Tracy’s Restaurant
Guide Updated March, 2009
Eagle Rock, Northeast Los Angeles, and occasional forays into
Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena
This is my personal, subjective, and sporadically
updated guide to local food and drink establishments located mostly
in the Northeast Los Angeles area, branching out to Pasadena, South
Pasadena, Altadena, San Gabriel. Asterisks indicate that one of us on
my team has been there, tasted the food, and likes it. Call the
restaurant for current hours. Several of the Highland Park entries
were taken from a brochure made by Amy Inouye at Future Studio, 5558
N. Figueroa St, 90042. FutureStudio@sbcglobal.net
www.chickenboy.com
Antojitos Guerrero 5623 York Blvd. 323.254.6118
Salvadorean & Mexican, 4-taco special
La Abeja 3700 N. Figueroa St. 323.221.0474
Mural by Leo Limon, the artist who has painted the
cat faces in the LA River for 35 years!
El Arco Iris 5684 York Blvd 323.254.3401
www.Elarcoiris.com
Popular with locals, good authentic Mexican food.
*Armon’s 5056 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.478.1440
Good solid American breakfast and lunch, also some
Chinese fare. Nice neighborhood atmosphere, friendly waitresses, good
daily lunch specials.
*Auntie Em’s 4616 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.255.0800
www.AuntieEmskitchen.com.
Great breakfast and lunch, cookies, soups, indoor and outdoor
seating, also excellent catering. New! Home delivery
options.Vegetarian friendly but they also have good pulled pork
sandwiches. Next door is their gourmet cheese shop. Occasional Market
Dinners with wine suggestions you can buy from Colorado Wine
Company—sign up for their email newsletter and catch the next
Dinner, it’s fantastic!
*Bistro de la Gare 921 Meridian Ave. South
Pas. 626.799.8828
www.bistrodelagare.com.
Really charming, great French bistro food, wine bar, located
right by the Gold Line.
*The Blue Hen 1743 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.5654
www.eatatbluehen.com.
Vietnamese food, lunch and dinner. This restaurant supports local
farms and sustainable farming practices, and it’s good food,
too.
*Brownstone Pizza 2108 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.257.4992
Good New York style pizza and you can also buy it
by the slice!
*The Bucket 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.5654
Known for Basque-style hamburgers. Longtime Oxy
hangout.
*Bulgarini Gelato 749 E. Altadena Dr,
Altadena 626.791.6174
http://www.bulgarinigelato.com/.
Voted best gelato by LA Weekly, a great write-up by Jonathan Gold,
and I have to say I had some of the best peach sorbet in my life the
other evening there. It’s the real deal, though I would rather
be in Rome than Altadena sometimes, just sometimes.
Buttertart Coffee & Treats 4126 Verdugo Rd,
90065 323.258.8278
www.mybuttertart.com
A brand new charming breakfast and lunch café in Sagamore Park
area at the Glendale/Eagle Rock border. The signature dish is a
small, handmade custard tart that is rich, buttery, creamy, and
completely delicious. I don’t want to know how many calories it
might contain.
*Café Beaujolais 1712 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock 323.255.5111
Classic French bistro food, wine & beer.
Extremely good.
*Café Culture 1359 N. Altadena Blvd.
Pasadena 626.398.8654
Coffee house with good baked goods.
*Camilo’s Café & Catering
2128 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.2644
California bistro serving tasty breakfast, lunch,
dinner. Also afternoon tea by reservation and excellent catering.
Live music on Thursday evenings. Atmosphere is lovely, great for any
occasion.
*The Capri 4604 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.3225
Good solid traditional Italian food, large
portions, old-style Italian restaurant atmosphere.
*Casa Bianca 1650 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.256.9617
“The Best Pizza in Southern California.”
It is good! Try to beat the rush, but they have chairs outside so you
can just visit with your friends while you wait. Takeout is a good
choice.
El Chile 4017 N. Figueroa St. 323.221.5555
The only arepas (baked or
fried cornmeal cake of traditional Colombian cuisine) on
Figueroa, covered patio dining.
*Cinnamon Vegetarian 5511 Figueroa St.
Highland Park 323.982.9480
www.CinnamonVegetarian.com.
An international but mostly Southwest/South American menu, all
meat-free. Very tasty food, a nice, clean, comfortable space,
friendly service.
*The Chalet 1630 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.258.8800
This is one cool bar, no food served at all.
Lodge-like interior with fireplace, rock wall, dim lighting, even
winter snowscape paintings on the walls. Great jukebox, good
martinis.
*Classic Thai 1708 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.478.0530
Charming atmosphere with outdoor seating, moderate
prices, good Thai food.
*The Coffee Gallery 2029 N. Lake Ave. Altadena
626.398.7917
www.coffeegallery.com.
Neighborhood coffee house with entertainment in the back room venue.
Get on their email list, they have incredible talent performing,
especially old folkies, acoustic guitarists and songwriters.
*The Coffee Table 1958 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.255.2200
www.coffeetablebistro.com.
Sister to the one in Silverlake. Great space, good food, coffee and
now beer and wine. Sensitive restoration of the historic building and
old photos of Eagle Rock add to the ambience.
*Colombo’s 1833 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.254.9138
Prime rib, steak, seafood, pasta. Piano music
every evening, dimmed lighting, full bar with the strongest drinks
around, interesting paintings, old neighborhood feel. Now with some
outdoor seating as well.
*The Colorado Wine Co. 2114 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock 323.478.1985
www.cowineco.com.
Neighborhood wine bar with tastings Friday evenings and Sunday
afternoon. Buy a glass or a case. Sign up for the email list for
John’s literary musings on the art and comedy of wine as well
as details of the next tasting or art opening there.
*Dave’s Chillin’ & Grillin’
2152 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.490.0988
www.daveschillin.com.
Dave is passionate about his sandwiches and he has every reason
to be. Fresh, tasty, a bargain—the Eagle Rock business model
between two halves of a fresh roll.
*Elvira’s 1757 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.3216
Homemade Mexican food with lots of vegetarian
options, prepared and served with love. Pepe Serna paintings decorate
the walls.
Ernie Jr’s Taco House 2803 Colorado
Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.1298
One of the oldest restaurants around serving
old-style American Mexican food. I have to mention that they put
mayonnaise in their tostada dressing.
*La Estrella #3 6103 N. Figueroa Highland Park
323.982.0179
Colorful house, corner location, great tacos.
Served open with shredded carnitas, limes and very inexpensive. Voted
one of the top 25 Mexican restaurants in LA in 2004.
*Fatty’s 1627 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.254.8804
www.fattyscafe.com.
Gourmet vegetarian food, excellent wine list, good beer. Some
very amazing and delicious desserts as well. Open for dinnertime
only, but you can just have dessert or a glass of wine if you like.
Felipe 6101 York Blvd. Highland Park
323.256.9784
Formerly Villa Sombrero, Felipe, the original
property owner, has taken over and plans a reprise of some of his
original dishes from the time it had more upscale Latin cuisine like
lobster, grilled steak, chicken mole. He’s waiting for his
licensing, hope it happens soon (per www.EagleRockTalk.com
podcast #21, thanks Laurel & Apryl!)
*Firefly Bistro 1009 El Centro Ave. South Pas.
626.441.2443
www.eatatfirefly.com
Exceptional New Orleans style cuisine, the signature dish is
pecan-crusted catfish, oh yes. The occasional 5-course wine dinner is
to die for.
*Folliero’s
5566 N Figueroa St, Highland Park
323.254.0505
www.Follieros.com
Established in 1968, Tony Folliero still makes his own pizza dough
every morning, though daughter Titina now runs the restaurant.
Friendly staff, great thin-crust pizza, other yummy Italian dishes
you will love as much as do the generations of Highland Parkers who
still go there. Cash only! But beer and wine are served. Really
reasonable prices.
*La Fuente 2256 W. Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.344.3796
Reliably good, satisfying Mexican food, recently
reopened after a remodel. Full bar.
5530 Monte Vista St. Highland
Park 323.258.6109
La Fuente #6 5552 N. Figueroa St. Highland
Park 323.257.3564
One door south of Future Studio
El Huarache Azeca 5225 York Blvd. Highland
Park 323.478.9572
A hotspot for locals and visiting foodies.
*Jamba Juice 5053 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.349.0670
One of the many signs that Eagle Rock has arrived.
Healthy, quick juiced drinks. This is in a building that was not torn
down by the Walgreen’s next door.
*Johnny’s Bar 5006 York Blvd.
Highland Park 323.551-6959
Evilly good martinis. No food. Eat at the nearby
York Pub and stop in here as part of your Highland Park Pub crawl.
Juanita’s at La Casa Blue 5930 York Blvd,
Highland Park 323.257.0089
Tacos, burritos, full bar upstairs, coffeehouse
setting downstairs. The Casa Blue.
*Larkin’s Joint 1496 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock 323.254.0934
www.larkinsjoint.com.
Contemporary California soul food in a juke joint atmosphere.
Come here when you have no dietary restrictions, because this is good
old fried catfish & greens, sweet potato pie, BBQ’d tri-tip
kind of fare.
*Lemongrass 1952 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.258.8050
Simple, good Vietnamese food with beer and wine
served. Featured dishes include banh mi (sandwiches), pho (soup),
spring rolls. Inexpensive, fresh, delicious food. Sit outside and
enjoy life in the heart of Eagle Rock.
Little Cave 5922 N. Figueroa St.
323.255.6871
Formerly Sir Richard’s biker bar and
Hofbrau, now painted black inside and quite a hangout for local
hipsters.
Mariscos Estilo D.F. Truck 4702 N. Figueroa St.
at Sycamore Grove Park Highland Park
Blue truck, seafood tostadas, eat in park. Made to
order.
*Marty’s 5137 York Blvd. Highland Park
323.256.2400
The gentrification of Highland Park began here.
Yummy bar food like Kobe beef burgers. Bouncers dressed in black,
valet parking. Yes!
El Metate 5305 N. Figueroa St. Highland
Park 323.478.8383
Homemade tortillas, cart often in front after dark
with huge sizzling fresh meat spit
*Mia Sushi 4741 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.256.2562
www.mia-sushi.com.
Eagle Rock’s first sushi restaurant. Great food, decor,
valet parking. For you no raw fish die-hards, there is a selection of
cooked non-fish Japanese-style items that is very good as well.
* Minx Restaurant & Lounge 300 Harvey
Drive, Glendale 818.242.9191
www.minx-la.com.
Fine dining and cocktail lounge located
on the border of Eagle Rock. Superb Sunday brunch, eat inside or out,
enjoy music, great cocktails. They also cater.
My
Taco 6300 York Blvd 323.256.2698
Potato
tacos, carne asada fries.
*Oinkster 2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.3892
www.theoinkster.com.
“Slow fast food” is their motto. It’s really
good and it’s really, really slow—the service, that is.
House cured pastrami, slow roasted pork and chicken, fresh good food.
*Panang 1801 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.344.3796
If you’re feeling like you might be coming
down with a cold, go have a nice big bowl of Thai noodles, a tall
frosty beer and be happy.
*Polka 4112 Verdugo Road Glassell Park
323.255.7887
www.polkacatering.com.
Jonathan Gold says, "Polka, a sweet
Polish restaurant near where Eagle Rock fades into Glendale, is that
rarity in Los Angeles, an authentic, home-style Eastern European
restaurant of the kind so common in Cleveland and Chicago...”
*Pat & Lorraine’s 4720 Eagle Rock
Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.7926
Local breakfast and lunch joint—it closes at
2:30 pm!
El Pescador 5230 N. Figueroa St. Highland
Park 323.255.8164
Popular for after church brunching
*Petit Beaujolais 1651 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.255.5133
Great coffee, fresh croissants, very tasty
breakfast and lunch, a perfect place to sit outside on a balmy day
and just be in the heart of Eagle Rock.
*Santa Maria Barbecue 626.963.3935
All you can eat barbecues, parties, events. Simple
fare and really tasty. Tri-tip top sirloin, chicken, beef ribs,
beans, hot dogs or hamburgers, and that’s about it. They only
cater. www.santamariagrill.com.
*Scoops 712 N. Heliotrope Dr. Los
Angeles 323.906.2649
Gelato, vegan ice cream & sorbet. You can have
a taste of whatever they have available that day. Wild tastes like
Jack Daniels & Cream, Blackberries and mango. Worth the drive out
of Eagle Rock!
*Senor Fish 4803 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.7167
Great fish tacos and other Mexican food. Good
outdoor seating.
*Spitz 2505 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.5600
Home of the Doner Kebab: lean meat, chilies,
tzatziki, tomatoes & cucumbers in grilled focaccia, sweet potato
fries. Good fast food plus gelato! Two Oxy grads went to Europe,
loved it, and brought it back to Eagle Rock.
*The Spot 2032 Lincoln Ave. Pasadena
626.296.3184
(Formerly Vintage Café)
www.thespotpasadena.com
Now a catering business only, and really good.
*Stoney Point 1450 W. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena
626.449.9715
www.stoneypointrestaurant.com.
Italian-style cuisine, great atmosphere.
*Swork 2160 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.258.5600
www.swork.com.
Good coffee, Free—note, Free wireless internet,
kid-friendly hangout, a great community hangout, the first of the
“cool factor” beginning of Eagle Rock’s commercial
core.
*The Taco Spot 2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.257.4727
www.taco-spot.com.
Really tasty, fresh Mexican food. Reasonably priced, good
service, very convenient.
Tacos El Michoacoano 5933 York Blvd. Highland
Park 323.258.0794
Authentic excellent Michoacan made from scratch
*Tommy’s Burgers 1717 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock 323.982.1746
Some people in my family love Tommy’s. If
you want a heart attack on a bun, you can start here.
Verdugo Bar 3408 Verdugo Rd. Glassell Park
90065 323-257-3408
www.VerdugoBar.com
Open 8 pm-2 am. A large selection of custom beers including Crown
City Brewery. Art Deco interior. Look for the small “Cocktails”
sign or you’ll miss it.
*York Pub 5018 York Blvd. Highland Park
323.255.9675
www.theyorkonyork.com.
Another of the new bars along York Blvd, part of the renaissance of
Highland Park and the birth of the cool. Lots of good beers, good
food, good times, and now even open for brunch on the weekends. Even
beer from the Craftsman Brewery in Pasadena is served, a major treat.
*Zankou Chicken 1415 E. Colorado Blvd.
Glendale 818.244.1937
Some of the best fast food in the world. Garlic
sauce, hummus, pita bread, rotisserie chicken, shwarma, it’s
actually addictive.
FREE DELIVERY (most with a minimum order)
*Elvira’s 1757 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.257.3216
Italiano’s 6500 N. Figueroa Highland
Park 323.255.6155
Also at 5101 York Blvd. Highland Park
323.255.0016
*Sicha Siam 4403 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.344.8285
Some of the best Thai food around, and they bring
it to you!
*Thai Spirit 2617 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock
323.256.1644
*Two Guys from Italy 405 N. Verdugo Rd.
Glendale 323.254.0404
*Zangezour Grill 2750 Colorado Blvd. Eagle
Rock 323.259.9500
Mediterranean food like rotisserie chicken with
garlic paste, hummus, salad.