The Oldest Restaurants in Los Angeles

PictureCupid's Hotdogs chili dog established 1946


​Many people in Los Angeles depend on Jonathan Gold's 101 List, any of Eater's hot lists, or Instagram influencer feed as their definitive Los Angeles restaurant guide.  Although I follow these posts as well, I love incorporating restaurants that don't get a lot of love by our food media. These are established restaurants that have stood the test of time where regulars still frequent. They many not have hottest chefs in the kitchen nor do they have the best pancakes in the city. What they do have is the look and feel of another period of time. A feeling I'm not sure I can explain, but I feel it once I walk in to our historic Los Angeles area restaurants.






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​Los Angeles' Oldest Restaurants

Sycamore Inn - Rancho Cucumonga - Est. 1848/1939 (oldest outside Los Angeles, so I included it)
Cold Spring Tavern - Santa Barbara - Est. 1868 (not in Los Angeles, but worth the day trip)
Saugus Cafe - Saugus - Est. 1887
Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe - SaMo - Est. 1902
King Eddy Saloon - DTLA - Est. 1906
Cole's - DTLA - Est. 1908
Cletus' Chicken Shack - Universal Studios - Est. 1915
Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain Pasadena - Est. 1915
Pacific Dining Car - Westlake - Est. 1921
Mary's Market & Canyon Cafe - Sierra Madre - Est. 1922
The Derby - Arcadia - Est. 1922/1931
El Cholo (oldest Mexican restaurant in LA) - DTLA - Est. 1923
Joe Jost's - Long Beach - Est. 1924
La Golondrina - DTLA - Est. 1924
Greenblatt's Delicatessen - Est. 1926
Lanza Brothers Market - Lincoln Heights - Est. 1926
Millie's Cafe - Silver Lake - Est. 1926
The Prince - Koreatown (The Windsor 1927) - Est. 1927/1991
Rock Inn - Lake Hughes - Est. 1929
Wendill's Chicken House - Pacoima - Est. 1929
El Paseo Inn - DTLA - Est. 1930/1953
Halfway House Cafe - Santa Clarita - Est. 1931
Harvelle's Blues Club - SaMo - Est. 1931
Frolic Room - Hollywood - Est. 1934
Galley - SaMo - Est. 1934
Magee's Kitchen (corned beef) - Fairfax District / Original Farmers Market - Est. 1934
Rainbow Bar & Grill - Hollywood - Est. 1935
Bristol's Farm Cafe (Chasen's) - WeHo - Est. 1936
Tom Bergin's Public House - Fairfax District / Original Farmers Market - Est. 1936 (closed?)
Damon's Steak House - Glendale - Est. 1937
Mitla Cafe (Taco Bell "stole" their taco recipe from this place) - San Bernardino - Est. 1937
Phoenix Bakery - Chinatown - Est. 1938
Harbor House Cafe - Sunset Beach - Est. 1939
Hawkins House of Burgers - Watts - Est. 1939
Sarinana's Tamale Factory - Santa Ana - Est. 1939
Vince's Market - Atwater Village - Est. 1939
Art's Famous Chili Dog Stand - South LA - Est. 1939/1944
Ricci's Italian Deli - Bellflower - Est. 1940
Idle Hour Cafe - North Hollywood - Est. 1941
Old Place, The - Agoura Hills - Est. 1941/1970
Vince's Spaghetti - Rancho Cucumonga - Est. 1945/1946
Chili John's - Burbank - Est. 1946
Nick's Coffee - Central LA - Est. 1946
Paul's Kitchen - Old Chinese-American resto - Est. 1946
Pecos Bills BBQ - Glendale - Est. 1946
Valley Inn - Encino - Est. 1947
Cindy's - Eagle Rock - Est. 1948
Domingo's - Encino - Est. 1948
Factor's Famous Deli - Est. 1948
Nick's Cafe - Chinatown - Est. 1948
Roma Deli - North Hollywood - Est. 1948
Bobby's Coffee Shop - Woodland Hills - Est. 1949
Miceli's - Hollywood - Est. 1949 (claims to be the oldest Italian restaurant)
Patsy D'Amore's Pizza - Fairfax - Est. 1949
Irv's Burgers - WeHo - Est. 1950
In-N-Out (oldest) - 4th built: 114 East Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena - Est. 1952
Larry's Chili Dog - Burbank - Est. 1953
Taylor's Prime Steakhouse - Koreatown - Est. 1953
Bear Pit - Mission Hills - Est. 1954
Dresden - Est. 1954
Joyce's Coffee Shop - Northridge - Est. 1955
Beep's - Van Nuys - Est. 1956
Casa Vega - Sherman Oaks - Est. 1956
Munch Box - Chatsworth - Est. 1956
Otomisan (oldest Japanese in LA) - Boyle Heights - Est. 1956
Tom's Burgers & Pastrami - City Terrace - Est. 1956
Little Toni's (formerly Italian Cottage Restaurant) - North Hollywood - Est. 1956
Antonio's - Sherman Oaks - Est. 1957
Safari Room - Mission Hills - Est. 1957
Corky's - Sherman Oaks - Est. 1958
Norwood Bar - North Hills - Est. 1958
Rae's - SaMo - Est. 1958
Chez Jay - SaMo - Est. 1959
Red Lion Tavern - Silver Lake - Est. 1959
Cupid's - Winnetka - Est. 1962
Gary Bric's - Burbank - Est. 1962
Pie 'n Burger - Pasadena - Est. 1963
Dan Tana - WeHo - Est. 1964
My Hero Submarine Sandwich Shoppe - Northridge - Est. 1964
Bill's Hamburgers - Van Nuys - Est. 1965
Cupid's - Northridge - Est. 1965
Frank's - Burbank - Est. 1965
Le Petit Chateau - North Hollywood - Est. 1965
Tony's Bella Vista Restaurant - Burbank - Est. 1965
Monte Carlo Italian Deli and Pinocchio's Restaurant - Burbank - Est. 1966
Brent's Deli - Northridge - Est. 1967
Zig's - Reseda - Est. 1967
Sabroso Mexican Restaurant - Winnetka - Est. 1968
Hinano Cafe - Santa Monica- Est. 1969
La Poubelle - Los Feliz - Est. 1969
Taco Treat (deep fried burritos) - Arcadia - Est. 1969
Le Sanglier - Tarzana - Est. 1970
Inn at Seventh Ray - Topanga - Est. 1973
Patrick's Roadhouse - SaMo - Est. 1973
Chowder Barge - Wilmington - Est. 1974
Cafe Tropical - Silver Lake - Est. 1975
Moffet's (pot pies) - Arcadia - Est. 1975
Lulu's Cafe - Van Nuys - Est. 1976
Giamela's Lamplighter Restaurant - Chatsworth - Est. 1977