At Joan's on Third, locals line up out the door for quite the variety of imported and domestic cheeses, gourmet salads, sandwiches, sweets and catering needs. The interior has doubled in size since an expansion, so snagging a table is no longer a minor miracle. (There are still a handful of outdoor tables as well.) It's also open for breakfast now, serving up delightful bites such as buttermilk pancakes, a house-made granola parfait and a New York breakfast sandwich composed of bacon, scrambled eggs and Monterey jack cheese on toasted country bread. Popular lunch options include the salad trio – your choice of three deli-case options such as baby field greens, tarragon chicken salad or the chopped salad – and a vast array of inventive sandwiches (Joan's Turkey Meatloaf, apricot-glazed ham and Brie, and a muffuletta, among others). Dessert should be mandatory, as lemon bars and the famed cupcakes, featuring varieties such as the peanut butter-filled chocolate cupcake or the Snickers cupcake, are stellar. No alcohol available. Serving breakfast, lunch and early dinner daily.
Where the Locals Eat rating
Best Takeout/Gourmet Takeout
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"We can't say enough good things about this catering company/gourmet marketplace. ... Owner Joan McNamara & her staff create take-out like you've never experienced. ... Joan's on Third is the Cheers of gourmet food destinations, a sort of meeting place where first-time customers quickly become regulars."
—Angeleno
"At Joan's on Third, sharing great food with her customers is the main ingredient behind her success. ... Every nook & cranny is filled with Joan's favorite delicious goodies & everything is taste tested by Joan."
—CBS, Channel 2
"In the taste department, Joan's on Third is by far my favorite spot, not just on Third, but possibly in all of Los Angeles. A magical, soul-nourishing eatery."
—The New York Times Magazine
"A mother-daughter-son-in-law team who welcome half the crowd by name. ... The cupcakes are famous."
—Los Angeles magazine
How others rate Joan's on Third
Zagat 2009
23 food rating (very good to excellent)