Living in the city of Downey is immersing yourself in a place brimming with hope and prosperity.
This diverse community is right smack in the heart of Los Angeles County, around 15 miles from downtown. It’s 5 miles from Orange County and a host of restaurants, beaches, shops, and other LA attractions.
Downey’s population of 111,645 represents a 4% increase since the year 2000. Hispanics make up 71% of residents, followed by White at 14.5%, and Asian at 8.3%.
The city has over 750 retail shops, around 100 of which are found in the central business district. Stonewood Shopping Center has 90 retail stores, while the rest are spread over 35-plus adjacent areas.
The community has excellent recreational options and library programs that cater to residents across all ages. Eleven city parks are sprawled over nearly 100 acres of land. The public school district is known for its high standards, with a student-teacher ratio of 25 to 1. This allows the teacher to focus on the needs of students even more.
Downey is also known for public safety and cleanliness.
In the 1920s, the aircraft industry supplanted agriculture as the driving force of the economy. The Apollo program’s Saturn V booster rockets and lunar landing modules were built in Downey. The city’s aerospace engineers crafted five space shuttles. It’s not surprising that Downey is the home of Columbia Memorial Space Center, a hands-on educational area dedicated to the legacy of the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew, particularly the seven astronauts who lost their lives in the tragic Columbia disaster in 2003. It housed the full-scale mock-up of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, measuring 122-foot long by 35-foot tall.
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LOCAL FAVORITES
When it comes to food, the restaurants in Downey are as diverse as the community, serving an array of cuisines, from the tried and true – it’s worth noting that the oldest existing McDonald’s outlet (founded 1953) still stands – to flavors that circle the globe.
Among the highly-rated ones are:
- BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse | 121 Stonewood St, Stonewood Center This chain serves handcrafted beer and a wide selection of house brews. Bestselling menu items include its Chicago-style deep dish pizza and freshly baked chocolate chunk and caramel salted Pizookies (pizza-sized cookies),
- Bob’s Big Boy Broiler | 7447 Firestone Blvd. Talk about longevity. This burger joint which boasts original double decker hamburgers has been around since 1958 when drive-through diners were a thing. Thus, its vibe recalls a long-gone era when classic cars, hot rods, and carhops ruled the day. Also on the menu are a variety of waffles, omelets, chicken dishes, and others. The restaurant in Downey has been featured in films like Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”
- California Fish Grill | 8990 Apollo Way, Promenade This highly rated restaurant in Downey serves sustainable fried and charbroiled seafood. Its wild-caught, farm-raised seafood has been declared by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program as the Best Choice or the Good Alternative. The same program rated the restaurant “Eco-Certified by a Third Party.” This relaxing restaurant in Downey also offers chicken, fish tacos, wine, and beer.
- Chris’ & Pitt’s BBQ Restaurant I 9243 Lakewood Blvd. This family-owned chain of cozy restaurants is an institution. It has been dishing out original, Texas-style, wood-fired BBQ for more than 70 years. Also known as the Home of the Live Wood Fire, this restaurant in Downey serves original sauce recipes created in owner Chris Pelonis’ kitchen. They include the BBQ sauce, Hawaiian chicken sauce, and French, ranch, and blue cheese dressings.
- Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar | 8800 Apollo Way Owner Jackson Hole came up with the catchy name after seeing a dog in front of the fireplace and wishing there was a place where people can enjoy things as much as a lazy dog does. Thus, this resto-bar chain with handcrafted American food and drink sprinkled with seasonal ingredients has that small mountain town feel. The service is warm and welcoming. The rustic setting invites friends and family to enter and enjoy themselves.
- Lock & Key Social Drinkery + Kitchen | 11033 Downey Ave. Customers are lured by the servings of honey walnut shrimp the size of tiger prawns, bone-in ribeye, and OG burger. Servings are huge, the menu is diverse, and the alcohol offerings, good. Service is great as well.
- Pieloon | 10822 Lakewood Blvd. Relax and go back in time as this country diner-like restaurant in Downey serves favorites it has been offering for more than 30 years – steaks, omelets, sandwiches, and others. It also runs a bar so you can cap your night or hectic week with a round of drinks. The place has not forgotten the little ones, who can dine in a family-friendly ambience. They can also join big parties in this popular restaurant in Downey.
- Pop’s Café | 7840 Florence Ave. This family-operated eatery serves familiar American breakfast and brunch composed of pancakes, sandwiches, hashbrowns with grilled onions and bell pepper, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon, among others. . The homey vibe and friendly service have attracted and maintained satisfied customers through the years.
- Stinkin Crawfish | 8240 Firestone Blvd. This chain restaurant in Downey is tops when it comes to seafood like crawfish, shrimp, oysters, lobsters, and others. Their lunch specials and signature meals like catfish and shrimp come with seasoned fries and coleslaw, or rice and sausages. You can also order crabs, mussels, clams, crawfish, shrimp, and lobster by the pound. Stinkin Crawfish prides itself in receiving the Small Business of the Year award in 2019.
- Stox Restaurant Bakery & Bar | 9518 Imperial Highway This long-standing restaurant in Downey has come a long way since it started as a 20-seat eatery in 1962. As such, it has become a landmark and a go-to place for American staples like fried chicken, chops, and freshly-baked pies. It has been synonymous with home-cooked food and a vintage feel. Customers have passed on the tradition of enjoying good food and service to the next generation.
- Toast Kitchen & Bar | 467 Stonewood St. This 5-star, cozy restaurant in Downey serves amazing fried steak, Spanish omelets with the hash brown chips, truffle fries, chorizo burgers, strawberry cheesecake, french toast, classic eggs benedict, chicken and waffles, and more. The mimosas are great, too. Best of all, servers are attentive.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS
The flavors of Peru in Downey, CA: Ceviche and squid chicharron
Being located at the heart of bustling Los Angeles County means attracting people from all walks of life and ethnic origins. Moreover, it reflects a demographic shift, where cities and towns across America have gone from “majority white to majority-minority,” none more so than in Los Angeles County. Thus, Downey’s culinary landscape is diverse and wide ranging, seen in the number of restaurants serving Peruvian and other international flavors.
Peruvian cuisine
- El Salto del Fraile | 7639 Firestone Blvd. This restaurant in Downey is an ode to Peruvian flavors, including ceviche, Peru’s national dish. On the menu is ceviche de pescado, sea bass marinated in lime juice with red Peruvian chili. Accompanying this is Peruvian-style corn choclo or corn. Ceviche mixto, on the other hand, adds more seafood to the mix, including mussels, clams, and shrimp. Other Peruvian classics served here are: lomo saltado (stir-fried beef), aji de gallina (creamy chicken), and pollo a la brasa (roasted chicken), among many others.
- Fernando’s Restaurant | 9484 Firestone Blvd. Menu must-tries include ceviche mixto,lomo saltado,ají de gallina, papa a la huancaína, papa rellena, and various saltados. Don’t skip the yummyalfajores,ice cream,andflans. Beverages are great and so are the service and the friendly staff. You may come as you are, sit back, and relax in this casual restaurant.
- Parrilla’s Cholito Restaurant | 12121 Paramount Blvd. Peruvian breakfast mainstay pan con chicharrón is the star of the show. This sandwich can be topped with flavorful items, in this case thin, round slices of sweet potato. Fried pork, or chicharrón, on the other hand, is salty and sweet, thanks to its salsa criolla topping. Then there’s two different kinds of chili sauce, or aji. Thick, tangy crema de aji amarillo has mayonnaise. Aji verde, on the other hand, also leaves a strong aftertaste depending on the kind of the serranos (chili pepper) chosen for the day.
- Toyitos Chicken | 8510 Paramount Blvd This restaurant in Downey is tucked between a dental clinic and insurance firm. Toyitos Chicken may be small but it’s big in flavor and followers. Its rotisserie chicken, served with french fries, white rice, and iceberg lettuce salad, has been pleasing palates for 20 years. Order other bestsellers like cilantro-based chicken soup aguadito, and you’ve got an even bigger winner. Owner Daniel Goya added tortillas de maiz to the menu as a nod to American tastebuds.
Mexican cuisine
- Diosa | 8432 Firestone Blvd. The vibe is energetic, the staff attentive. The restaurant serves Mexican street corn, carnitas (braised pork), sea bass, tiradito (ceviche with the fish sliced rather than cubed), queso fundido(melted Oaxacan cheese, mozzarella, sharp white cheddar, fresh oregano, and chile flakes served with warm tortillas). Browse their lunch, brunch, and Goddess Hour menus here.
- La Barca Grill and Cantina | 11010 Paramount Blvd. The restaurant has been serving a wide range of fresh food – shrimp fajitas, tampiquena (steak topped with beg and cheese), rib eye steak, salmon a la mango, ceviche de pescado, tostada de camaron, enchiladas suizas (rolled meat tortillas with a creamy sauce), and tostada mixta – since 2012. The chefs only use the freshest ingredients. The menu is wide ranging, including a separate selection for breakfast.
- Tempo Cantina | 12056 Paramount Blvd. This restaurant with a Japanese-Mexican ambiance boasts a wide selection of tacos, with Mex/sushi offerings. Also on the menu: asada (roasted meat), pork belly bites, and classic drinks like micheladas (beer, lime, spices). Service is fast.
Italian cuisine
- Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant | 12036 Lakewood Blvd. This restaurant chain in Downey has over 20 years of experience in serving Italian-style staples like lasagna, spicy shrimp & chicken, and menu items in family platters enough to feed three persons. Customers love their toasty bread with olive oil and herbs. A cozy bar has monitors that allow patrons to watch sports matches. Meal portions are big, and the staff is attentive.
- Olive Garden Italian Restaurant | 9253 Firestone Blvd., Stonewood Mall This American chain is popular for its Italian-American fare such as chicken fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, and shrimp scampi. Other crowd-pleasers are unlimited fresh salads, and warm, soft breadsticks. You may create your own lunch combo or pasta bowl with various traditional Italian favorites and light Italian fare. Dinner means appetizers, soups, salads, make-your-own pasta bowls, classic dishes, family-style servings and child-friendly fare.
- The Downey Pizza Co. | 9026 Florence Ave. Home of the original pastrami pizza, The Downey Pizza Co. has been around since 1922 and also serves an array of Italian favorites like calzones, pastas, and sandwiches such as the Italian sub, filled with cotto salami, mortadella, and ham, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pepperoncini, and Italian dressing. Specials include chicken fettuccini alfredo, penne pesto pasta, meat lasagna, and tuna salad.
Mediterranean cuisine
- Green Olive | 9234 Lakewood Blvd. This pioneering restaurant in Downey, the first to serve Mediterranean cuisine, offers food served fresh and quickly. Twelve years of experience in the business has produced unique servings of vegetarian platters, wraps, lamb chops, chicken and beef shawarma , shrimp kabob, and others. Kids meals are available, too.
- Pita GR | 9905 Paramount Blvd. Pita GR takes its inspiration from traditional pita sandwich shops in Greece. Patrons enjoy the round, soft flatbread stuffed with their choice of lamb, chicken, pork, or falafel. Also on the menu: classics like spanakopita (spinach pie), souvlaki (skewered meat and veg), hummus, and more.
Japanese cuisine
- Kyoto Sushi | 8009 Florence Ave. This neighborhood sushi place gets five stars for its amazing rolls, edamame, and what else – sushi! Customers can’t get enough of the dragon rolls and salmon rolls, too. Hite beer 749 goes well with the sushi. Fresh, flavorful food is served in a welcoming, ambiance.
Sweet treats
- Creamistry | 11146 Downey Ave. This all-time favorite serves vegan and organic liquid nitrogen ice cream. The flash freeze makes each scoop creamy, rich, and fresh. Customers choose their own base and the kind of ice cream they go for. This is then mixed with liquid nitrogen.
- La Michoacana Lab Downey | 7403 Florence Ave. This highly-rated dessert shop specializes in ice cream, cheesecake, crepes, and canapes. Kids love the elote cup (corn in a cup). The staff is welcoming.
- Pasteleria Tres Luceros | 12934 Paramount Blvd. This well-known bakery creates cakes that meet every client’s tastes, with options to choose theme, color, and style to make the cake unique. The churros and tres leches are also in demand.