Threats of “recession” have been thrown around a lot throughout Donald Trump’s second term as president, with experts debating whether one is imminent and many Americans suffering from the outrageous costs of living.
As rent and gasoline prices inflate without a rise in wages, "recession menus" are slowly growing in popularity. Some restaurants are releasing their own spins, creating new dishes and deals in response to the crushing economy.
Here are five L.A. restaurants willing to sacrifice profits to take a stand for working Angelenos, one meal at a time.
EL BARRIO CANTINA ~ LONG BEACH
In October 2024, El Barrio Cantina, a spacious Long Beach destination for genre-pushing Mexican cuisine and a creative, decked-out bar, announced its recession menu on Instagram–the first of its kind that we’d seen in L.A.
Chef and operator Ulises Pineda-Alfaro helped realize the dreams of his partners and himself when he opened the Long Beach restaurant in November 2021. Since its genesis, El Barrio Cantina has been about the community, so transforming its happy hour menu into the recession menu was not a far-fetched idea.
With this new menu, customers can choose from appetizers, entrees, cocktails, and non-alcoholic mixed drinks, all priced a few dollars lower than usual, upping the value of their dollar. The deals run all day on Tuesdays and from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every other day of the week.
One of the most popular dishes on the recession menu is the ribeye fajitas plate, Pineda-Alfaro says. In comparison to its 10-ounce counterpart that costs $35, this plate comes with 8 ounces of grilled and sliced ribeye at the price of $22.
Slivers of green bell peppers and onions, slick with oil and seasoning, accompany the smoky meat and bring crisp textures to the plate. The fajitas are topped with pico de gallo and sliced avocado and served with fluffy Mexican rice and soft black beans on the side.
All of this goodness goes tucked inside their strong flour tortillas, which you are provided with three of. Without salsa, the juice of the charred and blistered cherry tomatoes and the juicy cooking of the ribeye prevent the dish from feeling dry.
A traditional margarita goes for $7 on the recession menu and will leave you feeling buzzy and regal, as you devour your plate of ribeye–or any of the other nicely priced items, like six fresh oysters for $13.
“It's a gathering,” Pineda-Alfaro tells L.A. TACO. “People come. They bring cards and board games during it. We have a weekly following where just people come and, like I said, they don't think about what they're going to do for dinner, they already know.”
On Wednesdays, Barrio also offers “all you can eat” tacos with chips and salsa for $25–served with a side of rice and black beans.
1731 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90802
AMBOY BURGER AND QUALITY MEATS ~ WEST COVINA
With locations in Chinatown and West Covina, burger lovers throughout the county praise Amboy for the fresh and hearty beef patties used in chef Alvin Cailan’s opulent burgers.
We’ve basked in the richness of Amboy’s classic DH burger, known for its thick 10-ounce patty made with dry-aged chuck and brisket, but we’re here today to talk about their new “Snackflation” meal.
In March 2026, Amboy announced a new $9 meal on Instagram with the words: “Inflation is crazy . . . so we made SNACKFLATION.” It’s offered only at their West Covina location inside of Haven City Market as of now.
Customers select from a cheeseburger, grilled cheese (aka “The Chester”), or hot dog, which comes with crispy thin fries and a drink.
L.A. TACO chose the cheeseburger–a thinly smashed, yet juicy patty topped with melty golden American cheese and a burger sauce comparable to In-N-Out’s classic spread. The sesame buns are lightly toasted on the outside and almost as soft as a dinner roll on the inside, soaking up the welcome burger grease.
Amboy’s fries are cooked ‘til crisp, but not overly done; there’s still the softness of the cooked potato beneath the beautifully crunchy exterior. Served with a few ketchup packets, the Snackflation meal executes classic American favorites in a way that centers comfort and quality for under ten bones.
While chains charge double for half the effort, Amboy’s West Covina location offers affordable and delicious meals to remote workers who bring their laptops to the food hall, visitors on their lunch breaks, and families running to the grocery store in the same plaza.
Haven City Market West Covina ~ 989 S. Glendora Ave. West Covina, CA 91790
DINO’S MAIN ST. ~ LINCOLN HEIGHTS
Dino’s Main St. has been feeding the Lincoln Heights community without breaking anyone’s bank since 1968, when George Pantazis opened this family business.
“I've been operating with my family since I was born, since I can look over the counter,” Dino Pantazis, the restaurant’s namesake and co-owner, says. Even after 58 years, George is still helping run the shop as one of its co-owners.
This spot welcomes everyone in the neighborhood–teens getting out of school, families grabbing a bite, and anyone searching for some good, affordable food that doesn’t come from a fast food conglomerate.
Since launching a “recession menu,” Dino’s boasts the best value meals in all of Los Angeles right now. L.A. TACO opted for their “Recession Pick 2,” which lets customers choose from a mix of chicken dishes, fries, and burgers–all for under 10-fucking-dollars.
We got the crispy chicken sandwich and mini chicken thigh bucket, bringing us to a total of $9.44 with tax. That price barely covers two fountain drinks from most restaurants in L.A. these days.
The mini bucket comes with one of their red boneless chicken thighs on a bed of French fries, sopped in their hood-famous spice-and-oil mix. Dino says that this grilled and generously spiced chicken is what they’re “really famous for.” Knowing what cut of the chicken you’re eating at a price this low is practically unheard of.
“Everybody's just really grateful and excited that they can come in and come to a place that's not a chain that's going to give you bottom of the barrel, quality for cheap,” Dino tells L.A. TACO.
The crispy chicken sandwich brings together a juicy chicken patty dressed with mayo, leaves of iceberg lettuce, and a fresh slice of tomato–all on a classic sesame bun.
“We didn't want that same circular formed patty,” Dino says. “We said, ‘Hey, it's got to be muscled meat. It's got to be real chicken, not gross stuff.”
Indeed, they do not get the “gross stuff” from their vendors–their chicken sandwich is tender and indulgent while the vegetables make it feel like you’re really getting a full meal. With “Family Feud” playing on the TV and a swiftly moving staff running the kitchen, Dino’s is the most dependable spot in the neighborhood to quench your craving for quality comfort food.
2817 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90031
BÉ Ù ~ SILVER LAKE
Chef Uyên Lê opened Bé Ù, a Silver Lake restaurant serving Vietnamese street dishes and comfort food, in February 2021.
Lê tells L.A. TACO that Bé Ù’s mission statement has been cemented in community care since before they opened.
“We’ve worked with No Us Without You for years, including continuing to provide a few families with ongoing meal support delivered to their homes,” Lê says. “We understand that some folks are not comfortable leaving their homes for whatever reason, so we think it’s important to come to them and let them know they can count on our regular support.”
Bé Ù has also started a program called “Sky Specials” for their unhoused neighbors, providing free hot meals. These consist of rice, protein, vegetables, sauce, and limeade, making for “balanced comfort food,” Lê says.
Since last year’s fires, Bé Ù gives 60 rice noodles dishes to Altadena Communal Kitchen every Saturday. The rice noodle plate typically costs $14.50, but a version of this meal is offered as a “pay-what-you-can” option year-round, available to anyone.
The meal is filling without bogging you down, the assortment of vegetables–pickled daikon and carrots, spring salad mix, bean sprouts, herbs, and julienned cucumbers–both nourishing and refreshing. Customers can choose from lemongrass chicken, pork, beef, or tofu as their protein. The fragrant lemongrass seasoning is doused in nước chấm, a tangy fish sauce, creating a savory, multilayered flavor profile.
Fried bits of shallot and chopped peanuts garnish the dish, punctuating the many ingredients with a final crunch. If you’re craving spice, each dish comes with a small side of chili sambal. (We recommend you dump the whole container in.)
Since Bé Ù only offers takeout and outside seating, it may be a good idea to order one of their traditional Vietnamese iced drinks as the summer heat creeps in. Our recommendation is rau má, an algae-green drink that resembles a pennywort agua fresca.
Lê tells L.A. TACO that she’ll have to slightly raise her prices soon, since the business typically only breaks even or runs at a loss despite the high volume of patrons. You can support Bé Ù’s programs by sponsoring community meals in person or on their website.
557 N. Hoover St. Los Angeles, CA 90004
NORWALK TACO FACTORY ~ NORWALK
You can get great chilaquiles and tortas on any day of the week at Norwalk Taco Factory, which is unassumingly tucked inside a megaplaza. But on Tuesdays, you’ll find that they serve some of the best tacos dorados. Even before noon on a weekday, you’ll find families sharing an early lunch and workers waiting for their take-out.
In June 2025, they announced that their Taco Tuesdays were making a comeback, with $1 crunchy tacos. “Economy’s still a mess, but our tacos ain’t,” they wrote on an Instagram flier. Nearly a year later, they announced that Taco Tuesday would offer a deal on $2 tacos, raising the price by a dollar.
Seconds after taking a seat at NTF, you’re welcomed by a tray of complimentary, crisp tortilla chips and dark red-brown salsa. It’s as delicious as eating a homemade salsa straight from the molcajete. While low on the spice meter, the flavor is deep, and the texture of muddled ingredients gives your chip something to grip onto. (If you plan on ordering water to wash it down, it’s important to note that they don’t offer free tap water, only plastic water bottles at a cost of about $2.)
On its Taco Tuesday menu, the restaurant offers hard-shell tacos packed with your choice of potato, birria, or ground beef. Of course, L.A. TACO ordered all three.
Each plump taco is topped with strips of iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a shredded cheese blend.
First, we tried the potato taco: the ideal vegetarian option, fresh and substantial. Mashed and ready to soak up any condiment of your choice, the soft potatoes work amazingly with the crunchy shell of the fried tortilla.
Our favorite was the birria taco, which came with chunks of beef softened and flavored by the salty broth. Dipped into the consomé, we’d happily dye the corners of our mouths for this one anytime.
Finally came the wild card, a ground beef taco sauced with so much flavor that adding salsa would have been too overpowering. Trying this taco solidified for us that no one in Norwalk should be visiting a Taco Bell on a Tuesday while NTF is alive and kicking.
12227 Norwalk Blvd. Norwalk, CA 90650
