This post will get mixed reactions from readers.  I know that.  But I would be forfeiting my culinary integrity if I didn't include this as one of the (if not THE) greatest places to eat in Los Angeles.  Some people will go to Apple Pan and come away saying "I don't get it.  This place wasn't worth the hype."  Others will go home and write about it in their journal.  I salute these people.

Apple Pan is a L.A. mainstay - a time warp into an earlier generation of the city.  It's tucked away on Pico just across from the Westfield Malls (on what is apparently a pricey piece of real estate - rumors are that people have been trying to buy out Apple Pan's spot for years to no avail).  The interior is rustic and unchanged since its 1947 establishment, and that includes the workers.  On the back of their simple menu, you'll note that some date back to the 1800's (like their famous apple pie).  Almost every single time I have eaten here, I've come across a happy elderly couple who have been enjoying this place since its inception.

If you come at a busy time (which is most times), you'll have to navigate the amorphous seating arrangements.  Apple Pan is bar seating only, and there is no real "line" if all the seats are full.  Instead, people hover around the exterior of the seats, waiting for openings.  There is an unspoken rule that people are seated in the order they arrive, so pay close attention to who came before you (and more importantly, who didn't).

Don't waste time perusing the menu.  Everything is good, no question about it.  But some things are unbeatable.  Go ahead and skip the steak burger (I know, I know, steak is great) and go on and order the hickory burger with cheese and a side of fries (I like to order my fries extra crispy).  You will discover, as other Apple Pan converts, that there is something magical in this meal.  You can try separately nibbling the bun, the patty, the fat stack of lettuce, the sauce or any other element of the burger, but it is impossible to figure out what gives it that extra awesomeness.  Control the urge to do so and just savor this piece of perfection.

I recommend the apple pie a la mode for dessert.  ALL of the pies are amazing, however.  The banana cream is thicker than should be legal and stuffed with fresh bananas and mountains of real whipped cream.  The same goes for everything.  But the apple pie, for me, puts the perfect cap on the meal.

Going to Apple Pan is almost a religious experience for me and my wife, if you haven't yet figured that out.  I am completely in love the old-timey vibe, the sense of pride and ownership that exudes from the servers, and the unmistakable quality of the food.  Yes, I've had the pretentious burgers at My Father's Office.  Yes, I've gorged myself on sweet potato fries and a mountainous burger at The Counter.  Yes, I enjoy a good in-n-out burger every now and then.  But the hickory burger is yet to meet its match.  If you haven't been to Apple Pan yet, now is the time.


Apple Pan
10801 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-475-3585