Original Pantry Cafe

I liked this place 20 years ago, But It it way over priced now.
Food is still pretty good, And portions are descent, But someone got greedy.

Do not order the French dip sandwich! The food is mediocre and the prices are too high. Don’t bother going to this LA landmark… It’s not worth it

I have been comming here for years with a good friend of mine, here is all I can say is bring cash order toasted sour dough bread, get the coleslaw, and just about everything is delicious.. From breakfast to dinner you can not go wrong. I always order extra sourdough before I leave for home soooooooo delicious! !!

Love this place !!! The sourdough bread is amazing! Food tastes yummy and portions are large, definitely worth the price:)
Atmosphere is amazing as well!

If you’re looking for great diner food at 3am after partying and when all the clubs have closed, this is the perfect place. Unlike Denny’s or ihop, this place serves real food. Some of the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had! Everything is fresh.
The only place they could use improvement is in the line situation. They do a separate line for the counter than for tables, which really caused confusion for our group as we kept seeing people in the table line go in sooner than us in the counter line (and our line was much shorter). They should probably do one line and then ask people if they’re ok with the counter as it comes open. It would save a lot of headache.
I was really upset about the whole situation, so it’s EXTRA impressive to me that they turned my mood around and impressed me with their food and service. Everyone was really nice, friendly, and I can tell that they trust each other and work well together, which always shows in the service.
We will definitely be back. We will just have to figure out the line situation next time. :)

There’s nothing worse than waking up on a Sat or Sun morning, desperately craving brunch but also extraordinairly lazy to make the trek anywhere.
Luckily, Original Pantry Café is a block away from us and open 24 hours! I’ve driven by a million times and there is always a line outside — but I guess that’s part of the «experience!» So we arrived around 1pm on Saturday and yes there was still a line outside. It move relatively quick — we waited about 20 minutes? If you are open to sitting on the counter, there is a separate line for that on the other side of the bldg!
So we finally get in (ohhh its so warm and cozy) and I instantly feel like I’m in the 60s or 70s. The décor and furniture is literally that old, or looks like it LOL.
The menu is simple — and plastered all over the walls. As I walked past 10 tables, everyone had pancakes. So I guess its one of their popular items. The portions are extremely large! And the price is super cheap ($ 6−7/breakfast plate)
Food:
I obviously ordered the famous pancakes; fluffy, huge, and so so tasty. There’s nothing more superb than when pancakes are done RIGHT.
Potatoes: Love love love their homestyle potatoes. A little crispy but still good.
Bacon: Too burnt/​crispy… idk if that’s their style or someone just f*d it up but it was a bummer.
Country Fried Steak: BEST EVER. I’m not typically a fan of this dish, but the bf ordered it and I had a taste and oh my goodness it was seriously mouth watering good.
I love having a local diner close by, and original pantry café definitely hits the spot. I can’t wait to come here at 3am post party somewhere LOL.

This place is not bad especially as an around the clock eatery. I don’t know about anyone else but for some reason after a long night out, there is literally nothing better than either tacos or pancakes and bacon… Essentially anything greasy. This place pretty much fits the bill. The food isn’t awesome by any means but at 3 am, the pancakes and potatoes here are legit. Not exactly a date night dinner but does the trick for your late night cravings.
Pros–
Greasy goodness
Always open
Friendly service
Decent prices
Location
Cons–
Always a line or a wait
Not the healthiest

Visited 1÷30÷2016
Been here multiple times. Still looks the same, but their prices definitely have gone up. Love their breakfast! Lines long on the weekends.
Sourdough bread and potatoes is enough for two people.
Since we went around dinner time, I decided to try their tuna salad. It was so much! I definitely had leftover.
Parking across the street with validation.

Butter butter and butter. Reminds me of Paula Dean when I’m here. This is definitely not a place to go if you are on a diet. This is a good old fashion place with the works. They give slices of bread and a heap of butter.
I’ve sat at the bar one too and watched them good. Yes, the taste is all in the clarified butter, and oil. They don’t hold back. The service is pretty fast. It just depends on what you order.
Waiting time is typically an hour. One time I was super lucky and walked right in. I think it was because it was 4:00 pm in the afternoon. Yes, there is never a bad time for a super filling breakfast. Be prepared to bring tons of leftovers as well.
Parking, they do have a parking lot on the other corner.

–Cash Only–
Came here after a stop by Staples Center on a Saturday afternoon due to the high volume of positive Unilocal reviews. Between the décor and the style of the waiters, OPC definitely still carries some of the old school feel of when it first started back in the 1940s.
We ordered the much raved about pancakes as well as the bacon and eggs (which come with toast and potatoes). The pancakes were definitely good — lots of buttermilk that gave it a nice, moist, fluffy taste vs a gummy, dense texture. The bacon and eggs were pretty decent — basic breakfast items made well. Pancakes were about $ 6.75 and the bacon and eggs were about $ 10.25, so prices were on the higher end, but you’re paying a premium for that old school feel and DTLA location. Course, that old school feel will extend to the bathroom as well, which isn’t as well-​kempt as you’d hope.
Overall, decent food — worth a trip for visit for good breakfast foods but not a place I’d frequent.

This 24-​hour diner is so adorable that it’s worth a trip if you want to explore historic L.A., but don’t expect too much of the food.
While I enjoyed my breakfast — and the place was surprisingly packed for the middle of the week although I hear there is a line out the door on weekends — I’ve had much better. If you’re from the South/​Midwest/​Southeast, Original Pantry Café is comparable to Waffle House but WH is a lot better. My scrambled eggs were very typical, and the breakfast potatoes were a combination of mostly soggy (bleh) and very crispy (yay). I expected more of the breakfast potatoes, and would have preferred WH smothered and covered hash browns [insert tears-​of-​joy emoji here]
The pancakes — probably the most raved about item here — however did have character. They were on the dense side. They were moist and almost wet, seemed heavy on the buttermilk. The edges were the best part because they were crispy and not as dense. Maybe they needed a bit more time on the griddle? Who am I to say — this place has probably served more customers than McDonald’s has since Original Pantry Café opened in 1924.
While the diner is open 24 hours a day, after a certain hour, there are only limited breakfast items including the pancakes and French toast, and a lunch/​dinner menu. The French toast is made with sourdough bread which appeared from my neighbor’s food very hearty and legit. Kind of cool that they have Portuguese sausage here if you’re feeling a little Hawaiian for breakfast.
The website says that the breakfast combos come with coffee but that’s actually not the case. It’s only 85 cents to add it. If it’s outside of breakfast hours though its $ 2.25.
If you’re into Waffle House tourism like me and want to add Original Pantry Café to your list as you pass through L.A., pick up a collectible OPC mug here for $ 6.
TIP: parking lot directly across the street on 9^th costs $ 2.50 with restaurant validation. Otherwise good luck finding a meter on Figueroa.

3.5 stars for the food — nothing wrong with the food. There are large portions and it is definitely carby and super filling. Typical diner food is expected here. I ordered the #4 (two eggs, two pancakes which I substituted for french toast, and potatoes). Everything was great, and I didn’t expect to be so full!
5 stars for service — great and fast service. Although I’ve heard there is always a line out the door, when I arrived for a late breakfast, there was about a 5 minute wait. Even though the place was clearly packed and busy, service was still friendly. Servers maintained a great attitude and worked very efficiently. I was also surprised that my food came within 5 minutes of ordering!
Note that this place is CASH ONLY. The menu is on the wall. And after eating, you take the bill to the cashier to pay.

I finally made it to OPC. All of my friends raved about this place since it’s been here since 1924. My favorite here hands down was their fluffy, buttery pancake, and they even give you two big portions of it.
Service was fantastic. Everyone who works here I think, have worked here for quite sometime, and they know their menu by heart. Love that everything that comes out from the kitchen was piping hot, including my coffee. We also lucked out with very little line as long as you come by 0730. Late nights here though can get packed!
If you’re looking for a blast from the past diner, wholesome American breakfast, and great service, I suggest you give Original Pantry Café a visit!
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

Really, one can’t go wrong here.
The simplicity of everything, the comforts of the diner feel, the prices, the customer service…
I stopped in and enjoyed a bacon and cheese omelette, complete with toast, and potatoes.
The magic of the omelette?
It’s the processed cheese slices.
I’m big on bacon, but something about the combination takes me back to mornings with mom, and that distinct flavor.
The potatoes were alright.
The toast was filling after everything.
This place deserves at least one visit.

Caray, cada día que despierto en México deseo desayunar aquí.
Es una visita obligada cuando voy a Los Ángeles.
¿Qué lo hace tan bueno?
Primero, tiene una historia, la puerta no tiene chapa, tienen más de 40 años sin cerrar desde que abrieron.
Segundo, la comida es totalmente casera y con unas porciones inmensas.
Mi recomendación: Steak & Eggs con un side de tocino, ojo, el steak ya trae hashbrown.
Si son turbogordos como yo, pueden pedir de entrada el enorme plato de French Toast que está IN-​CRE-​Í-​BLE.
Provecho y que envidia cada que ustedes vayan y yo no.