Dune Downtown

"If you know you'll be eating solo lunch at your desk today, you better find something good to shove into your mouth. That's where Dune comes in. The tiny Mediterranean cafe in the Fashion District offers a few outdoor tables where you can eat some of LA's best falafel, but it also functions as a well-oiled takeout operation. Everything from the enormous falafel sandwiches to the hummus plates with lamb, flatbread, and marinated cabbage is excellent, but our go-to is the chermoula-drenched fried chicken shawarma sandwich. It's one of our favorites, even if some would quibble if it's a wrap rather than a sandwich. " - nikko duren, brant cox, sylvio martins

"Whether the fried chicken shawarma sandwich at Dune is actually a sandwich or a wrap is a matter of semantics—whatever you call it, though, it's fantastic. Served at both their Atwater Village and DTLA locations, the fried chicken here has an audible crunch and comes wrapped in warm, chewy flatbread with greens and fresh herbs. But like a levee attempting to hold back a flood, the flatbread can't contain the massive pieces of sauce-drizzled chicken, so eating it will inevitably get messy. The good news is we'd happily bathe ourselves in all the bold toppings that liven up this wrap, err, sandwich: spicy tahini, extra garlicky chermoula, and a handful of salty dill pickles. " - sylvio martins, nikko duren, garrett snyder, arden shore

"A great Mediterranean spot with a couple locations, Dune is the kind of light-but-filling food that’s ideal for the middle of a long day. The falafel sandwich is our favorite - it comes with hummus, pickles, marinated cabbage, and crispy shoestring potatoes - but the lamb is a good bet, too, since they’re both served on Dune’s excellent house-baked flatbread. You’ll also want to get a meze plate on the side, which is ideal for splitting with a big group. Just be sure to hoard those marinated olives for yourself - they’re totally addictive." - brant cox, brett keating

"The second location of Atwater Village favorite Dune, this DTLA spot around the corner from the Ace Hotel is a great lunch option in the area. The tiny cafe has only a handful of tables, but does a solid takeout operation too, serving some very, very good falafel. The falafel sandwiches are enormous and definitely the thing to try, but the hummus plates with lamb, flatbread, and marinated cabbage are great too, as are the fried chicken shawarmas. When you’ve had enough of the Grand Central Market craziness, this is your place. photo credit: Jessie Clapp" - Jess Basser Sanders

"Popular Atwater Village Mediterranean spot Dune began branching out last year, landing in Venice and Downtown on the edge of South Park. That DTLA location went dark in June with plans to remodel and reformat portions of the menu, and now the work has officially ended. Owner Scott Zwiezen says service will resume tomorrow at 11 a.m., with lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) hours only to during the week for now. Expect to mostly experience the classic Dune menu, but with a few new additions as well." - Farley Elliott