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Griddle Cafe
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
7916 W Sunset BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90046
Neighborhoods: Hollywood, West Hollywood
(323) 874-0377
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 4 pm
Sat-Sun 8 am - 4 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2290 reviews for Griddle Cafe
Review Highlights
-
"LOVE LOVE LOVE their red velvet pancake." In 115 reviews -
"MMMMM That french toast with peanut butter was AMAZING." In 764 reviews -
"My new fave is the POACHED y PAPAS BENEDICT." In 65 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
2290 reviews in English
-
Review from John L.
5/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
We were looking for breakfast in LA and found this with over 2000 reviews!!! You gotta be kidding me!! Must try!!!
Did not disappoint! We were quite lucky. got there just before the rush. A rush on Monday morning??? Yup!!! Long lines when we left. I feel so lucky.....
My huevos rancheros were pretty good 4 stars. Not quite as large a proportion as I thought it'd be considering the size of the pancakes I saw coming out but large enough fill me up. The french toast was AWESOME!!! Up there with THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD!!!! 5 stars!!!! I will be back when I visit LA. Wanna try the omelets and the pancakes..... Wish I was there right now.....
Prices are fantastic also considering middle of LA with awesome fod.
Just a curious observation.... all the workers (kitchen, waiters, everybody) are male. -
Review from Grace K.
West Covina, CA
5/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I were looking for a yummy breakfast place and came across the reviews on Yelp.
The pancakes are definitely the highlight of this place because they are the size of your plate and super fluffy with a ton of selections! My friend got the red velvet pancakes with "cream cheese", which was good but a little too sweet for her palette. I got the blueberry pancakes, which I opted for whole wheat batter and was still delicious. It came with a scrumptious sour cream blueberry sauce so it was the perfect balance of sweetness.
Get the coffee there! You get your own individual French Press coffee and they have soy milk as well. Only con would be their shrimp scramble. My friend ordered it and was just a few shrimp and vegetables, nothing too special but not bad either, just not something I'd order over the pancakes.
Quick and friendly service. Our food came out fast so not much to complain about.
Additional tips: Order the short stack because you will have a hard time finishing one pancake (pretty dense), park on the street if you can get a meter, and go early because the place gets busy real quick. -
Review from Ala S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
"Pancakes the size of my steering wheel. No--bigger." This was the first thing I ever heard about Griddle Cafe, and I was certainly not disappointed!
This place is loud, bustling, and certainly great for an outing if you're not looking for the world's most immersing conversations. Thankfully, you won't need very much conversation, because you'll probably spend a large majority of your time trying to dig your way through their 3-pancake platters. My friend and I ordered the "A Time to Love," which involved a sinful amalgamation of pumpkin puree, butterscotch, pecans, caramel, and the obligatory whipped cream and powdered sugar. We finished a grand total of...wait for it...*one* pancake. We are hungry beasts, really--just not that beastly.
I'm not sure I would go back for the food unless I'm looking for a serious way to drown my sorrows in a deeper sorrow of diabetic bliss, but it definitely is a place to experience at least once! -
Review from Lawrence L.
Covina, CA
This place serves a pretty awesome breakfast once you get past the parking and the waiting and actually get in...
The wait on the weekend can be long, we waited for 45 minutes at noon on Sunday. Don't write your name on the waiting list yourself, and don't arbitrarily get in the back of a line as there are multiple lines depending on the size of your party, check in with the host/hostess directly as they can be persnickety...
Parking in the area can be treacherous, I didn't heed the advice of my fellow Yelpers to park in the RiteAid lot and wound up with a parking ticket around the corner on the residential street; turns out that you can park for only 1 hour (?) unless you have a residential permit...
Customers are overflowing onto the 5 or 6 sidewalk tables from the packed seating inside, elbow room is tight with inside seating. The portions tend to be large so adjust your appetite...
The Poached y Papas Benedict with extra avocado was marvelously done. A generous slab of seasoned baked ham was adorned with two perfectly poached eggs, an incredible Hollandaise sauce, and (extra) avocado slices. All of this was sitting on top of a couple of slightly hollowed and crispy baked potato skins, their take over a traditional English muffin. The eggs were particularly done well, once the tender membrane was pierced, a golden lava of egg yolk gently drizzled over the top to combine with the rich buttery Hollandaise sauce and the salty savory ham. A separate side of potatoes isn't needed with this dish as the skins suffice...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I wasn't going to let Mrs. L. steal the entire show with her Benedict, even though we always share. I had the Strawberries and Cream Waffles. The Belgium waffle had deep crevasses to hold the Vermont maple syrup, the best kind in my opinion, just pure sweetness. The waffle also had a brown sugar sour cream topping that added another element of creamy sweetness to the dusting of confectioners sugar and the fresh strawberry slices. Just going through the different layers of sweetness to get to the crispy fluffy waffle was rewarding and fun...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
French pressed Coffee is particularly rewarding and worth the short time to allow it to brew in the individual press pots. The coarser ground releases more intense coffee flavor and oils using this method that is otherwise trapped by a conventional paper drip filter resulting in a deeper tasting cup of coffee...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The service that we received from our waiter Mark was congenial and attentive, especially considering how busy it was. He came back twice to check if we were ok and to refill our coffee. I even forgave our mecurial host for the terse lecture I initially received when I was ignorant of the waiting system when we first arrived as his demeanor seemed to soften by the time we were led to our table, By then he seemed friendly as time heals...
Armed with the knowledge that there is better parking and that I can forgive the wait for the terrific food we had, I could raise my rating to a five star the next time we make it out here... -
Review from Shaina R.
Los Angeles, CA
5/22/2012
The food was pretty good, but oh so bad! I indulged in their huge french toast with strawberries and loved it but my stomach did not agree with me.
It's pretty interesting seeing the crowd that surrounds you. I went on a Saturday morning and I was surrounded by tons of people wearing what it looked like to be their party clothes for the night before.
I had to wait an hour for a table and another hour for my food. All the waiters were pretty good though, pretty good looking that is! The typical LA servers that all look better than you because their striving actors/models.
This place is constantly talked about and visited by stars. Pictures of them at the restaurant are all over the restaurant.
I would go again but not anytime soon. -
Review from April P.
Cerritos, CA
5/22/2012
| PROS |
- Best pancakes ever. Love the Black Magic!!
- Servings are huge. 2-3 people can share 1 order of the pancakes.
- Omelettes were tasty! Make sure to get a variety of food there... eating only pancakes can get a bit too much!
- Servers are awesome!!
| CONS |
- Gets packed quick!
- Super loud when sitting inside
- Parking -
Review from Laura O.
Whittier, CA
5/19/2012 2 photos
Have you heard?
Heard what?
A-well everybody's heard about the bird
Bird bird bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, bird is the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, well-a bird is the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, b-bird's the word
...but have you heard the word in town saying this is the best breakfast place..ever!?!
Now that's the word!
Other words include:
-Giant
-Delicious
-Huge
-Delicious
-Big
-Delicious
-Best
-Delicious
-Massive
-Delicious
-Favorite:
pancakes, french toast (primarily: Peanut Butter Crunch & Cheesecake), breakfast plates, potatoes, & Vermont Maple Syrup!
Sooo,
umamaumau umamaumau
You gotta try this place at least 500 times in your life and the next word that will be added to the above list is: love! -
Review from Lindsey N.
Manhattan, KS
5/24/2012
Pancakes are killer there!!!! Miss this place a ton!
-
Review from Nutflsh Z.
Los Angeles, CA
5/15/2012
Simply the BEST breakfast spot in the world!
I have been coming here for years and their amazing food is still consistent! Their fresh coffee is still consistent! The great service is still consistent! Even the donkeys you will stand next to while waiting for a table are still consistent! The early bird gets the worm here! It pays to arrive before 9am or don't bother coming unless you enjoy long waits and donkeys.
The Food:
The "Mom's French Toast" is the best French Toast one will ever experience, so good it will spoil your taste buds and you will never eat French Toast anywhere else! Words cannot describe how amazing this dish truly is. You will want to crawl under the table and eat it like a dog so that no one disturbs you!
Their "Uncle Buck" sized pancakes are out of this world and will satisfy any stomach! EVERY Pancake dish on the menu is outstanding, even the "Bailey's & Kahlua"! But seriously, they are bigger in size than a toilet seat, just order 1 single pancake instead of the usual 3 and you still won't finish it.
What amazes me the most about The Griddle is that they pride themselves on serving the best of everything, even down to their bacon. Their bacon is THICK and MEATY and perfectly cooked every time, the BEST bacon one will ever taste!
They DO have a secret dish here that is only available to those who whisper the secret word into their server's ear......however if I told you the secret word, it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Those that figure out the secret word will be rewarded with an over the top sweet tasting French Toast dish that resembles more of a dessert.
Their coffee is always fresh and brought to the table for the customers to press themselves. They have 3 different styles of coffee to choose from and they are ALL incredible! It is almost worth the long wait for their coffee alone (almost).
The bottom line is The Griddle is without a doubt, the best breakfast restaurant in L.A.! Whether you are an Angeleno or just a visiting tourist, this place will please every time. Those that rise early will be handsomely rewarded, those that do not.....will be waiting for hours while being surrounded by donkeys and guys attempting to give the quick "Kiss Off" to their now regrettable dates they woke up next to. Enjoy! -
Review from Sarah M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/7/2012
Two years after placing Griddle Cafe on my mental bucket list, I had the joy of experiencing the hype for myself a few weekends ago. SO WORTH IT.
Long story short:
If you consider yourself a TRUE Angeleno, you must eat here at least once. All the stories you've heard/read/encountered...are all true. Yes, the pancakes here are more like dessert and are richly indulgent. Yes, their plates are bigger than the size of your head. Yes, everything tastes amazing. Go. Just do it.
Short story long:
No wait at 1 p.m. on a gorgeous Saturday?! Our lucky day! The three of us were seated at the counter and promptly handed drinks and menus. (If you want a table, you'll have to wait - but the counter is fine, and it's nice to be near where all the cooking/serving action is.)
We ordered:
1. The red velvet pancake (of course) - 3.5 stars
We had to try it. It was essentially a thicker, denser red velvet cupcake in the shape of a huge pancake, smothered with cream cheese frosting and powdered sugar. I'm not really a fan of red velvet to begin with, but this was pretty good. Be forewarned, it's very sweet - but it doesn't taste grossly artificial, and the cream cheese frosting is good quality. If you like red velvet, it's worth a try.
2. Yellow Brick Road pancakes (butterscotch, streusel, and walnuts) - 500000 stars
MY GOD. You know when a dining establishment has that one amazing dish that you remember the flavor of and crave time and time again? (Or not...maybe I'm just a Fatty McFatty.) ANYWAY, THIS WOULD BE THAT DISH AT GRIDDLE CAFE. 3 huge, dense-but-still-fluffy pancakes chock-full of butterscotch chips, fresh crunchy walnuts, and light streusel. I love how the Griddle Cafe doesn't skimp on ingredients - if they say that something's in there, there's going to be a lot of it. Everything in these Yellow Brick Road pancakes went together deliciously. They heaped a mound of fresh whipped cream on top, which promptly began to melt from the heat of the pancakes.
It's worth noting that Griddle Cafe isn't just about stuffing insane, dessert-like ingredients into pancakes. They do that. But they're also pretty gourmet. The stuff they use isn't some cheap grocery store crap that they cover up with an excess of sugar. Everything tastes fresh and high quality. AND AMAZING.
3. Caballero breakfast burrito - 4.5 stars
Stuffed with scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, mounds of avocado and chorizo, rice, and cheese. I could have skipped this dish, but the guys wanted something savory to go with our pancakes. The burrito was excellent - not too salty or greasy, hot and fresh, and easily over a pound. It came with a side of perfectly hot, crunchy, and delicious tortilla chips. I really appreciate chips that aren't smothered in salt, grease, or - God forbid - a soggy combination of the two. No gross finger wiping necessary. These chips were clean, crisp, and legit.
Service is amazing. Despite the 2398429387429 million that frequent this place daily, they manage to get your order out quickly, efficiently, and nicely. We never felt pressured to rush our meal or afraid to ask for anything. These guys know how to make you feel welcome and happy even before the food comes out. (They're not ogres, either - definitely spotted a Nick Lachey circa 1998 lookalike, and 98% of the employees look like less-buff Abercrombie & Fitch models.)
This is probably my longest review ever, but then again, I've literally waited for years to try this place. I'd go again in a heartbeat - an artery-clogged heartbeat. I suggest eating nothing but lettuce for a week before AND after your visit, and eat your leftovers during Spinning...you will undoubtedly have leftovers.
With tax and tip, the three of us each spent only around $11, since we split the orders among us. Not bad for LA, and definitely a great deal considering the quality and portions of the food.
AND free parking with validation. I mean, does it get any better?! -
Review from Roy P.
West Hollywood, CA
5/14/2012
Massive pancakes - check.
Having lived down the road at the Mondrian for some time, this place became somewhere I went to all too often. Laptop in tow, a table outside, and yummy food that could fill up any sports team in its entirety.
The pancakes here should mention that one dish feeds 4 people. No lie. They have some pretty amazing pancake combinations, although I haven't tried them all, and my personal favorite dish is an egg white omelet with shrimp and avocados that's too die for.
There's almost ALWAYS a wait unless you're that early bird that arrives the moment they open, but it's always a good meal and totally worth the wait. -
Review from S V.
Northridge, CA
5/10/2012 3 photos
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I thought I had to start off my review with that :D
Anyhooooow, I came here with my brother & cousins ...wait can be hell if you don't kind of tell them before hand or show up late expect to wait !
It's also sooooo crowded in there && extremely loud , they need a bigger place , but my review for 5 stars as always is for the food .
The server was friendly so that was great being that it was kind of cramped & food was delicious so let's get on with it !
Banana nana pancakes (3.5): Server said this was one of the best sellers && very popular , honestly this was my least favorite thing , because I can easily make this at home :( && compared to all the other fantastic things it's not very interesting ! Should have tried the red velvet !!! Definitely will get that next time, but it's ok we all shared so it's not like I ordered it just for myself !
*Special* Oreo French Toast (5): Usually they only do this with pancakes but they were having a special, again we all took a part of it since we were sharing, omgggggg best french toast i've ever had, so unique & yummy tasting, the oreo was like inside && I think they tried to replicate the icing inside and used that on the french toast, it was sweet but such indulgence good thing I didn't order one myself !
Yes MOST things on the menu are sweet, that's why it would be wise to order a bunch && share from different parts of the menu , I think that's why we had a great experience !
Huevos Rancheros (4): Yummyyy this is one of fav breakfast items, && it didn't dissappoint, everything was on it, but I also think they had waaaaay too much cheese, but 2nd best huevos rancheros I've ever had in my life so that's good !
Also got tea which was yummy , came in that cool modern tea steeper they now have ! Great place for a different kind of breakfast you won't find around the corner, unless you live in the heart of LA (then I'm jealous) I will be sure to check out more of their crazy menu items next time since the special turned out so great...looking forward to red velvet && CARROT CAKE mmm ! -
Review from Rhea B.
The wait was ridiculous. A lot of bad luck trying to get seated, so when we finally were seated at a table, expectations were up there! Unfortunately, the Griddle Cafe was disappointing. Perhaps I was let down because I didn't follow the advice from the Yelp crowd and should have ordered the Red Velvet Griddle Cakes. Instead I ordered the BLUESberry Griddle Cakes. The sour cream mixed with mashed blueberries didn't taste like anything; they really had no place on my griddle cakes. I ended up pouring old fashioned syrup on top and STILL, it didn't taste like anything special. Size doesn't matter if the quality isn't there.
Sorry, but I've definitely had better. -
Review from Yibing Q.
Manhattan, NY
5/12/2012
Best brunch experience ever in my life.
I trusted fellow yelpers and ordered the top 3 brunch dishes as recommended.
(1) peanut bubba french toast - so crunchy and peanut butterish as promised! The whipped cream went really well with the toast! I really liked this dish - one of the best French toasts ever savoured in my life!!
(2) eggs benedict y papa - an abstract version of the traditional eggs benedict. Baked potato + thick, big slab of bacon + generous layer of hollandaise sauce + two nicely poach eggs! The different pieces of the dish did not look that appealing ... But when placed all together into the mouth, it was so mad satisfying!
(3) finally ... Moving onto its red velvet pancakes! The pancake was so fluffy! The red velvet choc taste could be more accented ... But I could not ask for a better ending to my brilliant brunch experience!
Was seated immediately when my party of 4 walked in at 11am on a Friday (was lucky to have one booth empty). The diner was really crowded and loud - lotsa nice-looking people around.
The portions were large and all below $10. Such an affordable experience for a new yorker who is so used to overpriced and hardly adequate brunches.
If I live on LA, I will come here every week. -
Review from Marie R.
Los Angeles, CA
5/22/2012
The Best EVER!
-
Review from Dana C.
5/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I remember seeing this place listed on a Top Ten list for LA food. My co-worker and I decided to give it a go on the last day of our business trip - a sunny Saturday Morning. We arrived and it looked like there would be quite a wait. The place was packed. I'm not sure how we had so much luck on our side but we got in immediately, last table open in the joint!
Just looking around you could see how humungous the portions were. That didn't stop us. She wanted the "Red Velvet" panCAKE and I wanted the "Peanut Bubba" Crunchy French Toast. We didn't stop there. We decided to split a side of hashbrowns, and by "side" of hashbrowns, I mean a brick!
We had to wait a little bit for the food, understandable, the place was packed both inside and out. When the food arrived we had almost no room on the table to set it. When I say the portions are gargantuous, that is an understatement. Everything looks delicious, I know, but I highly recommend splitting a menu item with your breakfast/lunch companion.
If you're in the area, I think it's worth giving this place a try, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. That's nothing against the restaurant, I mean it has plenty of eye candy to look at with the wait staff and line cooks - the food was almost too rich and heavy for my taste. -
Review from Paula G.
Chelsea, MA
5/21/2012
When I went to Hollywood from Boston the Griddle was recommended. I have never received a better food recommendation for Breakfast. I got the "Cream DE la Cream"
my mouth just watered thinking about it. The flavor of the graham cracker with the cheesecake ice cream is out of this world. We went everywhere but we all knew we had to return for the french toast. My fiends got other french toast specialties and said they were great. I really didn't care as i chewed threw my Cream DE la Cream"
I would do anything to find them in the Boston area, the State, Maine even!!!!!!!!! Anyone know any Establishment that makes this Magic Wonder???? -
Review from Maggie C.
5/2/2012
So you know the end pieces of a loaf of bread that almost everyone never eats and ends up tossing them away in the trash? Well that's the piece I got for the cheesecake french toast.
My bf ordered this dish but I was quite disappointed. I expect to have at least a decent slice of bread to be used for my french toast. Instead I was stuck with the end/nobody ever wants piece of bread that was both dry and lacking in flavor.
The cheesecake that topped the french toast was indeed good, but ONLY for the first couple of bites. It gets to be so sweet I had to turn this dish away.
Yes, it was HUGE, but honestly, quality over quantity guys. Good thing I went on a weekday and only had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated, otherwise I think I would be completely dissatisfied with this place.
I had the golden ticket pancakes. It came out looking beautiful, topped with whip cream, caramel and who knows what else. The first bite was heavenly! However, like the french toast, the crazy amount of sugar that they pack into their items is insane!
The whip cream also melted so quickly that it soaked the pancakes leaving them soggy and rather gross. This dish came with 3 pancakes, yes huge, even larger than the plate itself, but I did leave the place still hungry because I could not bring myself to eat anymore because the sweetness level on their items is simply too overwhelming. -
Review from Courtney P.
Los Angeles, CA
5/4/2012
I love this place, I've heard about it repeatedly since moving here a year and a half ago but I just never tried the place until this past week. We found street parking directly in front of the door and there was no wait but I hear that that can be rare. The staff that seated us was really nice as well as the busser. We then had a very friendly server come by, he was helpful in answering our questions about the menu and always prompt.
I ordered the shrimp, spinach pesto sandwich with a side of fruit and it was AMAZING.
My boyfriend had the chicken, avocado melt with fries which he thought was really good but I also found to be absolutely amazing. The bread is so good.
His dad was with us and he had french toast which looked fantastic, he said it was great. I chose not to steal a bite as an excuse to go back another time.
The boyfriend's mom had a scramble with shrimp and spinach in it that she was was really good as well, it looked to healthy for me to care about trying :p
The only thing that this place could do to make it much better in my eyes is to add some type of insulated pads or something to the walls to help absorb some of the sound, the music was playing at a decent level but the sound of people chattering reminded me of being at a cheap cafeteria.
I will go back time and time again, this is a place that I'll show to coworkers and friends and family when they come from out of town to visit me. I have heard that going on the weekend is a lost cause unless you really enjoy waiting so I'd recommend going during off-peak hours during the week.
Enjoy! -
Review from Paulina G.
Riverside, CA
5/11/2012
AHHH I am in love with this place! I had brunch here with some of my friends and one downside is the larger the party the more time you have to wait, but it was worth it! I ordered the Red velvet pancake and it was massive! It was fluffy and moist! Although the frosting was a bit to sweet in my opinion.
I also had a few bites of my friends creme de la creme french toast and I sort of regret not ordering those! It tasted like heaven! And surprisingly the cream cheese frosting wasn't overly sweet as I thought it would be.
It was packed inside but the service was great and I think some of the waiters are like part time models because they were hot!
Since i am a cheese lover I am on a quest to try things made with cheese, so next time I go back I will definitely be ordering creme de la creme french toast! -
Review from Tommy L.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
I heard this place had amazing pancakes for years now but never been to try it. My friends and I went here after a brief hike nearby. I ordered the velvet pancake. I expected three layers but I guess the velvet pancake only gets one. But thats ok, it was TOO sweet for me. It felt like I was eating a giant cupcake with a ton of frosting. The first couple bites were good though. Next time I'll get something less sweet.
O yeah, try to come early. it gets packed. -
Review from Terin C.
4/24/2012
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Give a man a stack of Griddle Cafe pancakes... and he will have pancakes for breakfast for the rest of the week. I suppose I should have been tipped off as to the portion size when my boyfriend and I each requested the cinnamon oat pancakes, and the waiter paused for a moment before writing the order down. When the food came to the table and I found myself feeling terrible that no one else would ever be able to eat pancakes again seeing as how the world supply was sitting in front of me on my plate, I realized... Oh. I probably would have paused, too, if two people had felt the need to order more than one small land mass of carbs. I'm not sure that any set of circumstances could make eating a stack of these things on your own in one sitting necessary or desirable, but they were nonetheless delicious.
Wait, wait. Delicious? No, I'm sorry. What I meant to say was that they were absolutely fan-bleeping-tastic. If I was comfortable using expletives in a public forum that my friends, family, and employers have access to, this may well be an instance in which I would have done so. I don't even like pancakes. I mean, they always sound good in theory, but they never quite live up to their own hype. These, though? These were made of dreams and fairy tales. If life was a game, and hunger was a pokemon, you could throw these pancakes at it... and they would be super effective.
Also, the service here was fast and entertaining. As soon as we laid eyes on our food and it became overwhelmingly obvious that we were going to be taking most of it home, we asked for some boxes... which our waiter handed us with a scoff.
"Here are your give-up boxes." He said, then corrected himself. "I'm sorry, I mean your failure boxes." He also went on to claim that someone just earlier that day had eaten a whole order of these pancakes by himself. Dan replied with a whole hearted, "I don't even believe you."
The tea here also deserves an honorable mention. It came in its own decent sized pot, with some cream on the side... no tea bag baskets or little tubs of non-dairy creamer. It was pretty great. The restaurant itself was loud and kind of cramped, but I really liked this place, and I'll definitely be going back. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a pancake dinner waiting for me downstairs. -
Review from Whitney B.
Los Angeles, CA
5/11/2012
Come for LUNCH, DURING THE WEEK!!!!
The food is amazing, but when my stomach is growling a 2 hour wait is NOT HAPPENING! This is why I decided to finally try The Griddle for the first time on a Wednesday afternoon at 1:30! No wait, great service and I finally got to try those pancakes everyone is always raving about!
Yes, they're huge and Yes, they're delicious!
3 people could probably split the pancakes and be stuffed, but of course I ordered them all for myself!
My Mom ordered the french toast. It was delicious, but very thick and rich, so prepare yourself!
My Dad got a spicy scramble, very large portion and very good!
I got the blueberry pancakes. I have 3 words, pint of blueberries! I swear there were at least of pint of real, delicious blueberries in this giant stack or pancakes and they top it off with a blueberry sour cream, so good! -
Review from Janlie V.
Los Angeles, CA
5/6/2012
Griddle Cafe is one of those places that's small but always packed. They have about 5-6 booths of various sizes, 4-5 tables inside, 3-4 outside, and a large diner style counter. The wait time varies depending on the time you go, but noon worked well for me both time I was there.
The food:
Visit 1: Curious as to what the red velvet pancake tastes like? Super sweet...but delicious! Three of us shared one, and we weren't able to finish it. I had a Tequila Sunrise, and it was very bland. Seriously bland. I can't remember what else was ordered....
Visit 2: A friend and I split a Baked Potato Omelette and a seasonal pumpkin pancake. The omelette was fantastic-- gooey cheese and bites of potatoes wrapped in fluffy egg and sour cream. The pancake was very buttery, but yummy; we barely made it through a third of it.
I gave Griddle Cafe 5 stars based on the fact that it was an experience just to eat there. I felt like I was in a different world the moment the door closed and separated me from Sunset Blvd. Maybe I've been to too many Asian establishments in my life, but American ones are always interesting and fun to me. Though the food wasn't the best thing I've tasted, it was different and I can appreciate that. -
Review from Tu-Anh N.
5/1/2012 2 photos
This place is just ridiculous. But I don't mean it in a terrible way.
After a long wait, we were finally seated at the counter! Oh boy! I've been excited to come here. Here's what we ordered:
"A TIME TO LOVE" Pancake - pumpkin filling with butterscotch chips, topping with streusel, caramel, whipped cream and powdered sugar!
This was GARGAUNTUOUS!!! Who can possibly finish this all by themself? Ok so a lady who sat next to me did...at least she said so. I thought that was just sad. This 3-pancake tier topped with a party was meant to share between 3-5...no one should EVER finish this alone, holy jeebus! I mean...it was good! It's was reasonably priced!
But looking around in the restaurant, there was a lot of HUGE people...and kids. Parents shouldnt bring thier kids here...cuz they WILL finish a whole stack of crazy pancakes!
CHICAGO CHARLIE'S Scramble - Italian sausage, potatoes, bacon, bell peppers, mozzarella cheese, garlic basil, onions and served with garlic bread!
This was good...I"m glad we got one sweet and one savory.
I don't know if I"ll ever come back here. This place was yummy, but ridiculous. Its a bit overwhelming even for me, but I'm glad I tried it. If I ever do go back here, I'd get the single serve red velet pancake. I got excited and went big by ordering the craziest pancake there haha. It was fun. But then I fell into a food coma and a step closer to diabeetus.... -
Review from Melody S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I hardly ever go out to eat breakfast, but this place is delicious.
My 1+ and I ordered Red Velvet Pancake, Baked Potato Omelette, and Poached Y Papas Benedict.
My baked potato omelette was okay. Definitely loaded with baked potatoes & it came with different sides. I choose to have the sourdough & fruits. I love fruits for breakfast. It really opens up your appetite and not make you feel as full. The dish was really starchy, which I hated. My fault. The omelette was even better with the hot sauce they had on the table. I tried my boyfriend's Poached Y Papas Benedict, and I was sitting there, across the table, jealous the entire time that his dish was 10x better than mines. It came with really really yummy ham drenched in Benedict sauce with eggs.
We were both extremely full. He was barely able to finish his dish and I had to take some of mines home. We definitely didn't really get to the red velvet pancake. However, we did have a little taste. Yummy.
Overall, this is a really great place for breakfast. Griddles gets an A+++ but not 5 stars. They need a bigger place. The servers were nice & friendly though :)
** By the way, we came in around 10:30am. It was packed & we had to wait about 15-20 minutes. Not bad, but come any later & the lines will be too long. The entire place was already packed out. Next time, I think I will wake up earlier. Parking isn't too easy to find either. Good Luck. -
Review from Allison Y.
Saratoga, CA
4/22/2012
FINALLY decided to try this place since it's insanely popular and nothing is better than breakfast food on a weekend afternoon. i'd been avoiding this place because of horror stories about the wait time. but we came at around 230pm on sunday with two of us and chose to sit at the counter, which meant no waiting at all. score!
also thank you random stranger who said that you can get just one pancake, even though on the menu it only shows short stacks (3 pancakes.) one is WAY MORE THAN ENOUGH for two people...theyre HUGE. the red velvet was amaaazing
the poached y papas benedict was soooo good..a thick delicious slice of ham and poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, on top of perfectly crisp baked potato skins. i made it a conscious effort to get a little bit of ham, egg, and potato in one bite. soooo gude
decent prices, especially for the quality of food. i suggest coming with one other person to minimize wait on weekends and getting one pancake along with one other dish to split! -
Review from Might be Mike P.
Valley Village, CA
4/28/2012
I can only make it here on weekends, and I will only go if we can make it there by 8am. After that it's a zoo and there's a chance you'll get line jumped by Stanford from Sex and the City.
However, the pancakes are incredible. You can make your order more reasonable by ordering one or two (instead of the default three). The Golden Ticket is the very best. The real maple syrup makes the heavens part.
The coffee is good, but seems like a racket. If one person orders coffee they bring a french press and charge $5. If a second person orders, they share that same french press and pay $5. Come on, baby, just charge per french press, not by who gets a cup.
My only service complaint is this: They tend to rush you out. Because there's 4,000 people in line behind you, they're pretty quick about clearing the table and getting you on your way. So don't count on leisurely conversation over your $5 coffee. -
Review from Sal K.
5/13/2012
Friendly, busy and fair. Of course everybody orders the huge pancakes or French toasts that they are known for but I ordered the muscle scramble with chicken breast, egg whites, spinich, tomatoes and etc with fruit and the portion was huge. I also mooches off some ginormous golden ticket pancakes. The first few bites were awesome but soon, it was too much. There were like million walnuts which are supposed to be good for your brain but too much for me. We ended up finish just a quarter and took the rest home. We also got the Irish latte and the mocha latte. Mocha latte is sweeter and masks the alcohol flavor pretty much completely while Irish latte was a great blend. I would definitely recommend this place if someone is craving sweet pancakes. This would definitely satisfy ones sweet tooth for a good while. Parking wasn't bad at all on a Sunday either.
-
Review from Andre V.
Brooklyn, NY
5/5/2012
We love you and we wish we can have you here in New York.
French Toasts will never taste the same on this coast.
Beware, pancakes are humongous! but delicious.
The french pressed coffee, to die for!
The menu selection, like no other!
The service, very quick but efficient.
The wait, a little long (approximately 20-25 mins both times we visited) but totally worth it!
We dream of this food very frequently. -
Review from Joe D.
Los Angeles, CA
4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Worlds best French toast, hands down. If that was the extent of it, this would have been a 5 star review.
However, if you get an order to go, BEWARE! They will attempt to secretly send you off with their andromeda strain generic aunt jamima pathetic excuse for syrup, even though they have real maple at every single seat. Even in the bathroom. They literally have more than canada, and yet they refuse to offer it unless requested. The fake awfulness will completely ruin what would have been the most heavenly egg, sugar and bread experience of your life. It's like buying caviar and putting it on a saltine. Or beef jerky. It makes the breakfast you just spent $20 on taste like eggo waffles.
Failure, without question. -
Review from Dave V.
Los Angeles, CA
5/9/2012
Nothing says brunch like a steaming pile of flapjacks (I love the word "flapjack." it makes me giggle... flapjack... heehee). I know few people who can resist the call of those light, fluffy, browned discs of joy, particularly hungover at 11am on a Sunday. And let's be honest, it is classic starving artist food - cheap, filling, and just as easily acquired at 2am as 2pm on any given day. But not just any pancakes will do. Oh no. I take my pancakes seriously. Since I can make killer pancakes at home, if I'm going to go out and spend money on someone else's, they better be so good that I would slap a baby to get them. Before I will consider ordering pancakes at a restaurant, there are three things I look for: 1) whipped butter, 2) real maple syrup, 3) creative pancake options.
So far I have discovered one place in Los Angeles that meets all three of my criteria and that is the Griddle Cafe on Fairfax and Sunset. All of their pancakes are plate-sized monstrosities. They are most famous for their Red Velvet variety, topped with a cream cheese frosting swirl. Divine. Pictured above are the "Sow Your Oats", which are oatmeal, honey, and cinnamon. Hearty and delicious - totally my thing. I've also sampled "Yellow Brick Road" - butterscotch, caramel, and walnuts. Sinfully rich. And guess what: at every single table there is a bottle of pure Vermont maple syrup. Clearly they are trying to get into my pants. The best part? The pancakes are all under $10. Sow Your Oats was $7.95 for a stack of three (there are two more under there!!). I ate maybe a quarter of the plate and took the rest home for two more meals. Starving artist heaven.
While we all love weekend brunch, you're guaranteed to wait at least 45 minutes on any Saturday or Sunday. Madhouse. Totally worth it, of course, but if you can swing it, I would recommend a weekday after 10am. Same great food, but much more chill. Whenever you decide to go, you are guaranteed a phenomenal pancake experience. -
Review from Cameron A.
Los Angeles, CA
4/26/2012
Pancakes here are just stupid guys. The food will literally kill you, but whatever--it's a pretty fun experience.
VERY BUSY. Be prepared to wait boys and girls. Also, book a visit to your doctor afterwords because you're going to have diabetes after this. -
Review from Maria C.
YIKES - This place is crazy!!!!
The line is at least 30 mins and it seems as though the line is never-ending. There are tables inside and outside, and the place is small!
We were led to a booth and we ordered the following:
-Large coffee: Came in a large press. The coffee is good and didn't leave an aftertaste.
-Red Velvet Pancakes ($9): I'm not a huge fan of red velvet, but this pancake was delish. Tasted like cupcakes. I had to request additional frosting since I didn't feel it had enough.
-Muscle Bound Scramble ($12): On soft egg whites. I enjoyed this entree because I'm a health freak. We ordered it with turkey, which was too dry.
-Chicago Charlie's Scramble ($12): The Italian sausage gave the scramble great flavor. Tasty.
Portions are HUGE - so share away! The service is fast and friendly. Don't expect to sit for long and chit chat because they will kick you out. It's a good and bad thing I suppose... -
Review from Jennifer J.
Los Angeles, CA
5/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
So this place is extremely popular. Its always pretty packed & Hollywoodish.
If one day you wake up & think I want to be gluttonous... this is the place for you. I'm just not into the whole lets eat ridiculous amounts of food that is all too sweet for any human being.
Ordered Mom's French Toast & Fiesta Scramble. TONS of food. I could see how this could be a great place if you were extremely hungover.
I do love the fast, attentive service & I've only eaten outside during a nice day or at the counter. It's pretty pricey...considering we ate there for breakfast. -
Review from S J.
Los Angeles, CA
5/2/2012
Excellent breakfast!
Tried several dishes here. Yes, the red velvet pancakes are great, but so are other items in the menu. No need for tips on which dish is better than others, they are good.
It's usually crowded here, but their service is prompt. -
Review from Erica L.
Nesconset, NY
4/24/2012
Easily the best breakfast I've had! I had the normal two egg breakfast with turkey sausage and one banana pancake and my girlfriend had one red velvet. It's not on the menu but you can definitely just order one.
The banana pancake was so moist and sweet I didn't use any syrup. Delicious! Best breakfast in LA!!
Our waiter was Sergio, he was awesome. -
Review from Cody D.
Los Angeles, CA
4/12/2012
I am a serious pancake aficionado -- second only to tacos, it's easily one of my most consumed food groups. Now, call me plebeian, but up until my visit here, I thought the best readily-available pancakes in LA were found at the local IHOP. How wrong I was...
A friend introduced me for a Sunday morning breakfast. It happened to be Easter, so the place was PACKED, with a line piled down the block. Still, I get the impression that this is the norm on weekends, so expect a wait. Being a party of two, they were able to seat us almost immediately, but big groups might take a while.
The place is absolutely dizzying inside -- loud, crammed, with close quarters to your fellow patrons and all the harried waiters running past. Personally, I didn't mind it, I like a high-energy atmosphere in the mornings, but it's a little counter-productive to conversation -- not that you'll be doing much chit-chat anyway once the food arrives.
The reason this place is 5 stars is for the sheer variety and inventiveness of its pancake menu -- the only place that comes anywhere close is Shopsins, and NY is a little far to go for brunch. Each order comes in a stack of three with no sides (which turned out to be fine, considering these 'cakes are the size of Frisbees), and are topped with homemade whip cream. I had some walnut/caramel/banana concoction that was absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth. The pancakes are thick and stuffed -- filling and oh-so-satisfying.
The coffee comes in a press, and holds about two and a half cups. Given the hectic nature of the restaurant, the service is more than adequate, but it's definitely the kind of place where you need to make smart use of your server's attention. If they're at your table now, ask for EVERYTHING you'll need for the rest of the meal, cause you might not see them again. I usually like to drown in coffee, especially when tearing through such a heavy pancake breakfast, so this was probably the only major drawback for me.
Still, it's a must for breakfast lovers -- great taste and great value for those special breakfasts where IHOP just won't do. -
Review from Sara B.
4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
We stayed at the Andaz West Hollywood, and woke up early on a Saturday morning craving a big breakfast. My trusty Yelp app led me to the Griddle Cafe, and I started salivating as soon as I looked at the menu: red velvet pancakes? I must have died and gone to heaven. The BF and I realized that eating nothing but sweets for breakfast was probably not the best idea, so we decided to split a pancake and an omelet.
We both enjoyed the pancake but after a few bites we realized that it isn't exactly a breakfast food -- more of a breakfast for dinner meal -- but I'm still glad we ordered it. But we were both disappointed by the omelet -- I've had iHOP omelette's that I thought more of and when the couple next to us got their eggs benedict I had pangs of jealousy, at least until they sent it back to the kitchen because it was cold.
The atmosphere made the trip worth it but if you come, go for the pancakes, and maybe think about waiting for brunch or dinner. -
Review from Ange M.
Lorton, VA
4/19/2012
LOL wtf!! I'm still in shock over the size of these pancakes..
My brother and I came here this past Sunday around 3. Since it was kinda late in the day, we only had to wait 5 minutes or so for a couple of seats at the bar. (Btw, I recommend you sit here, the service is great and they really take care of you, I'll explain that later.)
Our waiter/bartender was a cool dude who was nice enough to give us plenty of time to look through the menu after ordering a couple of mimosas. It was hard to choose what kind of pancakes or food to get; everything looked so good, and everything everyone ordered around us looked so good too. Finally, we settled on Mounds of Pleasure pancakes and the Hoagie Omelette.
As we waited for our food, we sipped on our mimosas, which were bangarang by the way, they didn't skimp on champagne. The place was loud and had a cool, home-like feeling to it, it reminded me of a brunch place in my hometown of CT. The decor was like...50's style I think? And they were playing Blues music in the background? I don't know, I wish I could remember better, but I was transfixed on my view of the kitchen from where I was sitting. They were using an enormous spatula to flip these gigantor pancakes, it was crazy awesome.
Finally our food came our, and we were like whoooaa. The Mounds of Pleasure pancakes had tons of shredded coconut all over it with thick whipped cream on top. Chocolate haters beware - these pancakes were oozing with melted pools of chocolate, and I don't mean measly chocolate chips, I mean REAL globs of warm fudge all over. They were absolutely divine.
The Hoagie Omelette was amazing as well. The cheese and sausage inside tasted delicious, and it all came together with the fajita onions and peppers. They even made their own version of Texas Toast, and I couldn't stop eating it, regardless of all the carbs from pancakes. The griddle potatoes were a nice touch as well.
Our waiter was the best. No more than a second passed when I set down an empty bottle of ketchup was it replaced by a new full one. We had just finished our mimosas, and he gave us another round, on the house. Maybe he was in good spirits, but I'm sure it helped that we were sitting directly at the bar, and he was generous enough to give everyone another round who was sitting at the bar too. I also loved the fact that they had a full array of hot sauces available on racks every few seats. I can't tell you how tired I am going to place and getting the old standard Tabasco. But not here; they even had my favorite habanero sauce which was a more than a pleasant surprise.
When I'm back in LA for a visit, I'm so hitting this place up again. So many pancakes, so little time...
