Food

Los Angeles' Thriving Strip Malls Feature Great Food

Scott Reitz

Let’s face it: The average Los Angeles strip mall doesn’t inspire much in terms of aesthetics, especially at a distance. From the street as you zip by (or crawl along, depending on the hour), cinderblock façades, brick-enclosed dumpsters and faded signs dominate what isn’t obscured by parked cars. These mini-malls, or convenience centers as they are referred to by their more affectionate fans, achieved peak construction sometime in the mid-1980s in Southern...