The Most Innovative or Infuriating LA Restaurant Trends of 2024

Welcome to the Year in Eater 2024 — our annual tradition that looks back at the highs, lows, and in-betweens of Los Angeles’s restaurant scene. Today, LA’s finest food writers, editors, reporters, and a few select others with strong opinions discuss the best (and worst) trends of the year.

Farley Elliott, SFGATE SoCal Bureau Chief

Look, I don’t need a SINGULARLY cohesive menu — this is LA, after all — but a lot of spots in 2024 lacked focus. I’d rather have fewer items that feel like they belong than some overly complex menu reaching into too many different culinary corners at once. It’s okay to sometimes do more with less.

Bill Esparza, Writer, Eater

The trend towards creating lively, neighborhood spots like Budonoki has been a lot of fun, especially for people living in parts of town that were underserved. We no longer have to drive very far to make the scene. I’m very tired, though, of all the bad chilaquiles, and please stop adding mediocre breakfast burritos to brunch menus.

Gary Baum, Senior Writer, The Hollywood Reporter

I understand the economics at play, but the disappearance of late hours for dinner is frustrating.

Kristie Hang, Eater LA Contributor

I was annoyed that every “nice” restaurant opening in the SGV was immediately labeled a Din Tai Fung dupe. There are plenty of upscale spots in the area with great food and excellent service that stand on their own merits, and it’s frustrating to see them constantly compared to DTF as if that’s the only benchmark for quality.

I’ve been most excited about the wave of new vendors and stalls popping up at night around the San Gabriel Superstore parking lot. One standout is the hand-muddled duck shit tea, made with rare perfume lemons sourced from China — it started as a stand and is already opening a storefront next month. The area has become a hub for exciting small businesses, creating a night market experience that, in my opinion, surpasses the official ones. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I hope this vibrant scene sticks around.

Cathy Chaplin, GastronomyBlog.com

Loved seeing more bakeries open across the city (Modu, Petit Grain, Helms) and closed restaurants coming back from the dead (Souplantation/Soup ‘n Fresh, Cafe Tropical, MTN/RVR)

Elina Shatkin, producer, Good Food

I’m thoroughly over restaurants that feel the need to explain the “small plates” and “shared plates” concept. I especially dislike when servers ask, “Do you know how it works?” I realize it’s not their fault, they’ve been given a script by management. Plus, some customers probably don’t understand the concept and actually need to have it explained to them. I’m never rude about it but I am tempted to reply, “Yes, I’m pretty sure I do know how it works. I look at a menu, order some food, you bring it, we eat it, we pay, we leave.” I realize this is an incredibly petty pet peeve but I’m holding onto it.

Julia Hess, Temp Associate Producer, Eater Video

Most exciting trends have been all the chef collabs with other restaurants in LA! Also love all the new bakeries popping up all over LA. Also so many more cookie shops.

Most infuriating trend is hard to book reservations, we need more walk-in friendly restaurants!! We also need more women chefs highlighted!!

Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager

I’m a big fan of the resurrected (“zombie”) restaurants trend first spotted this year by former Eater senior editor Cathy Chaplin. In a time when fear, uncertainty, and inequity have infiltrated every aspect of American life, seeing the return of the restaurant that sustained your family after soccer matches in middle school, or the French bistro where your grandparents went on date nights, is something to hold on to.

Karen Palmer, Contributing Los Angeles Food Editor, SFGATE

…is it okay to complain about service yet?

Jean Trinh, freelance food reporter

One of the most exciting trends was how restaurants brought fun, party-like vibes to their restaurants, like at Budonoki, Intercrew, and Danbi.

Hadley Tomicki, Co-Founder, L.A. TACO

Non-speakeasy speakeasies and non-dive dive bars.

Rebecca Roland, Editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

Restaurants that play music too loud — if there is no dance floor, the music should not be at the same volume a club would play it

Joshua Lurie, FoodGPS.com founder

The mental anguish and financial hardship that restaurateurs continue to face when opening restaurants in LA remains discouraging. It’s a marvel that we have one of the best dining scenes in the world despite the agonizing permitting process. Hopefully local cities and LA County are able to devote more resources and people to streamline the process. Otherwise, many entrepreneurs won’t bother.

Patricia Kelly Yeo, Food and Drink Editor, Time Out Los Angeles

Most exciting: The shift away from smashburgers. Thank God. I think about the bar burger at Dunsmoor quite often.

Most infuriating: Overhyped bakeries and pastry programs. I visited over 24 bakeries across L.A. County in the last 6 months and I can honestly say…just because some place is new doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best. The one exception in my world is Petitgrain Boulangerie.

Mona Holmes, Editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

Everything old is new again with restaurants coming back after closing: Cafe Tropical, Sweet Lady Jane, and the Souplantation dupe, Soup ‘n Fresh. The hybrid market/restaurants like Little Fish, Carla’s Fresh Market, and Neighborly are fantastic and might be a way for operators to reduce costs. Worst trend? That LA still has so few women chefs.

Matthew Kang, Lead Editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

I love finding value and risk-takers. I want to eat food that I can’t cook at home. I’m fine with a few misses on a menu if the adventurous ones are successful. Why do cocktails have to cost more than $20? I feel like they’re only priced that way to make up for high food costs, in which case, I’ll just stop ordering them. Drink prices are becoming absurd.

One trend that I want to see everywhere: A true sense of hospitality from every person involved in the restaurant, including owners and chefs. Great service and accommodation always win hearts.

I love a great soundtrack that doesn’t dominate the dining experience. We should be delighted by a restaurant’s music but not feel like we have to fight it.