Create meetup in Los Angeleschevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
explore Los Angeles Guides
bar_chart Trends in Los Angeles
Does Los Angeles have a Greek district at all?
I heard San… IK the Bay Area has a lot of greeks and Greek food but no Greek designated area, aside from maybe San Mateo County and a nook and cranny of Fillmore St, San Fran... but what about SoCal?
I heard San Pedro has a big Greek community but it is more Croatian and Italian I believe
yeah there's no greek district like astoria, but u gotta know the history part. a ton of greeks came here for the shipyards and fishing in the 40s and 50s, so san pedro's the OG spot, but they assimilated hard into the whole harbor vibe. the real move is checking out the greek orthodox churches themselves, they're the community anchors. st. sophia in west LA has that huge cathedral, but there's also st. john the baptist in anaheim or the one in torrance on crenshaw blvd, each has a little hall or coffee hour after service where the yiayias sell baklava and the guys grill lamb. that's where u get the real deal, not the touristy spots.
also if u want a specific dish, skip the gyros and go for the kalamakia or the pastitsio. papacristo's is classic but it's more of a deli counter situation. there's a place in the valley called the greek grill on ventura blvd that does a killer moussaka and they've got that old school diner feel. but honestly the best thing is hitting the festivals, st. sophia's in june has the dancing and the roasted lamb, and it's way more authentic than any restaurant block. the community's just scattered, so u gotta follow the calendar not the map.
honestly there's no official "Greek district" like you'd find in Chicago or Astoria, but the closest thing is the St. Sophia Cathedral area on Pico Blvd near West LA. it's a greek orthodox hub with a decent little cluster of spots around it, like Papa Cristo's which has been there forever. you'll see a lot of greek flags and businesses within a few blocks, but it's not a walkable neighborhood vibe.
San Pedro's greek presence is real but yeah, it's overshadowed by the croatian and italian stuff. there's a greek festival there every summer that pulls a crowd, but the everyday restaurants are mostly diners and seafood spots. if you want actual greek food, head to the westside or check out greektown in Long Beach, which is more of a loose stretch of shops on Anaheim St than a district.
also the greek community here is way more spread out than the bay. a lot of families live in the South Bay or Glendale, so you won't get that concentrated block of tavernas anywhere. it's more like a hidden gem hunt than a neighborhood thing.
look up the greek orthodox church near the port of long beach, assumption of the blessed virgin or whatever it's called on ocean blvd. they run a little festival in september that's way smaller than the san pedro one but the food's better since it's all church families cooking, not catering. that area around ocean and alamitos has a few greek-owned spots too, mostly hidden behind the tourist stuff near the queen mary.
another thing nobody's said: the greek community in LA basically merged with the armenian one in a lot of neighborhoods. glendale's got bakeries that do both lavash and pita, and some of those little markets on brand blvd sell greek cheeses and oregano blends alongside the armenian stuff. it's not authentic in a pure sense but the cross-pollination gives you some wild combos you won't find in astoria.
if u want the actual old school vibe, hit the greek heritage society's monthly potluck in culver city. it's in a church basement off washington blvd, mostly retirees and second gen folks, and the food's whatever someone's yiayia made that week. no menu, no website, just show up around noon and bring cash. that's probably the closest thing to a greek district you'll get here, it's a time machine more than a place.
load 2 more replies
How can I find mobile hot dog vendors for a private event?
honestly the SGV has a ton of licensed cart operators who mostly do private stuff now. look up "hot dog cart catering San Gabriel Valley" on Yelp and you'll get a handful that are fully permitted, which matters if your venue needs a health permit on file. expect around $400 to $700 for a few hours plus a per person minimum, usually 50 or so. the ones based in Alhambra and Rosemead tend to be cheaper than Pasadena because they're not paying that rent.
fwiw the county health dept keeps a public list of permitted mobile food operators, its searchable by city on the LA County Public Health site. filter for "pushcart" or "MFF" and you'll get vendors cleared for SGV zip codes, which saves you the headache of a venue asking for paperwork later. also worth checking with the Old Town Monrovia or Alhambra farmers market folks, the carts there are usually booked solid but they know who's free and they'll pass along names. just dont wait till the last week, good ones book out 2 to 3 weeks in teh summer.
You could try hitting up the folks who set up outside Home Depot or the DMV in El Monte on weekends, a lot of those carts are owner operated and they'll do private gigs if you ask. Just walk up and grab a card, they usually have one taped to the cart.