Los Angeles Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Worth Seeking

Food culture has hit our generation hard; there are food shows galore, countless food personalities, the next “big” dish or cooking style. While trying that new fun “it” food or restaurant is thrilling, sometimes I just have to go back to basics. There’s not much that’s more basic than grilled cheese – a buttery and warm exterior with a melted, cheesy center. Of course, even grilled cheese gets dressed up every now-and-again (hello Mr. Greenspan). Peruse my top Los Angeles grilled cheese picks, which span from classic to experimental in alphabetical order.

UPDATES SINCE MARCH 26, 2014
Additions: HiHo Cheeseburger
Subtractions: DTLA Cheese (CLOSED), The Grilled Cheese Truck (CLOSED), Heywood: A Gourmet Grilled Cheese Shoppe (CLOSED), The Nickel Diner (CLOSED), The Roof on Wilshire (CLOSED)

The Blind Barber – Culver City + Highland Park

Grilled Cheese Los Angeles
With hand-crafted drinks and a menu devoted to grilled cheese, it’s no wonder The Blind Barber is one of my favorite places on the Westside. And it’s a speakeasy. Blind Barber is business up front, party in the back. The front is an actual barbershop. Enter the bar through the shop’s back door. There’s a grilled cheese for every palate: Spanish, Italian, American, spicy, and even sweet. Great service, great drinks, and seriously delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. Cocktails and artichoke spinach dip grilled cheese, anyone?

Clementine – Century City ↓

Grilled Cheese Los Angeles
Clementine sits on an almost-residential hill right across from the Century City mall. Chef-owner Annie Miler has devoted the whole month of April to grilled cheese sandwiches and typically features at least one on the menu. That could mean extra sharp Tillamook cheddar on a grilled country white bread. Or deluxe white cheddar and feta with turkey and “The Works” on olive bread.

The Corner Door – Culver City ↓

Grilled Cheese Los Angeles
The Corner Door is one of the newer Mar Vista restaurants. It’s great for happy hour and the chef was even on the show “Chopped.” Grilled Cheese R&D Night (every Monday) features a weekly grilled cheese + side for $10. It’s a great deal and a great sandwich. I’ve had one with sliced apples that was delicious. [Photo courtesy of The Corner Door]

The Curious Palate – Santa Monica ↓

The Curious Palate has two locations, in Santa Monica Place and Mar Vista. Both are charming market/café hybrids where you just want to buy everything. Their grilled cheese royale is like your childhood dream sandwich; it’s got so much cheese it falls just short of too much and lands at awesome. This sandwich has Havarti, fresh mozzarella, and sharp cheddar sandwiched between sourdough.

HiHo Cheeseburger – Calabasas, Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Pasadena, Santa Monica + Studio City ↓

Grilled Cheese Los Angeles

Huckleberry Cafe & Bakery – Santa Monica ↓

Grilled Cheese Los Angeles
This always-crowded Santa Monica bakery and café is one of the four establishments owned by husband and wife team Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan (the others are Sweet Rose Creamery, Rustic Canyon, and Milo and Olive). The grilled cheese here is of a traditional nature with Tillamook cheddar on large slices of country bread. They even have a children’s lunch with half a grilled cheese sandwich and grapes (which can be purchased and eaten by adults). [Photo courtesy of Huckleberry]

In-N-Out 80+ L.A. County Locations ↓

Grilled Cheese Los Angeles
On the not-so-secret menu of this California burger staple, you can find burgers protein-style (aka lettuce-wrapped), animal style (grilled onions), and even a grilled cheese (no meat on that bun). If you like the taste of In-N-Out burgers but feel like skipping the meat, their grilled cheese has all the fixings sans beef. You can even get it with grilled onions.

Joan’s on Third – Los Angeles + Studio City ↓

Joan McNamara’s gourmet market, café, ice cream parlor, bakery, and deli are all packed into one very popular (very crowded) place on 3rd Street in West LA. It’s a food lover’s paradise; everywhere you look there’s a new item for your eyes to feast. The grilled cheese does not disappoint and is downright out of this world. It’s a classic grilled cheese – no frills – just perfection on buttery pain de mie.

Milkfarm – Eagle Rock ↓

To get a truly exceptional grilled cheese sandwich, it starts with a truly exceptional cheese. Luckily, L.A. is graced with some outstanding cheese shops where you can find a cornucopia of cheese selections. There’s Andrew’s Cheese Shop in Santa Monica, DTLA Cheese in downtown’s Grand Central Market or Milkfarm in Eagle Rock. Milkfarm’s grilled cheese melds Reading Raclette, Landaff, and Hook’s aged cheddar with caramelized shallots, leeks, and onions. There are often events, tastings and pairings at cheese shops – there are even beer and grilled cheese pairing events at Andrew’s Cheese Shop that look particularly titillating.