Before burgers were mass produced for drive-through consumption and marketed by one particularly unfunny clown, the Apple Pan was turning out its famous steak burgers and apple pie. Little appears to have changed since the place opened in 1947, as seating is still limited to a U-shaped counter, waiters still wear white hats, and the menu still sports the same handful of burgers, sandwiches and pies. Some employees have worked here for over 30 years, and regulars, whose tenures here are often just as long, have the protocol down pat. The simplistically delicious burgers come cooked medium with crisp lettuce, dill pickles, sweet relish, a slice of aged Tillamook cheddar and no tomato. (Beware if you ask for tomato – the gruff old men behind the counter who efficiently turn the tables, or seats rather, at lunch will not accommodate such a request, merely because no Apple Pan steak burger has ever been served with tomato in 60 years.) The hickory burger, another favorite, is slathered with a smoky barbecue sauce, with crispy fries on the side. The other sandwich varieties include ham and cheese, tuna, and a particularly noteworthy egg salad. The apple pie will comfort the soul if not amaze, and decadent cream pies change daily (they're about the only things that change here). No alcohol available. Cash only. Serving lunch, dinner and late-night Tue–Sun. Closed Mon.
Where The Locals Eat rating
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"Open since 1947, The Apple Pan is a diner that looks – and acts – the part. It's famous for juicy burgers, grumpy service, and an authentic frills-free atmosphere."
—Frommer's
"The Apple Pan has stuck to what it thinks it does best. That's two burgers, five sandwiches and three kinds of pie, and it truly does them all well."
—Los Angeles Times
"The classic steakburger is topped with Tillamook cheddar, and the hickory burger (our favorite) is dunked in barbecue sauce. Often overlooked, but equally delicious, are the ham and cheese sandwiches, and the fries are perfectly crisp from the era before fast-food mass-production took the soul out of burger joints. The apple pie is nearly as legendary as the burgers, but we prefer the berry and cream versions."
—Gayot
"My family has been regulars at least since Lew Alcindor played freshman ball."
– Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Weekly
How others rate Apple Pan
Zagat 2008
22 Food Rating (Very Good to Excellent)
Los Angeles Weekly
Gold 99, 2007
Frommer's
* (Highly Recommended)
Mobil Travel Guide
* (Distinctive Experience through Culinary Specialty, Local Flair or Individual Atmosphere)