Anyone who’s been to enough festivals knows: The music is only half of the experience. Food is a big part of the other half (the rest is split between standing and walking, ha). And whether you’re a festival vet or enjoying your first fest, you gotta eat.
Which is why Uproxx is bringing you this list of the best bites from Rolling Loud California 2025. We wanted to highlight local establishments, the sort of places with offerings beyond the typical festival food, as well as being accessible outside the fest.
The five establishments we tried are all either established institutions or well on their way to reaching that status. So, while waiting to catch ASAP Rocky’s gravity-defying set or fueling up to rage out with Playboi Carti, here were the best bets for the best bites at Rolling Loud California 2025.
Prince Street Pizza
Best known as one of New York’s favorite places to grab a pie, Prince Street sets itself apart in a city replete with options thanks to its square slices. Prince Street officially came to Los Angeles just after the city reopened post-pandemic (if there is such a thing), with a new location in the Arts District. Then, in 2024, the chain expanded, taking over the iconic Arby’s drive-thru on Sunset Blvd., recommissioning the drive-thru to sling pies for pickup. The sauce is sweet, the pepperoni is liberal and spicy, and the crust is crispy. Prince Street is a hit.
Poutine Brothers
Until I started working at Uproxx, I knew I would never try poutine without venturing to the Great White North. The Canadian dish is one of our northern neighbor’s iconic staples; french fries, smothered in gravy and cheese curds, it’s a take on loaded fries that just doesn’t get enough credit for its ingenuity stateside. But thanks to a pair of literal brothers who played hockey in Canada, Poutine Brothers’ food truck makes what once took a lengthy plane ride to become as easily accessible for Angelenos as vegan burgers and Erewhon smoothies. While the menu offers a ton of different toppings, from beef short rib to chicken tikka masala, the Uproxx team opted for the classic. It’s like mashed potatoes and gravy, but crispy.
Kogi BBQ
Is it cheating to highlight a decades-old Los Angeles institution? No. Honestly, it should be mandatory to get Kogi anytime one finds oneself within, let’s say, 10 miles of one of Kogi’s fleet of trucks. Chef Roy Choi founded Kogi BBQ back in 2008, seeking to combine the beloved Korean cuisine of his upbringing with the taco truck concept that permeates the streets of LA that he grew up in. On Saturday, the Uproxx team split tofu tacos, which combined the best of both worlds: sweet, spicy, and satisfying.
Wise BBQ
People who complain you can’t find good Texas-style barbecue in LA have a reasonably good excuse; it’s mobile. The Wise BBQ food truck finds itself working locales as far-flung as Calabasas, and in addition to gigs for Rolling Loud and Netflix, it’s got a packed calendar that may or may not be updated online. For my money, though, it produced some of the best spare ribs I’ve had since Bludso’s moved out of Compton. “Fall off the bone” doesn’t even begin to describe how tender they were.
Afters
A local ice cream chain that spans from Sherman Oaks to Temecula, Afters puts out one hell of a flavor spread. While the pictured flavor, Cookie Monster, is a vanilla-based ice cream with chocolate chip cookies, crushed oreos, and chocolate fudge, the Triple C is a go-to favorite for this writer, thanks to its combo of chocolate chips, chocolate fudge, and caramel in a vanilla base. The perfect desert after stuffing your face at Rolling Loud’s array of food trucks.
