Rytlewski & Sons

Plenty of restaurateurs talk about their love of authenticity, but few have the commitment of Rytlewski & Sons in Boyle Heights, which takes the “industrial chic” aesthetic to new heights by being a fully functional drywall factory. Patrons shouldn’t expect a traditional restaurant atmosphere with such predictable offerings as seating, waitstaff, or food. Merely being inside this gritty architectural gem with its stylish manufacturing vibe is an exceptional culinary experience in its own right. Gourmands who don’t mind inhaling gypsum dust and dodging the occasional passing forklift will appreciate how the owners have left the location in an edgy state of rawness, eschewing such tired trends as polishing the concrete floors, replacing the overhead fluorescent lighting with hanging string lights, or removing the machine that slices the drywall into 4-by-12-foot sheets. Once you’ve experienced the genuine rough-edged aesthetic of the factory-inspired dining area, take a peek out back, where the owners have smartly maintained the charm of an active loading dock instead of transforming the space into just another cookie-cutter LA beer garden.