Rutt's Hawaiian

The menu at Rutt’s is huge, so it’s important to have a game plan when heading into this popular lunch spot in Mar Vista. Right off the bat, you can skip the saimin and kalua pig plate, and if you were planning on saving room for dessert, don’t reserve that highly coveted stomach space for their overly gelatinous cup of haupia. All of the above tend to be just a little bland, and you can get better versions of them at plenty of other Hawaiian places in town. Instead, head straight to their “Famous Royale” section. With onions, bean sprouts, and a side of teriyaki sauce, it’s described as an “open-scrambled omelette,” but it’s actually more like the fried-rice version of your best friend’s older brother after he came home from football camp - large, beefy, and with Spam in all the right places (OK, so the analogy doesn’t track exactly).