Best Restaurants Near the Kia Forum Before a Concert
You have tickets to a concert at the Kia Forum. The next question is where to eat before the show without spending the entire meal wondering whether you’re going to miss the opening act.
Fortunately, Inglewood has plenty of choices. The best restaurants near the Kia Forum range from quick Persian and Malaysian meals to open-air drinks, Italian comfort food, Ethiopian platters and restaurants worth arriving several hours early to experience.
For guests staying at Best Western Plus South Bay Hotel in nearby Lawndale, a good strategy is to head toward Inglewood well before showtime, have dinner and then make your way to the Forum before the biggest concert crowds arrive.
Rather than simply listing restaurants by popularity, we’ve organized these options around the question that actually matters on concert night: what kind of pre-show meal are you looking for?
If You Want to Stay Close to the Action
When minimizing logistics matters more than having an elaborate dinner, look for a restaurant that keeps you in the entertainment district. You’ll still need to account for concert traffic, parking and venue entry, but you won’t be adding a cross-city drive to your plans.
The Meeting Spot
The Meeting Spot is almost purpose-built for nights like this. Located at The Shops at Hollywood Park, the open-air restaurant is close to the Kia Forum as well as SoFi Stadium and the rest of Inglewood’s entertainment district.
The large outdoor patio makes it especially appealing for groups meeting up before a show. The menu emphasizes shareable food alongside cocktails, local craft beer and California wines, so you can treat it as either dinner or a place for drinks and a bite before heading to the concert.
For a group coming from different parts of Los Angeles, it also provides an easy answer to the question, “Where should we all meet before the show?”
Best for: Groups, cocktails, outdoor dining and getting into the concert-night mood
Address: 1231 S District Dr, Unit 2400A, Inglewood, CA 90303
Phone: 855-MTG-SPOT
Visit The Meeting Spot
If You Have Time for a Memorable Dinner
If the concert is the centerpiece of a full night out, arrive in Inglewood early enough to enjoy one of the city’s destination restaurants. These aren’t places to squeeze into the final hour before showtime. Give yourself time to enjoy dinner without watching the clock.
Two Hommés
Two Hommés is a strong choice when dinner is supposed to feel like part of the night’s entertainment.
The Inglewood restaurant draws heavily from West African flavors while incorporating influences from Los Angeles and other culinary traditions. Jollof rice is an important part of the menu, but the kitchen goes well beyond it with creative dishes that make this feel more like a destination dinner than a convenient arena meal.
There’s also a cocktail program, making Two Hommés particularly well suited to date night or a celebratory evening built around a concert.
Best for: Date night, cocktails, creative cooking and making dinner part of the occasion
Address: 902 N La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (424) 227-6266
Visit Two Hommés
Sunday Gravy
Sometimes the ideal meal before a concert is simply a comforting plate of pasta and a glass of wine.
Sunday Gravy specializes in Italian-American cooking in a casual neighborhood setting. Pasta and familiar red-sauce favorites make it approachable, while the atmosphere feels more like a local restaurant than something designed around the nearby arenas.
It’s a good middle ground for concertgoers who want a proper sit-down dinner without making the meal overly formal.
Best for: Pasta, Italian-American comfort food and casual date nights
Address: 1122 Centinela Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (424) 227-6500
Visit Sunday Gravy
If You Want Something Quick Before the Show
Maybe you spent longer in traffic than expected. Maybe dinner isn’t the main event. Either way, choosing a casual restaurant can remove some of the stress from your schedule.
KUKU Cafe
KUKU Cafe is particularly useful on concert night because it combines interesting food with a casual format.
The family-run Persian cafe serves dishes inspired by home-style Persian cooking, including saffron rice preparations, stews and other specialties. It’s a chance to eat something distinctive without committing to a long formal dinner.
If you’re unfamiliar with Persian food, don’t assume the menu begins and ends with kebabs. Dishes such as tahchin, a crispy saffron rice cake, provide a good introduction to another side of the cuisine.
Best for: Persian food, casual dining and a relatively quick pre-show meal
Address: 318 N La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (310) 910-7400
Visit KUKU Cafe
Mutiara Food & Market
Mutiara Food & Market is another option for concertgoers who care more about interesting food than a fancy dining room.
The casual restaurant draws from Burmese and Malaysian cooking, with curries, noodles, rice dishes and other Southeast Asian specialties on the menu.
It’s particularly appealing for travelers who enjoy using a trip to Los Angeles as an excuse to explore cuisines they may not have access to back home.
Best for: Burmese and Malaysian food, halal options and adventurous diners
Address: 225 S La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 419-7221
Visit Mutiara Food & Market
Banadir Somali Restaurant
Banadir Somali Restaurant is another casual option that makes Inglewood’s dining scene considerably more interesting than the typical collection of restaurants surrounding a major concert venue.
The halal restaurant serves generous plates centered around fragrant rice and slow-cooked meats. Goat is one of its specialties, with chicken, beef and fish providing alternatives.
The setting is straightforward and the portions are substantial, making it a good choice when you want to eat well without turning dinner into a lengthy production.
Best for: Somali food, halal dining and filling pre-concert meals
Address: 137 W Arbor Vitae St, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 419-9900
Visit Banadir Somali Restaurant
If Your Concert Day Starts Early
Not every pre-show meal needs to be dinner. If you’ve made a day out of your concert or you’re attending an earlier event, breakfast or lunch can be a much more relaxed way to eat before heading toward the Forum.
The Toast & Jam
The Toast & Jam is a family-owned Inglewood breakfast and lunch restaurant serving American classics with a Southern influence.
Chicken and waffles, fried catfish, grits, burgers, breakfast plates and sandwiches make it possible to go in either the breakfast or lunch direction. Because it’s a daytime restaurant, it works best when your concert plans start early rather than as a last-minute stop before an evening performance.
It’s also on Market Street, an area worth exploring if you’d rather spend part of the day in Inglewood before heading to the venue.
Best for: Breakfast, lunch and turning your concert into a full day out
Address: 324 S Market St, Inglewood, CA 90301
Visit The Toast & Jam
If You’d Rather Have a Beer Than a Sit-Down Dinner
Three Weavers Brewing Company
Three Weavers offers another way to approach the pre-concert meal. Instead of scheduling a formal dinner, stop for locally brewed beer and see what’s happening at the tasting room.
The Inglewood brewery is known for beers such as its Expatriate West Coast IPA and regularly serves as a community gathering place. Food availability can vary, including food trucks and special events, so check the brewery’s current schedule before making it your dinner plan.
This works particularly well for a group that wants to meet for a beer before the concert without committing to a traditional restaurant experience.
Best for: Craft beer, casual meetups and groups
Address: 1031 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301
Visit Three Weavers Brewing Company
Don’t Forget Dessert
Sweet Red Peach
If you already have dinner plans but want something sweet before heading into the Forum, Sweet Red Peach gives you an entirely different kind of stop.
The Inglewood bakery has built a following around cakes and Southern-inspired desserts, including its signature red velvet cake. Cinnamon rolls, cupcakes and other sweets make it an easy place to add a pre-show dessert to the itinerary without sitting down for another full meal.
Because the bakery closes earlier than most concert venues, this works best as an afternoon or early-evening stop. Check the current hours before heading over.
Best for: Dessert, cakes and something sweet before the show
Address: 1035 S Prairie Ave #2, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 671-2253
Visit Sweet Red Peach
How Early Should You Eat Before a Kia Forum Concert?
This is arguably more important than which restaurant you choose.
Don’t plan dinner around the time the headliner is expected to perform. Work backward from when you actually want to be inside the Kia Forum.
Your schedule needs to account for finishing dinner, paying the check, reaching the venue, parking or completing the walk to the Forum, getting through security and finding your seats. On a major concert night, thousands of other people are trying to do essentially the same thing.
For a full sit-down dinner, give yourself a generous cushion. If your schedule is already getting tight, switch to one of the casual options rather than trying to rush through a restaurant that deserves more time.
Reservations are also worth making when available. A restaurant that is normally easy to visit can become considerably busier when a major artist is performing nearby.
Choose Your Restaurant Based on Your Concert Plans
If you’re still deciding, don’t overcomplicate it. Start with the kind of evening you’re planning.
- Meeting friends before the concert: The Meeting Spot
- Date night or special occasion: Two Hommés
- Want pasta before the show: Sunday Gravy
- Want something casual and relatively quick: KUKU Cafe
- Want to try something different: Mutiara Food & Market or Banadir Somali Restaurant
- Making a full day of the concert: The Toast & Jam
- Want craft beer instead of a formal dinner: Three Weavers Brewing Company
- Already ate but want dessert: Sweet Red Peach
What About Eating at the Kia Forum?
If traffic destroys your dinner plans, don’t panic. The Kia Forum offers food and beverage concessions inside the venue, so there’s no need to risk missing part of the concert just to squeeze in a restaurant meal.
Venue food is also the simplest choice if you’re arriving close to doors or want to head directly to your seats.
If experiencing Inglewood is part of the trip, however, eating locally before the show gives you a chance to experience more of the neighborhood surrounding one of Los Angeles’ most famous concert venues.
Check the Kia Forum’s current event information before your visit for venue policies, entry details and available food and beverage options.
Staying Near the Kia Forum
If you’re traveling to Los Angeles specifically for a concert, staying nearby can make the evening much easier than crossing the city immediately before and after the show.
Best Western Plus South Bay Hotel in Lawndale puts guests near Inglewood while also providing a convenient base for exploring the South Bay during the rest of the trip.
That means your concert doesn’t have to be the only thing you do while you’re here. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach are all possibilities for another day, while Torrance, Gardena and the surrounding South Bay offer even more restaurants to explore.
On concert night, keep the plan simple. Head toward Inglewood early, choose a restaurant that fits the amount of time you actually have, and leave enough room in the schedule to enjoy dinner without spending the entire meal checking the clock.
The Forum may be the reason you’re coming to Inglewood, but a good meal before the lights go down can become part of the experience too.