In Southern California, diners come in many forms, although the design of Los Angeles’ most famous eateries was codified in the mid-20th century with Googie architecture. Splashes of neon signs at an angle pointed the way to dining rooms outfitted with chrome, Naugahyde, and Formica. These old buildings had been disappearing for decades. It’s a reminder to appreciate the space-age shrines that remain, including Foxy’s in Glendale, Bob’s Big Boy Broiler in Downey, Norms in West Hollywood, and Pann’s in Westchester.
Bob’s Big Boy Broiler
If you sit on the east side of the diner, where the booths are emerald in color, you can watch the servers prepare milkshakes. Two scoops of strawberry ice cream, a fresh sliced banana and a ladle of strawberry syrup in one cup. Chocolate ice cream in another. Waffle plates topped with whipped cream and strawberries. During a busy lunch, the dessert show is on all the time. But before dessert, there are bowls of spaghetti covered in chili – the kind you’d find on a really good chili cheese soba, with shredded cheddar and diced onions. And the best corned beef hash I’ve ever had at a diner. Freshly sliced every morning, the meat tastes of coriander, mustard, and pepper. You can order a plate with eggs, pancakes and pancakes (instead of toast).
Brite Spot
This diner has been around since 1949, but the menu is a bold attempt to keep up with modern culinary trends. Happy hour features Buffalo cauliflower florets and fried pickles. At the beginning of 2020, the eatery received a full liquor license, which allowed it to serve alcoholic milkshakes. The vegan part of the menu is extensive, including plant-based versions of most classic diner favorites, including a breakfast sandwich, hamburger, and carrot loaf on a bagel. But it’s still worth going here if you’re nursing a hangover that needs some good old-fashioned lubrication. Southern decadence is a strong opponent of yesterday’s alcohol. It comes strong and stacked, with fried chicken breast, crisscrossed strips of crispy bacon, a wet fried egg and braised greens on a biscuit with honey butter and sausage gravy.
A diner on Clark Street
Grief flooded social media in January 2021 when information about the closure of 101 Coffee Shop spread. Located in a hotel across from the Hollywood Tower in a building that has stood since the 1920s, 101 has been a stable, low-key spot for actors, screenwriters, tourists, and locals for 20 years. New owner Zach Hall, who runs Clark Street Bread, has brought the space back to life and has been extremely careful to manage the community’s collective nostalgia. He has given the menu the most delicate personality transplant; the cooking under Chef Juan Pablo Garcia is probably the best this place has ever seen. Honestly, there’s no place in Los Angeles right now where I’d rather eat a stack of blueberry pancakes three times as tall. The omelets will turn out as pale or browned as you want them.