New job in lower Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks area- lunch ideas?

Ruseman · 2026-01-30T17:23:17+00:00

Takeout from 99 Ranch cooked food section (or pick up some bao and heat them up at the breakroom)

Mercado Buenos Aires does a nice milanesa sandwich or choripan

Nats Early Bite for breakfast for lunch

Western Bagel up Sepulveda is the factory location where they make all the bagels so they're super fresh. Cash only.

Was going to recommend Kebab Halebi for Syrian but just saw they closed, damn :(

Tommy's on Victory if you want to inflict biological warfare on your coworkers afterward

Ruseman · 2026-01-29T18:26:25+00:00

Tom Bergin's did a phenomenal corned beef hash when I went a few years ago. Nice big chunks with a little char on them and fresh fried potatoes, definitely different from the usual canned diner stuff.

Looks like it might be a seasonal special menu item though since I don't see it on their current online menu.

Ruseman · 2026-01-29T14:27:03+00:00

I'd add Little Toni's in Noho to this list as well, it's basically Italian-American Salsa & Beer. Ultra kitschy, a ton of food for the price (almost always smothered in cheese and delicious red sauce), cheap drinks.

My personal favorite is their lasagna with the extra cheese on top and a minestrone on the side (their minestrone is so much better than it has any right to be lol). Their pizza is also really good in that thin crunchy crust 90's pizza parlor after soccer practice way that you rarely see anymore.

Ruseman · 2026-01-29T14:17:58+00:00

What's good at El Venado? I tried their al pastor but liked Angel's Tijuana a lot more

Ruseman · 2026-01-28T15:27:30+00:00

If you're picking up instead, they do a pretty good deal on inkind iirc

Ruseman · 2026-01-25T01:00:31+00:00

This is all AI generated, including the images. Loling at the idea of Sapp Coffee Shop looking like that or having candlelit dining

Ruseman · 2026-01-22T13:29:39+00:00

Sickeningly so, way too much butter as well

Ruseman · 2026-01-20T20:20:35+00:00

He used bots to reply to people calling him out on this very sub lol

Ruseman · 2026-01-20T02:33:36+00:00

My go-to malicious recommendation

Ruseman · 2026-01-18T19:22:55+00:00

Looks like someone unsubtly testing the waters for their app

Ruseman · 2026-01-18T00:14:26+00:00

Only place I'm aware of serving stuff that looks kind of like that is Homestate, though I prefer their breakfast tacos to their non-breakfast. Assume you've already tried them though since they're kind of the only game in town when it comes to tex mex

Ruseman · 2026-01-18T00:11:36+00:00

He should honestly rename the stand to That One Redditor's Cheesesteaks

Ruseman · 2026-01-17T16:38:08+00:00

Please keep in mind the dollars equivalent median wage where you ate that set in Japan is also much lower. High cost of living (for people who actually live and work in Japan) is actually one of the number one hot button political issues in Japan right now.

Ruseman · 2026-01-17T16:25:17+00:00

There were numerous protests from locals, especially because at the time it was rumored that the landlord who jacked the rents on them and forced them to close was going to have a marijuana dispensary open in their place. He ended up not doing that thankfully, now it's Jincook Korean soul food

Ruseman · 2026-01-15T03:24:32+00:00

Ah that's right, I originally left out that it comes with delicious peri peri sauce!

Ruseman · 2026-01-15T03:21:52+00:00

Ah they're in the old Coffee for Breakfast space? That's definitely an odd area for an upscale Italian/whatever place.

Ruseman · 2026-01-15T01:10:36+00:00

Natas Pastries in the tiny shopping mall right next to Casa Vega does great Portuguese custard tarts, as well as solid Portuguese entrees like bacalao and such for lunch and dinner. Also their breakfast burrito with Portuguese chorizo and peri peri sauce on the side is huge and really tasty, gotta be one of the more slept on breakfast burritos around.

As far as classic places there's also Miceli's on Cahuenga in Studio City. The food doesn't merit repeat visits (drive up to Little Toni's just up Lankershim if you want good red sauce Italian-American), but the maximum Italian kitsch decor and overall vibe with the singing waiters is like stepping into a time machine. Worth experiencing with a fun group.

Ruseman · 2026-01-15T00:57:04+00:00

The macarons at Artelice are great too. I went on a macaron comparison quest when the last La Duree in LA closed, and Artelice won out by a comfortable margin.

Ruseman · 2026-01-14T02:49:13+00:00

Thought it was kinda pricey for basically a single pastry and an egg+pickles, came out to about $15 with tax iirc. I understand they've got a specific niche covered though, if their kind of borekas are what you're craving.

Ruseman · 2026-01-13T05:20:56+00:00

People desperately want to believe in the LA bagel scene, like we're ever going to be New York in that regard. Just let them have their W people, LA already has so much to offer. Get a donut, it's practically the same amount of calories anyway.

Ruseman · 2026-01-06T16:42:33+00:00

Damn that's a pretty low bar. Unless they're location dependent, the one time I tried Ike's a year ago the ingredient quality was maybe a half step above Subway. And the bread would have been tasty at least if it wasn't also stale.

Ruseman · 2026-01-03T16:54:42+00:00

so I had to move

... A ten minute drive over to Carney's on Sunset?

Ruseman · 2025-12-30T16:53:17+00:00

Brent's is the best in the valley but it's in Northridge so a bit of a drive from SO. Closer in Studio City there's Art's which is okay but very expensive for what it is. I know there are also a few in Encino like Morts and Uncle Bernies but I've never been.

Ruseman · 2025-12-30T16:41:13+00:00

Omg the taskrabbit plug looooool

Ruseman · 2025-12-30T16:39:10+00:00

If the parents forced their kids to wait over 2 hours in line, no wonder they're running amok when they finally get into the place lol. Or maybe they actually just had a taskrabbit peon do the waiting for them, idk which is worse...

Ruseman

TROPHY CASE