Lingua Franca

"Show up to Lingua Franca at dinner and you’ll likely see a podcast host in designer eyewear, girlfriends drinking rosé, and various well-dressed people enjoying a funny-looking burger. The latter is our top reason to eat at this Frogtown spot. Served on a housemade english muffin, this burger’s grass-fed patty is offered medium rare only and slicked with pepper mayo, a gooey blanket of caramelized onions, plus aged toma cheese. The quality of the meat (a juicy combination of ground brisket and beef chuck) shines through in every bite. The whole thing oozes brown butter and meat drippings, so sop it all up with the paper-thin matchstick fries on the side. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren, garrett snyder

"Guest: Paul Scheer “[My husband] Justin and I are bike riders, and when we lived on the Eastside, we would constantly ride up through Griffith Park and then take the bike path by the Los Angeles River. We could tell that there were some places that were going to pop up soon, and Lingua Franca was one of those places. It has an incredible patio. It's a great vibe. The staff is incredibly kind. They're really known for their frosty beverages. I tend to not drink alcohol when I do these podcasts because I need to keep the train on the tracks, but it's one of the circumstances when I was definitely tempted to try one of their frozen rosés. I did have a hamburger and it was absolutely delicious. Anytime there's a burger on a menu, if it's my first time at that restaurant, I'm gonna get the burger. I feel like that's a really great litmus test of how good the rest of the food's gonna be. It's a good first item to order to see where they're going with the rest of their menu.”" - brennan carley

"Lingua Franca might be the first restaurant in the city’s history to successfully romanticize the LA River, and that means you can trust it for date night. The warm American spot sits right on the river in Frogtown (you have to walk on the bike path to get to the front entrance) and already feels like a worn-in feel neighborhood hangout even though it only opened in the spring of 2023. There’s plenty of natural wine to drink, a string-lit back patio, and a rotating menu that can best be described as elevated picnic food. Think crunchy lavash with albacore crudo, Mashti Malone’s ice cream, and a particularly good burger served on a crispy english muffin. " - brant cox, sylvio martins

"A new restaurant that contributed to Frogtown's allure in 2023." - Eater Staff

"A birthday house party would be lovely this year. The only problem is you aren’t a crypto king and don’t own one of those. Lingua Franca in Frogtown is the next best option. The American bistro opened in the spring of 2023 but already feels like it’s been around for decades. Its tiny A-frame building sits right on the LA River and is perpetually crowded. Friends sit out front by the bike bath and drink beer during Happy Hour, while larger parties fill up the back patio with bottles of orange wine, bowls of risotto, and a truly great burger." - Brant Cox