Gram Cafe & Pancakes Los Angeles — Restaurant in Monterey Park

this location just opened up near me and i decided to give it a try today. the staff were very kind to us and refilled our water cups whenever they noticed we were running low on water. very good service compared to other places. the cafe was aesthetically pleasing and had a very nice vibe to it.

pancakes: i decided to try japanese soufflé pancakes for the first time and ordered the original three stack pancakes. the presentation of the pancakes was simple, yet aesthetically pleasing. the pancakes themselves were very fluffy and jiggly and didn’t deflate right away so we had the perfect opportunity to take pictures. eating the pancakes was almost like biting into a cloud, very light and airy texture that had a really nice flavor to it. the whipped cream on the side added just the right amount of sweetness along with the syrup. overall the pancakes were very delicious and i’d give it a 10/10 and am looking forward to trying different flavors next time.

strawberry matcha dalgona: not many other places within the area offer dalgona drinks on their menu, so i was pretty excited when i saw strawberry matcha dalgona, a combination that i really love. the strawberry purée was just the right amount of sweet and was tangy. as a person who enjoys matcha on a regular basis, the quality of the matcha used was superb, they probably used ceremonial grade. the matcha was creamy, earthy, and was a vibrant green without any discoloration or grassy flavor. after mixing it, the drink was extremely creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to it. there was a perfect amount of strawberry to matcha where both flavors could be tasted without overwhelming one another. i couldn’t rate it on a scale of one to ten because this drink is phenomenal for being priced at $6.

chicken karage: this reminded me of popcorn chicken. the chicken was very crispy and well seasoned without being salty like other popcorn chicken that i’ve tried in the past. the chicken was tender and juicy and when paired with their spicy mayo was amazing to say the least. i give this a 9/10.

overall i’d say, this place is a hidden gem within la and is well worth the visit. a bit pricy, however, their service and the quality of the food are well worth the money. i will be coming back to try their different pancake flavors and...

This restaurant clearly discriminates against Asian customers—especially those picking up takeout orders.

According to DoorDash, my order was scheduled to be ready for pickup at 10:26 AM. I arrived on time, and the staff told me it would be “just a couple more minutes.” I waited patiently outside for 10 minutes. When I went back in, every employee in the store saw me standing at the counter—yet not a single person acknowledged me. No one asked if I needed help, no one checked on my order—they completely ignored me.

Meanwhile, the moment white customers walked in, staff immediately went over to assist them. One white man came to pick up his takeout, and his order was ready right away. He stood right next to me, yet they still chose to ignore me.

In total, I waited from 10:26 AM to 11:00 AM, and my order was still not ready.

I asked multiple times when my food would be ready. Each time, I got the same vague response: “Just a couple more minutes.” But over 30 minutes passed, and I still received nothing.

I specifically asked the woman working behind the bar three separate times:

The first time, she said, “A couple minutes.”

The second time (15 minutes later), she said, “It’s being packed now.”

The third time, I asked to cancel the order—but she refused. Instead, she snapped at me and said, “Can’t you see everyone’s busy?” Then she walked away and left me standing there, ignored.

By that point, the store had quieted down. There were fewer customers, and the staff clearly had free time—but they still chose not to help me.

Let me ask: if a restaurant is busy on weekends, does that mean customers who’ve waited over 30 minutes not only have to be patient, but also accept being disrespected and mistreated?

If your team couldn’t handle the volume, then why accept the order at all? DoorDash clearly listed 10:26 AM as the pickup time. I parked in a time-limited zone, expecting to be in and out in under 15 minutes. Because of your delay, my car was towed.

Discrimination against customers is unacceptable and disgusting. Please do not support businesses that treat people like this. Discrimination is never okay.

rate: ...

Just had the most incredible meal here and I’m still thinking about it hours later. If you’ve never had real soufflé pancakes, you need to drop everything and get here ASAP. This place is doing something absolutely magical with food.

We started with their crème brûlée soufflé pancake and I literally cannot get over how amazing it was. They melt in your mouth the second you take a bite. The caramelized sugar top was absolutely perfect and provided this incredible textural contrast.

The beef cheesy gyudon was such a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect the savory options to be this incredible, but wow, they really knocked it out of the park. The beef was so tender and well-seasoned, and the melted cheese created this perfect umami-rich experience that paired surprisingly well with the restaurant’s light, airy vibe. It’s the kind of dish that makes you realize how versatile great cooking can be.

We also grabbed some premium soufflé pancakes to-go because we couldn’t resist, and we ordered the A4 Wagyu burger that uses a pancake as the bun - how creative is that?! I’m practically bouncing with anticipation to try both of these tomorrow morning. If they’re anything like what we experienced in the restaurant, breakfast is going to be absolutely epic.

Can we talk about the hojicha iced coffee for a second? This drink was absolutely phenomenal! The roasted tea’s nutty, caramel-like notes created such a unique and refreshing coffee experience. It was the perfect complement to both the sweet and savory dishes and honestly just elevated the entire meal.

One important heads up - there’s a 20-30 minute wait for the soufflé pancakes since they’re made fresh to order, but trust me when I say it’s SO worth every single minute. I would give a 4 out of 5 for the wait time for the soufflé pancakes. I wish that the servers would have let us know that you had to wait for this item.

This place has seriously mastered the art of creating joy through food. The attention to detail is incredible and every single thing we tried exceeded my already high expectations. I’m already planning my next visit and probably the one...