Why Drive to LA When the Inland Empire’s Dining Scene Is This Good?
For years the default answer to “Where should we go for a nice dinner?” was Los Angeles. That answer is changing fast.
The Inland Empire now offers everything from award-winning seafood and authentic regional Mexican to polished Italian, craft BBQ, and vibrant food halls — all without the 90-minute (or longer) drive, parking fees, and freeway stress.
In Riverside, Market Broiler continues to rank among the top seafood spots year after year. Upland’s Spaggi’s delivers refined Italian that regularly earns high diners’ scores. Redlands has quietly become a food destination thanks to Redlands Public Market, where you can move from sushi to French pastries to Mazatlán-style seafood in one evening. New openings keep arriving: Mediterranean spots, Japanese kitchens, Yucatecan taquerias, and even shaved-snow dessert shops.
The real convenience? You spend the evening eating and talking instead of sitting in traffic on the 10 or 60. You support local restaurants and local jobs. And when you’re ready for the next course or a nightcap, everything is still close to home.
Next time the craving hits, check the Inland Empire Xperience directory. Great tables are already waiting for you right here.