JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

How many apps does one LA dinner take?

In Taipei, dinner is an impulse; in LA, it's usually a plan. Finding a spot, booking, waitlists, confirmation emails, delivery and the check: your phone's working overtime before you even walk in. A pre-trip manual for LA's dining apps and unwritten rules.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. It's just dinner, so why is it this much work?

    Are they open? Are there tables? Where do I book? Where do I park? Before you even walk into the restaurant, your phone has already done a full round of work. This post is the pre-trip briefing for eating in LA.

  2. One dinner: what is your phone so busy doing?

    Find a place → book → wait for a table → arrive → pay → delivery: Beli, Resy, OpenTable, Yelp, Venmo, DoorDash. Not every meal is this much work, but popular restaurants really can be.

  3. The LA restaurant-finding toolkit

    Beli: compare restaurants you've been to and rank them yourself, while keeping a list of where you want to go next. The Infatuation: find places by occasion: dates, dinners with friends, eating solo. Eater LA: keep up with new openings and the Heatmap. Google Maps × Yelp: before you head out, double-check the location, hours and recent photos, and cross-check reviews on both. Instagram × TikTok: for inspiration; once a photo has you hooked, remember to check the menu, prices and reviews.
    J's Note: pretty, popular and right for you're three different things.

  4. Reservations: know the names, then find the right door

    Resy: find restaurants and check time slots, and if nothing's open, set Notify; when you get the alert, you still have to finish booking yourself. OpenTable: search available times, join waitlists, and earn member points; complete 6 reservations within 12 months to reach Gold. SevenRooms: regular bookings go through the link on the restaurant's website, and the app is invite-only, so no need to download it just to book. Tock: some reservations are still made and managed here; follow the restaurant's link.
    J's Note: the best starting point is actually the restaurant's own website. After booking, read the confirmation email so you know where to go to change, cancel or get a refund.

  5. Even credit cards are fighting over your table

    American Express Platinum × Resy (Global Dining Access): exclusive reservations, priority access to events and Priority Notify; Resy dining credits of up to $100 per quarter, up to $400 a year, with enrollment required and eligible purchases only. Chase Sapphire Reserve × OpenTable (Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables): link an eligible card first, then look for exclusive reservations; dining credits at select restaurants of up to $150 every six months, and not every OpenTable restaurant qualifies. These are US-issued cards; eligibility, restaurants and benefits are per the official terms.
    J's Note: when you can't get a table, check one more door; but having the card doesn't guarantee a seat either.

  6. People are selling restaurant tables?

    Authorized paid reservations ≠ reservation scalping, so check what your money actually buys. California's AB 1640 was signed on 9/27/2026, restricting marked-up resales without written authorization; the signing date isn't the effective date. Eating dinner now means researching scalpers.

  7. Fully booked? Don't give up yet

    Set Notify and wait for canceled tables to open up; check the Waitlist to see if you can join remotely; ask about walk-ins and whether they hold seats for them; ask about the bar and whether you can eat there. After 'nothing available online,' there's always one more question to ask. A notification isn't a hold; you still have to book once you get it.

  8. Hard-to-book spots: set the right alarm

    What day do they open: daily, weekly, monthly? What time: double-check it's LA local time. How far out: read the bookable dates carefully. How much up front: the deposit and cancellation terms. Log in first, have your payment info ready, set a waitlist; set your alarm, and get the time difference right too. Release rules follow whatever the restaurant announces for that round.

  9. Read the fine print at the bottom of the confirmation email

    Credit card required: putting a card on file isn't paying. Deposit: check whether it's refundable first. Prepaid: confirm what it covers. Cancellation policy: the latest you can cancel. Table back at 8:30: there's another party after you. Landing the reservation feels great, but still scroll all the way down the confirmation email.

  10. Delivery has more than one door, too

    DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub: compare delivery times and the final total. Instacart for groceries; check whether the restaurant's website lets you order directly; and if it's on your way, consider Pickup. The same restaurant through different doors can come to a different total.

  11. Delivery: start with where you want to eat

    DoorDash: restaurant delivery, or choose Pickup; check first whether the restaurant delivers to your address. Uber Eats: nearby restaurants, deals and estimated delivery times; don't just look at the discount, look at the final total. Grubhub: another door for delivery and pickup, and it's worth comparing fees for the same restaurant. Instacart: mostly grocery shopping for you, ingredients, drinks, household stuff; think of it separately from restaurant delivery.
    J's Note: check the restaurant's own website too; you might be able to order directly. Is pickup worth it? Factor in the drive and parking.

  12. Why does delivery keep adding up?

    Menu prices + delivery fee + platform service fee + other applicable fees + tax + delivery tip = what you actually pay. Free delivery doesn't mean no other fees. Is a membership worth it? Do the math on what you really save.

  13. Do these before you order delivery

    Compare final totals; pick up if it's on your way; write your address so a stranger can follow it; keep an eye on your phone; if something's wrong with the order, take photos and report it first; if you're on a deadline, order a little earlier. Clear order notes make it easier for everyone.

  14. You got the table; there's still homework before you head out

    Parking: is there a lot? Valet? Time: confirm last call for food. ID: if you want to drink, bring it. What to wear: check the dress code. Running late: call the restaurant first. Booking the restaurant is only half the job; the other half is called parking.

  15. At the table, these lines come in handy

    Tap water, please. (For regular drinking water.) Can we get the check, please? (When you're ready to pay, just ask.) Does this include gratuity? (To check if the service charge covers the tip.) Can we split this between two cards? (Ask before splitting.) Saying it clearly beats guessing for ages.

  16. Dining apps: save this one page

    You don't need to download them all; just know which one to open when. Finding places and saving lists: Beli, The Infatuation, Eater LA. Reservations: Resy, OpenTable; check which platform the restaurant uses first. Restaurant websites: SevenRooms; follow the booking link on the website, no app needed. Waiting in line: Yelp Waitlist; see if you can join remotely, and watch the check-in time. Members-only reservations: Dorsia; check the minimum spend and cancellation terms first. Dinner delivery: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub; compare the checkout total, don't just look at free delivery. Grocery restock: Instacart, Weee!, depending on what's available at your address. Splitting with friends: Venmo; one person pays with a card and everyone else sends them their share.
    J's Note: your phone doesn't need to be full of apps; it just needs to get you dinner.

  17. Taipei × LA: how the dining apps differ

    Reservations: in Taipei, it's EZTABLE, inline, phone or LINE (inline is often reached through the restaurant's booking link); in LA, it's Resy and OpenTable, with SevenRooms through restaurant websites. Can't get a table: in Taipei, try another time, line up in person, or find another place nearby; in LA, hit Notify, ask about walk-ins, and check the line on Yelp Waitlist. Delivery: in Taipei, foodpanda and Uber Eats; in LA, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. Getting there: in Taipei, MRT, walking or scooter; in LA, check parking first or ask about valet. Paying: in Taipei, check for a service charge, and you usually don't add an American-style tip; in LA, watch for tips and extra fees, and a service charge doesn't necessarily include the tip.
    J's Note: in Taipei, I start with what I want to eat; in LA, I also have to figure out how to book and how to get there.

  18. Two-city mirror

    Taipei: 'Hungry? Want to go downstairs and grab something?' LA: 'Where? Did you book? Is parking easy there?' In Taipei, eating is an impulse; in LA, eating is often a plan. Not every meal needs planning; it's just that getting into that one meal sometimes really does.

  19. Last word

    What's the hardest LA restaurant you've ever booked? Which food app do you open most? Tell me in the comments. Save this and send it to the travel buddy who always says 'we'll figure it out when we get there.' More LA eating and playing in Los Angeles + Las Vegas.

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).