The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in September – Orange County Register

After kicking off the month with a massive heat wave, things are starting to finally cool down in Southern California.

September in Southern California marks the debut of seasonal fall flavors, such as pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon. It also welcomes soup season and more characterie boards.

Here’s a look from reporters at nearby eateries to try around Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Related: See the best things we ate in Southern California in 2024.

Ropa vieja is a dish served at Habana in Irvine. (Photo by Charlie Vargas, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ropa Vieja – Habana, Irvine

The ropa vieja at Habana is one of those items that looks like it isn’t much food, but will leave your belly stuffed. The star of the show is slow-cooked, shredded beef simmered in a rich, tomato-based sauce with a blend of onions, peppers, garlic, and spices. The sides, in classic Cuban fashion, include white rice, black beans, and semi-sweet fried plantains. If you’re unsure or new to Cuban foods, this is definitely a dish to start with.

— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

Peruvian ceviche from Akashiro in Fullerton. (Photo by Brock Keeling, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Peruvian ceviche – Akashiro, Fullerton

Akashiro is the work of Diego Kanashiro and Richard Galla (both Peruvian-Japanese) and Manuel Tam (Peruvian-Chinese), who highlight Nikkei sushi, a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese culinary traditions. And behind a set of unassuming doors in Fullerton, you will find their work, some of the most inventive sushi in Orange County. My first dish during a recent visit, the Peruvian Ceviche, proved to be a stunning medley that will go down as one of this year’s best. I mean, come now: A weighty and substantial bowl holds a delicate tangle of sliced striped bass that mingles with onions, cilantro, aji limo (a citrusy chili) and the welcome crunch of fried sweet potato. Peruvian corn and cancha completed the dish, all of which gets bathed in a spicy leche de tigre.

— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

The Best of Season Tomatoes, Burrata and Cast-Iron Focaccia WV Salt from Chef Tyler Wells’ restaurant Betsy in Altadena. (Photo by Erik Pedersen/SCNG)
Best of Season Tomatoes, Burrata and Cast-Iron Focaccia WV Salt – Betsy, Altadena

For those who don’t know the story of Chef Tyler Wells, please do yourself a favor and read my colleague Brock Keeling’s powerful story about his experience during and after the Eaton Fire. Wells’ restaurant Betsy, located on a now-nearly deserted block in Altadena next to the beloved, burned-down businesses Altadena Hardware, Steve’s Bike Shop, and Amara Kitchen, is literally a source of light in the darkness for those of us who live in the area.

Driving past it one night, not long after it reopened, I was moved to see a bustling source of life returning to the block. And so I wanted to make sure I got in to support this beautifully designed space, which has an open kitchen that incorporates a wood oven and open-flame grill for preparing everything from steak to cheesecake. While I could also rave about items such as the Wanderer New York Strip with Hotel Butter, Tallow Roasted Potatoes or Pork with Corn and Pepper Succotash and Heirloom Corn Tortillas, the most delightful surprise might have been this appetizer of tomatoes, burrata and focaccia, which was bursting with flavors sweet, acidic and lovely.

— Erik Pedersen, Features Editor

Seafood Gumbo and Catfish Platter – Louisiana Charlies, Long Beach

I have been coming to this long, running New Orleans-inspired restaurant for many years. When recently visiting Queen Mary’s Halloween event, Dark Harbor, I knew I had to go to Louisiana Charlie’s for dinner beforehand. Their seafood gumbo is some of the best that I’ve had outside of the Big Easy. You can expect to find it full of seafood, chicken sausage, and a deep rich roux. Their catfish platter is equally as satisfying, and I opted for the collard greens and mac & cheese as a side. Louisiana Charlie’s really knows how to hit the spot for good down-home cooking right on the waterfront.

— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter

Kiwi banana shaved ice served at Mewame in West Hollywood. (Photo by Charlie Vargas, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kiwi-Banana Shaved Ice – Mewame, West Hollywood

Not all non-dairy frozen treats live up to the high standard that Mewame is setting. This shop offers dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and no-artificial-flavoring or coloring frozen treats, without compromising on taste. The kiwi-banana shaved ice isn’t overwhelmingly sweet and has a hint of tart flavors, thanks to the kiwi. I loved the toasted coconut whipped cream and the chocolate gluten-free cookie on top that served as the perfect complement to the two base flavors.

— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

Domenico’s Italian Chophouse in Temecula specializes in truffles, including a Hummus & Truffle Flatbread, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (Photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Hummus & Truffle Flatbread – Domenico’s Italian Chophouse, Truffle Pig Winery, Temecula

When Avensole Winery in Temecula Valley Wine Country closed last year, its restaurant closed as well. But with the reopening of the property under new ownership as Truffle Pig Winery, the restaurant has had a remarkable rebirth with most of the same staff. Now called Domenico’s, it serves delicious fare such as Caesar Salad prepared tableside and truffles, shipped in hours after harvesting and weighed and sliced before your eyes. The extra attention makes you feel special.

— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter

Banger Lumpia’s prize-winning burger. (Photo by Brock Keeling, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Smashburger – Banger Lumpia, Orange County

September saw the first-ever Old Towne Burger Fest, where Mike Obedoza’s Filipino pop-up, Banger Lumpia, was named the festival’s inaugural champ. Here’s why his smashburgher quashed the competition: As a Filipino-American, he created a burger that reflects both sides of his heritage. First, the patty is made from ground beef marinated like traditional lumpia, with soy sauce, garlic, carrots and onions. In addition to garlic mayo and pickled cucumber slices that mimic lumpia sauce, the burger’s crowning touch is a griddle-toasted cheddar cheese layer with lacy, crisped edges. To retain the crunchy and crispy texture of lumpia, Obedoza adds a deep-fried piece of wrapper. And for the Cali component, he uses fresh jalapeños and avocado for both contrast of textures and a nod to his Southern California roots.

— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

The hojicha tres leches is on the menu at The Airliner in Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of The Airliner)
Hojicha Tres Leches – The Airliner, Los Angeles

I never thought I’d say this, but the best tres leches I’ve ever had is actually served at a bar. The hojicha tres leches at The Airliner in Los Angeles fuses Japanese and Latin American staples, leaving you scraping the plate for more. The result of these cultural flavors is a soft and moist cake with a smoky Japanese hojicha tea flavor that gives it a distinctive taste, leaving other bakers wondering how The Airliner managed to perfect this recipe. You can try to bribe the cooks (some have), but they’re not spilling any secrets.

— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

Chicken thigh, Santa Ana. (Photo by Brock Keeling, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Chicken thigh – Detention, Santa Ana

The biggest restaurant news this year is that Jason Quinn’s inventive and acclaimed restaurant Detention is calling it quits. After hearing the news, I hustled to Santa Ana to catch it during its glorious denouement. While Quinn’s menu featured cheekily named items (Super Slutty Summer Salad and Tedious Fries, to name two) and gastronomic flair, my eyes honed in on “Chicken Thigh” in the “simply grilled” section. Grilled so expertly that the skin remained brown, blistered and crisp while the meat stayed perfectly succulent – no easy feat – this thigh was a high-water mark that I desperately wish to taste again. Alas. Another major bonus? The clear chicken juices that pooled at the bottom of the plate, which I gleefully drank like a kid finishing their cereal milk.

— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

A banana sundae from O’s Ice Cream in Upland. (Mercedes Cannon-Tran/SCNG)
Banana Sundae – O’s Ice Cream, Upland

Located in charming downtown Upland, O’s Ice Cream really knows how to dish up delicious flavors. A banana split is super nostalgic for me, so to have the opportunity to get it in a smaller format, as the banana sundae has been perfect. This time around, I chose the banana rocky road and O’s Ice Cream shop original, along with a chocolate fudge brownie and a strawberry drizzle. They offer seasonal, rotating flavors, such as their Amore sorbet, featuring blood orange and pomegranate for summer, and I’m really looking forward to their fall lineup.

— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter

Marine Tide Matcha from Whata Peach in Studio City. The beverage is a collaboration with Hilary Duff’s company Below 60. (Carolyn Burt, SCNG)
Marine Tide Matcha – Whata Peach, Studio City

Hey now, hey now, this matcha is what dreams are made of. Why the Lizzie McGuire reference, you ask? Well, the Marine Tide Matcha is actually a collaboration between Whata Peach and Hilary Duff’s essential oil fragrance brand Below 60. And as a day-one Hilary Duff stan, I had to give it a try.

The drink is a blend of blue spirulina, butterfly pea flower tea, organic ceremonial matcha, agave-sweetened cold foam, and vanilla, and the presentation of all these earthy layers is definitely Instagram-worthy. Now for the flavor, if you like your drinks sweet, this is the one to get. The cold foam gives it a birthday cake-like flavor, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Additionally, 100% of proceeds from the limited-time beverage go towards Marine Mammal Care, a local nonprofit focused on rescuing and rehabilitating marine life in Los Angeles.

— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer

See more of our monthly round-ups of the best things we ate in Southern California

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in August

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in July

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in June

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in May

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in April

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in March

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in February

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in January

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in 2024

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in November

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants this October

The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in September

The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in August