The Best Affordable Michelin-Recognized LA Restaurants, According To A Local

Michelin is the gold standard for restaurant excellence around the world. Still, it tends to get a bad rap as awarding stuffy establishments with small portions and exorbitant prices. The Bib Gourmand title, though it comes without an official star, still adds prestige because the Michelin Guide assigns it to restaurants recognized as both delicious and affordable for the everyday diner. There are 41 Bib Gourmand restaurants in Los Angeles, and I've been fortunate enough to visit many of them over the past 10 years I've lived in the city — some of which I revisit time and time again.

No more running to McDonalds after a $90 plate of shrimp and foam, and no more making mistakes at a too-fancy sushi spot; these five restaurants give diners in Los Angeles Michelin-star quality without Michelin-star prices or snobbery. They're not only some of my favorite Michelin-recognized establishments, but some of my favorite restaurants in the city all-around. When you want to dine out on a budget but still ball out, these are the five best Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurants to go to.

Maccheroni Republic serves delicious, upscale Italian food that only looks expensive. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, and one I think more people should know about. Homemade toasted ciabatta garlic bread is the perfect way to start off any meal, closely followed by some of the restaurant's massive $13 bone marrow; it's warm, lemony, and undoubtedly a good deal.

However, it's all about the pasta at Maccheroni Republic, which serves hefty portions for around $25. All pasta is made in-house in a detached pastificio, a glass structure made so customers can watch hanging noodles dry as they wait for tables. The wait isn't as long as it used to be at this no-reservations restaurant, but the food is always worth it. It's not like some other Michelin Guide restaurants that serve you two shrimp with five individual noodles — you leave here feeling full no matter what you get.

It's hard to pick my favorite dishes. The pumpkin ravioli are sweet, nutty, and the perfect autumn dish at any time of year; the linguine vongole is packed with fresh seafood and a rich white wine sauce; and the gnocchi, topped with a hearty ragu and mushroom blend I can't get enough of, is the softest I've ever eaten. Pair any of these pastas with one of Maccheroni Republic's Italian wines for a delicious, and romantic, night out.

Visit Maccheroni Republic at 332 S Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90013.

Great pizza is easy to come by in Los Angeles, but no restaurant does it quite like Quarter Sheets. This Echo Park pizza parlor is known for its Detroit-style pies, square cuts of thick, chewy pizza topped with plenty of sauce and cheese.

The menu isn't massive, but the pizzas certainly are. Quarter Sheets has two star players on its roster: the Red Top pizza, with mozzarella and grana cheese, red sauce, and basil, and the pepperoni, which has everything on the Red Top plus the popular cured meat. A third pizza usually rotates with the seasons. My favorite was the Bianca, a white pizza with garlic cream sauce, fennel sausage, and sungold tomatoes. Pizzas cost anywhere from $29 to $36, but are easy to share among a group of three to four friends.

I usually visit with a few friends early in the evening, joining the line outside that forms before the restaurant opens (even the Michelin Guide calls Quarter Sheets "worth queueing for"). My go-to order is whatever the seasonal pizza may be, along with a gem or house salad topped with a delicious and refreshing chickpea miso dressing. After dinner, stay for a piece of Quarter Sheets' famous princess cake — if you're lucky enough to get there before it runs out for the day.

Visit Quarter Sheets at 1305 Portia St, Los Angeles, California 90026.

Moo's Craft Barbecue isn't the most well-known barbecue spot in the city, but it is the only one to score the prestigious Bib Gourmand title. Located just east of Dodgers Stadium, in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, Moo's is the perfect spot to satiate appetites of any size.

Moo's has incredible Southern barbecue and some of the most tender meat you can taste this side of the Mississippi. The specialty barbecue trays that sample a little bit of all that Moo's has to offer are the best way to eat here. The El Trio comes with 1 pound of Moo's famous smoked brisket, 1 pound of pork ribs, two sausages, and two 1-pint sides of your choice. $118 sounds like a lot for this package, but you can easily split it between four people.

The aforementioned brisket here is smoked over white oak for a natural, woody, charred taste; it's something you need to taste to believe. My favorite — a dish I will never forget as long as I live — is the Korean sticky glazed pork belly burnt ends. The perfectly sweet, tangy, bite-sized pieces of pork belly just melt in your mouth. Paired alongside Moo's homemade spicy dill pickles, this indulgent meal alone deserves Michelin status.

Visit Moo's Craft Barbecue at 2118 N Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90031.

Langer's Delicatessen, open since 1947, has a reputation as one of the most famous Jewish delis in the city. It's an excellent choice for lunch with friends visiting from out of town. It also makes one of the most iconic dishes in the whole city: the massive pastrami on rye.

Pastrami is what Langer's Delicatessen does best, and the cured meat is what earned it its Michelin Bib Gourmand status. "If you're here for the first time, opt for the hot pastrami ... sandwich," says the Michelin Guide. Langer's Delicatessen charges $24 for its basic hot pastrami sandwich, which is truthfully enough to split into two lunches, but you may want to finish it all in one sitting. My favorite is the pastrami French dip sandwich, served with a warm cup of au jus for dipping. Another delicious vehicle for the pastrami is the pastrami fries, crinkle-cut fries topped with the tender meat and cheese.

Besides pastrami, Langer's Delicatessen also serves up delicious, traditionally Jewish foods, such as matzo ball soup and latkes (potato pancakes). Grab a group of five latkes as an appetizer for $25 or enjoy a decadent lunch of soup and half a sandwich for $23.

Visit Langer's Delicatessen at 704 South Alvarado, Los Angeles, California 90057.

The Silverlake location of Pine & Crane is a classic Los Angeles establishment, but the newer spot downtown, in the South Park neighborhood, is where this counter service dim sum house is elevated to Michelin Guide excellence. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Pine & Crane serves delicious Taiwanese fare perfect for a group outing. Nothing on the menu costs more than $16, which means you can order a bit of everything and share.

Pine & Crane is most known for its beef roll: five spice-seasoned beef shank and cucumber that's wrapped like a burrito in a delicate scallion pancake. I've never had a bad dish here, though. Some of my favorites include the pan-fried pork buns, peanut-heavy dan dan noodles, and the warm, soupy mapo tofu over rice. The popcorn chicken, tender dark meat encapsulated in a crispy, seasoned outer shell, is another great dish.

The Silverlake and downtown restaurants each have a slightly different menu, and both are worth checking out. The downtown spot is a little better for loitering, with quicker service and a lot more tables to sit at to enjoy your meal. The airy dining room is half indoor, half outdoor, with a beautiful courtyard that helps you forget you're sitting among busy downtown streets.

Visit Pine & Crane's Silverlake location at 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90026, and Pine & Crane's Downtown location at 1120 S Grand Ave, Unit 101, Los Angeles, California 90015.