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]

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 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.

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.

At this Downtown diner you can get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and some seriously amazing desserts (red velvet layered cakes, jam tarts, maple bacon donuts). You can even find The Nickel Diner on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” The grilled cheese lives under the guise of Big Time Cheddar and comes with cheddar, tomato, and bacon on country white bread.

Chef/co-owner Eric Greenspan, who won a past Grilled Cheese Invitational, is about to open Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese on Melrose. In the meantime, he serves a fun grilled cheese here, filled with roasted peppers, date marmalade, and Gruyère on sourdough bread. Come for the cheesy sandwich, stay a while for the views.