I almost don't want to review this place because I don't want anyone to find out about it. It is blessedly hipster free for now and somehow I think that won't change anytime soon. I believe their idea of heaven is not eating piles of meat while surrounded by dozens of cops and detectives sporting shoulder holsters with loaded pistols. Lucky for me, I don't mind at all. This place has probably the best "bang for you buck" breakfast in Los Angeles. I had spent years searching for a place where you could get a perfectly prepared diner breakfast for around $5 and I finally found it here. I've also had the "Bratton Burger" which is basically a patty melt and it was well above average. The servers are in excellent spirits as well and it shows in their sunny professionalism. I'd be happy too if I was making city union wages on top of tips. Our regular waitress told us to check out the rock garden in the back the first time we went. It was amazing! Built in the 20's, it is really incongruous to find an 80 foot tall labyrinth of rock, plants and waterfalls behind a cop shop's rifle range. Oddly peaceful as you listen to officers practice killing people. read more

Want to know where the safest place to eat in LA is? Here. Surrounded by police, police on the walls, cops inside outside and all around side. This cafe is like an old diner. Its fantastic. This whole complex is 30-40's LA which means its awesome. The food is greasy spoon diner food, patty melts, salads, burgers, sandwiches, fries etc. And its is greasy spoon diner food. Clam chowder was pretty solid for LA. Anyway. get there early or late. It is crowded when its time for Code 6. read more

This place can be turned into Wedding Ceremony & Reception site, did you know that? I thought this place was off-limits to civilians, exclusively open to the families and individuals of Los Angeles Police Department. But I guess not. The old red brick walls and towers reminded me of medieval castles. The building structures were old, aging way back to 1940's or something. I didn't see any signs or hints of modern day remodeling or reconstruction. The place was well preserved as the first years of establishment. The outdoor dining area was used as the Wedding ceremonial area and the inside of the Athletic Club Cafe as the reception area. There was a man made water fall in the middle of the outdoor dining court yard. It was a great addition to the miniature forrest like surroundings. I would say 50-150 guests are ideal for the wedding venues here. Inside of the cafe was decorated with historical police academy pictures and portraits of cadets who were once part of the daily living at the place. There was a bar and a dance floor area. The ceilings are pretty low. It's good for bouncing the lights when taking picture but this adds somewhat negative appeals. The place looked compact and little awkward. I tasted the food. It was little bit salty to my taste. If you're one of the graduates of the Police Academy, I'm sure you'll receive some discounts and benefits on renting the place for weddings and other events. I enjoyed going up to top of the hill at Los Angeles Police Revolver. It offers a great panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles and Dodger's stadium. Please look at the photos I posted! Thanks. read more

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Great eats! (throw in a TON of cop culture!) This place is where west coast law enforcement began! Great service too! read more

This place is actually closed for renovations for at least a year. The food is decent but the cops and firemen love it. read more

Cheap diner food surrounded by cops and cop stuff? Yes please. Charming. Although I kind of felt like I was invading a really cool club that I was not invited to join. The food is whatever. Basic diner menu. read more

nom noms. :-) just a diner but a very good diner. Yummy rookie burger w/fruit on the side. order a side of chili w/cheese & onions for your fries, that way you can dip your side of fries in it, rather than eat a whole portion. Park on the street, not in the parking lot. Service rocks. prices are cheaper than eating at my usual little tokyo work spots. read more

Went here today... Was told it's closed for renovations. Yelp wouldn't let me leave no stars. Can't really give it any stars. Closed. read more

Academy Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Glad to see the diner is back open. Not sure why it took so long to remodel. We were worried that it would change the character of the building but no real noticeable changes. It's a bit of a walk but the guard let us drop off guests with a handicap plate. read more

Academy Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

step back in time to california of 1958, going to the cafe of the academy, with chalet-style facade, long long curving counter, & terrazzo floors. middle-of-the-road american coffee shop fare delivered with relaxed waitresses who call you 'honey'. [can you still say 'waitress'? i know you can't say 'actress' or indeed 'stewardess' any longer...] i had a rookie burger with american cheese, pickles, tomato & lettuce, together with fries. what everyone else says about feeling safe here is absolutely true! the cafe walls are replete with absorbing archival photos of the los angeles police deparment, dating back, i think, to as early as the 1870! and on the way to the restrooms, see what is likely the largest, wooden billy club in existence hanging on the right wall. no photos permitted within the coffee shop, however. it is a safety issue i expect. sidle up to the waterfall grotto to work off your meal. you will be greeted by a spectacularly wrought series of pools & waterfalls, with jungle greenery & towering banana & pine trees. [bet you've never seen those two trees in one sentence...] there is a series of levels, each with nooks for sitting & contemplation. there is also a tiny chapel to the left of the falls, but it seems to be closed most days, perhaps except when there is an incident or death. visitors are permitted to watch target practice from behind glass windows. nice little store with l.a.p.d. paraphernalia, t-shirts, keychains, & perhaps most importantly, chocolate foil l.a.p.d. badges. read more

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So I'm agreeing with Karen K......great stuff to check out, but MEH food. I"m personally really into old photographs and such, so that part of the decor was great for me. I also liked being all up close with a bunch of cops..and that the shooting range was right next door. I was having my vicarious police/spy moment I guess. I say it's worth the experience, it's super random, and hey..you're probably pretty safe here. read more

You'd never guess that this is such a cool place! We love to go here when we are in Elysian Park. The menu is creative and the food is great. Most recently, I had stuffed pancakes that were da bomb! Service is excellent, and I feel so cozy and snug with officers everywhere! An LA must! read more

boy do they offer a huge selection. Everything was diner perfect! I can't complain about the prices either

I shouldn't tell you this (so they don't run out before I get there), but on Thursdays they serve the best pea soup in LA. Get there early or it will be sold out. The other stuff on the menu comes in very healthy portions (and by healthy I mean large) at very reasonable prices. read more

Academy Cafe - Police Academy café with Erik Estrada. - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

"Revolver, oh my god, it's an amazing diner right next to the Police Academy in Elysian Park, you've gotta go there, you can eavesdrop on cop conversations, it's super fun, a great spot for an unconventional date!" Getting dropped off in an uber was awkward due to the location, so don't do it - borrow someone else's car if you must. The restaurant is on the second floor, you walk through a balconied corridor towards the back of the building. Inside, it's beautiful, but somewhat empty. It reminds me of the 101 Coffee Shop - the tables are heavy, and you can see all the classic American kitchen gadgets in the back through some windows. Our waitress made my day by repeatedly addressing me as "honey". I wanted a chocolate milkshake, but was informed there was no ice cream to make any sort of milkshake. I had a salad to eat, but didn't really enjoy it. There were no cops to eavesdrop on. It took a lot of effort to coordinate with my boyfriend to come out to Revolver due to it's location and hours, and we only came out on a day that was some sort of legal holiday that he wasn't observing due to working for himself. After the tense breakfast I felt guilty my invitation to intervened in his workaholicism, we looked around the cop gift shop to experience some hipster tourism culture shock. We then spent 10 minutes outside waiting for his uber. You can only order one uber at a time, so I tried going for a "hike" which proved uncomfortable given the strange area, and ended up orienting myself towards Echo Park, where I could finally recalibrate my mental state to something vaguely resembling "normal" by sticking my tired head into a freezer at Lassen's. read more

Another horrible service..not friendly servers, manager cares less about the happiness of customers...

Visited the cafe for the first time since it reopened for business. I was quiet disenchanted with the food, the clam chowder which used to be second to none is now nothing more than a runny can of Campbell's soup. The Hollenbeck Huevos Rancheros resembles a tostada with cold refried beans and salsa. I noticed that there was not a lot of customers eating at the cafe during the peak lunch hour. Up until they closed two years ago for renovation, the cafe would be packed at lunchtime and it would be difficult to find a seat. The menu is nothing like it once was back in the days when I was eating range burgers and enjoying the rich and thick clam chowder after shooting at the bonus range on Fridays. Will probably not be returning here anytime soon unless something changes. read more

So, I bought the high protein plate because I saw it the other day and it looked good. Unfortunately, it tasted horrible. As of matter of fact the chicken had no flavor. It was extremely dry and not moist. They should probably remove it from the menu. I regret getting this. I will never order it again. read more

I really like all the servers and the prices! salads are very crisp and fresh. i get the omelettes and burgers too. everyone I know gets lost the first time they come here, so just ask around once you park... read more

Safest place to eat in the City, 95% of the patrons are cops of one sort or another, mostly LAPD. Essentially a 1950's style diner, but the real thing, because this is no faux retro place, it's always been like this. The food is average and exactly what you'd get in the 50's, and while the prices are more in line with the current year its still decently priced. Friendly service from waitresses who look like they've been here since the 50's too, a definite experience to savor, expecially if you have out of town tourists to show around. read more

Cafe now open after 2 years renovation of restaurant and Academy. Facility was many years old when it closed. Non police park on the street and walk up to the cafe. Police can use parking lot. Location looks the same but new booths , kitchen i.e. grill , stove etc etc. read more

Had a great experience making my purchase. The staff was professional and helpful and even after reserving a serial number they held it for a few weeks because I wasn't able to make it down there. read more

Lots of history here, good service and yummy food! Clever names for the menu items which makes for a fun experience. The tuna melt and breakfast items are my favorites. read more

seriously, a hidden gem of LA. it's the safest place to eat, and serves a great variety of diner food as well as some great fresh, healthy options. pros: the soups are OMG delicious (the clam chowder here is my favorite in LA and served daily), and the cranberry-walnut-chicken salad. if you feel like indulging, try the BBQ stuff on Tuesdays or the pasta bar on Wednesdays. cons: it is only open 6 am - 2pm M-F. makes sense perfect sense for those at the academy, but if you're not familiar it might seem odd. read more

Awesome local diner for breakfast/lunch. Friendly, low key, competent service with no attitude. Totally unassuming. Classic LA.

Can't wait til the grand reopening! It's a favorite stop off while walking the Dodger hood.

Perhaps the most kitschy and odd dining experience to be had in LA. There's something so exciting and strange to eat with the LAPD in their 1950's diner, located within the LA Police Academy. And not only is the atmosphere A1, but the diner food is cheap and awesome! Huge portions made for crime-fighters include all the usual diner nibblies, but also, very tasty and awesome salads, which is unusual in a diner. The food is 4 stars and the experience is 10! Good times. read more

It's GREAT! The staff is great, the food is fantastic and most of all, it's cheap. Also, I know I may get arrested for saying this but...I'm a perv! I LOVE looking at the cute police officers....and, maybe fireman, but my thing is police officers. read more

Since Chief Beck has taken over they changed the name of my favorite meal. The Bratton Burger is now called the 9MM. This burger is served like a club sandwich on white toast, fresh ground beef, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and 1000 island dressing is the way I like it with a side of potato salad. Its busy between 11:30 to 1:00 so try to get there in the off hours. read more

Shockingly bad coffee but the food and juice were so good and cheap. Breakfast is only really served till 10am, so the likelihood of hipster influx is low. The grounds are so serene and lush, it's hard to reconcile them with the name: Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club. This cafe is a bit of a challenge to find (up the stairs, across from the pool), but a handily located Information booth is prominently situated if you need help. Great place to indulge your police procedural / crime drama fantasies. But seriously, what's with the crap coffee? read more

This place is awesome, but I suppose it's more for the entire experience than anything on the menu. The food is basic diner fare, but the walls are covered with cool old police stuff, the adjacent gift shop is filled with LAPD paraphernalia, and if you wander the club's hallways, you can view the various trophy cases until you wind up in the uniform & gun store. We go here all the time just because, but when you have people visiting from out of town, it's a must-stop. read more

Great place to have breakfast and see some of LA's best Law Enforcement personnel. The location is filled with old memorabilia from the early 1900's. The breakfast and lunch is good, staff is friendly, and the price is just right for your wallet! read more

Been going there since the Academy in 1995...since there was really no place else to eat. What I love about the place is the tradition. It's like home. The food is good and the place is just a great lil diner. Service can be a bit slow, so make sure you aren't in a rush. An LA Classic. read more

My wife had her retirement party here on the hottest day in August 2017. Despite the infernal weather this venue was perfect and offered all the amenities necessary to celebrate my wife's special occasion. There was an area for cigar smoking in the outdoor Rock Garden, plenty of dining space in the air-conditioned Main Banquet Room, a well-managed full bar service and a righteous dance floor to boot. Additionally, we used the ever-so-spacious gymnasium for buffet food service which is directly connected to the banquet room. With all that being said, keep in mind, you need to have a plan on what you want and how much you want to spend. This place has a lot of law enforcement history and makes for a great setting to whatever you wish to celebrate. The go-to person who helped me a great deal was "Maida", the Event Coordinator, who took care of my demanding requests in addressing the voluminous planning details. By the end of the event, the overwhelming success could be measured by my wife's happiness. In summary, the food was fantastic, the staff were diligent and guests appeared to have no complaints. My wife and I had an exceptional experience at the Los Angeles Police Revolver & Athletic Club Cafe. Retirement is good! read more

A great place to have a meal and catch up with old friends for over 33 years!

Fun to visit the academy and the service was good. The food is mediocre.

We almost had our wedding reception at the LA Police Academy Rock Garden. It is a beautiful location and is reasonably priced, a rare find for weddings! After our tasting on a Saturday, we put a hold on our date and were super excited that we had found the perfect reception site! However, the manager Colleen, was extremely hard to get a hold of. She told us that she would email the contract that coming Monday. We waited and waited for the contract. We called and emailed several times without a response. Almost a month after she said she would send it, I got a call back from Coleen saying that she had emailed it to me a week ago and it got sent back to her undeliverable. The fact that she didn't call us to let us know that there was a problem and hadn't responded to our other attempts to contact her told me that she was either lying or just had terrible customer service. If an email gets sent back to you, you call the person to double check their email address! Besides that, the contract included security which, at the time of the tasting, she told us was not required but supposedly the company that was now buying them out was requiring it and only they could make the exception once they took over. By then, our hold would have expired, and we didn't want to make a deposit sensing that we'd be dealing with situations like this until the wedding. It was so hard to walk away because it really is a beautiful place and fun to explore the little pathways, but it just wasn't worth it. After looking at other spots all over So Cal, we ended up booking at the Grace E. Simons Lodge just on the other side of the hill in Elysian Park. So far it's been a smooth experience with them. I'll post a review after the wedding. read more

Years ago during the OJ Simpson case, I used to take my two sons up to this cafe for lunch. It was very exciting because people from the trial including detectives Tom Lange and Philip Vannater would usually be there. On a couple of occasions we had discussions about what was going on downtown. I don't think I went here because of the food or whether or not it was great. It was just fun being right on the police academy, watching the cadets, and at that time seeing people I would often see on TV face to face. My kids absolutely loved it. I hear it is closed now until July, 2016, but if you get the chance after it reopens definitely stop there for a bite read more

What's not to love? A venerable LA organization, historic architecture and a pro shop stocked with all your law enforcement needs including Maxpedition gear! Great values all around. Quick access from the 110 Fwy and minutes walk to Dodger Stadium and the Chavez Ravine Arboretum. read more

Fantastic breakfast-lunch diner! And you'll not find a safer restaurant! Classic diner style, with some reluctant healthyish choices ... super cheap. Great, friendly atmosphere. Bonus: Go for a little walk around the campus; there's a cool waterfall, chapel, and other little adventures! read more