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Categories: American (Traditional), Breakfast & Brunch, Landmarks & Historical Buildings
Neighborhood: Downtown"I grew up literally down the street from Monk's, and have been coming here since I was too short to see over the counter. For me, Monk's is…" read more »
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If you are a tourist strolling through downtown or a local going to a game at the Staple Center or going to an event in the area, this is a must go to both for the great food and also the unique atmosphere.
It's historic... and well worth a wait outside the restaurant. Bring your long distance glasses as there is no actual paper menu. All menu items appear on boards spread out around the restaurant. This place is open 24-7, always. There are no locks on the doors. They pride themselves on remaining open all the time including through the LA riots.
As many other Yelpers have said, their toast is AMAZING. There portions are huge so come with a good appetite! I am always a sucker for places that serve breakfast all day so I got a huge bacon and cheese omelette with hash-browns that was absolutely perfect. The service was very efficient and surprisingly nice. In spite of how busy it was, I did not feel that they rushed us through our meal.
They are cash only but I won't hold it against them since the food was great. It was well worth the experience.
I have only been here once before and since I moved to DTLA I walk by it often but it always has a line and I don't do lines but Friday, the day after Turkey Day, there were only a couple people in line so I took my son for a late breakfast.
I ordered the eggs, bacon with potatoes and toast and my husband and son both ordered the French toast.
Holy Richard Riordan were those orders of French toast were HUGE! http://www.yelp.com/bi... I mean you could feed a family of 4...maybe only 2 but if you eat can eat the entire order you better run a marathon to burn off the calories. My son ate ONE of the four pieces and my son loves French toast and my husband ate 2 (yeah and he is still skinny) I tried them and they were pretty good.
I was sitting near the window to the grill so I watched them make the ENORMOUS food and noticed how they use A LOT of oil when they cook their eggs. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Oh...that reminds me. The eggs. They were cooked over easy as requested but they are in a small pool of oil...yuck...but I ate around it http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Oh and my eggs came with bacon and I planned on giving it to my son since he loves bacon and I don't eat meat but he already ordered a side of bacon between his side and the bacon that came with my order we probably had 12 pieces of bacon.
I think if I ever order from them I will see if they do take out and order a couple meals then share it...way too much food.
BTW I took the bacon home to make BLT's....not for me of course.
It is what it is. It's a greasy diner but sometimes that's just what you want. The portions are… Read more »
It's been a while since my wife and I have been here... this was one of our go to breakfast spots when my wife was going to law school just around the corner, and we were getting ready for a day of studying at her library.
Another one of those spots we used to LOVE. Things are still overall pretty good, but the sourdough toast seemed to have slid downhill since we used to go. It used to be a lot fluffier, and yet a perfect amount of chewiness. Now, it's gotten a bit tough. It was good to have for sourdough french toast... but otherwise wish they'd go back to how it used to be...
We went today around lunch... seems like EVERYONE orders an order of cole slaw..... We just didn't plan on mixing breakfast with cole slaw though.
Don't come here if you expect the best tasting food...
The Pantry has become an Icon of Downtown LA and if you want alot of food a good decent meal and sometimes quick...by all means come here!
All meals come with Bread and Cole Slaw...I don't like Cole Slaw but if you get the Bread tell them to Toast it...Technically they throw it on the grill...they used to put mounds of butter with it but they've laid back on that now....
The perfect meal before or after a sporting event at Staples Center...
Breakfast seems to be popular here but I have never had breakfast and be prepared during primetimes to wait in a liine outside...
My family and I head out here every once in awhile but this is my first yelp review of it.
I usually get the cheese omelet (comes with toast and coffee). The portions are just right at least for me. A bit much for my mom, sister and girl. My dad and I usually finish it.
Food is clean, the environment is fun, service is always exceptional.
The only negative is the wait, though understandable because it is a popular joint. But it's so damn cold outside in the mornings.
But generally, we love it!
This place is a piece of fucking shit.
Shit food at shit prices.
No one here knows how to cook. The bacon, eggs, and hash brown couldn't have been cooked worse. You would hate bacon for the first time ever after you've eaten it here. It had the texture of Slim Jims and usefullness of weather stripping. The hash browns achieved that holy grail of culinary arts: burning something while somehow not cooking it. In fact, I saw the literal pile of 'cooked' potatoes just sitting around the kitchen. Balut was better than the egg served here. Overall, one of the worst food I've ever paid for in L.A.
Good for: Nothing. Not even as emergency rations.
Food. Meh. Sit at the bar right behind the cooks. Awesome experience.
Eggs. Undercooked.
Sausage. Overcooked
Potato. Meh.
Toast. Great.
Cash Only
I won't be back.
This place has grown on me and I believe the reason for this is because I fell in love with the employees that work here. Yes it is nice when they actually pay attention to what your wants and needs are.
I came here a few weeks ago and was in love with what I ordered. I been craving some good American Food done right. This is the place to go and I have ordered a sirloin steak and eggs with crispy hash browns. I ordered my steak medium rare and my eggs were over hard. I have a ritual where eat only the egg whites and the steak was so huge I had to take almost all of it back home. It was a great left over though for breakfast in the morning.
Before you get your food you get this cabbage and also loads of toasted bread with loads of butter. What a great thing to get and maybe that is why I was so full when my meal actually came !
I would say this is a great place to come for late night eating !! Only negative was that it is cash only and there are bums all along and near this area.
Alright I saw this place on television and many of my friends said this place is a go to spot in… Read more »
What a treat! Stopped in for a quick dinner before the Lakers game. This is my kind of restaurant. Good food, big portions and reasonably priced.
I had a cheeseburger served on home made sour dough bread. The burger was fried and tasted just like a Hackney Burger for my friends from Chicago. The burger came with a giant serving of crispy french fries and coleslaw, tomato and raw onion. Everything was perfect.
The service was quick, as they were cognizant that we were heading off to the game.
I was told that this is the oldest restaurant in downtown LA. I would believe it. It looked like an old fashioned diner.
Another must if you are in LA.
The best diner food and experience I have had since leaving the Northeast.
Sat at the counter, waitress was super warm and nice. Had short ribs, came with homemade mashed potatoes, peas, mound of cole slaw, stack of sourdough bread. Monster quanity with great homestyle quality.
Cash only, open 24 hours.
Can't go wrong here.
American comfort food at its best in a depression era diner setting.
Since you are not paying for the decor and setting....the prices are not cheap but very reasonable. And the food...very good and "comforting".
Terrific choice for especially breakfast if in downtown area. but lunch and dinner menus offer good choices.
Be prepared for lines and waits though.
After walking 5 miles from a club to get here, I was in for a treat. Not only were they casual about people sharing their orders but the service is lax and polite.
The food? No matter what time you come in, it should be a pleasant treat for your stomach. Heavy yes, but mouth watering as well.
Everyone raves about their sour dough bread because it's THAT good but make sure you try everything on their menu at least once.
Food here is just your whatevers classic American diner food. It's more expensive than Denny's. I guess the only benefit about this place is that it's very close to Staples, so you can go there before a game, if you're not interested in the fancy Nokia area. Anyways, the food here, you'll get a lot of food for the price you'll pay ~$13-15. Definitely be full. It's not the tastiest, but you'll be satisfied if you're looking for the classic feel to your food. I had the phillycheesesteak. Also tasted the pulled pork and fried chicken. All just par!
Oh yea, I forgot to mention...the sourdough bread is probably the best thing...it taste like it's homebaked in one of the home breadmachines. They do give you A LOT of butter packets!
Go LAKERS!!
If you're looking for a good ol' fashion diner with great food, there are much better places in Los Angeles.
When I think diner, I think delicious, greasy, buttery, unhealthy food. Dry bacon, plain tasteless eggs, dry toast (but that's fine, I can butter toast myself, I'm cool with that), and boring, bland potatoes. That doesn't pass as good diner food with me.
I really wish it was better
This place is not what it used to be. I came here way back when they had real jam in a jar and they served you a real buttered loaf of bread. This place is just plain gross now. The ham and eggs were absolutely disgusting.
The Original Pantry Cafe,,,Yeap, this place is a dump. I don't really care is a historical place. It's a dump.
I refuse to spend any more of my hard working $$ from sunrise to sunset, 365 days around the earth, for this greasy trouble garbage food. 'G.A.R.B.A.G.E'...They should have had Fear Factor show here for the food and the place. OMG. OMG.. Is that a bug??? what kind of the bug is that..!!.. It's huge...
Mr. Mayor, "Tear Down This Wall". It's time to "Close down this history once for all".
Negative 5 stars & H3LL "HELL" for the Original Pantry Cafe..
Open 24 hours? Check.
Greasy good food? Check.
Humungus portions? Check.
Friendly waiters in bow-ties? Check.
Great atmosphere? Check.
Whatcha waiting for? Get your hiney here now!
Good, cheap breakfasts. VeEry popular. The wait to be seated is not too bad though the place seems to be always full.
The food is not memorable, though.
I went here with my friend and her husband after watching my daughter's play on Halloween. Hollywood was crazy that night so we wandered off to find this greasy spoon and it was great! The menus are all on chalkboards which are fine if you can see but maybe that is the charm... for me, I'd rather have a menu in my hand but to each his own.
I had chicken fried steak which obviously is on no ones diet!! We were all stuffed but for some reason we decided to order the peach cobbler...OH MY GOSH!!! It was sooo good!!! Something I will try to duplicate and crave until the next visit!
It is the kind of place that makes you want to try everything! The kind that serves too much but is very memorable and makes you want to share it with everyone you love!
A lot of people complain that it is old, dirty, and moldy but to me, it's a part of history. From the counter tops to the cashier in a cage, it is a glimpse of what LA diner is.
Never worry about going hungry here. Their portions are pretty big. I get the sandwiches there with the fries and I always end up stuffing myself or leaving half the fries on the plate. The coleslaw is delicious along with their sourdough bread and the limitless amount of butter they always put in front of you haha. Breakfast is served all day and it is open 24 hours a day. Try the pancakes!
It is a bit expensive for "diner" foods but honestly what places in downtown don't charge those prices?
The bloom has fallen off the rose.
Into the mud.
Then run over by an ox cart.
Which promptly turned around and gored me.
What was once a place to eat decent, filling grub after a club or a night out with friends has become a sad shell of its former glory. Twenty four dollar steak specials? Eight and half bucks for a sorry bacon and egg breakfast? Toast that comes out black enough to put in a bag of briquettes? Bacon that resembles a formed meat product that insults the pig it was carved from? Pancakes that taste strangely "flat"--even to someone who spent hours so hungry I could only think of gorging on some hearty cookin'? I kept pouring "syrup" until I realized that the patient wasn't going to get up, doctor, doctor step away from the patient.
After midnight you pay $2 flat for parking across the street.
I think the only thing that would've topped off the meal was to get mugged afterward, but the nice security guard at the crosswalk was there, and on that account, you need only fear the food.
I discovered this neighborhood gem back when I worked in LA downtown. It ended up being the number one place to go to for stake and eggs late night. When I went there for the first time, our waiter looked like Humphrey Bogart. He has retired since but you can still see him in the old photos hanging on the walls. The new waitstaff is not as great as the old one, and I greatly miss those bow ties with weathered faces. The food is fantastic if you are ravenous. Their homemade bread practically melts in your mouth, their coleslaw is perfect, and stakes are outrageously juicy! For all the good late nights I've spent there, I've never been bored as the public is as colorful as LA downtown. Great for inspiration if you're the artistic type. A little slice of pie to top it off, and you're guaranteed to be in heaven! (I've never gone there during the tourist season...I say, avoid it!) Best late night eats! Afterward you can spend some time walking of the delicious food and taking night shots of all the Depression era hotels nearby.
My friend and I, El "stomach" decided we'd test this place out. We set our expectations pretty low, because we knew where we were; Downtown LA, near the Staples Center, if you expect good food here without making your wallet bend over and take it...then well...your logic leaves a lot to be desired.
But don't you think a place, as famed as the Pantry, a place that receives business 24 hours a day, that it doesn't even need locks for its front doors would at least have food that taste good? Maybe instead of tasty food, it could have possibly made up for it in personality?
No, on all counts. The ingredients (eggs, bread, potatoes) while fresh, just had no "sabor." They burnt my potatoes that came with the bacon and eggs I ordered. All of it was just so moderately below okay I had to make a :( face upon leaving.
On top of that, the service was very much, take your order, chuck your food at you, and leave you alone subpar service.
I really have nothing nice to say about this place, so I'm going to go out, have a smoke, and when I get back, I'm still not going to like this place as much as I did when I started writing this review.
*cough*
I find that many long-standing institutions, dining or otherwise, tend to disappoint. They have been around and continue to exist for so long because they sell an idea that originated many years ago and repackage and resell it on a daily basis because the consumer is in love with the whole history behind it. Sometimes, this idea gets lost in translation, or some of it gets muddled over time. Does the Pantry fall short? Depends on who you're asking.
I would imagine that being open non-stop for a good part of 80 years might have given the owners a bit of tunnel vision over time, maybe focusing on the good old days a little too much. This is somewhat the case here at the Original Pantry. They have made some adjustments over the years, some good, some not so good, and in some ways none at all. That's just the nature of the beast. You can't fault the Pantry for being slow to change.
There's no question that the Pantry has character and history, no doubt. From the saucers of cole slaw and sourdough the older than dirt waiters plop down at your table, to the cashier holed up in the cage and all the multitude of different aspects that make the Pantry the Pantry, this place has been doing what it needs to do to survive in this fickle, bordering-on-ADD city of ours for close to a century.
The Pantry is what it is: a place to get a square meal any time of day. Whether it be overpriced, underwhelming, or whatever adjectives you deem fit to throw at it, it's all a matter of perspective. All I have to say is that this place has more heart and substance oozing out of every pore of its being than most LA establishments put together. Whether that's worth an extra few bucks, some relatively brash treatment, or a lack of hipster ambiance is entirely up to you.
As for me, I'm glad to say I've partaken in this bubble of LA nostalgia and given the chance, wouldn't hesitate to return.
I will definitely not coming back. I understand that there are lots of history about this place but I am not going to wait more than 30 min on Sunday morning for the 'not-so-good' breakfast.
I tried lots of restaurants on good old American Breakfast ( eggs, toast, potato/hash ) etc. This is the worst in my opinion. Sorry.
You know, it's funny. I drive by The Original Pantry Cafe every time that I go to a Lakers or a Dodgers game, but I've always forgotten to write a review! But when I was going to the Dodgers game last night I passed it, and realized that the time had come for a review.
Add the Pantry to the list of LA landmarks. There is always a line out front, pretty much 24 hours per day. Why? Beats me.
The food is mediocre, but priced reasonably. And the portions are HUGE. In recent memory, I've had the steak and eggs ($8.25). I never use steak sauce, but I have to drop some A1 on that bomb of a steak.. tough, chewy, overcooked, poor quality of meat. I've also had the spaghetti and meatballs ($7.95)... again, mediocre at best, but a huge plate of food.
I'll give you four reasons to go to the Pantry:
-1- They're open 24 hours a day.
-2- They're convenient if you're out in downtown LA.
-3- Big portions for reasonable prices.
-4- THE FREE BREAD AND BUTTER. Yep, recession special numero uno. But for real, their homemade sourdough is really really good, and the butter is nice and creamy. Not for the weight watchers, but diznam that stuff's good. When I go, I usually end up filling my belly with bread... usually to soak up the alcohol after a night out, but nonetheless totally worthwhile.
One word to the wise: The Pantry is CASH ONLY. They do, however, have an ATM by the cashier's cage.
So in short, I was considering 2 stars for the food, but I'm bumping up to 3 stars a) for being open 24 hours, and b) for being an LA landmark.
Ok, I get it, this place is an American institution and as such I need to cut it a generous amount of slack but even that really won't allow me, in all good conscience, to give this place more than a luke warm review.
I don't need to give much background on the Pantry, everyone has heard of it and it's been around forever, it was around when downtown LA was probably a pretty cool place to visit. Now you go to a predetermined destination, maybe grab a bite after and then you get the hell out of dodge in your tightly locked car. But any whoooo
So I've been a total of 3 times because I now work in the belly of the beast.,its relatively close so its easy to go, park across the street for only $2.00 with validation, and believe me for downtown that's a good deal.
Bottom line is this place put the grease in greasy spoon. I tried a burger here once and won't make that mistake again, the key to the Pantry is this, order breakfast period. No matter when you go order breakfast. Its ok, not great and less expensive than the other overpriced and marginally tasting fare.
But folks, even that can get screwed up, I ordered a cheese omelet last Friday and it comes with their potatoes which I liked and toast (its toast-it was fine) and coffee or tea. The problem was the shredded American cheese they put in it was completely unmelted, they didn't give it any time to melt and it was semi inedible..I did finish about half....plus I guess I'm just an omelet snob, one of those that likes to choose the kind of cheese in an omelet and when I do its NEVER American (cheddar, chevre any Dutch cheese, yes please) ..oh well, I wasn't surprised there was absolutely no choice.
Its a dive, no way around that, a bit too pricey for a dive with that kind of food. The people working there are all very nice and friendly and I believe its cash only. I'll probably get dragged there again sometime but when I do, I will have lowered my expectations and will advise my dining buddies to do the same.
*HUGE portions! Worth the $
*Easy to find, Parking is across the street & validated
*2 blocks south of 7th/Metro Red/Blue Line Depot
*Very Attentive Staff, ALWAYS PLEASANT
****OPEN 24 HOURS****
-------------------------------
Breakfast Suggestions: Ham-Steak & Eggs, Chicken Fried Steak, and Monstrous Omelets!
--------------------------------
Lunch Suggestion: Open Faced, Hot Beef Sandwich with Mashed potatoes and peas.
With great, authentic, old photos, you'll feel as if you stepped right back in the 1950's!
If you save room for dessert, the chocolate cake is a MUST TRY!
Alright, so I went here around 2:30 A.M. this morning after work with some coworkers and after being advised by a several people to get the pancakes it ended up being a no brainer when it came time to order.
I got pancakes and eggs. Holly Cow!!!! Seriously I've never had better pancakes they were super fluffy and simply melted in my mouth. Considering that I'm not a pancake kind of gal even I was impressed.
The Pantry is open 24 hours a day and from what i hear they are always have at least one customer. If you come late night you most likely will be waiting though not for long.
They have a good amount of seats and people tend to eat and not linger for too too long.
The menu is on the wall and they do have a ATM just in case you're short on cash. This place has been around forever and is a landmark that is surely worth a visit.
There is very often line outside the pantry, whether early in the morning or late at night. Considering this place draws these crowds after 80 years of continuous business, they must be doing something right.
After having gone there the other day, I'm still wondering what that is. I wouldn't say the portions were particularly large, nor the prices particularly reasonable, and the food definitely was not very good. I tried the philly cheesesteak and t-bone steak, at the recommendation of the server. Both were lacking in flavor and were unimpressive. The hash brown and peas sides went unfinished. The apple pie was blah.
I don't even think this place was good if you're drunk - honestly, you might as well go down to ihop a few blocks down for your 24 hour drunken food needs.
Great when you are half drunk in the middle of night but it's only okay when you are sober and hungry. It's practically open 24 hours, and the waiters are amusing. I feel like I am being transported back to 50s here. I had fun at my table where I can see them cooking through the glass partition. Food is interesting at best. Coleslaw and large portions. I'm still sad that the food isn't as great as I think it should be. It is an L.A. institution, but the food is only okay. I am cheering them on to keep this place alive before it dies down. Cash only, but there's an atm machine inside.
No.
Simply no.
I've experienced better food at Denny's and only had to wait half the time.
I made my first visit to the Pantry today.
I visited early in the morning, so there were not many people.
Parking is provided across the street from the restaurant. Make certain that you get your parking stub validated. With validation, parking is $1.
Upon entering, I was quickly seated. The waiter was very efficient. After reviewing the menu -- which is posted on the wall -- I opted for the Ham and Cheese Omelet. The omelet includes potatoes and your choice of bread. The food came out very quickly.
The omelet was good, but certainly nothing to rave about. However, I must admit that they put a generous amount of cheese into the omelet... which I loved.
I found the atmosphere of the restaurant rather interesting... especially with the knowledge that former Mayor Richard Riordan owns this restaurant. I enjoyed looking at the black and white photographs that line the walls.
Nonetheless, if given the choice between a breakfast chain restaurant (ex. Denny's, IHOP, etc.), I would certainly select the Original Pantry Cafe.
This restaurant deserves an inflated rating, considering 1) its historic value; and 2) it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Pantry, I will return to try your steak.
Additional Notes:
- Cash Only.
This is my favorite breakfast place in Los Angeles.
Coffee. Sourdough toast with coleslaw. Steak and eggs (over-easy). That's what I've gotten at the Pantry for five years now whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Avoid the line by sitting at the counter. Tip well. Don't move the chairs around. Be courteous. Enjoy delicious food. You should be fine. Food comma to follow.
Have heard a lot about how great this place is, so when two friends and I were out downtown and wanted to grab some food before heading home for the night, we decided to check it out. Alternative to Denny's and all that....
Turns out, I would have been better off at Denny's. First of all, it smells pretty terrible when walking in. The options are pretty limited (though breakfast looked pretty good), and the meals are pretty expensive. Both of my friends paid about $15 each for a hamburger/cheese steak and fries, no drinks. They both finished their meals, but they were also drunk, so, you know. Neither looked spectacular or worth the $$, and I certainly wouldn't wait in one of the infamous long lines for this food.
Also, we didn't get any of the sourdough bread that people keep talking about!! Maybe i would have given it 3 stars if we had...
On the positive side, the fries were good, the cole slaw was surprisingly good, and I do like that it has the feel of a diner/casual eatery- it doesn't pretend to be a high-class diner. If only it didn't smell so funky... needless to say, I won't be coming back here any time soon.
This is my favorite spot to go after concerts. Drunk. I went after the Atmosphere concert awhile back and I cant tell you much about that time cause I blacked out.
Tonight after the Depeche Mode concert we went and it was delish but I was upset that the waitress claimed there were no biscuits and gravy on the night menu. It says breakfast served ALL day. Lies.
Anyway. I love the biscuits and gravy and an order of sourdough with salsa.
Yummers.
So you won't be getting points or miles when you visit The Pantry. Who cares? Stop at an ATM and get cash. It'll be worth it.
I like this place. Whenever I have an out of town guest, I make sure to stop and get them some grub while I show them downtown. Another perk of it's location is that it's right off the 7th/Metro exit on the Metro Blue Line, so you'll only have to deal with the line at the restaurant and not the traffic getting there.
I usually get their breakfast (Pancakes, Eggs and Potatoes) but I recently tried their Burger Special which was really good. Also, I always have to get a take-out box because their portions are huge.
So you may have to stand in line for a few, but it's all in the experience.
Usually eating out of a dumpster is free.
A list will suffice for this review:
1. Gross tasting food--it tasted like they added in "charbroil flavor" from a can on the burger.
2. Not cheap and cash only
There's no question that this place will get bad reviews. Not my concern. Eating at the Pantry will require you to keep an open mind and an open stomach. You are about to walk into a time machine. This place is one of LA's original greasy spoons. I'm a third generation diner and I am grateful that this place exists.
Upon entering the front doors of the Pantry (which have never closed in over 80 years) you will notice the community table on the left and the worn down layers of flooring in front of the caged cashier - a surreal throwback to some antique prewar era. The food is large quantities of well-done meat and potatoes, the service is salty, and the ambiance has not been altered since the soup lines of the Great Depression. This place is probably filled with happy gastro-ghosts feeding on the free coleslaw and the free loaves of sourdough bread.
Pancakes and sourdough toast. Carb coma of deliciousness. That's where it's at.
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