Food

Cheap Fast Eats visits West Hollywood for superstar bites at a garage band price

Published Oct 11, 2024 5:00 AM

Two different types of sandwiches are displayed next to each other on a slotted wooden surface painted light pink. On the left, there is a rectangular metal tray with a to-go paper containing a sandwich made with a long French-style bun filled with cooked ground beef, white sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. On the right, there is a small circular metal plate with a sandwich wrapped in silver foil paper. This sandwich is made with a round sesame seed bun, melted cheese, and bacon.

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Super Rad Sub Shop
Dtown Pizzeria
Kale Me Crazy
Trophies Burger Club
Jones Hollywood

Listen • 22:47

Cheap Fast Eats #15: West Hollywood

West Hollywood is a place that pulls us via its neon-lit tractor beams. You’ll end up there at some point in your Angeleno life, no doubt, scouring vintage racks on Melrose, checking out the Rocky and Bullwinkle statue, or heading to Whiskey A Go Go, or the Troubadour. And the Abbey. There's always the Abbey.

(For more places to go, check out How To LA’s recent episode with Explore LA influencer Drew Tillman).

With all that activity, there's a good chance you'll work up an appetite. Which is where we come in.

Support for LAist comes from

Become a sponsor

More news

You may be wondering how we could even mention Cheap Fast Eats and West Hollywood in the same sentence. It's not exactly, uh, budget-minded. But there are some bargains among the glitz, from hearty breakfasts to late-night bites.

However, yes, this is WeHo, so we've had to adjust for location. Rather than sticking with our normal $10, (which is itself becoming a stretch — the inflation struggle is real), we've allowed ourselves the liberty of including dishes closer to the $15 range.

So with that said — welcome to Cheap Fast Eats West Hollywood.

Super Rad Sub Shop

Along the Sunset Strip, a tiny window serves inspired East Coast meets West Coast sandwiches.

Owners Shanna Lynn Milazzo, from Queens, New York, and partner and chef Chris Olsefsky, from L.A., have blended their styles in Super Rad Sub Shop.

Support for LAist comes from

Become a sponsor

A building is situated on a sidewalk, with a light skinned woman with brown hair walking past. She wears a gray long-sleeved top, high-waisted black pants, and an off-white backpack. In the background is a sandwich board sign with the words "Super Rad Sub Shop" in black capital letters; underneath are the words "Subs! Subs! Subs!" in red capital letters. To the right is a light blue painted wall with a sign featuring a cartoon pig grinning while holding a martini glass, with the Hollywood sign behind it and the words "The Naughty Pig" underneath.

It’s allowed the pair to create quirky combinations of flavors, such as their take on NYC export The Chopped Cheese sandwich ($16.50), made with caramelized onions, American cheese, and a white sauce that Olsefsky modeled after the secret sauce at Del Taco.

Another is "Nobody Likes Turkey Roll" ($16.50), named after the famed Seinfeld scene where Jerry struggles to break things off with a male friend. You won't want to end with this sandwich, made with house-brined turkey breast, finely shredded sharp cheddar, and jalapeño mayo, providing a spike of creamy heat that illuminates the rest of the contents.

A small, round metal plate sits on a yellow-painted wooden surface. The plate holds a sandwich wrapped in foil, which includes a round-seed bun, a generous amount of melted yellow American cheese, and two large pieces of cooked bacon extending from opposite sides.

For the most bang for the buck, look no further than the Bodega Egg & Cheese ($12). It contains a soft scrambled egg, American cheese, and crispy bacon with just the right chew smothered in ketchup on a pillowy-soft sesame brioche bun. It feels so universal, as if designed for anyone to enjoy, and because of that, it's a current favorite for when I'm on the go.

Locations: 8264 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dtown Pizzeria

Get a taste of Motor City along Santa Monica Boulevard at Dtown Pizzeria, where award-winning pizza maker Chef Ryan Ososky specializes in Detroit-style pizza.

Support for LAist comes from

Become a sponsor

For those unfamiliar with this particular style from the Mitten State, it is a square pan pizza with a thick, chewy crust covered entirely with Wisconsin's brick cheese that forms caramelized “frico” edges (Italian for burnt cheese).

A hand with medium-dark skin tone and snake tattoo holds a large square slice of pizza. The pizza is placed on a ridged white cardboard on a round metal tray on a light grey concrete surface. The pizza has a thick square crust with caramelized brown edges, topped with melted yellowish-white cheese. It also includes a mixture of red sauce and red sliced pepperonis covered with yellow bee pollen.

A 1946 Cheese and Goomba combo at Dtown Pizzeria

(

Brian Feinzimer

LAist

)

A storefront building with a white roof section, blue lines at the top and bottom, and "Pizza" in red capital letters in the middle. Groups of people stand in various places on the sidewalk, appearing in motion.

Dtown Pizzeria on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

(

Brian Feinzimer

LAist

)

Ososky, who grew up in Detroit, painstakingly honors the pizza culinary traditions of his home state, even down to the refrigerator case of Faygo brand sodas.

Try the 1946 Cheese ($17.99), "a classic red stripe pizza," which refers to the thick layer of chunky tomato sauce on top of the pizza's cheese. While the slice looks like it will be a mouthful, you'll be surprised by the light and airy crust texture; that being said, there is a good chance that one slice itself will fill you up, so it would be wise to bring a friend with you to share it (instant savings!) or save it for later.

Location: 8424 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite D, West Hollywood
Hours: Monday through Tuesday, Noon to 9 p.m.; Thursday, Noon to 9 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, Noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 9 p.m. Closed Wednesday

Kale Me Crazy

A building on a corner is painted in pink, grey, and white sections. Above the glass door entrance, there is a medium rectangular black sign that reads "Kale Me Crazy." A man with a medium light skin tone, is wearing a white tank top, black shorts, and tennis shoes. In front of him is a blue street sign that reads "Santa Monica BLVD" in white lettering.

Support for LAist comes from

Become a sponsor

Look, I hear you. After many Cheap Fast Eats entries about pizza, tacos, and burgers, you probably wonder if I’ll ever write something healthy. To which I say, I see you.

Enter Kale Me Crazy, an Atlanta-based smoothie shop with a sole West Coast location in West Hollywood.

A nicely lit space on Santa Monica Boulevard, just down the street from various Gayborhood bars, and the historic neighborhood of Norma Triangle, it’s an excellent place to pop in when you’re feeling peckish.

About this series

Every month, we scout out eateries, stomach-filling burrito joints, and hidden gems, focusing on dishes around $10 -$15. If you want us to try an area, drop us a line at the bottom of the story.

There's a whole range of smoothies, wraps, shots, and bowls, all suitably healthy. I opted for the Green Dream ($9.95), made with kale, spinach, pineapple, apple, mint leaves, and coconut water, although I was tempted by the Acaí Bowl ($12.95), made with organic acaí blended with coconut milk, date, blueberries, cashews, and strawberries and topped with banana, coconut, granola, mint, and raw honey. (Definitely bang for your buck here in terms of getting your daily dose of fruits and veggies).

It's a relaxing spot which gives some respite from daily chaos. No loud blenders buzzing in your ear, for example. For something a bit more on the filling side, try the the Vegan Wrap ($11.95), stuffed with kale, cabbage, carrots, pickled red onions, and avocado, held together nicely with a helping of hummus, wrapped in a tortilla, and served with tahini sauce.

On a white-painted wooden surface are two dishes and a drink. In the center left corner is a brown wooden plate with translucent to-go paper, containing a large wrap cut down the middle, revealing its contents of various vegetables. An oval-shaped bowl to the upper right contains grains, fruits, and nuts; on top of its contents are long rows of peeled bananas. Between the dishes is a clear plastic cup filled with a thick green blended liquid and a coarse white substance placed in a small pile on the right side.

Location: 8801 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Trophies Burger Club

Now we've been virtuous, let's head over to Fairfax for some tasty burgers, shall we?

Trophies Burger Club is a small fast-casual burger shop across the street from Fairfax High School. It attracts everyone from minor celebrities to the throngs of high school students who pour into the tiny space just after the bell rings.

On a dark wooden surface, there is a square metal tray with a blue checkered paper placemat filled with various types of food. In the foreground, there is a medium-sized hamburger that showcases its contents, including dark red cooked bacon, melted cheese over a cooked burger patty, and a slice of green pickle between a golden-brown hamburger bun in a white paper to-go wrapper. To the left is a similar-looking burger in a to-go wrapper with the name "Trophies" in yellow letters partially visible. In the background is a serving of curly golden brown fries, and behind that is a clear cup containing a yellowish liquid with ice.

The mass appeal of Trophies is a testament to their product, which manages to be simple and good without skimping on details. In many ways, it is the quintessential burger, so much so that it resembles the burger emoji with its shapely bun and patty containing just a slight bit of condiments peeking out along the side.

A group of people are inside a restaurant with shiny blue subway-tiled walls. Two dark-skinned men are seated, one wearing a purple basketball jersey and the other with a bright orange t-shirt and a metal chain around his neck. Another man is standing with a trimmed black beard, wearing a white apron over a white t-shirt and a black beanie hat. A man with tattoos is also present. Behind them is a small kitchen space with a neon sign that reads "Trophies."

The Classic ($7.48) is an excellent place to start, featuring a single patty with American cheese, ketchup, mustard, cubic diced onions, pickles, and shredded lettuce. It does an excellent job of tapping into the McDonald's of it all, and by that, I mean the nostalgic taste and feel that many of us are searching for in a burger. If you are looking to dive a little deeper, go with Spicy BBQ Bacon ($11.48), which goes for the gold, doubling down with a spicy barbeque sauce and a celestial combination of dijonnaise spread, grilled onions, and chopped chilies, topped off with a thick slab of bacon.

A meal at Trophies is only complete with an order of their out-of-this-world curly fries, which come tight-wrapped in perfect coils, making for a supreme dipping experience.

Location: 519 N Fairfax Ave., West Hollywood
Hours: Open daily. Noon to 9 p.m.

Jones Hollywood

In this nighttime street scene, two brick buildings are on a city block. In the center is a small black-and-white awning with the name "Jones" in white letters. It is positioned above a small group of people standing at the entrance. Nearby, another person is standing in front of a tree, looking down at his hands. To the group's right is a large neon sign with lights that reads "Jones" and has a curved arrow pointing towards the building.

Here's a pick for all the nighthawks channeling their inner Edward Hopper.

Head to Jones Hollywood, the iconic Italian restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard, saunter into the classic dimly-lit dining room, grab a booth, and let the late-night vibes take you.

Unlike most places in L.A which close their kitchens at 9 p.m., Jones Hollywood offers a rare treat, food available late into the. night, with a special 'Beggars Banquet' menu, offered Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. (kitchen stops serving at 1 a.m.).

A small square table with a red and white checkered tablecloth is inside a brown vinyl booth. On the table, there is a large plate containing spaghetti in a light red sauce topped with chopped green herbs. In the background, a salad is in a large bowl filled with light green lettuce, large torn slices of hard white cheese, and light brown toasted croutons. In between the two plates, in the right corner of the table, is a clear wine glass filled with red wine. A red, folded napkin with a silver fork and knife is in the left corner. In the background at the table's edge is a series of condiments containing a square glass bottle of yellow olive oil, a wooden pepper grinder, and a small square salt shaker next to a rounded red glass candle holder with a small white candle, its wick lit.

For some roughage, start with house salads, such as Caesar or arugula salad ($11.50). Parties can split a plate of orecchiette with bolognese or spaghettini pomodoro ($14.50), made with fresh-tasting sauce and well-cooked noodles. This is a simple yet effective meal, especially for late nights.

Wash it all down with a glass of cabernet ($8) or even their in-house dirty martini, Dirty Sue ($12.50), made with a bottled premium olive juice of the same name. It was developed by one of their former bartenders, Eric Tecosky, who came up with the idea after always running out of olive juice. Luckily you won’t have that problem.

Location: 7205 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
Hours: Open daily, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Beggar's Banquet menu is available on Sunday through Thursday, 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. ( kitchen stops serving at 1 a.m.)

Take action during our fall member drive!

During this critical election, we’re spending less time fundraising, but we can’t raise less of the vital funding needed to keep trusted local news strong. Donate now to return to uninterrupted coverage sooner.