The Original Pantry Cafe — Restaurant in Los Angeles

The Original Pantry Cafe is a coffee shop and restaurant in Los Angeles, California. Located at the corner of 9th and Figueroa in Downtown L.A.'s South Park district, The Pantry (as it is known by locals) claims to never have closed or been without a customer since it opened including when it changed locations in 1950 to make room for a freeway off-ramp; it served lunch in the original location and served dinner at the new location the same day. This claim is also attributed to the fact that Dewey Logan never refused a customer even if he or she was short on money. It was, however, closed briefly at the order of health inspectors on November 26, 1997, and reopened the next day.The restaurant is currently owned by former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan and has served many celebrities and politicians.

When it was opened in 1924 at its original location at 9th and Francisco, the restaurant consisted of one room, a 15-stool counter, a small grill, a hot plate and sink. In 1950 The Pantry moved to its current location at 9th and Figueroa, and has since been designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 255, and has been ranked as the most famous restaurant in Los Angeles. The restaurant is known for serving coleslaw to all patrons in the evening hours, even if they ultimately decide to order breakfast. It claims to serve 90 tons of bread (or 461 loaves per day) and 10.5 tons (20,000-tree harvest) of coffee per year. After 87 years, the restaurant's tradition of serving free coffee ended in 2011. Part of the building on Figueroa Street became Riordan's Tavern, also owned by the former mayor.

For the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the restaurant in 2014, some people submitted their stories around The Original Pantry Cafe. This was the text ("A Pancake Tradition") of the winner, Devin Kelley. A sign can be found in the entrance of the coffee shop:

"It's Sunday, 10:30. Brunch-time. We're standing in line outside the Original Pantry. The summer breeze ripples my t-shirt. I grin at my grandma. She's standing, not noticing me, arms crossed, looking ahead at the front door. I count the heads in front of us again. Now we're in ninth place. The couple behind us shuffles their shoes, catching up with us, as the line shifts forward another few feet. The line is long but welcoming. Everyone wavers in it, shifting, looking behind, forward again, and heads bobbing and peering over others towards the front. My grandma looks at me, a paper menu clutched between soft fists, and forces a smile. She's been going here since she was nine years old. Always, every Sunday, her mother and father would bring her to the pantry after mass, allowing her to order whatever she desired. Scanning the long menu, between the classic Sour Dough French Toast, and the mouth-watering Bacon and Cheese Omelet, she would wrinkle her brow and pretend to consider ordering something different. But she never did. It was always the pancakes and a large orange juice. Her parents would laugh at her seriousness. "Let me guess," her mother would say. "The Pancakes?" My grandma taught me this not-so-secret combination when I was nine. I too ordered the pancakes every time. I too dreamed of the pillowy cakes drenched in maple syrup and butter. I too washed it down with a tall glass of OJ. And I too pretended, though I never meant it, to consider the long list of options on the menu. We had a simple tradition at...

This Downtown Los Angeles institution is still standing!

THE PANTRY has survived all the events and disasters hurled DTLA's way, including the more recent pandemic known as Covid-19 - which might be more accurately referred to as the World Wide Pandemic of 2019 to 2021...

First introduced to The Pantry by my teammates (the USC swimming & diving team) ...and then made a regular part of our near biweekly / at least monthly team members ritual following a weekend practice or home meet,... I've personally carried on the Trojan tradition of breakfast at The Pantry with friends and family over the decades since (for a morning meal, lunch, dinner and or post-midnight or 2 am delicious bite -- pre-modified post-covid hours).

It's a joy as well to still see many familiar faces from back in the day - they never fail to serve with familiar warmth, a smile, a joyful spirit, stories of eras gone by, or refrain from making a useful recommendation.

This place is sort of a home kitchen away from home.

(A few pics including a team pic - I was fortunate to be on the team with Fred Uytengsu as our team captain and our elected Dr. Spirit, while USC athletes and fans are fortunate for Fred and family's generosity in the form of the Uytengsu Aquatics Complex).

On behalf of myself, my friends and family, my Trojan Teammates and classmates of yesterday and today, I extend a warm welcome to you and yours to come and visit a persisting Los Angeles legendary institution and USC overflow kitchen :

Take a trip into this Time Machine and enjoy One of the best comfort dining experiences in So Cal!

Bon...

6/5 stars - yep, that extra star is needed!!

Ok so I was visiting LA and kept seeing this huge line outside Pantry Cafe for breakfast. Usually I'd walk away from long lines but something told me to stick around... and boy am I glad I did!

Kept it simple and got their cheese omelette (sometimes that's the best way to judge a place, right?). Holy moly - they knocked it out of the park! The omelette was perfect in every way - super fluffy, loaded with cheese that was melted juuust right, and the portion size was actually impressive. Like, this wasn't one of those sad little omelets you get at chain restaurants.

And can we talk about their coffee? Because it was exactly what you need in the morning - strong, fresh, and they kept refilling without having to chase anyone down. Major points for that!

I totally get why locals line up here now. The vibe is exactly what you want - busy but in a good way, staff who actually seem to care, and just feels like a proper downtown breakfast spot, you know?

Pro tip: either drag yourself out of bed early or be ready to wait. But honestly? Worth setting an alarm for. Already planning my next visit whenever I'm back in LA. Finding spots like this is what makes traveling fun!

PS - to everyone who recommended this place on different forums - you...