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Categories: American (Traditional), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Eagle RockMon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Cupcakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more cupcakes. That's my summary of my experience here at Auntie Em's.
I'm always a little wary about mini-sized cupcakes. I feel that often times, they come out dry, with less flavor than the bigger ones.
But at Auntie Em's they've got their mini-cupcakes in tip top shape!
Though the chocolate cupcakes are a little too heavy for my liking, I would easily trade in my collection of beanie babies for a stash of their Coconut and Red Velvet cupcakes.
The icing on these babies is to die for. Sweet and light, I've found myself stuffing my face with one mini-cupcake after another. Mini cupcakes are ideal for me, because it keeps me from over-eating, and promotes sharing! (Except I usually just don't tell anyone that I have a massive box of mini-cupcakes hidden under the bed in my room, which I eat alone late at night when I'm feeling lonely... and... Um... yeah...)
The chocolate chip cookies here are my absolute favorite as well! Thin and crispy, yet managing to keep the center somewhat chewy with the chocolate discs melting perfectly into the perfectly baked cookie dough... Oooohhhhhhhhhhhh man. It just melts in your mouth. Cookie bits crumbling down into your shirt never felt so good.
I'm guilty of not having tried any of the savory dishes here. But I am more than willing to give it a go the next time I'm at Eagle Rock.
I just wish there was an Auntie Em's closer to my home.
I was referred to Auntie Em's from a friend. We were having a conversation about cupcakes, some names came out and Auntie Em's was the name that topped all of these other companies. My girlfriend recently took her NCLEX test and was so nervous that I ended up taking her to her test. After her test I thought I would be nice and treat her to this bomb cupcake that my friend recommended me to. Since it was in the vicinity I thought it would be a great idea. We headed out to the Eagle Rock area to check out the place for lunch and have a nice snack. The parking was pretty rough and the place was pretty small.
We got to get our table right away, the menu was on the table for quick viewing. Being a place that claims to be a cafe/deli I thought I would try a sandwich. I had their roasted turkey sandwich. I must say, their portions are extremely hefty. I didn't think I would finish the whole thing but the flavor of the horseradish mustard stood out to the point were I wanted it every time. Although sometimes the pungent sensation would be a lil over powering I enjoyed it plenty.
To end our meal we split a carrot cake. The cake was nice and moist, sweet, and full. There were bits of nuts in the cake and candied carrots on top. My only complaint about the cupcake was the amount of frosting on the top. It was very overwhelming. I do want to go back and try out all their flavors in those mini cupcake sizes. Other than the parking situation I like the small spot. The price range for each item is a lil pricey, spending avg $10 a plate doesn't sound too bad but thinking about paying ten dollars for sandwiches kinda makes you think.
Ohyea! I asked for diet coke and I get this weird all natural diet cola called Virgil's Diet Real Cola. It claims to be all natural and contains roots and herbs to top their cola flavor. According to the nutritional facts it contains way less sodium compared to D_coke and D_pepsi. It had a weird after taste which made me not want to finish my 120z drink.
I don't know if Auntie Em's would be a place for recommendation but if you are in the area and have patients or great luck with parking I would say "go for it!"
Hello, carrot cupcake. You are my favorite of them all. Chocolate, you're a close second with your dark richness and subtle sweetness. Red velvet, you are disappointing and bland.
I liked the BLAST sandwich (bacon, lettuce, avo, sprouts, tomatoes) because the bacon was crispy, like, really really crispy, yet light and not oily. The rosemary focaccia was light, fluffy, and perfectly seasoned. The sandwiches are HUGE (which is good for a ten dollar sammy) and lasted me two meals. The bf got a steak sammy with carmelized onions. He wished they added gruyere or something.
There is always a line and the service sucks, but they get away with it because the food is good. I'll be back for the cupcakes.
One of these days I'm going to try their famous red velvet cupcake, but I've got a grilled steak breakfast sandwich to eat! Steak, eggs, gruyere, ciabatta, mmm...tasty-breaking-of-the-diet.
Last weekend one of their specials was french toast. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary, french toast is french toast. Shut my mouth; along came a hearty serving of of bread pudding french toast! It was goooooood! Auntie Em, does not eff around!
Grab a cup of their coffee, find a place to sit and wait. It's worth it. Then burn off the some calories by walking three blocks to your car. It's a win-win.
My boyfriend and I are obsessed with sweets. Cupcakes in general are our favorite.
The red velvet cupcakes here are THE BEST I'VE EVER EATEN. They're HUGE and they're relatively cheap. $3.50 and they're about double the size of sprinkle's cupcakes. they are moist and the frosting is PERFECT. i want one right now actually.. this review is making me hungry.
Having lived across the street from Auntie Em's for 3 years, I must say that their food is quite bland and the only worthwhile item to consider are the cupcakes. I checked out their daily specials and had a cornbread salad of some sort. The flavors were completely flat and underwhelming. For $10, I got a big bowl of mixed greens, tomatoes, and something that resembled corn bread crumbs (not tasted nothing like traditional buttery corn bread goodness). I'm not even sure if there was any sort of salad dressing in my bowl. I actually stopped eating halfway through the meal and just pouted the rest of time.
I usually pick up a few cupcakes for someone's birthday as it seems everyone and their mom love red velvet cupcakes. Auntie Em's version with a very generous amount of cream cheese frosting is a winner. I personally like the carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Their cupcake size are on both ends of the spectrum--the mini-cupcakes are teeny tiny while the regular sized ones are about the size of a newborn baby's head (and yes, I've photographed some newborn babies next to a few of Auntie Em's cupcakes).
If you want to get a good selection of cupcakes, you have to get there early in the morning. Very slim pickings by mid-afternoon.
Granted, I have not actually eaten here.
Found parking on the street, starving and half-hungover from Friday night at the Gaslamp in the LBC, and ready for some good diner brunch grub.... but then my fiance and his bro were waiting for our table, next to be called, when one of the employees gives our table to a larger group who came AFTER us.
We tried to wait for the next table, but the restaurant, being as small as my living room (in my TOWNHOME) apparently could not accomodate us. So we bounced.
The end.
My advice: Go to a place with better service, no wait, and good food. Try Fred 62.
Came back for the oatmeal last Sunday. It was a big, tasty bowl with bananas and strawberries on top.
Still minus one star for not serving it during the week.
I hate to do this but they're loosing stars cuz oatmeal is only served on weekends....kiss my… Read more »
Didn't make it back in time to grab more pumpkin cupcakes. However, after a second try, the red velvet, carrot and coconut cupcakes are something really special. The sweet, cream cheese frosting on the red velvet is wonderful and the perfect compliment to the moist cake. They also have what is quickly becoming my new favorite cookie in LA, their massive and thin chocolate chip cookie. It's almost like a brittle, like a buttery, sugary cracker with large disc-size chips. Simply fantastic.
It's very easy to park, walk in and order a few things to go from the bakery, and I plan on doing it again soon.
4.5 stars. This was a quick bakery stop for us.
The pumpkin cupcake takes the (cup)cake. Just if I…
Read more »
So happy to have found this place and its only 10 minutes away!. today is the boyfriends birthday and i found it as a perfect chance to go here without it being packed. BUT we got there 15 min too late and they stopped serving breakfast at 11:30!!! Minus one star for that. I was dying to try their orange french toast. Anyways I got the salad and sandwich (tuna sandwich w a vegetable salad) deal which was good. Tuna could've used more flavor but the Vegetable salad was awesome! Grilled yellow and red bell peppers w mushrooms and caramelized onions. I think it was supposed to have greens but no big deal cause I liked it without the balsamic dressing, peppers have a enough juice and flavor. My boyfriend got the meatloaf sandwich which he loved. I would've liked to try their mint iced tea, next time.
AND THEIR DESSERTS!! amazing. the carrot cake cupcake is literally the best ive had. The waiter was really nice and gave my boyfriend a cookie for his birthday too. We will back for breakfast!
I went for my second visit this morning. The first time I sat outside in the front of the restaurant and ordered the caprese eggs. WONDERFUL! I never had the brainpower to put all of my favorite ingredients together with scrambled eggs. I recreated the dish at home for literally 2 weeks straight. I am currently on a hiatus from caprese anything because I ate too much of it.
My second visit was as pleasurable as the first. I sat in the back with a friend and ordered the bagel and eggs. I really need to work on ordering food that I cannot make myself and at a fraction of the cost. But it's all about the dining experience right? People complain about the service here, but I have had the best servers both times. They were friendly and always willing to offer menu suggestions. My sweet tooth was overpowered by the mini cupcakes. I took home a red velvet and carrot. Delicious on both fronts. I heard a rumor that if the cupcakes fit in your palm and are bite sized they have no calories. I won't debate it :)
Only con- parking. I had to go around the block in the residential area. I don't mind, but the rest of your party might.
Went for another meatloaf sandwich and this time it was huge! Too much. Maybe because I went earlier this time/at a busier time?
Next time I'll get the trio of seasonal salads or the seasonal salad-looks great.
The soup of the day- carrot, ginger, beet- was AMAZING. Paired with salad would be perfect.
Delicious homemade desserts besides cupcakes everyday- like oatmeal whoopie pies, strawberry muffins, gingerbread bars, etc.
and always- cool employees and clientele.
I wish they were closer to me and I wish they served dinner regularly because this is definitely a… Read more »
Finally a cool, eclectic neighborhood cafe close to the soooo uncool Glendale.
Love Love Love, the red velvet cupcakes..... minis ones too. That, along with coffee puts the wheels in motion for a nice sugar/caffeine buzz.
The food is super fresh - "gourmet meets comfort" and I believe they do catering. The coffee bar is self serve, which I'm not so hot on cuz its usually cold. In a perfect world they would have an espresso machine.
Friendly and ultra busy waiter staff (the cooks bring the food out) that and the co-op tip jar contributes to the "all for one" vibe. Jo is beyond friendly and adds a really positive air to the place.
Great atmosphere; bright and cheery rooms with tables out front as well as a back patio.
Weekend for breakfasts are a bit of a scene but that's ok. Parking can suck but what can ya do?
Its always kind of a treat to go...
Though I haven't eaten here physically, I still had an opportunity to try their famous red velvet cupcakes, when I hit up my cousin's house. Maybe because it had been a couple of hours since he bought the cupcakes, the cake wasn't really moist, but I won't hold it against them. As for the cake itself, it was actually flavorful and the frosting wasn't at all overpowering or too sweet. But the reason I don't give them four stars is because I have heard that the cupcakes are about $2.50-$3, which is kinda pricey for one cupcake. I could easily by two red velvet cupcakes at Ruby's Bakery for that price.
Overall, I will make the time to try this place out and give them a thorough review and proper rating.
Sadly, I neglected to write a review of Auntie Em's when I lived in LA but since I'm thinking about those amazing Red Velvets right now I figured I'd let my fingers do the walking...
Bottom line: I've never had a better red velvet cupcake in my life! We were introduced to them years ago by a friend who raved over them. I was skeptical - cupcakes weren't my thing. But I tried one and was blown away. Dense, moist cake. An abundance of incredible cream cheese frosting. And a cupcake so big that one truly is enough.
I'm also a fan of their coconut and carrot cupcakes as well but I'll pass on the chocolate cupcakes, which I didn't care for at all. There's a lot of buzz about Sprinkles in Beverly Hills and Magnolia's in NYC but for my $3.50 I will hands down go to Auntie Em's to fulfill any cupcake craving.
As an aside: we went there for lunch once too. I can't even remember what I had but I do remember liking what I had. A lot. But get there early on the weekends because the place is packed.
The first thing you should know before going to Auntie Em's Kitchen for breakfast or brunch on the weekend is that the locals really luv it there and all seem to go at the same time. You should expect to wait at least a half hour to 45 minutes before you are seated.
I've wanted to try Auntie Em's for some time now. I'm on their email list for their monthly Farmer's Market dinners but never had a chance to check it out. I had no idea they were featured on Food Networks "Throw Down with Bobby Flay" cupcake show. Although Bobby won I have to say their Red Velvet Cupcake is truly amazing. WOW! The frosting really makes the cupcake sing or maybe it's all that Red Dye 5.
After checking out the specials on the chalkboard...I decided to order off the menu with the open faced breakfast sandwich. All the open faced sandwiches are served on a yummy grilled ciabatta bread with Gruyere cheese and scrambled eggs. I ordered mine with grilled tomato and avocado with a side of Cajun turkey sausage. No complaints from me!
I should mention we ordered biscuits and gravy to share as an appetizer. It was very heavy...narco-sleepy food but extremely flavorful.
The service could be better...we asked for refills on ice tea, asked for knives and could never find our waitress. I would definitely come back for the food but need to be prepared for the laid back environment.
Is Auntie Em's really worth it?
Let's just say that even if Auntie Em's were run by my worst enemy, I would still try to sneak in to get some of that fabulous food, and yes, this includes their much hyped cupcakes. They really are that good. Better than sex? No, not really. But they'll do for now.
The weekend specials included biscuits and gravy & pumpkin french toast. It all sounded so great I just couldn't choose - so I got them both, not to mention an awesome artisan cheese plate with pomegranates, nuts, and bread. Everything is fresh and extremely tasty.
So get ready to endure the crowds, the mediocre service and the fairly uncomfortable seating - it's worth it.
*Make sure to get there early on the weekends as they run out of some of the specials like the biscuits and gravy fairly quickly.
The baked goods here are outstanding - hand made daily by people who actually care about the quality. Ordering (and enjoying!) the baked goods for a party or catering is a five star experience here, truly. The BLAST sandwich has always been my favorite here.
The good stuff said, I don't come here too often any more, it's busy enough in the mornings and on weekends that I just don't want to wait for a table. The main dining area can be cramped and loud during prime time, especially when the music's turned up loud. I don't want to shout across the table to be heard and be jostled when the self-centered hipsters at nearby tables try to add an extra chair to an already full table.
Parking can be tough on Sundays between the number of other customers and the nearby churches.
I'd immediately give an extra star if they'd reorganize a bit and update their coffee setup.
Stopped in to grab some baked goods.
Pumpkin muffins are out-f'ing-standing. So moist and the cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting brings it all home. I will be returning just for this item. Giant chocolate chip cookie is a big hit as well. Word on the street is the sandwiches are quality as well.
To say that I'd been wanting to go to Auntie Em's for some time would be an understatement; I had been dying to try this place since the day that I heard of the legendary ice cream scoop-sized frosting that tops each of the cupcake creations - yes, even in spite of their defeat in a Bobby Flay throwdown.
See, I'm a frosting sort of girl, and cream cheese is my krypotnite. Unfortunately, I am also lazy, making the drive up to hipsterville from OC an event of sorts. This is why my long-awaited, hyped up first visit to Auntie Em's happened to fall on the day that I attended a funeral in the area. As my friend and I wandered in mid-afternoon on a Saturday donning designer sunglasses, a suit and black dress, we were met with ever-judging looks of disapproval from both the staff and the patrons of the beloved indie eatery.
But, no matter: we're all foodies on the inside, right?
Auntie Em's menu is comfort brunch dishes, done southern style. I won't say much here besides that the open-faced sandwiches swimming in gravy, as well as the other down-home cooking are enough to make Paula Deen proud. I'm not sure if they'd have been worth the wait, though, had I had to experience the infamous 60+ minute wait for brunch.
But I was here for the cupcakes. Sadly, it was approaching 3pm, and most of the flavors were gone, including the celebrated (and my go-to) red velvet. In an instant, the visions I'd had of taking home a box containing one of everything and spending the evening blissfully sampling my decadent purchases vanished.
Instead, I returned home with the best sampling that I could get my hands on: a chocolate cupcake, a carrot cupcake, and a coconut mini cupcake. The cakes themselves were good, but not amazing; coconut was light but a bit dry, the carrot didn't hold a candle to homemade carrot cake, and the chocolate was pretty good.
The frostings, however....rich. Decadent. And left little to be desired - except, perhaps, for a glass of milk. Auntie Em's cream cheese frosting is more tart than most cream cheese frostings, which is a nice adjustment. The one that really deserves mention, is the chocolate frosting. Frosting? It was more like a ganache. Thick and rich, I felt increasingly hedonistic as I dug into the mound of sugary bliss (let's forget for a second the fact that I was already on cupcake number 3).
So Auntie Em's. Worth the trip to this hipster part of town? It is if you're really (and I mean REALLY) into frosting. But for this cupcake aficionado, though Auntie Em's proved a worthy contender, Sprinkles still holds the top spot on my list.
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3.5 -stars: good food, good desserts, spotty service, notable frosting.
i originally saw this place on yelp when i was looking for bakeries and this place has some really good cupcakes. anyway, i bookedmarked it for a place to go one day.
the bf and i were gonna go to breakfast one day so i decided Auntie Em's since they have breakfast also (and so we could pick up some cupcakes on the way out!) its a tiny hole in the wall place that probably holds about 10 tables. retro artsy interior and artsy people (near occidental college... and galco's soda pop stop)
they have self serve coffee and they have big mugs! not those dinky brown mugs you get at like Coco's
i ordered the Sloppy Jeff's Sandwich from their specials board (meatloaf, mustard seed, gouda, scrambled egg, roasted tomato chile sauce on a tellera roll.) the guy recommended this and man it was like something my parents would make with leftover meatloaf. it was nostalgic. the bread was awesome and that salsa, wow
the bf ordered Mabel's Shortstack (3 buttermilk pancakes topped with roasted organic grapes and toasted almonds) they look super thin but they were so fluffy and buttery. yum. the toasted almonds gave a nice crunch.
on the way out we ordered some Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
um.... these are the most awesome red velvet cupcakes that i have ever had so far. i wasnt a fan of Sprinkles red velvet so i was kinda ehh about red velvet in general but these are so awesome. the cream cheese frosting is rich but it goes so well with the cupcake. the cupcake itself weighs a ton but its not dense at all. these cupcakes are HUGE but they also have mini ones but for the price you should just get the big ones.
oh btw, Auntie Em's red velvet cupcakes were featured on Bobby Flay's cupcake throwdown!
I came here with a few friends a couple of weekends ago on a trip to LA. My friend loves cooking and raved about this place the whole time. She said she had seen it on the Food Network.
Right away, I liked the atmosphere. It was very cool, casual, and unique. The only problem was the wait time. It was a warm day and we had to wait outside without really knowing what was going on...
Once we were seated, I decided to order the 1/2 Sandwich & Soup Combo. I ordered turkey. Both the sandwich and salad were amaaazing! They give big portions so I'm glad I got the 1/2 and 1/2...it worked out perfectly. The sandwich was so good, the bread was so fresh, and the condiments were perfect complements to the deli meat.
At the end of the meal, they gave us three mini complementary cupcakes. They were so adorable and delicious! My friends decided to order the regular sized ones for dessert after that. They were humongous.
Overall, I had a very good experience here. I would love to come back. Oh, and our waitress was very attentive and friendly, although the rest of the wait staff seemed a little odd/hipster-esque...
Love the cupcakes here. I had a delicious sandwich here. I believe it was a chicken pesto sandwich but I may be wrong. I can't wait for more adventures at this locale. :)
Go for the Red Velvet Cupcakes. It is a little pricey, but WELL WORTH it once you sink your teeth in the delicious cake. mMmm my mouth waters at the thought of it. :]
Parking is hard to come by. Either you're lucky to get one of the few street parking right in front of the restaurants or you find street parking.
Do you love moist, delicious, beautiful cupcakes? If you said yes and are drooling right now, you must visit Auntie Em's! They have cute mini cupcakes for $1.25 I think, or gigantor cupcakes for $3.50 I think.
The red velvet is the most delicious thing I've ever put in my mouth, but I love them all. You can't go wrong with Auntie Em's cupcakes! I've gone in there at all different times and have always gotten moist, fresh, delightful cupcakes.
I WISH I HAD ONE NOW.
The only thing I'm sad about is that they close really early, even on weekends.
I went over my cousin's house last night and low and behold what was on the tray in the kitchen? A tray of Auntie Em's red velvet cupcake! I know Christmas just passed but I didn't know I would continually to recieve presents even though Christmas had passed. Oh Lordy it was delish to very last bite. The cream cheese topping that they use on their cupcake was foodgasm after foodgasm after foodgasm w/ every bite I took. I just wished that they had some more cupcakes then again I look back and it was probably for the best I didn't eat anymore because I should start to lose weight not gain. I certainly wouldve finished the whole tray but it is the season of giving, so I wouldve left a cupcake or two :P jk Would I be back? You bet your tushy
got there at 11:30am and checked in. host said it would be a 15min wait...an hour and 1/2 later we are being seated. no worries, this is my first time here and i have heard good things, so i don't mind waiting for goodness. when my three buddies and i finally made our way to the table it was time to see if the wait was worth it. its an older joint and looks like what a breakfast diner should look like (ugly/old plasticy table mats, squeaky chairs, etc...). the coffee is all self service and free. when i went to pour myself a cup the pot was labeled "cooffee"...hmmm. anyways, it was definitely a tasty cup of joe, not sure what kind of coffee it was , but it had a unique smell to it. next came the food...i ordered the cajun turkey sausage open sandwich with my eggs over easy and a side of pancakes. boosh! i love me a good breakfast and this place delivered. the pancakes were amazing and they used real maple syrup... i'll be back.
I've lived in Eagle Rock for three years now, and Auntie Em's has become my go-to place when I've had a rough week and just need a good breakfast made by someone else.
After reading other recent reviews for Auntie Em's, I feel compelled to defend this Eagle Rock gem, and point out what a beautiful thing it is to go somewhere CASUAL. Maybe it's just me (ok, obviously we know it's not- the place is packed every weekend) but at 9am on a Saturday, there is little better than walking down to Auntie Em's and after waiting outside in the sunshine with a mug of self-served coffee, eating some fresh and delicious food.
Run-on sentences aside, the servers are nice (aforementioned-on-yelp redhead with a beard is one of my favorites) the food is delicious, and the clientele is generally happy and smiling. I can usually count on seeing a lot of happy kids and dogs hanging out outside. As far as pricing goes, you can definitely drop a pretty penny there if you want, but you can also make a delicious, hearty, and reasonably-priced meal by ordering a few of their side options.
Sure if you're looking for flaws you can find them, but who really wants to look for flaws when a giant side of perfectly ripened avocado is 1.25 and you can get 'hopped up' on good coffee for 2 bucks?
There's a reason it's called Auntie Em's Kitchen, not Auntie Em's Snobnoshery. I mean come on. Go try the meatloaf.
The food is the only thing recommending the place, and though it's pretty good, it's not really enough to get me to come back.
The real problem with the place isn't the clientèle as Paul M. posits. Although it is heavy on the hippie or hipster d-bag quotient, more than that the service is supremely lousy.
When we weren't ignored, we were greeted with sneers, looks of disgust, sighs of exasperation when we asked questions about menu items. It was pretty astounding. And when they got our order wrong, we were looked at as though we had personally pissed in the waitresses urn containing her dead mother's ashes. (BTW, the question asked what are the side orders, and they didn't mess up a special order, just brought the wrong thing entirely.)
Go, if you're ok being treated badly and you want to save a couple bucks by not tipping, or just spend your money elsewhere.
* * * Public Service Announcement * * *
Do not sit at the two person table just to the left of the entrance to the main dining room. If it's busy, you will be bumped and jostled for the entire meal, start to finish. This is quite possibly the worst table in LA.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's what I thought about my visit here:
The good:
- Umm, really not much, unfortunately. I do like the
gemuetliche grunge feeling they're going for here,
but I've seen it done much better elsewhere.
The not-so-good:
- They were out of my first two choices (biscuits and
gravy, ham and egg on a pretzel bun) before 2pm.
- It took them 20 minutes after ordering to let me know
they were out of my first choice.
- My third choice -- the "spicy" braised pork shoulder -- was
underseasoned and served at room temperature. The
potatoes that came with it were also oily and bland.
- My partner's B.L.A.S.T. (bacon, lettuce, avocado, sprouts
and tomato) sandwich was okay-ish but the focaccia it
was on might as well have been from Ralphs.
I really wanted to like this place. I love southern cooking, and, from what I'd heard, it sounded like Aunie Em's could deliver. But any aficionado of southern cuisine will have their hopes crushed here. Maybe things were better here at one time, but now it seems like they are only in the business of making mediocre food for an undiscriminating student audience.
3.5 stars.
Yeah, a bit indecisive. Good enough to try again, but questionable enough so that I won't be rushing back.
Number one complaint? What's generally my number one complaint about any place? Yeah, you guessed it: the clientèle. It's not that I'm a misanthrope. I mean, humanity is GREAT. It's the people that make up humanity that bug the shit out of me.
Have you seen this episode of South Park?
http://en.wikipedia.or...
I'm pretty sure Trey Parker and Matt Stone had Auntie Em's in mind when they penned the episode, or at least a place VERY similar. Who knew there were so many hippies in Eagle Rock? I could literally TASTE the patchouli wafting through the air. It was really distracting.
The food was pretty good though. Local grown, organic, blah, blah, blah...I know I should care, but I'd rather it taste good. And it did. I had the vegetarian torta with refried black beans, avocado and egg. Yummy.
I'm not a cupcake kinda guy (and am therefore, SO VERY OVER the whole cupcake craze. Am I the only one who thinks the whole cupcake specialty bakery time thing is totally out of control? If I see one more over designed, shop in pop up in Pasadena with a name like Frosted Icing I'm grabbing the nearest brick and throwing.) Where was I? Oh yeah, despite not really having a thing for cupcakes, the carrot cake cupcake and the red velvet cupcake were both pretty good (although I had to scrape the frosting off with a back hoe.)
Service was decent, but was told that the coffee was "serve yourself." Look, I'm sitting down, trying to enjoy my breakfast and you, sir, are getting PAID and (presumably) TIPPED to be my waiter. How hard is it for you to get me a cup of coffee? You're getting my water, my food, my bill, so why draw the line at coffee?
Oh, and while we're talking about coffee, yeah, it's Intelligentsia coffee. BFD. At least when I go to Intelligetsia they have the decency to SERVE it to me.
I'm currently house hunting in the Eagle Rock/Highland Park area, so I'll give the place another chance. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions about places in that area I should check out, send them my way (preferably in the form of a yelp compliment, because, I'm like greedy that way.)
Auntie Em's has a lot going for it: a local business with casual appeal, good food, and friendly staff, the place is pretty popular as the expected 10-15 min wait proves. But the availability of self-serve coffee while you wait and while you dine is a nice touch (hefty mugs, just the way I like 'em).
As echoed by every other reviewer, yes, there is a hippy-vibe thanks to nearby Occidental College, but if you don't disturb them in their natural habitat, they generally won't aggravate your dining experience. With that said, you do get a nice, eclectic mix of people with one common goal: to get their morning-grub on.
Unfortunately, they ran out of my first and second choice, so I settled on the Honey Orange French Toast. Thickly-cut bread lightly battered, fried, and topped with slices of strawberries and bananas, the toast was crunchy, and more reminiscent of honey than orange. It was very good. What would be better? More fruit!
Our party made it a point to try their 'famous' cupcakes. I sampled the chocolate, red velvet, carrot, and coconut. The coconut was my first choice, followed by the carrot, but the chocolate was only passable, as the rich/thick frosting and crumbly chocolatey cake were not compatible. The worst offender? Red velvet. I'm sorry, the crusty cake was an absolute misfire. Just to be certain I wasn't delusional I tried my friend's piece, but the same jarring taste was there. That, coupled with spotty service and repeated missing dishes keeps me from raving about this mellow joint.
In short: breakfast fare is pretty good, just avoid the red velvet and you should be fine. If you can overlook the minor infractions, there's no reason this place can't be your favorite.
Always my favorite brunch spot! If I lived closer, I'd be here weekly! The ingredients are always fresh. My favs are the pesto+ egg caprese breakfast or the B.L.A.S.T. -- it's a BLT on rosemary foccaccia bread, thick applewood bacon, lots of avocado and sprouts ::drool::
They serve intelligencia coffee and of course their cupcakes are great. Get the red velvet cupcake, just do it, it's their specialty. And yes, they do put a bit too much frosting, just dont eat all the frosting, problem solved :)
This is the worst service I've ever ever ever gotten. They had major attitude when responding to our simple questions about the menu. After waiting 10 minutes for our food, they returned our money and asked my mom and I to leave......why? Because we were discussing our opinion of their service in the privacy of our own conversation.
Before the new ownership, the service and food was great. Post ownership sucks!!!
i LOOOVE their RED VELVET CUPCAKE! it's moist, delcious and their cream cheese frosting is mmmm! their cupcakes are BIG, good enough for two. at $3.50 a pop, but worth it! you know their red velvet is the REAL DEAL when you can taste the underlayer of cocoa. their decadent chocolate and coconut cupcakes are marvelous as well. i've tried many other cupcakes and i think they're waaay better than Sprinkles, Cupcake Co, and Ruby's. (I do love everything else at Ruby's though) No other cupcake place can compare!
Their sandwiches are great too. I haven't tried anything else because everything is A LIL PRICEY (and im a college student w/out a job), but hey, it's understandable since they use fresh, probably use more expensive quality, seasonal ingredients, and take longer to prepare dishes.
I wish the place was bigger, but the ambiance is hip, and there are always hip-looking people there.
The big winner for me though is, the wonderfully kind and cool staff, of whom, are fortuantely far from having a cold attitude.
I visited this place when I didn't know it was closed. The door was open and I walked in. They were preparing for someone's event and their cash register was locked, but they had cupcakes on hand and they gave my sister and i 2 FREE JUMBO CUPCAKES. It was soo very nice of them! One time, they were very kind to let me take my time eating when i was unaware that it was past their closing time. Also, I was short some cents another time and they brushed it off.. Auntie Em's gets 5 stars from me for this reason!
One of my favorite places to eat breakfast or lunch. They have a great relaxed atmosphere that feels like Urth Café but not as pretentious. Great open faced sandwiches with amazing cheese from one of my favorites Cowgirl Creamery and hearty applewood smoked bacon. Really good raspberry lemonade as well, even though I don't usually prefer raspberry flavored drinks, so it must be amazing for you raspberry lovers out there. They were also on Bobby Flay's Throwdown for their red velvet cupcakes.
What a quaint little breakfast spot. The decor and people here totally remind me of my days in Berkeley. I came here on a Sunday at around 11:30am so it was jam packed. It's a small place so there were more people waiting outside than seated at the restaurant. While we were waiting, my friend and I shared a red velvet cupcake. I'm not normally a cupcake fan but this one sure won me over... we even ate all of the cream cheese frosting- can someone say fatso?
I ordered the chicken breast sandwich which included bacon, avocado, and lettuce on a rosemary focaccia bread and came with a side of housemade pickles. Generous portion on the sandwich so I had to take half home. Also, I must mention that their bacon is amazing. Thick and delicious.
As for the service, I'm not sure why the previous reviewers had such bad experiences. Even though I ended up waiting a little over 30 minutes, the servers were nothing but exceptionally polite to my friend and I. We might have just been there at the right time?
I'll definitely be coming here again when I have friends over from out of town.
I popped my head in this place one day and have been meaning to go there for a while now. I finally did last weekend and it was even better than I expected. I go out to breakfast A LOT and it is hard to find something fresh and different than the norm. I was really impressed with all the daily specials utilizing local, seasonal ingredients. I ordered the root vegetable scramble with oven roasted potatoes. I have been cooking for 17 years and was so glad to see they use wiser farm potatoes and covered my eggs with cheese from the cowgirl creamery, house made salsa on the side and a nice slice of fresh bread to go with it. Of course I added a side of apple-wood smoked bacon to go with my vegetarian delight! The orange juice was fresh and the coffee was great too. I don't usually order desert with my breakfast but I had to try the baked goods too. We shared a a few cupcakes. Eggnog, chocolate and coconut. The eggnog was my favorite! I will be going back for sure and wanted to recommend this place to anyone who appreciates creative cooking.
One other thing. My boyfriend is picky when it comes to crowded places and even though there was a wait to get a table and it was crowded, the seating is not cramped at all and he really was happy about that. And our waitress was friendly and prompt which is always refreshing.
Great selection of salads and fresh deli selection. The pre-made salads can be a bit too heavily dressed for me though. Service is not always great...if you can't decide, they'll move abruptly to the person behind you (or a regular).
RED VELVET cupcakes. One of my faves for red velvet in LA :) Only enhanced by seeing them generously frost a red velvet cake in the back of the restaurant.
Cute little shop on the side for cookbooks and knick knacks, too.
What a great local hangout for the local community, as well as for students, faculty and staff at Occidental College. Our son took us there for breakfast on a Saturday morning.
The place was very busy as it was Parent's Weekend/Homecoming, but the service was great and the staff were very pleasant. Our waitress was helpful with menu recommendations. The food came out promptly and was fresh, hot and great. I had a Cajun turkey sausage open faced sandwich topped with melted Gruyere (sp) cheese and scrambled eggs. The bread slice was a little thick for my taste, but since it is fresh, I didn't mind. The salsa on the side was fresh and excellent.
Took some mini cupcakes to go...they were also very good.
Some of the negative reviews surprised me, bu I wasn't expecting a white tablecloth Sunday brunch at a Ritz Carlton. Good food, good service, eclectic bakery and fixture of the local dining scene.
How much for that?
ya know..i'm all about having a good meal and "good for you" meals when I can and this place totally has it. The minus? It's freakin expensive for what you get!!! I mean for those that have the money..hit it up because the fact is that it is tasty...it is clean...it does remind of granny's old kitchen and it does deliver great food. Unfortunately the price can at times turn me off.
A Downtown LA Tradition-City…
Neighborhood: Downtown
$4.50 Breakfast Specials
Neighborhood: Burbank
Neighborhood: Eagle Rock
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Echo Park
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Silver Lake
Category: Desserts
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Desserts
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Bakeries
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