Best Restaurants in Glendale CA
Eight seats, big heart, and charcoal-kissed kebabs from the Martirosyan family. Celebrated by the Los Angeles Times and Eater LA, this tiny counter epitomizes Glendale’s Armenian soul with lule, chicken thigh plates, and genuine hospitality.
Since 1993, this Persian-Armenian landmark has drawn families for gargantuan koobideh and barg in a leafy courtyard. Frequently recommended by the Los Angeles Times and Eater LA, it remains a celebratory essential in the heart of downtown.
A family-run Lebanese favorite with live music on weekends, abundant mezze, and kebabs. Eater LA consistently includes the Glendale branch among the city’s go-to Middle Eastern spots for lively dinners and group feasts.
A rare specialty shop devoted to Artsakh’s herb‑packed flatbread, folded and griddled to order. Recognized by the Michelin Guide and beloved by locals for a nourishing, vegetarian taste of the Caucasus.
The Yegiazaryan family hand-makes Armenian manti—tiny baked dumplings—served with tomato or garlicky yogurt sauce. Profiled by the Los Angeles Times, it’s a flavorful crash course in a treasured holiday dish, available year‑round.
The space is on the smaller side and pretty low-key, which makes it an easy lunch or dinner practically any day of the week. Start with the shawarma, which is cooked expertly on a spit and served either as a wrap or as part of a plate with hummus, rice, pita, pickles, and more. Other must-orders include the kibbeh and falafel. Be aware that the restaurant closes in the middle of the day between lunch and dinner.
A retro A‑frame stand turning out late‑night tacos, burritos, and carne asada fries. Frequently cited by Eater LA as Glendale’s go-to for straightforward, satisfying Mexican fare.
I appreciate that this Glendale spot serves poke bowls the way they do on the islands: a variety of marinated seafood displayed behind a glass case is heaped atop steamed white rice to order, with options from spicy tuna, scallops, and shrimp to soy-sesame yellowtail, octopus, and ahi — all fresh, flavorful, and capable of whisking your tastebuds to Hawaii for an afternoon.
A tiki-era time capsule pouring strong mai tais and serving prime rib since 1937. Eater LA includes Damon’s among classic LA restaurants worth a pilgrimage, and locals still gather for nostalgia and value.
A 1964 wood‑beamed diner serving all‑day breakfasts, chilaquiles, and burgers with cocktails. Listed by Eater LA among Glendale staples, it’s where generations meet for generous plates and throwback ambiance.
On a Saturday night customers gather behind the host stand placed between a shimmering bar and a glass wall filled with wine bottles, where general manager Armi Tetoos often greets diners with a slight bow as a sign of respect. At Pardis, which fully opened in April 2021 after a long build-up promising to replace Cafe Bahar, the sleek dining room—reminiscent of a CB2 furniture store with glass doors, black tablecloths, black leather chairs, wood-paneled walls, and abstract paintings by Aram Sevoyan—fills gradually as diners linger for hours over barberry-tinted rice, dark green ghormeh sabzi, and generous trays of perfectly formed koobideh. Founder Henrik Nazarian, an Iranian-Armenian restaurateur and IHOP franchisee, intended Pardis to be a new kind of Persian dining destination in Glendale, and chef Payam Yousefpour—who developed recipes rooted in his mother’s cooking after a career that began in Iran and included running a restaurant in Yerevan—executes a menu that goes well beyond kebabs: beef and chicken koobideh and beef barg (and soltani) are the most popular items, with meats softened by a marinade flavored with fenugreek and light citrus, while fesenjoon chicken arrives with walnut purée, pomegranate sauce, and saffron rice and rice pilafs highlight barberry, saffron, cinnamon, and fresh herbs. Meals begin with complimentary taftan bread made in a clay tandoor by Gurdeep Singh and often paneer sabzi—feta with walnuts and seasonal herbs—serves as a perfect accompaniment; deeply flavored khoresht stews add contrast to the meats and rice. The restaurant offers a notable selection of local and imported wines, including Armenian labels, and ends with desserts like bamieh—fried dough drenched in rose water—served with tea in diminutive cups that invite diners to linger while smooth jazz plays. Warm hospitality helps both elders and newcomers feel at home, the back patio with holly trees, bougainvillea, and a fire pit seats up to 100 (and helped sustain the restaurant during outdoor-only periods), and while Pardis has already become the busiest new Persian restaurant in town, the team is even discussing converting the patio into a late-night live jazz and cigar lounge.
A neighborhood stalwart since the 1970s serving Greek‑Armenian plates, complimentary lentil soup, and charcoal‑grilled kebabs. Regularly recommended in local guides and Eater LA’s Glendale roundups for comforting classics.
