best pizza, tacos, and cheap eats in los feliz

Los Feliz doesn't do cheap eats halfway. The neighborhood has actual spots worth repeating, the kind of places locals go twice a week without thinking about it. Here's where to eat well without spending much, starting with the best pizza, tacos, and everything in between.

Pizza: Palermo Italian Restaurant · 1858 N Vermont Ave

Palermo has been on Vermont Avenue long enough to feel like part of the street itself. The pizza here is old-school LA Italian, thick, generous, unself-conscious. Order the margherita or go straight for a loaded pie and eat it on the patio while the neighborhood walks by. They do live music some nights, which turns a Tuesday dinner into something worth lingering over. Rated 4.7★ and priced at $$, it's one of the better deals on Vermont. Reservations are smart on weekends. Parking on Vermont can be tight, try the side streets off Prospect.

Tacos: HomeState · 4624 Hollywood Blvd

HomeState does Texas-style breakfast tacos, and they do them right. The egg, bacon, and cheese on a flour tortilla is the one to get, simple, warm, exactly what you want at 9am or honestly at any hour. It's a $ spot, which means you're getting out of there full and happy for under ten dollars. The line moves fast. Come early on weekends or expect a short wait. Street parking on Hollywood Blvd is hit or miss; the side streets near Rodney usually have room.

Cheap Eats: Daily Donuts · 1908 Hillhurst Ave

A 4.7★ donut shop rated $ on Hillhurst, Daily Donuts is exactly what it sounds like and exactly what the neighborhood needs. Classic glazed, old-fashioneds, the occasional filled donut that disappears by mid-morning. Go early. Bring cash. Don't overthink it.

Also on Hillhurst: Green Leaves Vegan · 1769 Hillhurst Ave

Green Leaves Vegan earns its 4.6★ rating by being genuinely good rather than just virtuous. The portions are real, the prices are $ level, and the patio is a nice place to sit. They do brunch too, which is worth knowing for Sunday mornings when you want something light but filling. Good option if you're walking Hillhurst and don't want to commit to a full sit-down.

Worth Knowing: Goldburger · 1820 N Vermont Ave

Not tacos or pizza, but Goldburger belongs in any cheap eats conversation in Los Feliz. It's a burger spot on Vermont with a patio and a 4.6★ rating. The smash burger is the move. Priced at $$ but on the lower end of that, you're not leaving hungry or broke. Good for a quick lunch before browsing Skylight Books next door at 1818 Vermont Ave.

Before or After: Maru Coffee · 1936 Hillhurst Ave

Not food exactly, but worth naming. Maru on Hillhurst is where you go before the donut run or after the taco. Clean space, good coffee, 4.6★. It fits into almost any version of a Los Feliz morning.

A few practical notes

Hillhurst Avenue and Vermont Avenue are the two main corridors here. Most of these spots are within walking distance of each other if you're already in the neighborhood. Metered parking runs along both streets, feed the meter and give yourself time to wander. The best cheap eat days in Los Feliz are weekday mornings and early weekday lunches, when the lines are short and the energy is easy.