At home, I’m in charge of making dinner. Most nights it’s the usual rotation of staples that I know my small children will actually eat. I’ve got a routine in the kitchen, prepping vegetables in advance, batch cooking proteins, but some days, there’s just too much to do. You have to finish up a project for work, then you’ve gotta straighten up the house, then pick up the kids, and you didn’t get a chance to make dinner! That’s why I’m always grateful that there are restaurants out there that help feed our families in a pinch and on a budget.
On nights when I’m not cooking, you can call me “the King of the Family Meal Deal.” You can find me waltzing around the Costco food court looking for a large $9.95 pizza, or scouring the weekly supermarket circulars for El Pollo Loco coupons. I’m meticulously watching the instagram reels of local food influencers looking for leads. I’m always on the hunt for ways to expand the to-go options to feed four to six people for under $60.
I’ve searched far and wide and found a variety of tasty bargain takeout solutions from throughout Southern California. Here’s a list of places that can affordably cater tonight’s dinner (with a few leftovers for tomorrow).
Chio’s Peruvian (Van Nuys)
Pollo a la brasa at Chio’s Peruvian
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Courtesy Chio’s Peruvian
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From time to time, my parents will bring over food from Chio’s Peruvian. They have all the classic Peruvian menu items like lomo saltado, arroz chaufa and tallarines verdes but the sweet spot for a great family meal deal is their Pollo a La Brasa. You can get the Pollo Entero Con Dos Combinaciones meal, which includes a whole chicken with two sides for $29.99. Side dishes include white bean frijoles peruanos, rice, salad, french fries and platanos. Sometimes they’ll have the same deal where you get twice as much food plus a 2-liter bottle of Inca Kola (or Diet Coke) for a little under $60.
Locations:
7755 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91405
7115 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91405
Hours: Mon to Thurs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pita Pitaki (Long Beach)
This authentic Greek city of Long Beach recommendation comes from LAist food and culture writer Gab Chabrán, who has fed his family with Pita Pitaki’s signature Pitaki Apola special. This combination gets you either chicken, pork or lamb gyro meat, two chicken skewers, two pork skewers, potatoes, tzatziki, Greek salad, and pita for only $37. If you feel the need for nearly a kilo of gyro, you can get the Family Gyro Meat Special for $54.99.
Location: 3401 Cherry Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
Hours: Wed – Sun 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Monday closed; Tuesday 10.30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Chicken Maison (11 locations in the South Bay and Orange County)
Chicken Maison has locations across SoCal
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Courtesy Chicken Maison
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Chicken Maison, a Mediterranean rotisserie chicken chain, is also famous for its grilled kabobs. The Kabob Feast includes six chicken, kafta, or steak kabobs, plus four veggie skewers, four large sides, pita, and garlic sauce for $65.95. They also have a similar combo called the Chicken Feast for $52.95. It replaces the kabobs with two whole rotisserie chickens. Their side dishes include steamed vegetables, potato salads, grape leaves, tabbouleh, falafel, and more. They’ve got 11 locations in the South Bay and Orange County.
Locations: Hawthorne, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Gardena, Harbor City, N. Redondo Beach, S. Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance Crenshaw, Torrance PCH, Torrance Vermont
Stonefire Grill (12 locations in the Southland)
There are a dozen Stonefire Grill locations from Ventura to Rancho Cucamonga and on down to Irvine. They’ve got a distinctly Southern California menu of pizza, tri tip barbecue, and fresh salads. I think this might be a holdover from the early 2020s lockdown era, but a hungry family can still order the Stonefire Grill ‘Stimulus Package.’ It’s no longer publicized on their main menu, but you can access it when you order online. This great deal includes a whole chicken or half tri tip, a 12-inch two-topping pizza or shareable pasta, plus a garden or caesar salad, and eight breadsticks for $45.29 (though the price slightly varies by location.) It’s easily enough for 4-6 people. Sometimes we’ll pay a few bucks more for their BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad and The Works Pizza with sausage, pepperoni, bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onions.
Locations: Torrance, Chatsworth, West Hills, Lakewood, Pasadena, Valencia, Thousand Oaks, Brea, Fountain Valley, Irvine
Panini Kabob (30 locations throughout Southern California)
Panini Kabob’s Persian-style skewers and side dishes
Whenever we celebrate a birthday with my wife’s family we’ll order in from Panini Kabob. Their Persian-style skewers, fresh salads and side dishes always hit the spot. We’ll typically pick up the Family Kabob Combo. It comes with four chicken kabobs grilled alongside tomatoes, green peppers and onions. It also includes a tray of rice, and salad. You can feed four to six people for $69.99. I like splitting the rice between basmati and bulgur wheat pilaf. For the salad option we’ll usually get a half caesar salad / half romaine avocado. We’ll also add two a la carte koobidehs. Everybody is festively well-fed and the bill comes out to around $100.
India Sweets & Spices (five locations in Los Angeles)
Indian Sweet and Spices: a filling vegetarian option at a nice price point
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Courtesy Indian Sweets and Spices
)
If you’re looking for a filling vegetarian option at a nice price point head to India Sweets & Spices. It’s a small chain of South Asian grocers with an excellent cafeteria-style restaurant in the back. The menus differ at each location, but if you pick up a few lunch specials you can feed a family for days. At the Northridge store the Food Combo #2 is $9 and comes with your choice of white or yellow rice, samosa, naan, papadam, pickle, yogurt, and a dessert which is usually gulab jaman. It also comes with two of the many entrees on the steam table. I’ll usually get chana masala, aloo gobi, saag paneer and paneer tikka masala. If I get two orders for $18, that’s enough for my wife and kids (but my kids are only gonna eat the rice and naan. So I usually order a few more foils of naan.)
Locations:
18110 Parthenia St, Northridge
3126 Los Feliz Blvd, Atwater Village
567 South Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles
9409 Venice Blvd., Culver City
22011 Sherman Way, Canoga Park
Tikiyaki (City of Orange)
Tikiyaki in the City of Orange is one of those places that people whisper about in online forums for having delicious food with absurdly enormous portions. They do offer party trays, but if you’re trying to pick up dinner for the family, just order a few of their combo plates. They generously stuff a mountain of rice, meat, vegetables, and an egg roll into the container. The #12 Chicken & Steak Plate will set you back $11.99, but it feeds two to three people. Other popular items include the short ribs, coconut shrimp, tropical orange chicken and the extra spicy version, ‘Volcano Chicken.’ If you need a good vegetarian option, they also serve tofu. Mix-and-match and easily get enough food for 6 people for under $40.
Location: 2271 Tustin St., Orange, CA 92865
Hours: Daily 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., closed Sunday
King Pollo (Anaheim)
At King Pollo, the beloved Orange County chicken shack, you can get great burgers, boba, burritos and teriyaki bowls but a family of 6-8 is gonna want to order the famed Family Pack. For $45.49 you’ll get two whole chickens, plus large orders of beans, rice and potato salad. It also comes with tortillas and two containers of salsa. If you need a third pollo rostisado plus extra large sides, you can get the Super Family Pack for $67.49. If you need less, there’s always the single chicken’d Mini Pack for $26.49.
Location: 1925 E. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA 92805
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.