The Guide to LGBTQ Owned Restaurants in LA

Whether you’re in search of a quick coffee, Michelin-starred fine dining, or anything in between, this list of LGBTQ+ owned restaurants has you covered during Pride Month and throughout the year. Head over to these spots to satisfy your cravings and show your support!

Founded by David Cooley in the early 90s, The Abbey in WeHo has been hailed worldwide as an iconic queer space. What started as a small, outdoor coffeehouse now has a full menu, multiple rooms, and four bars. Check it out during the day for a coffee and lunch on the iconic patio. Visit at night for dinner, drinks, and of course, dancing. Don’t miss Sunday Funday brunch, which usually draws a long line of locals.

692 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood 90069

Located in the heart of Los Feliz, Black Forest Bakery is an organic, vegan, micro-bakery. Founded by Djo Maurer - a queer, trans baker originally from the Black Forest in Southern Germany - Black Forest Bakery has perfected the craft of sourdough bread through a focus on going back to the basics: flour, water, and salt. Go check out their perfect loaf and don’t miss out on their wonderful Berliner pastries.

2000 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles 90027

Located in Silver Lake since 1962, this family-owned restaurant delivers a dining experience that is just as cheerful as its bright pink exterior. With two outdoor patios and a beautiful dining room, Casita del Campo is perfect for a casual, festive lunch or dinner. Head over for some deliciously authentic Mexican food. Be sure to try the fajitas and the camarones a la veracruzana.

1920 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles 90027

Co-founded by Philippine-native Sharky McGee in February 2018, Jewel is a Virgil Village space dedicated to a philosophy of vegetables as the jewels of the earth, featuring a menu of mostly plant-based food and a cultivated vibe that makes everyone feel at home.

Sip fresh organic Mimosas and enjoy an al fresco brunch with favorites like Avocado Toast and "Chicken" + Waffles - gluten-free waffle with crispy oyster mushrooms, savory onion gravy, maple butter and maple syrup. The bento-inspired Jewel Box includes Japanese sweet potato, avocado, black beans, garlicky greens, turmeric tofu, ume kraut, amaranth-pumpkin crunch, and miso-ginger drizzle. Gluten-free Cocomari Baja Tacos feature two crispy young coconut meat tacos with red cabbage, red salsa, pickled red onion, and chipotle crema on corn tortillas.

Every Monday night, Jewel hosts a different plant-based pop-up, such as Comal (July 3), La Veganza (July 10) and Feed the People (July 17). All flavors and people are welcome! Open for brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks.

654 N Hoover St, Los Angeles 90004

The 1,600 square-foot Liberation Coffee House is a cafe, shop, and gallery located in the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Open 7 days a week, this spot has a cafe society energy with an airy space, free Wi-Fi, communal tables, and a cafe menu with approachable prices. This cafe is a unique space that, unlike many LA coffee shops, invites you to stay for as long as you like.

6725 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles 90038

Named by Infatuation and the LA Times as one of the best restaurants in LA, Luv2eat Thai in Hollywood is a traditional Thai Bistro with all the best Thai dishes – pad see ew, pad thai, and an incredible assortment of curries and soups. Stop by for a casual lunch or dinner that will blow your taste buds away.

6660 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 90028

Starting as a simple food truck in 2015, Milk+T is now Little Tokyo’s first self-serve boba bar. Its menu features both classic and signature bubble teas, as well as self-serve toppings. Known for their Sip n’ Dip drinks with ice cream, Milk+T also offers lactose-free milk tea (what they call "fart-free milk tea") in their sleek storefront. Go show your support for this proudly queer-owned spot!

310 E 2nd St, Los Angeles 90012

n/naka
Awarded two Michelin stars and featured in Season 1 of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, n/naka is your ultimate destination for fine Japanese cuisine. Located in Palms, n/naka was opened in April 2011 by chef Niki Nakayama, who runs the restaurant with her wife and sous chef, Carole Iida-Nakayama. Niki is world-renowned for introducing kaiseki, a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, to a wider audience. A native Angeleno, Niki is inspired by California in her modern interpretation of the centuries-old kaiseki tradition. While the 13-course menu changes constantly, one dish has remained: the signature spaghettini with abalone, pickled cod roe and truffles.

Reservations are booked out months in advance for this extraordinary dining experience, which is priced at $310 per person (vegetarian option available). There's a wine & sake pairing ($175) along with wines and sakes by the glass or bottle.

3455 Overland Ave, Los Angeles 90034

n/soto
In April 2022, Niki and Carole opened their second restaurant, n/soto, in Mid-City. More casual than its Michelin-starred sibling, n/soto invites guests to step outside the familiar - "soto" means "outside" in Japanese - and explore the izakaya-style menu, which spans more than 50 items.

Browse the various sections and start ordering: Starters (the warm house-made tofu was an early hit), Salads, Raw (sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls), Kushiyaki (grilled skewers), Agemono (deep-fried dishes like miso-baked bone marrow) and Shokuji (pickled vegetables).

4566 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles 90016

The Ruby Fruit is the first permanent lesbian bar to open in LA since 2017. Now replete with a full lunch and dinner menu, The Ruby Fruit is a brightly-colored restaurant and wine bar located in a Silver Lake strip mall. Go for a glass of natural wine and some mingling, stay for the elevated bar snacks cooked over a charcoal fire by a queer, womxn-run kitchen.

3510 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 90026

Just minutes from the beach, Socalo is a Westside destination for delicious SoCal Mexican food. With indoor/outdoor seating and open-air sidewalk seating, enjoy a summertime meal watching a Santa Monica evening go by. Iconic chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, known as the “Too Hot Tamales” after taping 400 episodes of their Food Network show, have won numerous awards, including the Julia Child award and the James Beard award. Be sure to try the chef duo’s ceviche, made with only the freshest seasonal ingredients. Socalo is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch, dinner, Saturday brunch, Taco Tuesday, and an awesome happy hour.

1920 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica 90404

Stache is a new kind of queer social space in the heart of West Hollywood. Described as an all-inclusive social house for every kind of self-expression, Stache is a restaurant, bar and nightclub with an amazing happy hour from 3-7pm. Check out their website for a calendar of themed nights and cool events, including RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties, trivia, craft nights and more.

8941 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood 90069

Located in Old Town Pasadena on Union Street, sister restaurants Union and U Street Pizza offer two delicious interpretations of Italian cuisine.

Union
Opened by Marie Petulla and chef Bruce Kalman in 2014, the 50-seat Union serves a creative, Northern Italian-inspired menu in a classic exposed brick, cozy booth space that glows with dangling Edison bulbs. Following Kalman's departure in 2018, Chris Keyser took the helm, and in December 2022 Union was named one of Michelin's California Bib Gourmand restaurants. The wild mushrooms over warm polenta with sherry vinegar and truffle butter is not to be missed. Other highlights include the classic tonnarelli cacio e pepe, presented tableside; torchetti with Calabrese-style pork ragu, house-made ricotta and fried rosemary; squid ink lumache with Maine lobster; and the massive spaghetti & meatballs in Amatriciana sauce.

Union: 37 Union St, Pasadena 91103

U Street Pizza
In April 2021, Petulla (who also operates Knead at Grand Central Market) opened U Street Pizza, a casual New York-style pizza joint with some of the best wood-fired artisanal pies and shareable plates in town. Favorites include the Juan Carlos (black olives, mushrooms, fermented jalapeño, red bell peppers, muscatel ranch), Pineapple Pig (Yucatan pork, charred pineapple, fresno chilis, mozzarella, basil) and the Vodka Pepperoni with cream, mozzarella, provolone, Ezzo pepperoni, vodka sauce, Fresno peppers and mozzarella. Save room for soft serve! A lounge tucked in the back of U Street features live music and craft cocktails.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available at both restaurants. After loading up on carbs with friends or family, take a digestive stroll around lovely Old Town Pasadena.

U Street Pizza: 33 Union St, Pasadena 91103