Do you even live in LA if you haven’t eaten a Joan’s salad during a lunch meeting? Joan’s on Third is one of those larger-than-life establishments that has become so engrained into the city it calls home they are one and the same. Joan’s is Los Angeles. And Los Angeles isn’t itself without Joan’s.
If you didn’t know better, Joan’s seems like a typical all day market + cafe spot. It’s cute. Has a decently large menu. An inviting deli case. A tempting pastry case. A convenient separate counter for coffee and takeaway. Shelves full of locally sourced pantry items and gift-able confections. What’s so special? Every city has these. Well, two things. First, Joan herself (who LA adores). Second, it’s more about the customers than the shop itself. You see, Joan’s has achieved the social clout that matters most in LA. (This time) I’m not talking about Jonathan Gold’s stamp of approval. I’m talking about the shallow, glamorous side of LA: celebrity clientele.
You see, Joan’s is the kind of place you go to not for the food (the food is great, btw), but for the sake of going to Joan’s. Because that’s what people do in LA. That’s what celebrities do. That’s what talent agents do. That’s what you do.
the details
| Address | |
| Website | https://joansonthird.com/ |
| Yelp | Third Street | Studio City |
| @joansonthird | |
| Hours | 8am to 8pm Monday through Saturday, 8am to 7pm Sundays |
| Price | $$ – pretty standard pricing but sometimes pushes that “am I seriously about to spend $8 on a PB&J for my kid?” range if you stop and think about it |
| Aesthetic | heavy on the farmhouse, with a pinterest-y seasonal flair |
good to know
Go here for: the très LA lunch experience (or for a breakfast meeting? or to pretend to be a celebrity breezily picking up some dinner? or to see who else is there??)
Order this: chinese chicken salad, short rib sandwich, garden vegetable sandwich
Amount of time to spend: depends on how busy it is, on a busy day you really won’t last long…probably an hour tops
When to come: mornings are nicely quiet. Avoid lunch rush unless you pre-order.
Parking:
- West Third: Parking is never nice in this area. They have valet in the back. Otherwise try your luck at getting a meter (sometimes doable on a weekday), or circle around the residential streets (but please for the love of parking gods, read the signs, parking enforcement is VERY aggressive in this part of town)
- Studio City: Parking is marginally better here. There’s usually quite a bit of turnaround in the meters nearby. Otherwise, there is generally free parking in the residential streets nearby, it’s just annoying to circle around and navigate the weird triangle.
Other things to note:
- They have different stations to order and pay, but if you’re in the deli line you can still order things in the normal menu.
- They have a lot of gift-able items (think: wines, cookbooks, pretty chocolates, jams, etc) that are perfect for picking up on the way to a gathering, or when you forget it’s your coworker’s birthday…
Last visited: December 2020
Last updated: December 2020
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