21 hours Ago By Merrill Shindler
Earle’s on Crenshaw doesn’t just serve hot dogs. It serves the love of community, of neighborhood, of your fellow citizens in a part of town rarely covered on the evening news. Earle’s is a nexus in Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw on the way to SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum.
It’s the place to go.It’s a family run business that makes everyone who stops by for some chili fries — beef or vegan, as you wish — feel like family. Earle’s isn’t just a hot dog shop, it’s a major destination for meatless cooking.
In a world of meat-heavy chili cheese Fritos, this is where you can get yours vegan.The Earles are brothers Cary and Duane, refugees from Brooklyn, who came to California to pursue aeronautical engineering (in the case of Cary) and music (in the case of Duane, aka Don Jagwarr). But they missed the hot dog carts of New York.
And so, they built a cart of their own, and started selling dogs on Vence Beach, in front of local nightclubs, and at the Marlton Avenue Swapmeet — just a hop and skip from their present location. Which led to Earle’s Wieners in 1992, followed by Earle’s Grill, and in 2017 by Earle’s on Crenshaw.In the process of evolving from a cart to a restaurant, they began to explore the possibilities of being both old school beef, and new school vegan at the same time.
It makes for a dining experience unique in the South Bay, for restaurants are either carnivorous or vegan — and rarely both at the same time.Earle’s on Crenshaw in Los Angeles is a legendary hamburger-and-hot-dog shop, with a large selection of vegan foods. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)The outdoor eating area at Earle’s on Crenshaw in Los Angeles covers the basics — picnic tables with umbrellas — and is a perfect space to devour the must-try hot dogs and hamburgers.
(Photo by Merrill Shindler)Several baked goods — including the Ol’ School Coffee Cake — is pre-packaged at Earle’s on Crenshaw in Los Angeles. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)The guys behind Earle’s on Crenshaw — brothers Cary and Duane Earle — got their start by selling hot dogs using a cart at Vence Beach and other locations. That history is recalled with this cart at their Los Angeles restaurant.
(Photo by Merrill Shindler)Show Caption1 of 4Earle’s on Crenshaw in Los Angeles is a legendary hamburger-and-hot-dog shop, with a large selection of vegan foods. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)ExpandI guess the proper name for the cooking at Earle’s would be flexitarian. With little middle ground, the meatless dishes here for the most part aren’t vegetarian.
They’re hardcore vegan. If you want to pass on the beef, you go to the other end of the culinary universe. And a very tasty journey it is, too.
If you want a sense of how tasty, order the Jamaican patty. It’s a creation of many vegetables — cabbage, carrots, broccoli, corn, celery, onions and hot peppers — for that edge of Caribbean cooking. If you need toppings, they got toppings and then some: ketchup, mustard, hot mustard, relish, vegan mayo, vegan chipotle mayo, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, tartar sauce, New York style fried onions, raw onions, sauerkraut, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and more hot peppers.
Add on the fries and the Fritos, and you’ve got a meal; there’s vegan chili cheese fries and vegan chili cheese Fritos. By comparison, the Beyond Meat burger seems kind of silly. It’s laboratory food.
It’s on the menu as a vegan option. Compared with that meatless Jamaican patty, it seems pretty weak sauce to me. Though better than the grain burgers served at Kevin Hart’s Hart House chain, which were just plain dull.
Earle’s is never dull.It was born as a hot dog stand. And though it’s now a proper restaurant where you order at the counter, and then grab a table inside or out, hot dogs still stand proud on the menu.
If you want them meatless, there’s a vegan dog and a vegan link. You want them meaty, the choice runs to beef dogs, turkey dogs, chicken links, halal beef jumbo dogs and spicy beef links. Along with the vegetarian Jamaican patty, there are patties of beef and chicken.
There’s a pastrami sandwich and an Alaska salmon burger. And there are bowls, both vegan and beef, available small, medium and large. Small isn’t all that small.
Large is definitely large.The house beverage of choice, served in sizes from small to a full gallon (if you’re really thirsty!), is a sweet fruit concoction called Playas Punch, about which we’re told, “The reason our Playas Punch is so addicting is because the secret ingredient is love ..
. and we put a lot of it in there.”More Merrill: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are a tasty trio at this San Pedro restaurantSweetness is served in abundance at Earle’s.
The desert menu is filled with sugary wonders; I love the banana pudding, always have, always will. There are five flavors of cheesecake, including peach cobbler (a dessert within a dessert) and sweet potato.There’s coffee cake, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, bean pie, vegan chocolate cake, vegan lemon cake and vegan yellow chocolate cake.
If you want to be part of the Earle’s community, show up on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. They call it Sunday Funday.
They set up their cart in front of the restaurant. After spending the morning praising the Lord, you can spend the afternoon praising the dogs. That’s Earle’s for you.
The essence of the neighborhood on a bun.Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.
com.Earle’s on CrenshawRating: 2.5 starsAddress: 3864 Crenshaw Blvd.
, Los AngelesInformation: 323-299-2867; www.earlesrestaurant.comCuisine: Legendary hamburger-and-hot-dog shop, with a large selection of vegan foodsWhen: Lunch and dinner, Monday through SaturdayDetails: Soft drinks; no reservationsAtmosphere: A shopping mall storefront with a reputation as the place to go in the neighborhood for classic hot dogs, hamburgers and lots of vegan options.
A true family business with a heart that reaches deep into the South Bay.Prices: About $15 per personOn the menu: 8 Vegan Options ($2.99-$12.
99), 5 Hot Dogs ($4.49-$8.99), 4 Burgers ($8.
99-$12.99), 3 Jamaican Patties ($5), 17 Sides ($3.99-$15.
49), 10 Desserts ($4.49-$7.99)Credit cards: MC, VWhat the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional.
Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.
) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)Related ArticlesSeafood is a special treat at this Sherman Oaks restaurantComfort food classics come with Korean influences at this Toluca Lake restaurantBreakfast and lunch are tasty experiences at Joe’s Café in Granada HillsMexican food in Pacoima is a delight at this down-home restaurantAnajak Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks exceeds expectations.
