On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Tue-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Tue-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Loading...
Great tasting burger and salad but the standouts are the mac and chgeese and the smores cake.
Best mac and cheese I've had. I actually dint like mac and cheese in general but this is awesome! It's called smac and cheese here.
Gotta have the smores cake.
The bistro atmosphere is great. The place kinda gives me a 40's vibe. Don't know why.
5 stars for the red velvet cake. Hands down, some of the best I've ever had. My mouth just started watering just writing about it. Little tiny chocolate malt balls in the frosting between the moist layers of cake = the most delightful texture in an otherwise perfect cake. A lovely combination.
Oh, they have other stuff too. I had the beef stew... maybe was a mistake. It was good, served on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. Friend raved about the vegeterian chili (it was good), and the rest of the group were saving themselves for dessert.
Other desserts we tried (all totally home-made):
S'more cake : pretty darn good. graham cracker crust, meringue toasted tableside, yummy.
Salted Peanut cake: also pretty darn good. too rich for me after 2 or 3 bites.
Lemon Meringue pie: very good.
I have to say, this might be my new go-to for dessert... damn that red velvet for being so far away from me!
People thought this was:
had to try this place after seeing it featured in several mags and on the food network. now in my experience, i've found that quite often the places featured on tv generally do not meet expectations. not sure if its because being featured sets the expectations and standards too high, but nickel diner met all of my expectations and then some!
we had the catfish with corn cakes and the smac 'n cheese, both were decadently delish and reasonably priced.
the catfish filets were cooked perfectly and well seasoned served atop two thin corn cakes naturally sweet from the corn. the candied pecans drizzled on the catfish was a surprising twist of sweetness and textured crunch that worked so well with the dish. another unexpected element was the bacon and braised brussel sprouts...i personally think that brussel sprouts are a great veggie that has gotten a bad rep...now cooked with bacon it serves as a wonderful compliment to the sweet and savory catfish.
the smac 'n cheese had just the right amount of kick...not sure if its cayenne or some other spice, but whatever it was...it worked! the pasta wasn't too soggy and the sauce wasn't runny, had a good baked creamy consistency with a nice golden slight crust on top. mmmmmm...
with so many other things to try on the menu, we only had room for two dishes *sigh. didn't even have enough room for a maple glazed bacon donut, but trust that we will be back and i wil be updating this review...hopefully with an upgrade to 5 stars. i really didn't try enough of the food to legitimately give the 5 star rating now
tips and atmosphere:
in an area of downtown that is developing, i wouldn't necessarily venture to this place alone at 10pm. on the up side, there was no wait and if you know ur way around downtown, metered parking on the street won't be too difficult. if ur unfamiliar with downtown, you might end up payiing for parking somewhere in a nearby lot. part of the charm of this place is the historic kinda run down diner decor and the chill servers. even the sodas are all classic old-fashioned diner soda bottles, cute!
People thought this was:
I would come back but mainly because of the cool atmosphere than the taste of the food. It was packed but the food was just so so. But the service and motif was very cool.
People thought this was:
Today I ordered the Huevos Rancheros. I was eating the mediocre food when I crunched down on A ROCK. The rock broke to pieces in my mouth and I spit it out in my hand. The busboy got the lady who owns or manages the restaurant, and she informed us that "that's from the beans. Of course they have rocks, they grow on the ground". She held her hand out to collect the rock evidence, which I gave her. She comped only the huevos rancheros on our meal, a small price to pay for a potential law suit.
This place sucks. Besides the rocks in the food, any "diner" that charges $5 for a side of fries is morally questionable.
I am quite critical of my breakfast meals, since it's my favorite meal of the day. Most restaurants serve basic breakfast items like eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. But after doing some searching for DTLA breakfast spots for the last weekday of our vacation, I stumbled upon Nickel Diner. After reviewing their menu, I told Roo "I found our spot...I love the menu...the dishes are super unique!".
Luckily, it was a weekday so we weren't rushed and could relax and enjoy the food and atmosphere. Now on to the food - here is what I ordered (Roo will discuss his meal in his own review) -
- Scramble #1 - Ham, Leeks, Fontina - the flavor was subtle but still delicious.
- Shared a bacon maple donut - OMG...this is an amazing donut. My initial assumption of the flavor was that it'd be a basic glazed donut with bacon bits on it. The bacon bits are spot on, but the donut can be compared to the flavor of char siu bao, but fried (I know, right!!). And the maple glaze ties these complex flavors together perfectly.
- Coffee - I love my coffee and this coffee is no exception. As my dad likes to describe the flavor of many things "it just comes to you". In more specific terms - it wasn't an intense flavor, but one that makes you sit back and smile and think "mmm...that is a good cup of coffee".
So overall - I love this place! Too bad it's 30 miles from home :P
People thought this was:
Don't know if it was just a 'bad' morning for the diner, but the breakfast my gf and I had was KIND of average.
Although I greatly hesitated before ordering, I ended up getting the scramble with salmon that came w/ their standard side of potatoes.
I'm very much open to new combinations, but eggs and fish I wasn't necessarily screaming for. My gf got some scramble with bacon, spinach, and goat cheese....which SOUNDED safe and promising.
Anyways, for how busy they were, the food did come fairly quick.
It was fairly quiet for our first several bites on both our dishes. For us, that's usually a red flag indicating that 'so far the food is pretty damn average, but we are willing to give this restaurant another several bites before we each make a verdict.'
So yea, as you can guess it wasn't that great. My eggs seemed a bit 'liquidy'.....not undercooked really, but soggy....maybe from the fish i was thinking.
But then my gf's eggs were the same way. Also, the potatoes seemed overcooked....and not 'fresh,' but rather like they had been prepared in bulk and sitting on the warm side of the flat-iron in the kitchen. Which I'm sure it was, "i get it" and am not even that particularly mad. I know how hectic and notoriously busy breakfast in a restaurant can be.
If anything, the goat cheese on my gf's eggs / bacon / spinach, tasted really odd. I like goat cheese, don't get me wrong, but it seemed to overpower the other ingredients way too much. I actually think they just got sloppy and accidentally threw too much on....because just a SPRINKLE of it, i think would've really worked.
Bottom line, the food wasn't 'BAD' by any means, and i don't want to be too harsh because it was our first time.
But what I MAINLY came here for was the infamous 'maple syrup bacon donut.'
Unfortunately, they were out of the regular donuts, so they gave us two donut holes to try for free. Btw, them being out of donuts by around 10:30am, I actually didn't get upset for since i understand that is what the freakin diner is known for. So if anything, EXPECTEDLY...they were sold out.
Anyways, the donut is very good, and i feel terrible for thinking so.
There's people out there however, like my idiot cousin, who can't handle the 'salty and sweet' flavor profile......or to be more fair, the 'salty breakfast items with sweet flavors' profile.
For example, the classic American staple of 'pancakes, eggs, and bacon' ...he cannot do. I for one, LOVE the combination of bacon with sweet items......the smoky bacon profile in particular is just SIMPLY complementary to sweet and savory.
So if you're like my cousin, I don't think this donut is for you.
But if you like bacon with your pancakes and syrup, then you will completely admire and love this donut. The donut is the MAIN reason it saved our previously average breakfast -- even my gf guiltily loved the donut and forgot about her goat cheese.
She also commented how it tasted like pancakes with bacon.
And this is WHY it works. Most people don't have a problem with eating bacon with their pancakes, but when you hear the word 'donut' and bacon, it for obvious reasons sounds odd. But i assure you, the diner is almost "cheating" in the fact that it's simply disguising the classic 'pancakes and bacon' as this novelty, popular, dessert item that is the BACON DONUT.
It's brilliant if you ask me. Worked on me, and piqued my interest completely. The donut was also featured on Food Network's: The Best Thing I Ever Ate (sweets / desserts episode).
What's funny, is that this wasn't even the ACTUAL donut....but the donut hole.
Plus it wasn't even fresh when we ate it, and it was still delicious. I just couldn't imagine this thing fresh. I'd probably just jizz all over the place -- that's like sacrilege man, eating that thing fresh.....damn.
Anyways, breakfast wasn't great, but the donut was clearly the highlight and still have us talking about it.
Based on that, i completely suggest you try this insanely guilty pleasure.
People thought this was:
I love the Nickel for a good breakfast/brunch when I'm hungover, especially. Sandwiches are great too.
Fresh-squeezed juice is awesome. And you must try the bacon donut.
The downside - the location is scary at times and parking is a mess any day but Sunday.
Wow I'm at 100 reviews already?! Where has the time gone.
Anywho, what a great idea for Nickel Diner to have a sidewalk bake sale during Art Walk! I came here last night with my sis, who praised their desserts when she came to the last Art Walk.
We got a snicker doodle cookie, red velvet cupcake, maple bacon donut hole http://static.px.yelp...., and a homemade strawberry pop-tart. The crisp bacon bits mixed with the maple glaze was genius! The donut hole itself was nice and moist. My favorite was the pop-tart, the pastry crust was soooo good and the strawberry filling was just perfect and not too sweet. The red velvet cupcake was pretty good, what took me by surprise was the little chocolate crisps mixed in with the frosting. That put a nice smile on my face. The snicker doodle was nothing spectacular, I've had better.
I'd definitely come back, my sister raves about their pudding. Looking forward to the next Art Walk and stop by their bake sale again.
People thought this was:
I came back here for brunch hoping for a better experience. It was so-so. My apple dutch baby was disappointing. It was no match for what I had at The Original Pancake House. Nickel Diner's version was a very thin pancake, but in being thin, it lacked something. It did taste like apples, though.
The best part of breakfast was the maple bacon donut! Mmm...soft, fried cake covered in maple glaze and topped with real bacon crumbles. It was too good. I felt super guilty eating it, but I had to try it. Impressive.
People thought this was:
I came by here for lunch on a Friday. There was no wait and service was prompt. I ordered the Smac… Read more »
Searching for breakfast in downtown sometimes seems to be a struggle. Fortunately, there's Nickel Diner which offers a nice respite for breakfast from the heat and chaos of downtown.
One of the best things was that once we placed our order we received an amuse-bouche! In a diner! How awesome is that??? It consisted of two small donuts -- one bacon and one nutella. Both were tasty, though a little dry. Still, a very nice treat particularly if you hadn't planned or ordering a donut -- all the taste without all the guilt!
My friend and I both ordered scrambles which came with potatoes and toast. The serving sizes were nice without being too overwhelming. The food tasted fresh and was quite good in comparison to some of the other diner food I've tasted. Moreover, the coffee was quite good -- better than most house coffee I've come across.
Service was prompt and attentive without being overbearing.
As well known in downtown, parking in the area sucks, unless you want to pay for parking at a nearby lot. Additionally, you'll probably run into some characters between the walk from your car to the diner.
Overall, a nice choice for downtown breakfast dining, and I'll be back.
People thought this was:
I LOVE their desserts! I first came here during the Art Walk last month. Dined inside with a friend. I got the smac and cheese and chicken pozole. The smac and cheese was pretty yummy. I loved the crunchy breaded top. The pozole was OK.
I was pretty full but I couldn't help but ask about the desserts--especially with the bake sale right outside! My friend and I shared the pop tart. De-freaking-lish! Once you have one of these you don't won't want any pre-packaged ones after. (Tip: better to have while dining inside because they heat it up. I went to the Art Walk again yesterday and just purchased some items from the bake sale table and the pop tart was still nom nom delicious but not the same when heated.) I've only tried the one with regular frosting. Next time have to try the one topped with peanut butter!
I ordered one of the cupcakes and the vegan pudding to go... forgot the name of the cupcake but it wasn't the one with the potato chip on top. All I can say is that it was nothing special since I can't recall it. The vegan pudding was also yum yum yum. It's made with almond milk, has pineapple and blueberries on top and sprinkled with coconut flakes. De-freaking-lish as well. I can't believe I didn't get it again last night.
Anyhow, service was pretty slow. Although the Art Walk was going on I felt like they should have been more prepared. The server took awhile to give us our water or to refill it after we asked.
Last night we just purchased items from the bake sale. Finally tried the maple bacon donut- de-freaking-lish as well. I opted to share the donut hole (yes, as small as it is because we bought other desserts) with my sis (Yelper: Lei B.). The donut was pretty soft. Extra points because usually donut holes aren't as soft as regular donuts since they're smaller. The maple bacon and glaze mixed so well together. They use a good quality bacon (no, I'm not an expertise on bacon -ha- but I had the chocolate covered bacon at the LA county fair and the bacon they used there was skinny and flimsy. Bleh) Anyhow... the bacon pieces were a good size. Added the right amount of crunch to each bite. Damn, I want another one...
My sis also ordered the red velvet cupcake but I just had a lick of the frosting. It was pretty good but definitely more sour creamy than cream cheesey...
All in all I'd go inside to sit and have a drink and enjoy desserts.. if rating the food by itself it'd be a 3
People thought this was:
Was in the mood for some diner food, so a friend and I headed downtown to the Old Bank District to partake in some hedonistic fun at the Nickel Diner...and we weren't disappointed.
We were seated very quickly, probably because it was closer to 1pm than normal weekend lunching times. We were offered an amuse bouche of Maple glazed/Bacon Donut hole as well as the Nutella Donut. That just got the party started in my tummy.
We ordered the Clockwork Orange Donut and the Red Velvet Donut. Let me just say, both were great, but the the Red Velvet Donut was very much a religious experience. I needed a few minutes to myself afterwards. The only drawback and if you considered this a drawback is the donuts came first. It kind of kills your palate a little, but that's nothing a few glasses of the mint lemonade cannot cure.
We wound up ordering. My friend got the baked eggs with the ham, leeks and fontina cheese. I got the spicy BBQ brisket hash with two poach eggs and a side of spicy Italian sausage and we shared an order of the onion rings. Needless to say, that was a lot of food...but I'm very proud to say everything was devoured except for a piece of soughdough that came with my meal.
I am a big hash fan, so my expectations of my dish were quite high, and to my delight, the kitchen was able to meet my expectations. The spicy BBQ sauce was indeed spicy, but not to the point where you lose taste in your mouth and the combination of the poached eggs mixed together with the brisket, potatoes and BBQ sauce really made the meal shine. The flavor profiles were quite a delight.
The onion rings were what one expected from a diner. Just enough grease to maintain its crispiness, but not too much to overwhelm your palate and when you add a little hint of sour-ness of the ketchup, it really brought out the flavors of the onions.
Overall, I would have to say this was a delightful experience. Yes, the location can be a little shady...sometimes, but I think that's part of the charm of this place. The service was excellent and I'm very confident in saying, I will definitely be frequenting the Nickel Diner again.
People thought this was:
We worked up an appetite trolling the streets of LA during the ART WALK so we all decided to dine here and we were not disappointed! It might be the vibe during ART WALK that makes everything better but we grubbed on our food. Our group ordered burgers, vegetarian chili, and some fish sandwich plate that caused our table to fall silent as we ate with gusto.
For someone like me who has to watch my cholesterol, I dug that we had an option of fries or salad with our burger. My taste buds wanted the shoestring fries but my body said "hell to the no, biatch!" So I ordered a salad with my burger and didn't lament my choice because it was oh so gooooood! My only gripe was the price of the mint lemonade: $6.00?!!!! My wallet would've been happier with tap water and maybe, just maybe I could have bought a piece of art?!
I wish I left room for dessert but it's okay...all the more reason to go back to DTLA.
People thought this was:
I was really looking forward to checking this place out. Heard great things about it from Food Network. Too bad my experience there wasn't as fabulous as I'd hope for.
I had the maple glazed donut with bacon. Tasty.. but it def was not as freshed as I would have liked :-(
My gfs had the french toast which was delish. Very fluffy, moist, and sweet. We ordered side of fruit to top the toast with. The toast came with 6 slices and the side of fruit they gave us was no way at all enough!
Good food and bad service. Hopefully next time I go there the servers will be more alert and the donuts will be a lil fresher.
I'd driven to this place the week before on a workday and that was a mistake. The place is located in an iffy area of downtown L.A. and there were a couple of seedy guys hanging out in front.The parking wasn't easy to find and there was no way I was parking in a garage just to get breakfast. I was ready to punish the place for being in an inconvenient location, but the promise of Bacon Donuts meant that I couldn't stay away.
So I returned on Sunday morning, which was the right decision because the food was delicious. When I came in they seated me quickly and I had a cup of coffee in front of me within a minute of sitting down. They also gave me a sampler, two donut holes so I could sample their wares. I popped the bacon donut into my mouth and wouldn't you know it, I wasn't impressed. The dough has was tough and it was a little more chewy than I expect in a raised donut. That made me think that they I was served a donut hole from the day before.
That disappointment quickly faded when I got the rest of my breakfast- chicken apple sausage with eggs over medium, polenta and buttered toast. Now I don't know what kind of butter they use, but it was fresh, creamy and sweet and so delicious on the toast. In fact, the buttered toast was almost my favorite thing- that is until I tried the polenta. The polenta was surprisingly cheesy. I don't know if they added cheese to it because the lighting in there is slight, but it was cheesy and delicious.
The waitress kept trying to sell me on using the homemade apricot jam on my toast but there was no way I was doing that- I wanted to taste that butter unmolested by other flavors. The jam was excellent though, since I used it as a compote for my chicken apple sausage.
I ordered a few of the donuts for taste and honestly, I wasn't impressed. I came to this place because of the bacon donuts. That won't be why I come back. I'm coming back for the breakfast. Yum.
The restaurant has a really laid back feel to it. There were families in the corner with kids yelping, that was okay on a Sunday morning. One guys was rocking the homeless student backpacking through Europe look, trying to look cool as he read his copy of On the Road. Ha! The waiters are all dressed in black, which gives the place a clean feel to it. I'd go to this place every Sunday morning if it weren't for location, thus the 3 stars. Otherwise this place would earn 4 stars.
I wish I could eat here everyday. The donut holes are amazing, but are only served Friday and Saturday. Make sure to bring quarters for the street parking. Also, meters are often broken, so if you find one of the broken meters, take it! The earlier you come to eat for breakfast, the less wait you will have. I go here for breakfast most of the time but did have lunch which was great as well. The 5th and Main you can't go wrong with. The quick pick 3's are great as well. Good fresh ground coffee. I love the lamps hung from the ceiling and how many of the waiters and waitresses dress like they are in the 70s! The owners are hard working and so kind. Can't wait til I eat here again!
So I went to artwalk last night and decided to stop in at Nickel for a burger. I heard good things about this place....the burgers on the front grill looked delicious, and their desserts looked really good.
I ended up getting their lemonade, and a cheeseburger with bacon on it. The burger came with shoestring fries, and I could tell that they used good quality ingredients in their burger.
The lemonade was really really good....then came the burger...HHmmmm.....First bite, interesting....its really juicy, its cooked well, but whats that weird taste I'm getting??? I thought it was the burnt bacon on my burger, but realized that it weasn't.
This flavor is really bothering me, so I ask the waitress what it is...she asks the cook, and I guess the grill man said that its their own spice mix.
I think the burger would have been really good if it had not been for the strange flavoring which ruined it for me. It would have been a 4 star burger if it wasnt for that taste.
I don't think I would go back for the burger, but might go back for dessert someday.
People thought this was:
I loved everything about this place from the food to the decor and the friendly service. If you go, try one of the cane sugar sodas (I love the Cheerwine) with your meal. This comfort food supreme (although there are also healthy options) . The macaroni & Cheese is delicious, as are the desserts. My friend and I tried the Smore Cake. It comes with a mountain of meringue and the server will torch it right at the table, ginving it that authentic campfire taste.
P.S. Check out what everyone else is eating. Everything looks delicious.
Arrived for lunch with a couple friends to find a group of people waiting outside for a table. This was exactly at noon, so I would advise come for an early or a late lunch to avoid the crowd.
My pulled pork sandwich was just okay. The bottom of the bun was drenched so it was more of an open face pile of pork with a top bun and some coleslaw.
When the sassy waitress brought the dessert tray around I was much too full to care but as soon as I heard, "chocolate peanut butter potato chip cake", I perked up. Uhhh...come again? I was way too curious to leave without a slice, so I took one to go. Out of utter guilt, I forced my co-workers to share it with me. It was fantastic! Cake was moist, filling was creamy and the small potato chip pieces still managed to stay crunchy in the middle of all of it! It won't be a regular purchase, but definitely on my "indulgence" list.
People thought this was:
LOVE THIS DINER! Amazing desserts, amazing, amazing! The food is decent priced, and tastes delicious. I would definitely come stop by this place if you're in the area. You have to try at least one of the desserts they are absolutely amazing. Anyways, if you're in downtown or want a good place for a date, check this place out.
People thought this was:
Writing this as I am still feeling sick from the Biscuits and Gravy. Trying not to vomit.
My thoughts broken down:
1. Great concept. This is part of what drew me in.
2. Artsy decor and vibe, brought in some unique people.
3. Maple Bacon Bit Donuts are a winner.
4. Free Maple Bacon and Nutella Donut Holes were a great bonus!
5. Oh, the Girl Scouts Samoa Donut was really cool too, tasted just like the cookie. Pretty impressive.
6. However, the donuts were very dry.
7. Service was okay, above average.
8. Server did spill coffee on my purse.
9. Good tasting coffee.
10. Chipped mugs.
11. Actual meal - Biscuits and Gravy - tasted fishy... for real... tasted like tuna. I figured that it was just sweet sausage. This is why I didn't say anything at the restaurant. However, three hours later, I am still trying to hold it down.
All in all, I did have fun hanging out with my friends and people watching at Nickel Diner. However, I don't plan on going back.
This is a mini review - as I only stopped by on my last Art walk night. Had to stop because they had bacon maple donuts ($2.25). I smelled them as I walked by and had to go and get one. Tasted great - meaty fat sweet, sticky and the softness of the donut - what's not to like.
Great period era decor and waitresses - this is place is worthy of a proper visit- and a sampling of a wider variety. While munching happily on my donut - I did eye a number of other great looking desserts - house made pop tartes, red velvet cake, etc.. Made me want more even though I had already stopped at the Marked 5 truck.
Wow, this place is like a taste adventure. This is no ordinary diner; every thing here is unique and really good. I first heard about this place from a co-worker who mentioned the bacon donut which grabbed my interest in trying this recently discovered gem. The wife and I stopped in on a Saturday night. The service was great, the vibe was good and the place has a cool style. Every thing on the menu looked good and we wanted to try everything. We tried the Monica's Chicken Pozole soup, awesome soup and I'm not much of a soup fan, until now. Then I went straight to dessert but it was so difficult to decide what to get. The dessert tray was like sugar porn, we haven't seen too many that look as good it was freaking amazing. We got the peanut butter chip cake a daringly brilliant recipe (a must try) and a peanut butter and jelly pop tart to go which I found to be delightful the next morning. There are only a few places that ever dare to be this creative and fewer that can actually pull it off. Oh, and the price is good too. So we had an over all great experience. This place is definately a repeat.
When you order a house salad, it's usually fair-to-meh. Sometimes it's downright pathetic with yucky rotten edges. Well, let me tell you something: the house salad at Nickel Diner is a delight. Freshly chopped green romaine, chunky diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, garlicky homemade crouton pieces and what I thought at first glance to be cheese was actually shredded hardboiled egg! It was crunchy and flavorful and hot damn, a good salad makes me happy.
I've had both meaty and veggie entrees and have been satisfied both times. The Rooty Tooty Veggie Cassoulet was hot and filling and chock full of beans and root veggies and purple artichokes and a savory broth. The beef and mushroom stew was lip-smacking and the leftovers held up well the next day. Best thing is, the prices are decent. Nothing on the menu is over $13 and most items are under $10.
This is a diner, but you can tell a chef made the menu. Everything is good. The owner, Kristen is rad and totally invested in the neighborhood, and both the owner and chef are always there working , which I respect very much.
Nickle Diner is classy and retro and fun and hip and if I lived downtown I would camp out here all day drinking coffee and obscure soda pops (like Mr. Q Cumber and Bana-Nina), eating housemade gourmet ding dongs and drawing comics of the eclectic crowd.
People thought this was:
I love this place! I live down the street and usually end up there at least once a week, usually more. The owners are always there working hard, but they always find time to say hello and ask how you've been. This is a great neighborhood spot and I always take out-of-town visitors here. Although, if you're looking for a place to have a special conversation with someone, go somewhere else, cause this place is jumping - people and food everywhere.
Favorites:
Chicken salad sandwich - so yummy with pickled onions, chunks of apple, and pesto, of all things.
Spicy pulled pork - breakfast or lunch version - I usually ask for extra chipoltle sauce, which they make fresh
The catfish (only served at dinner) - over brussel sprouts and bacon, atop delicously sweet corn pancakes.
Everybody loves their desserts, but to be honest I'm always too full to get any. I have had tastes of some of their cakes and donuts, and no there is nothing to complain about there, yummy.
So we finally made it out to Nickel Diner. Street parking was difficult so we parked in a $5 lot.
The setting is very informal and nostalgia-laden. The place has a bright, welcoming vibe. However, the acoustics of the place are frustrating. I found myself asking my dinner guests to repeat themselves.
I had a difficult time choosing off the menu. Everything looked so good! So I hemmed and hawed. To the amusement of our waiter who refused to give guidance. He said everything was good! Okay, well then! So with the bar set high I ordered the Double Stuffed Chicken.
Sidenote: They were nice enough to let us bring wine and didn't charge a corking fee which made the dinner atmosphere feel more festive.
Before our main entrees came out, we started with the much-raved-about mac and cheese. Good. But nowhere near the best mac and cheese I've ever had. I sometimes wonder about the hyperbole of Yelp reviewers.
Then our entrees came out in nice order. The timing was perfect. Just when you were starting to wonder when your food would come out -- voila! -- here it comes.
My chicken portion was very large. Upon first bite, however, I knew it would not be a torrid love affair. The chicken was dry. The stuffing way too salty. The flavorings overwhelmed. There is nothing subtle about this dish. And that's the problem. It tries too hard. After a few bites I had to stop. I took the rest hope to make chicken noodle soup.
I had bites of my fellow dining companions meals...
Steak with chimichurri - meat had a nice flavor but it was way too chewy.
Vegetable cassoulet - the best of the bunch. Wish I had gotten this dish.
French fries -- shoe string! very good.
So the entrees were "eh." But the real showstopper was just to come. I've heard so much about the desserts that I was more than ready to get my sweet-on.
Helas, they were out of the bacon covered donuts.
But we tried... the Peanut Butter Dizzy Gillespie, the red velvet cake, the smores cake, and the vegan coconut tapioca pudding.
The Peanut Butter was good but not up to the hype. But I don't fault it. Nothing can live up to that much hype. Red Velvet was also good. Not too sweet. Smores cake was okay -- nothing to write home about. But the real star of the lot for me was the coconut tapioca pudding with mixed berries. It was so light but creamy at the same time. I loved it.
Overall. A good dinner. But not one that warrants Nickel Diner being a destination restaurant. I'd be happy to go again if in the area.
People thought this was:
I have not ate there but I did apply for a job and the owner who is white looked at me with an evil eye when she saw that I was not Hispanic.I have been a cook for 25 years and could easily out cook any one there but she was more interested in whether I spoke fluent spanish. I have nothing agianst latino's but it's pretty lame and racist when you need to know a second language to work in America! I pray that that woman would stop looking at the outside and look at the resume`.
Situated on a somewhat less charming street, I was a bit alarmed at suggesting this place to a friend. I needed really show no fear. Dispite the homeless lady out front bearing her bear bottom, the place quickly erased all unpleasant memories.
I was talked into the bacon donut from previous reviews, as everyone should. It wasn't something I would normally get (I like to think) but it was pretty incredible. I also had the amazing polenta with eggs dish, and it was to die for.
Our server was such a sweet woman as well, and was so very great. Plus our brunch was really affordable.
People thought this was:
Went for lunch yesterday, and took a friend who looooves donuts. We split the Strawberry Crunch donut and the Maple Bacon donut. Holy crap, that is some serious goodness! To feel virtuous (hah!), we then both had salads. She had the Tuna Nicoise, which had ahi tuna and looked yummy. I had the Steak and Wedge salad. I am a blue cheese dressing snob, since I make the best, but their's was pretty darn good.
The staff is wonderful, and a LOT of LA restaurants could take a lesson from them. Really, really great. There are two big parking lots, one on the same side of the street ($5), and one across the street. Definitely go to the Nickel Diner!
Going to a free concert in Pershing Square with Miss M. A quick look at my Yelp app on my iPhone shows the Nickel Diner in my bookmarks as being close by. Agreement from Miss M made this guy happy.
Vegan chili!!! I'm so happy. Not for myself but for Miss M. She's one of them vegans you know. A diner with a vegan option makes me happy for both of us.
She dug the chili. Vegan chili topped with vegan cheese, avocado, and onions. I tasted it. Yep. Good.
Smac and Cheese for me. Delicious. Super mega cheesy mac with baked tomatoes and bread crumbs. Baked in a bowl so the cheese burns to the sides...OMG that's the best part. Chipping away the burned on bowl cheese.
Oh yeah...we also had a plate of onions rings. I'm pretty sure they were the standard frozen restaurant kind, but that didn't make them bad. I rather have good frozen rings than bad homemade ones.
Only bad thins was that I was too full to get any of those cool looking desserts...next time I guess.
Oh...why do you take away a star for having to pay $7 to park nearby? Who's fault is that? Not theirs.
People thought this was:
Great scrambles, and the nutella and strawberry donuts were great. the maple bacon donut was pretty gross though. not sure why it's pushed as hard as it is. get there early. it gets busy fast!
It's Ok. I mean, just OK. There's nothing special about the nickel diner; the red velvet donut didn't actually taste like red velvet, and my eggs were good, but not worth what I paid. Another reviewer on here said something about coffee being refilled quickly-that I will totally agree with and it was pretty nice.
If I was in the area and hungry with no wait, I would come here again but there is no way I would wait the 45 minutes we waited before. The support staff (hostess, bussers) seemed very nice but the hipster wait staff was just rude; not offensive rude, just like they couldn't care less, which, I would think, for an independent diner, would be what they would want to avoid.
I would never actively recommend this place but would caution anyone that the long wait is not worth what you get inside.
Downtown LA is developing some interesting pockets of culture lately. The newish art gallery scene has been attracting a healthy crowd of hipsters. One of their gathering places is the Nickel Diner on South Main Street between 5th and 6th.
The first priority for me at the Nickel Diner is to get either the maple and bacon donut, or the saltine cake (a tall slice of chocolate cake with peanuts and potato chips smashed in the icing). Both are a little strange, and both taste amazing.
For lunch the steak sandwich or the veggie sandwich are good choices. If you are really hungry you should get the steak sandwich since it's bigger. I haven't had anything else yet, but I'm pretty confident that everything on their menu is more than satisfactory. Nine out of ten hipsters would agree.
I so wanted to like this place. I read several favorable review and had been trying to get there for a few months. Went there for a breakfast meeting with a business parter. We were both unimpressed. Nothing special, nothing worth spending $6 for parking. Service was rushed and it was obvious that they wanted our table turned immediately. Found no reason to go back. If I want a good breakfast in the downtown area, Blue Star is much better.
Walking around during the DTLA Art Walk can make one very famished. The wait for a table wasn't too bad and the place wasn't too crowded, so it was a nice break to eat and take a breather from walking. I had the tuna burger w/ fries and mint lemonade to wash it down. The mister had the vegetarian chili. My tuna burger was just okay, the veggie chili was too spicy and tasted a little strange. Urth Cafe's veggie chili is much better. I love the atmosphere and it was a nice place to chill and talk. The waiter was super friendly and very helpful. Unfortunately, I didn't know about the bacon donuts, otherwise I would have totally tried it out...oh well...there's always next time. So, I'd give the atmosphere and service 4 stars, but the food was only 3. Overall, I would give the place 3.5. I am curious about the breakfast menu, so I may try it out next time I am in the area.
MAPLE BACON DONUT! I only had time to try this, but the coffee was great. Will go back to try out their awesome looking breakfasts.
People thought this was:
In essence, it's American comfort food that's been updated and a bit refined. The smac n cheese that was shared was definitely good, better than some other "gourmet" mac and cheeses out there. I decided on the salmon which was cooked just right so that it was still moist. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans, I was very satisfied with my selection. It was more difficult than not trying to figure out what I wanted because everything just sounded so good on the menu. Since I was with a large enough party, I was able to sample a fair amount of the menu including the steak and beef stew, both being very delicious. I was surprised by how nicely cooked the steak was, as a true medium-rare is a difficult state to achieve. I was also surprised by the hearty and generous portions of all of our meals, which absolutely adds another star to the review.
For dessert, our party had another hard time honing in on what we wanted but finally decided on the s'mores cake along with another cake (the name escapes me at this time but it included potato chips!). Both were extremely decadent and delicious...the chocolate cake was perfect it its sweetness and moistness. Plus our attractive waiter used a torch to "roast" the marshmallow meringue that sat on top of the s'mores cake...yum on both accounts!
Unfortunately the restaurant's interior is a bit lacking, looking rather run down and dingy. The booth where my party was seated included a good amount of crumbs in which I had to sweep off before sitting. Plus the lack of air flow throughout the room was evident once my party and I stepped out, only to find that our clothing and hair reeked of fried food. If you're not planning on hitting da clubs afterwards, this would probably be okay. However us ladies were ready to get our swerve on that evening and discovered it's pretty hard to do so when you radiate scents of meat and grease.
People thought this was:
Censorship is alive and well in Yelpville! Be careful what you yelp about this restaurant because like my negative review, yours may be met with angry, spiteful messages from the restaurant's management or it may be pulled from the site altogether at the behest of the owners.
Don't be fooled, this place SUUUUUUUCKS!!!!!!
People thought this was:
First of all the place is called the Nickel Diner. If by "nickel" they are trying to be ironic...… Read more »
This place is great. The food is amazing, the staff is friendly and the DONUTS!! The Clockwork Orange made my eyes roll back in my head. One note: Parking at a meter is a dollar an hour, just park at the lot on Main for 5 bucks.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Desserts
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
I'm about to give up on looking for the perfect…
I'm so sick of you fucking people bad mouthing…
I normally don't visit a restaurant twice but…
The best places to get your grub on. No frills.…
I live in downtown now, these are my choices for…
Heres what ive found on my quest for the best…
Vanity is the only reason I'm not a fat happy…
I work downtown and over the last year and a half…
