Argentinian Restaurant on Melrose Since 1996: LALA'S Grill

Ask a homesick Argentine in Los Angeles for an argentinian restaurant near me and LALA'S is usually the first name that comes back. The original LALA'S Argentine Grill, at 7229 Melrose Avenue, opened in 1996 in what the restaurant calls the Melrose Arts District, and it has stayed busy for three decades by doing something simple: Argentine beef, empanadas and wine at prices a neighbourhood can afford. It has since added branches in Studio City and Downtown LA, but Melrose is the one that started it all.

LALA'S is family-owned. Owner Horacio Weschler Ferrari told Secret Los Angeles in 2025 that he arrived in the city in 1988, as did his business partner Mario Balul. The two were friends first, then worked together at another restaurant before opening their own. Ferrari described the food as young and fresh, and said he still orders delivery from his own kitchens to check how an empanada and a steak travel.

The Melrose room has been renovated over the years and now has a refreshed bar, an indoor dining room and a covered, heated patio that is the most requested seat in the house. Studio City followed in 2000 and Downtown LA in 2018, which is why many locals treat LALA'S as a small chain. The menu, though, is still the parrilla-and-pasta mix that Buenos Aires neighbourhood grills have served for generations.

Begin with empanadas, which cost $4.50 each, in beef, chicken, spinach, ham and cheese, chicken curry or cheese and onion. A combo of four full-sized empanadas is $16.95. A grilled Argentine chorizo is $5.50, two traditional morcillas are $7.75, and the Provoleta, melted provolone topped with salsa and oregano, is $9.95.

Two starters show how Argentine the kitchen really is. Mollejas, thinly cut grilled beef sweetbreads, are $16.95 and are what Argentines order first at any parrilla. The Tortilla de Papa, a thick potato and onion omelette sliced like a quiche, is $6.50. For the table, the Combo Appetizer of three empanadas, a slice of tortilla and a chorizo is $23.95.

All the steaks are grilled and come with one side, such as fries, rice, mashed potatoes or salad. The house namesake is the Gaucho, an 8-ounce boneless choice ribeye topped with grilled onion, garlic, parsley and Anaheim pepper, for $28.95. The Entraña, an 8-ounce certified Angus skirt steak, is $35.95, and the 12-ounce Bife de Chorizo, the USDA choice New York strip Argentines order without thinking, is $28.95.

For a bigger single cut, the Costilla Grande is a 14-ounce boneless ribeye at $40.95, and the Lomo, a centre-cut choice filet mignon, is $34.95. Vegetarians are not an afterthought either: Vegetales al Plato brings grilled zucchini, eggplant, mushroom, onion, tomato and peppers with three sides for $18.95.

To share, the Tabla de Carnes puts 24 ounces of skirt steak, New York steak and centre-cut filet mignon on one board with two sides for $80.95, enough for two or three people. Spoon the house chimichurri over everything. If you like it, LALA'S bottles and ships it by UPS through the shop page on its website, and it sells wholesale too.

The other half of the menu is the comfort food every Argentine grew up with. The Milanesa, thinly cut steak that is breaded and lightly fried, comes with fries for $23.95, and the Milanesa Napolitana adds basil tomato sauce and melted cheese for $26.95. A half Pollo a la Brasa marinated in lemon and orange juice is $18.95.

At lunch the baguette sandwiches are the value play. The Chorizo Sandwich with two grilled sausages, lettuce, tomato and chimichurri, the local version of choripán, is $16.95, and the Lomito Sandwich with thinly cut choice New York steak is $21.95. Pastas reflect Argentina's Italian heritage, from the potato Ñoqui in creamy tomato sauce at $18.95 to cheese ravioli.

The Melrose dining room is open from 11 am to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and it closes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Happy hour runs from 3 to 6 pm Monday to Friday. Weekly deals reward regulars: drink specials all day on Monday, buy-one-get-one empanadas on Tuesday and half-price bottles of wine on Wednesday.

LALA'S does not serve hard liquor, so cocktails are made with a wine-based spirit. Corkage is $15 per 750ml bottle and the cake fee is $2.50 per person. Reservations can be made online, and the private room seats up to 14 guests with a $650 minimum spend. Large groups should know about the $15 no-show fee per missing guest, and valet parking is behind the building.

The block around LALA'S is classic Melrose, with vintage shops, sneaker stores and murals along the avenue. On Sunday, the Melrose Trading Post flea market fills the Fairfax High School grounds a short walk west, with vintage clothing, records and furniture.

Heading east, Pink's, the hot dog stand that has been at La Brea and Melrose since 1939, is an easy detour for anyone still hungry. For a longer walk, head south toward the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax, open since 1934, where produce stalls and old-school lunch counters sit next to The Grove shopping centre.

LALA'S Argentine Grill, 7229 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046, on Melrose between La Brea and Fairfax. Opened: 1996, by Horacio Weschler Ferrari and Mario Balul. Hours: 11 am to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday, 11 am to midnight Friday and Saturday; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Getting there: Metro bus line 10 runs along Melrose Avenue, and valet parking is at the back. Signature orders: empanadas ($4.50), Gaucho ribeye ($28.95), mollejas ($16.95) and the Tabla de Carnes for two or three ($80.95). Delivery: ChowNow is the preferred platform, and Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Postmates also carry the menu.