Nation's Giant Hamburgers & Great Pies — Restaurant in California

Where do I start? Let me start with their pies, quickly talk about that subject, then move on to my favorite topic.

I judge pie-makers by how well they make lemon meringue pie. And the reason for that is that my mother made the best lemon meringue pies. They're tricky, as I understand it. You need to have a properly cooked crust, but never, NEVER overcook the meringue -- a very delicate balancing act. I know this sounds like a cliche, but Nation's pies are equal to my mother's.

And if that's not good enough for you, my mom's second best were her apple pies. The secret there is all about using the perfect blend of spices. Nation's pies score 100% in my book. And, incredibly, Nation's sugar-free pies are indistinguishable from those made with the typical ingredients.

Moving on now, with a discussion regarding the BEST of the VERY BEST...

Nation's serves the BEST breakfasts EVER. NATION'S isn't some fancy-a** dining establishment that serves crepes or brunch. And that's a good thing. Breakfast choices are limited, and that's a good thing too. In that regard, you might say that Nation's is old-fashioned. Simple, good, honest, no BS food.

I've eaten at more than a dozen of their locations, and my fried eggs have always been prepared perfectly. Their hash browns are cooked fresh to order -- they don't sit pushed over to the side of the grill absorbing cooking oil, or becoming overly crunchy or burnt.

My favorite breakfast there is two eggs over easy, hash browns, and a hamburger patty. Sometimes, when I'm super-hungry, I order a 3-egger breakfast -- 50% more of everything. And, if you're dining with your spouse and they know that you need to be watching your calories, they have one-eggers too. Eating small does not mean eating poorly. You also have a choice of sausage, ham, bacon, or linguisa.

(If you're curious about how well Mom prepared her eggs -- well, they were horrible! No matter how many ways she tried, the edges of them were always so badly cooked, they could serve as saw blades. Excellent if you were trying to escape jail! Otherwise, not so good...)

And, yes, I've ordered nearly everything else on their menu. If they didn't serve breakfast, I would always get one of their Giant Burgers, or their grilled chicken burger. And, always with their freshly made onion rings. I think I forgot to mention that they make a delightful veggie burger as well.

• This is an embarrassing admission! I just glanced at their menu and found that they also offer a wild salmon sandwich, chili dogs, and a variety of grilled sandwiches, + more... OMG, AND OMELETTES!!! You see, that's what happens when you become so devoted to one particularly wonderful meal.*

Attached screenshot from my Google Maps timeline shows the various Nation's that I routinely visit during...

A casual full-course diner serving breakfast, lunch, and dessert menu with free spacious parking at the shared lot with the plaza. They had an open kitchen with an excellent ventilation, so my clothes didn't stink like burger grease when I left. I would recommend it as a great date spot, especially if your date likes keeping their hair smelling like hair products as opposed to bacon and burger grease. Spacious seating with plenty of spaces between tables that can facilitate uninterrupted chats, informational interviews or job interviews.

Scrumptious coconut pie with custard filling. The shredded coconut in the pie was the sweetest part of the pie, and it balanced the flavor of the unsweetened semi-fluffy crust. I liked that the dense crust not being overly thick or cooked over high heat. Even though the pie crust does not look golden brown like in some TV commercials, it tasted good because it made the pie taste delightful.

Also, the whipped cream was lightly sweetened and used good quality cream since it did not taste stale or overly emulsified or gelatine-y.

Overall, it was a good pie.

Service was excellent since the service lady kindly let us take our time to decide on which pie to choose from.

There were so many types of pies!!! I am always impressed by Nation's quality.

The tables were all clean and the chairs were all tucked under or close to the tables, so I would feel not too worried about bumping onto furnitures while walking without paying attention, which means it would be good to bring families with little children who could easily stumble on stuff that are in...

Im just disgusted with the customer service of this place this is my second time at this location and ill never be back. The first time it was my daughters birthday and her only request was cheesecake the woman had an attitude i was not greeted and helped last as if i wasnt first in line. Second time same exact thing first i figured it was just busy this time im over it. It taked nothing to say “ill be right with you” she literally said nothing to me at all a customer gets up from his seat asks for a spoon she gives it to him THEN proceeds to say “ok what do you want” i ask for a half strawberry half regular and she says “i have 2 slices of strawberry or come back later.” Its disgusting to me like i came in asking for a free meal or something. Now i know to go 10 miles out to get what i want instead of 3 if i go at all im turned off completely. Thanks for turning me off from what was my favorite with your stinky attitude and...