Coinciding perfectly with the reopening of outdoor dining, DineLA is back for their first edition of 2021. There are over 250 restaurants this year serving both lunch and dinner specials, so to help you narrow things down, we made you a list of 15 spots participating that we love. Whether you’re looking for a great deal from a fine dining restaurant or just want to support a local spot in your neighborhood, these are some of our go-to places to check out.
For the full list, head over to DineLA.
THE SPOTS
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
The excellent American comfort food spot in Silver Lake is doing a lunch menu called “The $25 Lemmy Special.” It comes with a smoked beef and cheese sandwich on a brioche roll, French fries, and your choice of one of their Jack Daniels-infused cocktails. Not sure about you, but consuming a midday whiskey slushie is how we’re trying to live in 2021.
Available for outdoor dining only.
Bone Kettle is a tremendous Indonesian restaurant in Pasadena that’s offering build-your-own prix-fixe menus for both lunch and dinner. The $20 lunch menu consists of two courses, and you get to choose between dishes like spicy papaya salad, chicken wings, and top sirloin. At dinner, the menu balloons to four courses for $45 with options ranging from braised oxtail and dan dan noodles to a sorbet trio.
Available for outdoor dining only.
The wood-fired pies coming out of this new Boyle Heights pizza shop are among our favorite in town right now. During DineLA, you can get one of their 12-inch pies (we like the sweet and smokey mole best), plus chicken wings, papas, a cookie plate, and a cocktail all for $35 during dinner.
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
It can be quite difficult keeping track of all the new ramen spots opening around town, but Burosu in Studio City is one not to miss. The tiny shop on Ventura Blvd. is offering special $20 lunch and $35 dinner packages that include your choice of a starter, signature ramen (if you want some heat, go for the Japanese chili oil-infused “Reddo”), a handroll, and beverage.
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
For DineLA, the long-standing Mexican restaurant in Sherman Oaks is offering $20 and $35 prix-fixe menus for both lunch and dinner with your choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert. We always go for the mushroom and bell pepper-stuffed vegetarian burrito, but you can’t go wrong with the enchilada combo platter either. At dinner, you also get one of their famous house margaritas.
Available for takeout and delivery only.
Harold & Belle’s in Jefferson Park makes the best (and some of the only) Creole food you’ll find in LA. This week, be sure to take advantage of their $35 lunch and dinner menu that comes with your choice of a margarita or hurricane, filé or okra gumbo, and beignets.
Available for outdoor dining only.
Jame Enoteca in El Segundo, one of our favorites new restaurants in 2018, just keeps getting better over the years. They’re offering a $20 lunch and $45 dinner menu that comes with your choice of starter, entree, and dessert, plus a complimentary glass of wine. Their herby and slightly spicy kale salad is one of the best in town, and when it comes to their pasta, there’s no such thing as a wrong choice.
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
The family-run Armenian spot is one of our favorite casual midweek dinner spots in The Valley. Right now, they’re offering a $35 menu that includes an amuse bouche including mouhamara, labne, and marinated olives, your choice of appetizer and entree, and baklava to wrap things up.
Available for takeout only.
Mayura is offering one of the best DineLA deals this year - a $35 lunch menu for two that comes with your choice of appetizer, bread, two entrees, dessert, and two beverages. Options range from paneer butter masala to fish curry, but the lamb korma is a standout for us.
Poppy + Rose
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
This excellent, Southern-American spot Downtown is offering a $35 lunch menu that comes with your choice of starter, main, and dessert. We like the flaky buttermilk biscuits and just-tart-enough lemon bar for dessert, but when it comes to your main, choosing the brown butter waffle fried chicken sandwich is non-negotiable. They’re also offering an optional $10 donation that goes directly to South LA Cafe’s Grocery Donation Initiative, which provides food and groceries to at-need families.
Available for outdoor dining only.
If you’re in the mood to get dressed up this week and make a night of it, snag a table at Rossoblu. The upscale Italian restaurant in the Fashion District is offering a $55 dinner menu that includes your choice of appetizer, entree, and a strawberry merginata for dessert. We recommend going for any of the big plates of meat like the roasted duck breast or the black truffle-infused nidi di rondine for your main course.
Available for takeout only.
Same Same is a casual wine bar in Silver Lake that also serves very good Thai food. For DineLA, they’re offering a $35 dinner menu with your choice of appetizer, main entree, non-alcoholic beverage, and tapioca pudding for dessert. Order their pad se ew and crispy spring rolls, and if the mood strikes you, an extra bottle of wine on the side.
Available for takeout and outdoor dining.
The upscale Encino spot is offering a $125 omakase that comes with 16 different pieces of fish ranging from scallop to black snapper to king crab, plus dessert at the end. The menu changes nightly based on availability, but know that you’re in for one of the better sushi experiences in town.
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
Tam O’Shanter is the sister restaurant to Lawry’s and a place where a meal feels like you’re eating inside Snow White’s cottage. In reality, you’re in Atwater Village, but no one can deny the magic of this old-school steakhouse. This week, they’re offering special $35 and $55 lunch and dinner menus with your choice of starter, entree, and dessert. No matter what, you should be getting the prime rib.
Available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.
Located in North Hollywood, Tatang is a tremendous Filipino restaurant that’s offering a family-style lunch feast for $35. It includes chicken sisig, signature garlic rice, beef brisket, salad, and heritage tocino. The meal feeds at least two people, so it’s also a great opportunity to feed your roommate as well.
