best pizza, tacos, and cheap eats in koreatown
Here's the thing about eating cheap in Koreatown: you're not settling. You're eating some of the best food in Los Angeles for under fifteen bucks. The neighborhood runs deep on flavor, and if you know where to look, every meal punches way above its price tag.
But let's address the elephant in the room first. Koreatown doesn't really have a pizza spot or a taco stand on this list, and that's okay, because what it does have is better. Once you've had a bowl of handmade noodles at Hangari Bajirak Kalguksoo (3470 W 6th St), the concept of "cheap eats" opens up into something much more interesting.
Start with ramen that costs less than a cocktail. Slurpin Ramen Bar at 3500 W 8th St is your anchor for a solo lunch or a late-night bowl. It's rated 4.5★ and priced at a single dollar sign, meaning you're walking out full for under $15. The broth is serious, the portions are generous, and the vibe is no-fuss in the best way. Go on a weeknight to avoid the wait.
CoCo Ichibanya at 3500 W 6th St #110 deserves its own paragraph. Japanese curry on a Koreatown block, and it works perfectly. You customize your spice level, your toppings, your portion size. It's warm, filling, and deeply comforting. Also 4.5★. Also very cheap. The kind of place you return to every single week without thinking twice.
For something with more soul, go to Kobawoo House (698 S Vermont Ave, 4.5★). Order the bossam, boiled pork belly served with cabbage wraps, kimchi, and fresh oysters. It's a communal, hands-on meal that feels celebratory even on a Tuesday. The room is unpretentious, the staff has been doing this forever, and the price is still firmly in the "I can't believe this" category.
Mapo Kkak Doo Gee at 3611 W 6th St is a 4.6★ neighborhood staple that doesn't get nearly enough attention outside the Korean community. It's the kind of restaurant where regulars have a usual order and the menu doesn't need to explain itself. Come with a group if you can, the food shares well.
Need a quick solo lunch near 6th Street? Cassell's Hamburgers (3600 W 6th St, 4.5★) has been serving no-nonsense burgers since 1948. The patties are fresh-ground, the prices are fair, and the patio out front is a genuinely pleasant place to sit with a coffee. They do brunch too, which makes this an easy weekend stop before or after a walk through the neighborhood.
Dan Sung Sa (3317 W 6th St, 4.4★) is where cheap eats meets cheap drinks in the best possible way. This is a Korean pojangmacha bar, think paper lanterns, wooden menu boards, soju cocktails, and small plates that keep arriving at the table. It's cash-only, it's loud, and it's exactly right. Go after 9pm when it hits its stride.
For the drink side of cheap eats: HMS Bounty at 3357 Wilshire Blvd is a genuine dive bar with genuinely stiff pours and genuinely low prices. It's been on this corner for decades. The carpet tells stories. The regulars are friendly. If you want a cold beer and a place to sit without spending twenty dollars, this is it. 4.4★ and priced at a single dollar sign.
A few practical notes. Parking on 6th Street can be tight on weekend nights, try the side streets north of 6th or look for the lots on Serrano. Most of these spots are cash-friendly but accept cards. Many of the Korean restaurants don't take reservations for small parties, so come early or expect a short wait. It's always worth it.
Koreatown won't give you a slice or a street taco. What it gives you instead is a neighborhood full of cooks who have been perfecting the same dishes for decades, at prices that feel almost like a secret. Show up hungry and follow the 4.5★ signs.