On paper, Glendale seems like just another sprawling suburb of northeast Los Angeles: traffic-filled streets, massive shopping malls, and the nearest location of whatever chain restaurant you actually kind of want to eat at tonight.
But dig deeper and you’ll find that this city is so much more than that. Glendale’s stock of elite Middle Eastern restaurants is overwhelming, but it doesn’t end there – from mom and pop Greek spots, to old-school Italian delis, to one of the most well-known dim sum places in the country, the food situation in this town is incredibly strong. Here are 17 of our favorite Glendale spots.
Din Tai Fung
If you aren’t familiar with Din Tai Fung by this point, here’s a quick recap – this massive Taiwanese soup dumpling and noodle palace is one of the most popular restaurants in all of Los Angeles and has the endless lines to prove it. If you come here for a weekday lunch, you’ll be fine. But given its location in the Americana (Glendale’s version of The Grove), weekend wait times are counted in hours, not minutes. Is it worth it? Unequivocally, yes.
Bourbon Steak
Bourbon Steak is a very fancy and very solid steakhouse in the heart of Glendale. That said, you should be here for its excellent Happy Hour. Every day from 4:30 – 7pm, house cocktails are $7, bar snacks are half off, and all of their very good burgers are $14. If you’re stuck at the Americana on a Saturday with your out-of-town friends, Bourbon Steak is your decompression zone.
By Brant Cox