WOW! Those are some amazing hacks! Your comment is as good as the article LOL

I will definitely look out for that “Backside Barista” trick at G&B. I usually stand in line without thinking about it.

* DTLA Cheese has the most satisfying grilled cheese around: thick toast, gooey cheese, buttered to perfection with a side of pickled vegetables and whole grain mustard. It’s the best. They also do takeaway cheese plates that’ll impress your friends and a really good breakfast biscuit if you’re trying to change it up from eggslut or the Big Poppa. Almost never a line.

* G&B has some of the best coffee in LA (by the same people behind Go Get ‘Em Tiger) but the lines look long because everyone crowds around the Hill St side. There’s usually a barista on the “back” side of the counter, too, and you can circumvent the crowd.

* The melon slushie from Sari Sari is worth your time. And anytime you go to Sari Sari you’ll feel just a little closer to Jonathan Gold 😭

* The burritos are Tomas are so very good but the line can be really intimidating (even though you usually get through it pretty fast). I’ve been told that the same people are behind Ana Maria and the line there is usually shorter. Even if people are lying and they’re completely separate entities, the food there is very good.

* Need a hangover cure breakfast burrito? Jose Chiquito’s got you.

* Couldn’t agree more about the Big Poppa at Wexler. It is decadent but a requirement for anyone that loves bagels and pastrami (and they usually has a much shorter line than eggslut at any given time). Their MacArthur Park sandwich is also really good, especially if you’re craving the #19 from Langer’s but can’t make it out to Westlake.

* Sticky Rice is underrated. They have two sides: one that serves up their signature Thai dishes (the counter near McConnell’s and Wexler) and another that serves up more common “street” dishes like pad thai or kra pow (over by Knead). Their curries are amazing but even their BBQ chicken (gai yang) is simple but mouth-watering.

* eggslut is great but don’t fall for getting the eponymous dish, the egg slut. That’s a fool’s game. Get the Fairfax or the bacon/sausage and egg sandwich. Also, get there at 8AM when they open the GCM doors or at 2:30PM when no one else is thinking about breakfast (their sandwich is going to be just as good whatever time of day).

* Clark Street Bread has some very good toast dishes and a shorter line. But even if you just get an alpine loaf and a jar of specialty jam (either from Clark Street or District Market), you’ll be set to carb out for the rest of the day. You don’t even need the jam. Just eat the bread plain by the slice. It’s that good.

* McConnell’s is fine ice cream but the line can be really long and crowds into the Sticky Rice counter which can be stressful for people that don’t like to be stuck within a crush of humanity. If that’s you, you can skip south on Broadway a couple blocks to Spring Arcade and grab gelato from Gelateria Uli. It’s not the same vibe as the ice cream at McConnell’s but it’s so, so, so good with fresh ingredients and powerful flavors. And you’ll be supporting a local, woman-owned business! #Speculoos4Lyfe