Best Cheap Eats Restaurants in South Los Angeles
14 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
The Bigg Chill Frozen Yogurt
Decades-spanning local staple with cult following.
Notable Picks
8.7
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Sweet Treats Escapes
A local legend since 1986, The Bigg Chill delivers creamy soft-serve frozen yogurt with a rotating menu of classic and adventurous flavors. Crowds come for the ultra-fresh yogurt and vibrant toppings—expect a lively atmosphere and fast service.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cookies n' Cream Yogurt, Dulce de Leche Yogurt, Fruit Topping Bar
What Makes it Special: Decades-spanning local staple with cult following.
8.1
A counter-service Persian outpost with a loyal following for robust, affordable kabob combos and everyday Persian classics. Shekarchi’s set menus are celebrated for portion size, value, and fresh-baked bread, with fast takeout and an unpretentious feel.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Kabob Skewers, Koobideh Combo, Shirazi Salad
What Makes it Special: Generous kabob platters, praised for value and authenticity.
#3
Doc's Wings
8.1
Doc's Wings delivers crave-worthy fried chicken wings, serving up bold sauces and fast counter-service from a unique locker-room style location. Locals praise the honey mustard and banana cream desserts, making it an underrated find for high-value takeout.
Must-Try Dishes:
Honey Mustard Wings, Classic Buffalo Wings, Banana Cream Dream
What Makes it Special: Locker-room pickup concept and standout sauces.
8
A focused smash burger counter on Westwood Blvd that presses thin patties directly into onions on the flat-top, producing lacy caramelized edges that justify the single-concept format. The menu stays tight—five or six burger builds, fries, rings—keeping prices under $15 in a part of LA where that registers as a genuine deal. Works best as a no-decision lunch stop where you walk up, order a double, and eat it before the bun has time to cool.
Must-Try Dishes:
Double Smash, Hammy Fries, Onion Rings
What Makes it Special: Focused smash burger counter where patties are pressed thin on the flat-top with onions cooked directly into the meat, creating lacy caramelized edges on soft buttery buns.
#5
Laziz Grill
8
Located inside a Persian grocery, Laziz Grill quietly serves some of the best-value kabobs and Persian deli specialties in the area. This no-frills counter is beloved for its seasoned koobideh, fresh bread, and ultra-affordable lunch specials, especially among locals in-the-know.
Must-Try Dishes:
Koobideh Plate, Fesenjan, Fresh Sangak Bread
What Makes it Special: Ultra-affordable, hearty Persian fare in a market deli counter.
8
A Westwood Persian bakery turning out fresh sangak and flatbreads throughout the day, with a parallel line of French-style croissants and pastries that gives it broader range than a typical bread shop. The draw is timing your visit to catch loaves still warm, and the bakery-counter pricing keeps repeat visits easy. It sits in the heart of Westwood's Persian corridor, which means the flatbread standards are set by a community that knows exactly what they should taste like.
Must-Try Dishes:
Croissants, Sangak, Banana Bread
What Makes it Special: Persian bakery in Westwood baking sangak and other flatbreads fresh throughout the day alongside French-style pastries
Worthy Picks
7.9
A fast-casual Korean counter where wok-fired proteins—bulgogi, black pepper chicken, spicy chicken—land on steamed rice with housemade pickles, all ringing up under $14. The Westside lunch crowd treats it as a reliable weekday rotation spot where the bowls come out fast and the flavors hit harder than the price suggests. Strip-mall seating keeps it no-frills, so order ahead for pickup during the noon rush.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bulgogi Bowl, Black Pepper Chicken Bowl, Spicy Chicken Bowl
What Makes it Special: Fast-casual Korean BBQ bowls built on wok-fired proteins over steamed rice with housemade pickles, all under $14
7.8
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Family Friendly Favorites
Quick Bites Champions
Comfort Food Classics
A Crenshaw strip-mall counter spot built around generous asada fries and slow-cooked birria, priced for regulars who eat here weekly rather than once. The menu runs deep through classic Mexican comfort—burritos, pozole, tres leches—with the kind of portion sizing that rewards budget-conscious families and late-night cravings alike.
Must-Try Dishes:
Burrito, Asada Fries, Birria
What Makes it Special: Neighborhood standby for Mexican comfort food with standout asada fries and birria that keep Crenshaw regulars coming back
7.8
A made-to-order Cantonese dim sum operation in a Westwood strip mall that draws Westside regulars with its shumai, har gow, and BBQ pork buns at prices well below what you'd pay in the SGV. The format is no-frills counter ordering with quick turnaround—come for the dumplings and the check total, not the ambiance.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pork and Shrimp Shumai, Shrimp Dumplings, BBQ Pork Buns
What Makes it Special: Affordable, made-to-order Cantonese dim sum in a Westwood strip mall, widely considered the best dim sum on the Westside.
#10
O Sushi
7.8
A West LA sushi counter that has held its Santa Monica Blvd spot since 2003 by keeping bento boxes generous and prices well below the surrounding corridor. It runs as a straightforward lunch-and-dinner workhorse for the Century City adjacent crowd—order at the counter, get your salmon avocado bowl or dynamite roll fast, and pay less than you expected.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bento Box, Salmon Avocado Bowl, Spicy Tuna Roll
What Makes it Special: West LA neighborhood sushi counter open since 2003, built on generous bento boxes at prices that undercut the Santa Monica Blvd corridor.
#11
Trattoria ToGo
7.7
This family-run counter-service spot excels at freshly prepared, casual Italian fare perfect for quick takeout or easy weeknight dinners. Appreciated for its affordability, quality portions, and friendly staff, it's a go-to for locals seeking fast comfort classics.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, Spaghetti Bolognese, Eggplant Parmigiana
What Makes it Special: Reliable, affordable Italian perfect for takeout nights.
7.7
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Late Night Legends
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Family Friendly Favorites
A late-night Westside workhorse turning out generous Cantonese and Mandarin plates—Peking duck, walnut shrimp, the full Americanized-Chinese lineup—well past midnight when most kitchens on Santa Monica Blvd have gone dark. The draw is volume and value: big shared platters at prices that make splitting a table with six people painless. Strip-mall atmosphere and parking logistics come with the territory, but the kitchen's late hours fill a real gap on the Westside.
Must-Try Dishes:
Peking Duck, Orange Chicken, Hot and Sour Soup
What Makes it Special: Late-night Westside staple serving generous Cantonese and Mandarin plates well past midnight when most kitchens have closed.
7.7
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Family Friendly Favorites
Hidden Gems Heaven
A self-serve frozen yogurt counter on Westwood Blvd that keeps Westside families coming back with a rotating flavor lineup—red velvet and low-carb options hold down the specialty lanes while the topping bar does the heavy lifting. The strip-mall format keeps prices in budget-snack territory, and the pay-by-weight model lets you control exactly how much damage you do. It works best as a no-fuss neighborhood stop where the draw is variety and value, not atmosphere.
Must-Try Dishes:
Red Velvet Frozen Yogurt, Chocolate Chips Topping, Low Carb Frozen Yogurt
What Makes it Special: Self-serve frozen yogurt shop on Westwood Blvd with a rotating selection of flavors and a loyal neighborhood following for its variety and value.
7.6
A fusion taco counter that pulls from Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese flavor profiles rather than sticking to a straight Mexican playbook — the 36-hour marinade tofu and ahi tuna tacos give the plant-based and seafood sides real weight alongside the meat menu. It runs as a late-night Westwood pit stop with outdoor seating and wallet-friendly pricing, though the tiny review footprint (13 ratings) means the kitchen is still proving itself at scale.
Must-Try Dishes:
Crispy Shrimp Taco, Beef Brisket Street Taco, Carne Asada Bowl with Crispy Kale
What Makes it Special: Mexican-fusion tacos with bold global twists — Korean bulgogi, Vietnamese tofu, Japanese ahi — plus a full plant-based menu that rivals the meat side.