California Fast Food Guide – Delicious Meals You Must Try
Food is one of the great pleasures of traveling to the United States West Coast. The greasy, thick but flavourful and exotic fast food served in huge portions is one of the highlights of any trip. Be prepared to discover new tastes, smells, food combinations, and flavors.
Randy’s Donuts in LA
Donuts are America’s national fast food. A National Donut Day is also observed on September 14. One of the most famous places to taste the donut is Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood, California, near the Los Angeles International Airport.
The iconic building with the giant donut on the roof is a landmark not only because of its vintage aesthetics but also because of being featured in several Hollywood movies and music videos.
Besides their fame, their donuts are fresh, delicious, and considered the best in California. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can find the best and cheapest donuts in the area (it costs less than 2 USD for a cinnamon roll and glazed doughnut) that you can either buy from one of two drive-thrus.
You can order in or get out of your car, take some pictures and order from the walk-up window. I recommend stopping at this legendary donut shop for delicious donuts and an LA experience.
Giant Milkshake in San Francisco
If you are a fan of chocolate, you must try the American Style Chocolate Milkshake. Go ahead, have one with whipped cream and a cherry on top!
In San Francisco, I recommend visiting the famous Lori’s Diner, a 50’s styled diner with really cool servers, red leather sofas, a jukebox, and greasy food. It’s like a Hollywood movie set.
Their food may be greasy, but the milkshakes are amazing! They are huge and delicious, and they even bring a glass full of ice cream with the rest in the mixing cup.
They serve a huge variety of milkshakes. The classic ones: are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and more specialty flavors like banana, oreo cookie, orange, etc. This is a fun place to eat and an authentic dining experience!
Pancakes at IHOP
Fluffy and thick American pancakes are a delight to the palate. For sweet lovers, they are deliciously mixed with maple syrup and whipped cream, buttermilk, fruit, or chocolate. For those who love something savory, order their pancake with bacon, ham, cheese, eggs, and more.
IHOP, which stands for International House of Pancakes, is virtually everywhere in California. It is a chain restaurant that serves pancakes, waffles, crepes, omelets, salads, soups, and burgers.
They offer a huge menu of pancakes with different combinations, and you can create them. This is the best place to have a hearty breakfast and try the most delicious pancakes. Many IHOP locations are open 24/7 and are often referred to as “Pancake Heaven.”
Ghirardelli Ice Cream
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is the oldest in America. They have many shops around the US, but the one in San Francisco in Ghirardelli Square is where it started.
The shop in Ghirardelli Square is the best place to visit the company, taste their ice cream, and walk around and explore the other shops. Stepping inside the shop, you will feel like you have entered a chocolate museum.
This place is amazing for chocolate lovers but also an attractive place to visit. If you have kids, they will love it. Pieces of mouth-watering art chocolate, dollops of chocolate syrup, sweets, mini caramels, and more. It is a sugar paradise.
Next to the shop is the Ghirardelli restaurant/cafe, where you can try their products. Their specialty is ice cream and sundaes. You must try the Chocolate Sundae.
The chocolate is very thick with a velvety texture, and the portions are large, easily enough to share with 2 or 3 people. The sundae is costly; it costs 10.95 USD, but you have to try it. This might be the best sundae you’ve ever tasted.
Ghirardelli is a tourist hot spot, so expect a big line most times. Unless you want to go for a table, which can be hard to find, you order from the cashier. However, if you want to taste this San Franciscan dish, it is a “must-do.”
Mexican food at Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a popular restaurant chain specializing in burritos and tacos. It offers burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and salads, and you can choose the meat you want.
You choose between chicken, pork, barbacoa, steak, tofu-based “sofritas,” or vegetarian that comes with guacamole. There is also a children’s menu. You can have well-made margaritas or soft drinks and fruit drinks with your meal.
Fish in Bubba Gump
If you are a fan of American movies, you surely know the movie ‘Forrest Gump’ which starred Tom Hanks in the mid-’90s. Without spoilers, scenes for the movie were shot at the Santa Monica Pier, California.
The exact shop featured in the movie opened in the exact area: the famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
The whole place is an homage to this classic film. It’s decorated with signs from the trick; they display Forrest Gump clothes and other memorabilia.
The servers are witty and attentive, telling you quotes from the movie most of the time. The restaurant has a huge list of seafood and cocktails; of course, their specialty is prawns.
The restaurant has a great view of the Pier and the Pacific Ocean, and you can dine with this amazing view. Next to the restaurant is a large shop dedicated to the film.
So, you can combine food with shopping. It’s a touristy spot, and the prices are a bit high, but it’s a unique experience you should take advantage of if you find yourself in Los Angeles.
Cupcake sprinkles
Cupcakes are also on the list of California food because of the famous Sprinkles cupcakes. This California-based cupcake bakery chain opened in 2005 and has its original location in Beverly Hills.
They became famous through the lens of bloggers and LA-based fashionistas and are now a must-try. They have a variety of cupcakes, but they also serve ice cream and cookies.
Another special thing about Sprinkles is that they installed the first Cupcake ATM in 2012 in Beverly Hills, CA, which works 24/7.
The exact address is 9635 South Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. So if you’re craving something sweet in the middle of the night, you know where to find it.
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is the best-known fast food chain in California. Established in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California, In-N-Out was the first drive-thru hamburger location in the area.
Today, their burgers are famous worldwide, and you can have them at over 140 locations in Nevada, Arizona, and California.
The quality of their meat is very good, and they are very cheap. A hamburger costs USD 1.60, and a cheeseburger costs USD 1.80.
Must Try California Cuisine
A trip to California is a magical plunge into exotic flavors and a delicious food experience. Find seafood at its best, get your blood sugar soaring with specialty ice cream, brownies, pancakes, and milkshakes and eat the tastiest burgers you can find only in California!
Iconic spots that offer savory flavors are a must-try for a complete California experience!
Thanks for visiting US Map Time Zones