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The Original Pantry Cafe

October 21, 2013 By Jeff Hester Leave a Comment

The Original Pantry Cafe has been open since 1924

Established in 1924, The Original Pantry has spent eight decades providing its customers with bigger-than-one-person-should-eat portions of traditional, artery-clogging American food. The restaurant started with five employees in a building at 9th and Figueroa St. It consisted of one room — a 15-stool counter, a grill and a hot plate. It wasn’t long before patrons were forming lines for seats.

Today it’s still common to see people lined up outside waiting for a table. The Original Pantry never closes, and in fact, the front door doesn’t even have a lock! It’s a cash-only place, and the rumors were that the staff were ex-cons. The historical details found around the cafe claim that is an urban legend, but for some reason the rumors persist.

How was the food? It’s typical diner fare, served in huge portions.

Joan had the steak and eggs. I had the two eggs and bacon combo, which also came with hash brown potatoes and the biggest damn pieces of toast I’ve ever seen.


And it's cash only

It certainly wasn’t healthy eating, but it was tasty. I can see why this place is popular as a last stop after a late night out.

One thing to keep in mind, The Pantry is cash-only, though there is an ATM available inside.

The Original Pantry Cafe on UrbanspoonThe Original Pantry Cafe
877 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017

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Filed Under: Brunch, Food

About Jeff Hester

I am a second generation Angelino that has lived throughout Southern California. I love to travel, sharing the gems I discover and learning from others who've been there before. I am an avid hiker, father, grandfather, husband, author, speaker, dog walker, web developer and damn good listener. You can also find me at Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook and Starbucks.

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