Rogue Machine is one of LA’s great small theatre companies. For a long time, their home was on Pico Boulevard just west of La Brea, but now they’re moving to The Met (also home to DOMA Productions) until they can find a more permanent home. As part of your Rogue Machine moving orientation, where do you eat now?

The Met is just east of the Santa Monica and Western intersection, which isn’t exactly a neighborhood known for fine dining. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t excellent eats before your Rogue Machine performance.

The No-Brainer
Tlayuda LA, an awesome Oaxacan restaurant (Oaxaca is a region in Mexico), is the clear go-to, as it’s literally around the corner from the theater, and the food rocks it. Their specialty is the tlayuda, which is sort like a lighter version of a pizza, made with a hard tortilla (homemade, of course) on the bottom and then piled with various meats, avocado, Oaxacan cheese and more. It’s not tiny, so be prepared. If you’re more used to traditional Mexican fare, they have outstanding tacos and burritos, super fresh and delicious guacamole, and their chicken mole platter is truly something special. It’s a tiny, cozy space, and the servers are nice as can be.

The Tlayuda burrito comes in handy before the show!

Also Walkable
Paro’s is just a short walk over the 101 freeway. They serve Greek and Armenian food, so think rotisserie chicken (their speciality), kabobs and other sandwiches. Another super friendly spot, and while they close at 8 PM, that doesn’t really matter given that the show usually starts at 8. It’s quite tasty.

Baroo is a restaurant I have not yet tried, but everyone I’ve run into, plus quite a few food writers, say this spot is pretty amazing. It’s beautiful vegetarian (and largely vegan) food, with an emphasis on pickling and fermentation. Think experimental Korean cooking with international influences and classical technique. It’s at a bit higher price point than most of the others on the list, but not expensive by any means.

Sunshine is a good spot for cheap Thai eats just south on Western. While it isn’t necessarily different from most strip mall Thai restaurants, given that it is a strip mall Thai restaurant in a city with some of the best Thai cooking anywhere, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There is also a fair amount of Salvadoran food in the area, featuring items like pupusas (thick, doughy tortillas filled with cheese, beans, meat, etc), though I’m not ready to make specific recommendations yet.

A (Very) Short Drive
The Original Hoy-Ka Hollywood is up on Sunset. They’re an outstanding Thai restaurant best known for their noodles, but you won’t go wrong here, and they’re also quite cheap.

Western Doma Noodles is a Korean restaurant on Western (as you go south on Western, you start to hit Koreatown). It’s small, but they’re quite friendly, and the food is excellent (plus, you get all of those neat little Korean side dishes known as banchan or panchan to go along with your order). While they offer their share of excellent carnivorous dishes, they are not a BBQ restaurant–though there are several others nearby.

Technically, you’re less than a mile from Thai Town, which opens up other options, but also brings with it parking nightmares and feels like another world. Looking for more classic cooking? You’re not that far from Larchmont and places like Osteria Mamma, but in keeping with Rogue Machine’s adventurous spirit, why not go on a culinary adventure yourself?

Rogue Machine, soon to be in residence at…
The Met Theatre
1089 N. Oxford Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029