Decision fatigue is a real issue when it comes to dining in Los Angeles. With so many fantastic restaurants to choose from, the first hurdle is simply deciding where to go for your next meal out. Once you’ve narrowed that down, you’re then faced with menus that can range from sparse to compendious, like the famous 300-item menu at Thai Town’s Jitlada.

But sometimes, one dish emerges as a house specialty. It takes the pressure off knowing that there’s a crowd-favorite item that never fails to delight.

“I love signature dishes and hate when restaurants run out of them,” says Cento Pasta Bar chef Avner Levi. The restaurant is known for its spicy pomodoro that’s topped with whipped ricotta and verdant basil oil. “Its popularity wasn’t something I expected; the dish just took on a life of its own.”

Even though the popularity of the dish can put pressure on the kitchen, Levi sees the signature dish as a sort of blessing because “it makes it easier for guests to come back and be more adventurous with seasonal dishes as they know the staple will always be there.”

There are tons of legendary foods in L.A. — take the chili cheese dog that customers line up for at Pink’s Hot Dogs or the plump xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung. Next time you want to take the guesswork out of ordering, try the signature dish at one of these 15 L.A. restaurants, from garlic chicken at a long-standing Cuban spot to a memorable salad in Pasadena.

Jessie Schiewe is a freelance journalist.