Where to Eat Before an Intuit Dome Concert or Clippers Game
You have tickets to a Clippers game or concert at Intuit Dome. Now comes an important question: where should you eat before the event?
The good news is that Inglewood has far more to offer than generic arena food and national restaurant chains. The challenge is timing. Choosing where to eat before an Intuit Dome concert or Clippers game means balancing a great meal with traffic, parking, arena entry and the very real possibility that dinner takes longer than expected.
For guests staying at Best Western Plus South Bay Hotel in nearby Lawndale, the easiest strategy is often to head toward Inglewood early, eat before the event crowds peak and then make your way to Intuit Dome with time to spare.
Here are some of the best options, organized around the kind of pre-event experience you’re looking for.
When You Want to Eat Close to Intuit Dome
If your main concern is keeping dinner simple, start with restaurants around Century Boulevard and the surrounding entertainment district. You’ll still want to leave plenty of time for parking and arena entry, but you won’t be adding a trip across Los Angeles to your evening.
Asadero Chikali
Asadero Chikali is particularly well suited to the pregame or pre-concert mission. Its Inglewood location is on Century Boulevard, close to Intuit Dome, and the restaurant specializes in Mexicali-style tacos served on handmade flour tortillas.
Carne asada is an easy choice, but the guisados make the menu more interesting. Depending on what’s available, you may encounter fillings such as carne con chile, chicharrón in salsa verde and other slow-cooked preparations.
The biggest advantage on event night is simplicity. You can have a distinctive local meal without committing to a lengthy formal dinner.
Best for: Staying close to Intuit Dome, tacos and a relatively quick meal
Address: 4233 W Century Blvd #7, Inglewood, CA 90304
Phone: (323) 776-1742
Visit Asadero Chikali
Coni’Seafood
Coni’Seafood requires a little more commitment than grabbing a few tacos, but it’s an excellent choice when you’ve arrived in Inglewood early and want dinner to be one of the highlights of the evening.
The family-run restaurant specializes in Nayarit-style Mexican seafood. Its signature pescado zarandeado is a whole grilled snook that’s particularly well suited to sharing, while shrimp, ceviches and other seafood dishes give smaller groups plenty of options.
This is a restaurant worth visiting regardless of whether you’re going to Intuit Dome, so give yourself enough time to enjoy it rather than watching the clock throughout dinner.
Best for: Seafood, groups and people arriving well before their event
Address: 3544 W Imperial Hwy, Inglewood, CA 90303
Phone: (310) 672-2339
Visit Coni’Seafood
When Dinner Is Part of the Night Out
A concert or Clippers game can be the centerpiece of an entire evening rather than the only thing on the schedule. If you’re celebrating, meeting friends or going on a date, choose a restaurant where sitting down for dinner feels like part of the occasion.
Two Hommés
Two Hommés is one of the most interesting choices for a proper dinner in Inglewood.
The restaurant takes an Afro-centric approach to its cooking, with West African flavors interacting with influences from Southern California and beyond. Jollof rice provides one starting point, while creative dishes and a cocktail program give the restaurant more of a night-out atmosphere.
This is especially appealing before a concert when you want drinks and dinner before heading to the arena. Just make your reservation early enough that dessert doesn’t turn into a race against showtime.
Best for: Date night, cocktails, creative cooking and concerts
Address: 902 N La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (424) 227-6266
Visit Two Hommés
1010 Wine & Events
If you’d rather start the evening with wine than tacos, 1010 Wine & Events provides another option for a more relaxed pre-concert or pregame meal.
The Inglewood wine bar puts considerable emphasis on its wine program, including wines from Black-owned wineries, alongside a food menu designed for a sit-down experience.
It’s particularly well suited to couples and groups who want to meet for drinks before the event rather than heading straight to the arena.
Best for: Wine, drinks with friends, date night and a leisurely start to the evening
Address: 1010 N La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (424) 331-9400
Visit 1010 Wine & Events
Sunday Gravy
Sunday Gravy is the answer when your ideal pre-concert meal involves a plate of pasta rather than stadium nachos.
The casual neighborhood restaurant specializes in Italian-American comfort food. Pasta and familiar red-sauce dishes make it approachable, while the relaxed atmosphere means dinner doesn’t need to feel overly formal.
It’s a nice middle ground between grabbing something quickly and committing to a more elaborate dining experience.
Best for: Pasta, Italian-American comfort food and casual date night
Address: 1122 Centinela Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (424) 227-6500
Visit Sunday Gravy
When You Want a Big Meal Before the Game
A Clippers game can turn into a long evening, especially if you’re arriving early. If you’d rather eat a substantial meal before entering Intuit Dome and keep arena snacking to a minimum, Inglewood has several excellent options.
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen is one of Inglewood’s longstanding local favorites and an easy choice when you arrive hungry.
Build your meal around fried chicken, oxtails, meatloaf or another comfort-food favorite, then choose from sides such as macaroni and cheese, collard greens, yams and cornbread.
It’s filling food, so this may be the meal that eliminates any need for a second dinner once you get inside Intuit Dome.
Best for: Soul food, comfort food and serious pregame appetites
Address: 202 E Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 671-3345
Visit Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
Banadir Somali Restaurant
Banadir Somali Restaurant offers a very different way to fill up before the game.
The casual halal restaurant serves Somali dishes centered around aromatic rice and slow-cooked meats. Goat is one of its specialties, with chicken, beef and fish providing alternatives.
It’s hearty, straightforward food and a good example of why exploring Inglewood before your event can be more rewarding than simply looking for the nearest sports bar.
Best for: Somali food, halal dining and hearty rice plates
Address: 137 W Arbor Vitae St, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 419-9900
Visit Banadir Somali Restaurant
When You Want Something Different
One of the best reasons to eat before reaching Intuit Dome is the variety of food available throughout Inglewood. If you’re visiting Los Angeles, consider using the opportunity to try something you don’t regularly encounter at home.
KUKU Cafe
KUKU Cafe offers Persian cooking in an approachable, casual format that fits nicely into an event-day schedule.
The menu goes beyond kebabs, with saffron rice dishes, stews and other Persian specialties providing plenty to explore. Tahchin, a crispy saffron rice dish, is one example of what can make the experience more interesting for first-time visitors.
Best for: Persian food and a casual meal before the arena
Address: 318 N La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (310) 910-7400
Visit KUKU Cafe
Mutiara Food & Market
Mutiara Food & Market is a particularly good choice for adventurous diners.
The family-run restaurant draws from Burmese and Malaysian culinary traditions, with a menu that includes curries, noodles, rice dishes and other Southeast Asian specialties.
The surroundings are casual, which works in your favor before an event. You’re here for an interesting meal, not a lengthy formal dining ritual.
Best for: Burmese and Malaysian cuisine and adventurous eaters
Address: 225 S La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 419-7221
Visit Mutiara Food & Market
Little Belize Restaurant
Little Belize Restaurant adds another dimension to Inglewood’s international dining scene.
Belizean cuisine reflects Caribbean and Central American influences, and the restaurant serves hearty comfort food built around dishes such as stewed meats, rice and beans and plantains.
For visitors who enjoy discovering neighborhood restaurants when they travel, this is precisely the kind of place worth considering before the show.
Best for: Belizean cuisine, Caribbean flavors and comfort food
Address: 217 E Nutwood St, Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 674-0696
Visit Little Belize Restaurant
Going to an Afternoon Clippers Game?
An early tipoff changes the strategy completely. Instead of trying to squeeze dinner into the afternoon, turn the game into a breakfast or brunch outing.
The Serving Spoon
The Serving Spoon has been serving Inglewood since 1983 and is a particularly good fit for an early Clippers game.
The family-run restaurant specializes in breakfast, lunch and soul food. Wings with eggs and grits, catfish, French toast and other substantial dishes provide plenty of fuel for an afternoon at the arena.
It’s also the kind of longstanding neighborhood restaurant that gives visitors a better sense of Inglewood than another predictable chain breakfast.
Best for: Breakfast, brunch and afternoon Clippers games
Address: 1403 Centinela Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (310) 412-3927
Visit The Serving Spoon
What If You’re Running Late?
If traffic has already eaten into your schedule, don’t force a sit-down restaurant into the plan.
Intuit Dome has invested heavily in making food part of the arena experience. Its Neighborwood Eats program features a rotating lineup of Inglewood restaurants, allowing local businesses to serve fans inside the venue.
The arena also has 21 marketplaces offering food and drinks, along with Modelo Cantina in the Plaza. Depending on the current offerings, you’ll find choices ranging from burgers and hot dogs to sushi, snacks and other arena fare.
In other words, eating inside Intuit Dome isn’t merely an emergency backup plan. If you’re short on time, it may be the smarter choice.
See Current Dining Options at Intuit Dome
How Early Should You Eat Before Intuit Dome?
There’s no single perfect time because a Tuesday night Clippers game and a sold-out Saturday concert can create very different traffic patterns.
The safest strategy is to work backward from when you want to be inside the arena rather than from the official event start time. You still need to account for traffic, parking, walking to the venue, security and finding your seats.
If you’re planning a proper sit-down dinner, build in a generous cushion. Arriving early and having time to spare is much more enjoyable than asking for the check while repeatedly checking the clock.
For restaurants that accept reservations, book ahead on major event nights. Thousands of other people may be looking for dinner in the same part of Inglewood at roughly the same time.
A Simple Pre-Event Game Plan
If you don’t want to overthink it, choose your restaurant based on how much time you have.
- Plenty of time: Make dinner part of the evening at Coni’Seafood, Two Hommés or 1010 Wine & Events.
- Want a proper meal without making a night of dinner: Try Sunday Gravy, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen or KUKU Cafe.
- Want something quick and close to the arena: Start with Asadero Chikali.
- Going to an afternoon game: Have breakfast or brunch at The Serving Spoon.
- Want to try something different: Consider Banadir Somali Restaurant, Mutiara Food & Market or Little Belize.
- Running behind schedule: Skip the restaurant stop and explore the dining options inside Intuit Dome.
Staying Near Intuit Dome
If you’re coming from outside Los Angeles, your hotel can make event night considerably easier.
Best Western Plus South Bay Hotel in Lawndale provides a convenient home base for an Intuit Dome concert or Clippers game while also putting you in position to explore the wider South Bay during the rest of your visit.
Instead of driving across Los Angeles immediately before the event, you can head toward nearby Inglewood early, have dinner and then make your way to the arena.
And when the event is over, your trip doesn’t have to revolve entirely around the arena district. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance and Gardena offer plenty more to explore throughout the rest of a South Bay stay.
For event night itself, the most important advice is simple: don’t wait until the last minute to decide where to eat. Pick your restaurant based on your schedule, arrive in Inglewood early and make dinner part of the experience rather than another thing you have to rush through before the lights go down.