California Street Food: 8 Dishes You Can’t Miss

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The meeting point of the U.S. and Mexico, where the Nevada desert meets the sea and the snowy peaks of the Cascades give way to sun kissed sand, California is a melting pot of culture. The coastal playground of America’s rich and famous, California really does have it all.

Whether you want to relax on the beach, hit the slopes, rub shoulders with the stars in Hollywood or time travel through San Diego, visiting California is always a good idea.

It’s not only the weather and world class attractions which keep millions of travellers flocking to the Golden State. California’s food scene is just as diverse as its people and geography. A wonderful mismatch of American staples and Mexican favourites sit alongside dishes from every corner of the globe. The best way to sample them all is to dive in and sample the very best California street food.

1. French Dip

Now a much loved favorite throughout the U.S. and beyond, the French Dip sandwich was born right here in California. In 1918 Philippe Mathieu, a French restaurateur, dropped the sandwich he was making a policeman into a roasting dish full of meat juices. Instead of asking for a fresh one, the officer took it anyway and returned the next day with some friends desperate for more.

Served on a freshly baked French roll, the original beef dip has long been the favorite, but pork, lamb, pastrami, turkey and ham are also available. When ordering, you choose how much dip to add.

Single gives you just enough for the flavoursome juices to come through whilst a double dipped sandwich lets the juices soak right through the bread. If you’re all about the juices, order your sandwich wet, but make sure you grab a handful of napkins.

Best place to try French Dip in California

You won’t struggle to find a good French dip but, when we’re seeking out the best California street food, there’s only one real contender. Their birthplace, Philippe The Original in Downtown Los Angeles is the place to go.

Travel tip: Phillipe’s is perfectly situated for a visit to historic Olvera Street, home to a lively Mexican street market and LA’s oldest house.

2. Tacos

With over 12 million Mexicans calling California home, Mexican cuisine is a major player on the California street food scene. Sure, tacos are everywhere these days, but California do them properly.

Travel tip: California does tacos in true Tijuanese style, so there’s no need to cross over the border to try some. But if you’re in San Diego, nothing quite beats hopping across to Tijuana for a wild night out and another fix of Mexican food. To make navigating the border formalities east, I love this guided Tijuana day tour from San Diego which includes a traditional Mexican lunch.

Best place to try tacos in California

Wherever you are in California, you won’t be far from a fantastic taqueria. In the time it would take to read a list of all our favorite places for a taco fix in California, you could have polished off a full portion and be on the hunt for some churros.

That said, there is one spot that we really can’t pass by when thinking about California street food: The Taco Stand in La Jolla Village, San Diego. Serving up freshly prepared tacos from the classic carne asada to divine mahi mahi, with a choice of six salsas, The Taco Stand take tacos to a whole new level.

Travel tip: Grab a taco and take a wander down to serene La Jolla Cove to enjoy the feast, all whilst feasting your eyes on the colony of California Sea Lions at Point La Jolla.

3. Tamales

With their roots in ancient Aztec and Mayan cuisines, tamales add a touch of Mesoamerican culture to the California street food scene. Long before the U.S. came to be, native Americans were eating their own version of tamales, known as banaha.

Unsurprisingly, the best tamales you’ll find in California today are heavily influenced by Mexican flavors. Made from a corn dough infused with chili, they’re wrapped in corn husks before being steamed to perfection.

Best place to try tamales in California

In the run up to the festive season, almost every Mexican eatery adds tamale to their menu. In Los Angeles, though, they’re popular year-round. The number one spot to get your fix is Tamales Alberto at the southern tip of Echo Park.

They have all the classics; pollo with salsa verde, tofu with chipotle and cheese and jalapeno are the favorites. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, don’t miss their pineapple or strawberry tamales.

4. Hot Dogs

A long time staple of American comfort food, hot dogs are proof that the simplest of dishes are often the best. From traditional German bratwurst in Chicago to the world famous stalls on New York street corners, hot dogs are pretty much everywhere in the U.S.

You might be wondering, then, why we’re including them in our rundown of unmissable California street food. The reason: California does them differently.

Longer than your average dog and wrapped in bacon, these delicious snacks are a meal in themselves. Add on your choice of sauce and tuck in on the go. This is California street food as it was meant to be.

Best Place to try hot dogs in California

For an authentic street food experience, get your sausage fix from one of the countless stalls on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. You’ll pay a bit of a “tourist tax” for the location, but it’s worth it to soak in the atmosphere and gorge on your hot dog with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

Travel tip: Whilst in San Francisco, don’t miss the chance to discover even more California street food on this Chinatown culinary walking tour.

If you’re in Los Angeles, head up to JC’s Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, a long established favorite in North Hills. Make sure you visit on weekdays as they’re not open on weekends.

5. Animal Fries

Born in Los Angeles in 1948, In-N-Out is to California what Whataburger is to Texas and KFC to Kentucky. They may have grown to have 400 branches across the southwest, but to Angelinos, In-N-Out is still considered theirs. In fact, they’re rather protective of it; I learnt the hard way by comparing In-N-Out to Five Guys to a Californian friend and am yet to hear the end of it.

In-N-Out’s fries are always made fresh in each restaurant with healthier sunflower oil. Animal fries come topped with crispy grilled onions and a rich cheese sauce.

Best Place to try animal fries in California

That’s simple: In-N-Out. They’re almost everywhere in California, so you won’t have a hard time finding one. Don’t be surprised when you don’t see Animal Fries on the menu. They’re a secret item, so you have to ask at the counter.

Travel tip: The In-N-Out on West Sunset Boulevard in LA is a tasty and affordable lunch stop whilst exploring Hollywood, just one block away from Hollywood Boulevard.

6. Elote

The cornerstone of vegetarian California street food, Elote is delicious, simple and cheap. The perfect snack to enjoy on the go, Elote is a corndog with a twist. Coated with a crumbly cottage cheese and creamy mayonnaise, the Californian addition to this Mexican classic is that it’s finished off with a squeeze of molten margarine.

Best Place to try elote in California

Elote are a Los Angeles favorite. Traditionally sold by mobile ‘eloteros’ from the back of their bicycles, they work their way around the city with bells and horns to mark their presence, just like an ice cream truck.

There are a couple of fixed Elote spots if you want to be sure of a fix. Elotes La Victoria on Cypress Avenue and Elotes Don Goyo on East 51st are our go-to picks.

7. Rat na

A decadent fusion of Thai and Chinese cuisines, rat na (rad na, or rad nha) is a long standing late night staple of the California street food scene. Originally served in top-end Chinese restaurants, when the dish became available to the mass market, its popularity quickly spread across Southeast Asia.

Made with stir-fried rice noodles, toppings include all kinds of meat, seafood and vegetables. The protein topped noodles are then coated with a generous helping of stock before being seasoned with sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and black pepper.

Best Place to try rat na in California

Open late in to the night, Ruen Pair on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles is the best place to devour this California street food. A classic street food shack, what it lacks in looks it makes up for in taste.

Travel tip: Ruen Pair is open until midnight and is a short walk from Hollywood Boulevard’s top theatres and music venues, making it the perfect spot for a late night snack.

8. Ice Cream

Long before street food was “a thing”, ice cream vendors were selling it from their trucks, and even before earlier, bicycles. Ice cream takes street food right back to its humble origins and often gets overlooked now we have such a range to choose from.

It’s easy to see why; you can buy it in almost every grocery store for a fraction of the cost almost anywhere in the world. But there’s something quite special about eating proper Italian gelato, scooped in front of your eyes, whilst ambling along the street.

Best Place to try ice cream in California

Just like tacos, ice cream is such a staple of California street food, you’ll find it at almost every turn. In San Francisco, our top pick is Humphry Slocombe in the iconic Ferry Building on the Embarcadero. They’re famous for their rich and, often inventive, flavors; there’s certainly nothing mundane about an ice cream from Humphry’s.

Our number one spot in Los Angeles is Scoops Creamery on Santa Monica Pier. A traditional family-friendly ice cream parlour, they serve all the classic flavours and, better still, you get to eat it in one of the most famed spots in California.

If you’re in sunny San Diego, head to Salt & Straw in Little Italy. We know they’re originally from Portland, but let’s be honest: excellent ice cream is excellent ice cream. Known for their unusual flavor combinations, all their dairy is sourced from farms on the west coast.

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