The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in January
It’s a new year, and with it comes new year’s resolutions. If one of your goals is to try new food at top local spots, we’ve got you covered with some recommendations.
These days, if you’re splurging to dine out, you want the whole package. Not just incredible food, but the atmosphere — A place that’s worth meeting up with friends to catch up over a bite, or the ideal detour on a day trip. From seafood platters to elevated pizzas and breakfast bites, January did not disappoint.
Here’s a look at nearby eateries to try around Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire, according to our reporters.
Related: See the best things we ate in Southern California in 2025.
Neptune’s Net Sampler – Neptune’s Net, Malibu
For the entirety of my friend’s bachelorette party weekend in Ventura, all she could talk about was the van ride back home. The plan was to stop in Malibu for some of the best seafood in California. As soon as I stepped onto the patio for Neptune’s Net, I realized we weren’t just at a cute roadside restaurant with a great view of the coast. We were at a reality TV landmark.
Unbeknownst to my friends who steer clear of the “Bravosphere,” we were at the very location where Jax and Brittany from “Vanderpump Rules” got engaged during season seven. While their marriage might not have lived up to the hype, the food at Neptune’s Net certainly does.
The sampler platter we ordered included fried fish, shrimp, calamari, clam strips, scallops, a crab cake, and fries. While the ranch dip was extra, it was worth it. The four of us shared the platter, and it was so massive that we still couldn’t finish. It was a tasty way to end the weekend with the warm California weather and sun beaming down on our faces, despite it being the middle of winter.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Meatball hero – Johnny’s the Bronx, Corona Del Mar
Johnny’s the Bronx on Coast Highway offers some of the best slices in Orange County —so much so that, after a few years of working through the pies, I failed to pursue the rest of the menu. Good thing I did: the meatball hero sandwich here is a champ. First, let’s start with the bread. The problem befalling many a meatball sub is the roll. Too tough, too chewy, too eager to shred your mouth before you’ve even reached the meat. Not here. The bread is plush and pillowy, with a delicate crisp crust toasted just right, plus a bit of the crumb removed to make way for the good stuff — plump, tender meatballs tucked into a bright, zippy marinara that pulls the whole thing together. (I order extra cheese; you should order extra cheese.) It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does earn the “hero” part.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Hatch Chile Honey Chicken Pizza – The Goat & Vine, Temecula
This was almost like eating a green chile chicken enchilada in pizza form. It had a perfectly crisp crust topped by tender shredded chicken and chewy cheeses. Then a pile of fresh tomatoes, avocado and cilantro with a drizzle of hot honey on top. We also had a festive Orange Blossom Spritz mocktail that was crisp, refreshing and made us appreciate a bar that takes time to craft a mocktail worth ordering.
— Toni Sciacqua, Managing Editor for Digital
Enchilada Bowl – EggSactly, La Verne
The Green Enchilada Breakfast Bowl from EggSactly (by Chase’s) in La Verne was the perfect pregame meal ahead of my San Dimas hike at the Walnut Creek trail. Packed with smoked pulled pork, breakfast potatoes, black beans, avocado cream, salsa verde, pickled onions, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, crispy tortilla strips, and an over-medium egg, this bowl was ooey-gooey goodness. The breakfast spot, helmed by the chefs at Chase’s restaurant, boasts locally sourced eggs and flavors developed from the restaurant’s herb garden. The menu’s offerings resemble those of the cult favorite Egg Slut, featuring egg sandwiches with fried chicken and gravy, brisket, crab, and more. If you want to give it a try, make sure to head over early in the day; they close at 11 a.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends.
— Emily St. Martin, Digital Features Editor
Chicken Salad – The Overland, Redlands
Sides make a meal, don’t you think? This is a chicken salad sandwich at The Overland, a cocktail lounge and vinyl listening space in Redlands. It recently expanded its food menu and began serving lunch. New items are satisfying, simple, and well-presented. But what I really loved was the cup of corn chowder with cauliflower.
— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
Anaheim taco – Tacos Los Cholos, Santa Ana
The new year’s first heavyweight opening arrived with Tacos Los Cholos in Santa Ana. What began in 2019 as a scrappy front yard operation in Anaheim, helmed by Josue Maldonado and Michael Alvarado, has since evolved into a bona fide Southern California powerhouse. During my inaugural visit, the kitchen’s Santa Maria grill served as a fiery altar, charring a litany of premium meats over an open flame. While the burrito and chorizo quesadilla were superb, the big revelation for me was the Anaheim taco. Featuring a corn tortilla piled with a mound of pork belly, the dish is anchored by a blistered, chargrilled Anaheim pepper stuffed with cheese. This smoky, salty masterclass of balance is, in part, why this empire continues its triumphant march in Southern California. Look for locations in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Huntington Park and Eastvale.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
The Mac & Cheese – SunCafe Organic, Studio City
As someone who is known to cry over how much I love cheese, seriously the stinkier the better, you might be surprised to discover that I also enjoy some good vegan alternatives. One of these comes from SunCafe Organic in Studio City with their Mac & Cheese. Made with quinoa pasta with cashew mac sauce, the dish is baked and served in a cast iron skillet, which adds a nice crispiness to it.
Even if you’re not someone who subscribes to a vegan diet, SunCafe Organic is just solid, tasty food. It’s tucked away on Ventura Boulevard, just a short drive from Universal Studios Hollywood. The atmosphere feels similar to a home and they have a nice fire pit outside if you’d rather enjoy your meal with some fresh Southern California air.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Nava’s Chili Cheese Bomb – Nava Sausage, Redlands
A chilly January calls for chili, and have you ever seen prettier chili cheese fries? Nava Sausage Co. is a tenant in Redlands Public Market, which opened nearly a year ago, and specializes in bratwurst, hot links, Polish — all kinds of sausage. It also makes a mean chili with beef and tomato sauce — no beans. The fries are thick and crispy, and the portion is ample.
— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
Miso sea bass – Terrace by Mix Mix, Costa Mesa
A riff on Nobu Matsuhisa’s legendary miso-marinated black cod, the miso sea bass at Terrace by Mix Mix proved to be the ideal cure for post-holiday bacchanalia. The rich, flaky, umami-packed dish is perfectly complemented by a tangle of chilled soba noodle salad. Chef Ross Pangilina continues his winning streak at this South Coast Plaza spot, which, in addition to that stellar Neptunian standout, features hits like shrimp lumpia and a wagyu smashburger tinged with black garlic truffle aioli. Then there’s his artful sticky toffee pudding, cemented as the third greatest dessert ever created, trailing closely behind key lime pie and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Grand Ave. Pizza – The Slice & Pint, El Segundo
When I’m traveling and want something fast and simple yet exciting, I look for pizza by the slice. Recently, I spent a day in Redondo Beach for In-N-Out Burger’s annual car show and made a side trip to El Segundo, where a watering hole called The Slice & Pint serves incredibly tasty pizza with incredibly thin crusts. It will mark its seventh anniversary on Jan. 31. This is the Grand Ave., made with mozzarella, white sauce, roasted garlic, spinach, leeks, Fresno chiles that give it a bit of heat.
— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
See more of our round-ups of the best things we ate in Southern California
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in 2025
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in 2024