Whet Your Appetite With Artistic L.A. Restaurant Menus

LA WeeklyFood

The Burger That Ate L.A.The Burger That Ate L.A.Los Angeles; Credit: Paris Inn/Los Angeles Public LibrarySushi Shogun IsshinSushi Shogun IsshinChinatown; Credit: Forbidden Palace/Los Angeles Public LibraryDon the BeachcomberDon the BeachcomberLos Angeles; Credit: Barragan's/Los Angeles Public LibraryVia Vigna InnVia Vigna InnLos Angeles; Credit: El Torito/Los Angeles Public LibraryTonga LeiTonga LeiLos Angeles; Credit: Spago/Los Angeles Public LibraryNizamNizamSan Pedro; Credit: The Bay of Naples/Los Angeles Public LibraryCocoanut Grove Coffee Shop; Credit: Cocoanut Grove Coffee Shop/Los Angeles Public LibraryDoc's Emergency PizzaDoc's Emergency PizzaLos Angeles; Credit: Dinah's Family Restaurant/Los Angeles Public LibraryAjeti's Albanian Natural Food RestaurantAjeti's Albanian Natural Food RestaurantAjeti's Albanian Natural Food RestaurantWestwood; Credit: Ships/Los Angeles Public LibraryGarden GrillGarden GrillLos Angeles; Credit: Eleda/Los Angeles Public LibraryPig 'n WhistlePig 'n WhistleBurbank; Credit: Womphopper's Restaurant/Los Angeles Public LibraryWomphopper's Restaurant; Credit: Womphopper's Restaurant/Los Angeles Public LibraryThe Biltmore Coffee Shop; Credit: The Biltmore Coffee Shop/Los Angeles Public LibraryThe Brown DerbyThe Brown DerbyLos Angeles; Credit: California Place/Los Angeles Public LibraryCoral Room at Bullock's Pasadena; Credit: Bullock's Pasadena/Los Angeles Public LibraryClifton's Cafeteria; Credit: Clifton's Cafeteria/Los Angeles Public LibraryClifton's Cafeteria; Credit: Clifton's Cafeteria/Los Angeles Public LibraryDan Tana'sDan Tana'sHollywood; Credit: Musso & Frank Grill/Los Angeles Public LibraryHof's HutHof's HutLos Angeles; Credit: Tam O'Shanter/Los Angeles Public LibraryTam O'ShanterTam O'ShanterLos Angeles; Credit: Les Freres Taix/Los Angeles Public LibraryDu-Par's

Before the boring vinyl-bound or plastic coated menu became the norm, Los Angeles restaurants had menus with style and flair. From the archives of the Los Angeles Public Library, we've drawn a selection encompassing tiki, maps, mid-mod, even nudes, all in the service of encouraging eaters. Some of these places are still around — see how the menu card has evolved at Spago, Du-Par's, Dinah's or Taix.

All images courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.

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