Authentic Korean BBQ in Koreatown. Delicious meats and big variety of mushrooms, interestingly good fried rice, metal chopsticks, and a buzzer you can press to alert the waiter.
The Red Lion Tavern has been a neighborhood tavern in Los Angeles for over fifty years (which is a long time for L.A.), and continues to serve as a landmark for traditional German food, a wide selection of German beer, and cozy Old World atmosphere. Plus the waitresses all wear lederhosen, and it's blocks away from my parents' house.
This place is really popular, and for good reason. Their cuts of meat are on point, and who doesn't love troughs of cheesy corn and steamed eggs? Definitely order a lunch box, and if you want to avoid the long wait, go either super early around or really late. They're open from 11:30a to 1:30a.
I had a studio in this neighborhood for 3 years. Just take your camera and spend a couple hours walking around admiring the colors and people and odd shops.
By day, it's a barber shop. By night, it's a speakeasy with tasty grilled cheese sandwiches, a nice interior, and great music. Weekends are wild, so you'll find me hanging out every first Monday of the month spinning records.