Los Angeles Food Halls: Where to Graze and What to Know

Los Angeles food halls answer a hard question: where should a group eat in a city this large? One hall puts dozens of cooks under a single roof, and nobody has to agree on a cuisine. The big downtown market hall and the Smorgasburg food market at Row DTLA are the best-known places to start, and this guide covers both.

There is also a newer hall scene in Santa Monica, though sources conflict on its status, so check before you go.

What are the best Los Angeles food halls?

Start downtown. Grand Central Market, at 317 South Broadway, is a downtown landmark. It is open daily, with dozens of vendors that vary by the day and the list. In Century City, an Italian market hall pairs several restaurants with a market for wine, bread and produce.

Lists from LAist, CBS Los Angeles and Locale Magazine cover more halls, and the number changes as places open and close. Treat any list as a snapshot.

What is Grand Central Market like?

Grand Central Market is a covered market with a mix of old-timers and newcomers. Guides describe breakfast sandwich counters, taco stands and long-running lunch counters among its stalls, and the lineup changes. Counters line the aisles, seating is shared and the energy is high at midday.

Walk the whole market once before you decide. Many vendors post their menus on boards above the counters, and a lap lets you compare. Choose two or three stalls and share. Seating is first come, first served, so send one person to hold a table while the others order.

Is Smorgasburg Los Angeles worth the trip?

Smorgasburg Los Angeles is a food-focused market at Row DTLA, with vendors selling everything from sandwiches and tacos to desserts and drinks, and its lineup rotates.

Go early for the shortest lines and the widest choice. Walk the aisles, choose a few things to share and find a spot to eat. Hours and vendors change, so check the market's own calendar before you go. Because it is outdoors, bring sunscreen and water in the heat.

What can you find in a Row DTLA visit?

The complex is a former industrial site in the Arts District area that now holds shops, offices and events. Besides the market, the site hosts pop-ups and seasonal events. Parking is on site, and the area is also reachable by rideshare.

Combine a market visit with a walk through the neighborhood. The Arts District has murals, galleries and cafes within a short distance, and the downtown Los Angeles food guide covers them in more detail.

Where do you find a Santa Monica food hall?

Food halls on the Westside come and go. A food hall on the Third Street Promenade was listed for years, but sources conflict on whether it is still running, so check before you plan around it, and an Italian market hall a few miles inland in Century City pairs restaurants with a market for bread, wine and produce. If you are at the beach, a walk on the pier is a good way to fill the time between meals.

Santa Monica also has farmers markets that run several times a week, though these are not food halls. The Santa Monica Farmers Market on Arizona Avenue is listed as a Wednesday market, and the farmers market guide linked below has more.

How do food halls work for groups?

A hall is built for variety. Everyone orders from a different counter and brings the food to a shared table. Pick a meeting spot, assign someone to hold the seats and agree to start eating when the food arrives, not before.

Allow extra time at peak hours. A Saturday noon can have lines at the best counters, and tables can be scarce. If you have children or older relatives, arrive early and choose a table near the edge.

What should you order at a food hall?

Order what the stall is known for, and avoid ordering from several stalls at once unless you have a large table. Small plates are best: a taco, a sandwich, a dumpling. Share and swap.

Pay attention to freshness. Food that comes straight off the grill or out of the fryer is better than food that has been sitting. Ask the cook what is best today.

Skip the stall with the longest line only if the next one is also busy. A long line at a hall is often a sign of a dish that is worth the wait, and a short line at lunchtime can mean the food is not turning over. Use your eyes, and watch what people are carrying away.

Where can you read more?

For a deli lunch, read about the best pastrami in Los Angeles. For farm stands and weekly markets, see the Los Angeles farmers markets guide, and for an evening, the date night restaurants in Los Angeles guide. The US guides page lists more.

Going as a group? Share a Mosey list and each person can add a stall to try, and everyone can compare ratings by the dish afterward.

A hall visit packs a dozen tastes into an hour. After you finish, open the Mosey app and rate each dish you tried, one stall at a time, so the Los Angeles list you build separates the standouts from the also-rans.