tow. Enjoy the spacious parking lot, covered back patio with lots of tropical foliage and ceiling fans, and micheladas that bring you back to life after zoning out at the luggage claim.

Two Hommés

Formerly a pop-up, Two Hommés is a casual sit-down spot located in a colorful, brick-walled space on La Brea that used to house Comfort LA. The refreshing West African-Latin menu here is made up of mash-up dishes that are wholly original without being gimmicky. Expect to share huge portions of fluffy Ghanaian jollof rice topped with BBQ jerk salmon, passion fruit ceviche that glows in the sunlight, and berbere-dusted chicken bites that will make you want to spruce up your spice cabinet. There’s almost always room for walk-ins, so consider heading straight from the airport if your flight lands after 5pm.

Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen

Soul food is always a good idea, especially after sitting in a crowded airbus for several hours. This LA soul food institution happens to be within a 10-minute radius of LAX. You can drop by their to-go window or grab a seat inside the casual dining room for a filling meal involving some legendary fried chicken, mac and cheese, and collard greens. Whatever you do, don’t forget to pick up a slice of their signature sweet potato pie—it’s soft and fluffy with a kick of flavor from the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Sunday Gravy

We often catch ourselves daydreaming in the clouds above LAX about Sunday Gravy. There’s usually a slow-motion montage of the old-school Italian spot's thick lasagna layered with creamy ricotta and hearty ragu, gooey mozzarella-topped garlic bread, and the gnocchi e pepe topped with silky cream sauce. If you find yourself in the mood for a heavy meal comprised of handmade pasta in Inglewood, actualize this fantasy and stop by Sunday Gravy after your next flight. You’ll get there in less time than it takes to exit baggage claim, and their walk-in-only dining room is never too packed.

Carnitas El Artista

The name of the game at Carnitas El Artista in Inglewood is the Michoacan-style carnitas—tender, slow-cooked pork that’s nicely charred along the edges. Although commonly made with pork shoulder, Carnitas El Artista also offers carnitas with everything from pork stomach and chicharron to lengua and cabeza. Whether you go with tacos, a torta, burrito, or quesadilla, you’ll catch aromas of garlic and lime rising from the caramelized meat on your plate. It's impossible to imagine a more memorable carnitas experience within a two-mile radius of LAX.

Trini Style Cuisine

Trini Style in Inglewood serves classic dishes from Trinidad & Tobago on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Turmeric-colored doubles are filled with generous scoops of chana and tangy tamarind sauce. Garlicky goat curry is simmered until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender. But the star of the show here is their bake ‘n’ shark—a glorious sandwich of puffy fried bread and crispy chunks of shark, all smeared with avocado, tamarind sauce, and mango chutney. This dish in particular is only served on Fridays, but we’d gladly coordinate our flight in sync. Before you come, be sure to check out their current menu on Instagram to see what you’re in for.

Ali'i Hawaiian Grill

This pint-sized poke counter in El Segundo understands a fundamental truth: Quality fish is king (they source theirs from the Honolulu Fish Auction). From succulent cubes of ginger soy ahi to a slightly wasabi-y ponzu salmon, everything here tastes exactly like something you’d get from a Foodland poke counter in Hawai’i, which is the highest honor.

The Good Pizza

It’s been a long day of travel, you’ve only eaten that complimentary packet of trail mix, and now, you need pizza. Head over to Good Pizza in Playa Del Rey. This tiny strip mall spot has some of the best pie on the Westside, and it’s a short 10-minute drive from Terminal B. They offer full pies and options by the slice if you’re not in the mood to share. Just be sure to check their website for deals because you can always find something good.

Ayara Thai

Ayara Thai is a neighborhood spot in Westchester that happens to be home to some of the best traditional Thai cooking outside of Thai Town. It’s nearly impossible to order wrong here (get the plump kai jeaw omelet and Ayara’s toast), but the muay thai wings in particular are a sleeper hit. They're marinated for maximum flavor, fried naked, then served with a sweet-spicy sauce that takes the dish to a new level. Ayara is mostly a to-go-only operation, but there’s a good-sized patio out front if you just landed at LAX and need to eat immediately.

The Serving Spoon

After a 17-hour international red-eye, you just landed at LAX and you can’t see straight. Tell your Lyft driver to go to The Serving Spoon, immediately. This classic soul food spot in Inglewood opens every day at 7am (8am on Sundays) and serves the kind of hearty breakfasts your body needs to survive crippling jet lag. Our go-to’s are the waffles and chicken drumettes, but as long as you stick to the all-day breakfast section, you can’t go wrong.

Zam Zam Market

This Pakistani market in Hawthorne has fantastic food, including the absolute best biryani rice we’ve ever eaten. It's also a perfect place to fill up on curries, kebabs, tandoori, and naan after a long day of tolerating airline peanuts. Whether you drop by right after you land or before you head for LAX, Zam Zam is a destination everyone needs to experience at least once—so plan accordingly.

Fishing With Dynamite

You’ve picked your best friend up from Terminal 5 at 2pm on a Saturday and she wants to reward you for your kindness with a celebratory lunch. Point your car towards Manhattan Beach and Fishing With Dynamite. This tiny seafood spot just off the main drag is the ideal welcome to California, especially if you order prosecco and the Peruvian scallops. Everything on the menu is fantastic, and once you’re done you can walk right down to the beach, since your friend probably doesn’t have one of those where she lives.

Jame Enoteca

You spent a cross-country flight sandwiched between someone sobbing about a recent breakup (who wouldn’t stop talking after you finally asked if he was OK) and the world’s most aggressive typist. Now that you’re free, all you want is excellent food, preferably in a place where people don’t burst into tears every ten minutes. Jame has the food covered, and we’ve yet to see anyone crying there—also, it’s just a short drive away from LAX in El Segundo. The pastas are fantastic, and seeing as all you ate on the flight was a crumbled granola bar, you deserve to order at least two of them. Plus a slice of the key lime pie.

Blessed Tropical Jamaican Cuisine

You have to repay your sister for picking you up at 6pm on a Monday somehow, and it might as well be dinner at Blessed Tropical. Located in Inglewood, this family-run Jamaican restaurant serves jerk chicken, oxtail, and spicy goat curry worth driving long distances for. The portions are massive, prices are affordable ($12-14 for combo plates), and even if you order several different things (which you definitely should), you can be in and out in under 20 minutes.

Al-Noor

You just got back from a weekend in your hometown where the only restaurants of note are a late-night diner and a Subway inside a gas station. You need some spice in your life. Al-Noor is a quick ten-minute drive from LAX and it’s home to the best Indian food in the city. Located in a strip mall in the tiny suburb of Lawndale, this traditional family-owned spot is where you go to get Indian staples like tikka masala, paneer, and the best garlic naan you’ve ever eaten.

Mutiara Food & Market

The vacation to Cabo ate up more of your bank account than you expected, so now it’s time to pinch some pennies. Head to Mutiara, a family-run Burmese restaurant and one of the most affordable spots in Inglewood. Whether it’s a giant plate of mee goreng (spicy fried noodles), lamb kebabs, or some of the best beef rendang we’ve eaten in LA, almost everything on Mutiara’s menu falls roughly between $5-10. That definitely softens the blow of six days’ worth of $23 pina coladas.

Aliki's Greek Taverna

Located between a car wash and an apartment complex, Aliki’s doesn’t exactly have the strongest curb appeal. But don’t be fooled, this is some excellent Greek food at extremely affordable prices. Aliki’s is also a great option if you’re only here for a night and staying at an LAX hotel, because it’s one of the few places in the area you can actually walk to. The menu is massive, but stick to the classics—the Greek salad with lamb gyro on top is one of our go-to’s.

Pann's Restaurant

If you’re headed to the airport from the middle of the city you know there’s one rule: Always take La Cienega. But if we had to give you a second rule it would be this: Stop for brunch at Pann’s on the way. This old-school diner has been open since the ’50s, appeared in too many movies to count, and serves chicken and waffles we always order. They’re definitely not the best chicken and waffles you’ll find in LA, but you feel like you’re on the set of Pulp Fiction , so it doesn’t really matter.