I've been dreaming of returning since my first visit. Today was the day! 6:45am on a Saturday. No wait and quick service. There's a reason the police, firefighters and city workers come here, the food is good and the service is great! We ordered the barbacoa breakfast and the Mini Pan San w chocolate chips, with eggs & sausage. Let me tell you! That was the best sausage I have ever had! The barbacoa was juicy and packed with flavor! I'm not a barbacoa fan, but that was soo tasty! Of course, I do have to say we drove all the way from Chino just to eat here again and we'd do it again! Remember, get there early for no wait. By 8 am, they were starting to get busy, by 9, I'm sure you'd be waiting! read more

Nick's Cafe - Mini Pan San w/ Chocolate Chips - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Finally!!! I've been wanting to try this old school diner for almost 9yrs. It's known for their steak and eggs but all other items on the menu looked great as well. I love going to "greasy spoons"...so much character and good people. I substituted my toast for a pancake....I wasn't expecting a pancake the size of a plate. It was delish. The hash browns were the best that I've ever had in a long time...the hint of garlic was an added surprise. The main thing....the ham, was great. A lil sweet..a little salty. Perfection. And let me add also that the coffee hit the spot! As seen in my photo....the portion of the ham nearly covered the plate. For the price, $21.....you get a lot of food for your buck$$ read more

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The food is sooooo flavorful, cute little spot with a retro vibe. Breakfast is to die for. Staff are incredibly nice. read more

Nick's Cafe - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great customer service food is good. I would recommend for a quick bite to eat. inside and outside seating available. read more

Nick's Cafe - Scrambled eggs and sausage, pancakes, and strawberry's - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The pancakes were salty. Not good at all. Best off going to pantry cafe for the best pancakes in the entire world. If pantry wasn't closed I wouldn't have come here. Also, they used instant decaf coffee that tasted so weird. Employee's were not bad but not good either. No one went out of their way to greet and smile. 2 out 10 for this place read more

Delicious food and quick service. Loved the wraparound diner countertop. Bacon perfectly cooked which is always a plus!!

Try at your own risk! To me, the reviews don't match what I had. Banana pancakes came with caramel and they didn't even know cause they forgot. The waiter had to ask the chef if my cakes came with caramel.... I'm expecting some nice hot Carmel for my cakes, buddy comes with a bottle and squirts it on...pancakes were so dry DEFINITELY NOT WORTH $18. The green chilaquiles w/chicken taste like black pepper and green sauce. Definitely didn't have a Mexican style flavor... This is my personal opinion. No knock to the joint, just ain't for my family and I. The banana pancakes Green chiliaquies w/chicken Order of 2 pancakes Coffee $60 Wasn't worth that at all. If I'm paying that much please taste better than Dennys read more

I would like to say that the service here is always great, the servers are attentive and friendly. They always have a smile on their face eventhough they are bustlin' all day! My props to you. However, always expect a wait especially on the weekends! Don't go here if you get hangry because then you will be one of those hangry people that have a bad experience because of the long wait time. The food is always consistently great, BUT I did want to make note that they changed their French Toast bread. My mom and I both love french toast from here but this last time we came the french toast was so dry and the bread they used isn't the same bread they have used in the past. read more

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Nick's Cafe is always a great place for breakfast and the food is delicious. Service is good and enjoyable. Ambiance is diner style counter seating inside, they do have simple patio seating as well. We always sit inside for the experience not to be missed. read more

Expensive for what you get. Sure. The food is fine. But not worth it when there are more options than ever right now. read more

Great breakfast coffee and good service been here lots of times near Chinatown and a park to walk after eating

The food was fantastic. I had huevos rancheros, which comes with some kind of yummy beef, and the house potatoes. I also had a bottomless cup of coffee. Everton was friendly and attentive. The breakfast was outstanding. I sat at the counter and was not rushed when done. Don't forget to use the house salsa and if not spicy enough they will give you commercial hot sauce bottles as well. Pozole was on special and was good also. read more

Nick's Cafe - Huevos rancheros (beef) with house potatoes. Cup of pozole which I think was on special. - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I love this place, such a classic diner. I have been coming here for over 15 years now and the menu never gets old! I love their fluffy pancakes and their amazing benedicts, but honestly everything i have ate tastes amazing. Also, the service is always great. A must try. read more

OK, I am a sucker for retro diners and cafes, and NIck's has it in spades. Open since 1948, this is a true "moment in time." The blue collar workers still come here in the mornings, the food is great, with generous portions, and you have to sit at the counter unless you want to sit outside, which is some tables in the parking lot. We went here TWICE while on business in LA and were not disappointed. Awesome breakfasts!!! Plenty of good coffee, eggs cooked any way you like it, killer omelet (I had the Spring Creek Omelet) and super service by Kim, our waitress. I don't live in LA, but when I come back, I'm eating here!!! read more

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Nicks cafe is the place for breakfast, if you're coming here on the weekend expect a wait time because they get busy. The service is fast and the food is amazing. Very delicious and they have great specials and seasonal items always. I enjoy the old school dinner setting they have, you don't really see anymore. Definitely come check it out sometime if you're in the area. read more

Stopped in recently one morning for breakfast with friends and family. This little eatery is hopping. Expect a wait, we got on the list and it was busy. This can be an hour, so be prepared. The staff are all friendly and kind, and always moving. There is a covered area at the front, with a few seats. Our group of six, five adults and a child was a large group for this restaurant again plan accordingly. Once seated, the staff prepared a nice covered area outside for our group, after an almost hour wait - things started moving more expeditiously. Our servers, both made sure our drinks and orders were taken fairly quickly. This a a standard breakfast brunch fair here. Everything we ordered was good to better, by each diners own words. I went for the full order of biscuits and gravy with a couple over medium eggs. This is a huge breakfast and more than I could finish. A half order of the B&G would have been plenty knowing what I know now. Fresh big biscuits, four of them, with sausage cream gravy they are excellent. The eggs, over medium, spot on with just enough of the yolk left soft. The coffee, hot and fresh full bodied, was good as well. This is a classic breakfast and brunch spot in DTLA been there a minute and worth the wait if you have to. 4 Stars - a solid choice 00770 read more

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It's a kewl bit of a cafe... Good grub in a one of a kind ... all by itself place near Chinatown... but it's no bargain. As much as I'd like to grant more stars... I found that I was constantly asking for coffee refills, or my toast didn't show up so I had to ask for the missing toast, the waiter never asked about the follow up order for "take away" that we mentioned up front. IE, service was seriously dismissive ... Just saying it was marginal. I guess it's tough to get good help? Food was kind of "ok" ... I should give 2 stars but I'll leave it at 3... Oh well.... Attached is a photo of my ham n eggs ... $23... I'm not really impressed but it's ok, just overpriced considering service was pretty marginal. read more

Nick's Cafe - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The famous hams and eggs did not disappoint. One of the best breakfast spots. Come in early weekdays to get the best deals. read more

Nick's Cafe - Main St Omelette - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Stopped by on a late Saturday morning. A party of two we waited for 20 minutes in a parking lot on cheap plastic chairs. We ordered a mini contry breakfast and a sunrise breakfast. The country breakfast was a scrambled egg over a sausage patty over a biscut with gravy. The biscut was slightly dry but the gravy was scrumptious. The sunrise breakfast was an average smal scrambled egg breakfast. The coffee was really strong but not great. Service was good and the atmosphere was weak. Street parking was easy but it could be challenging if Nick's was busier and a near by brewery was open. We wanted this to be better than average but sadly it barely average. We will not be back with the wait and the waiting area. read more

Easy 5 stars for the service and the amazing breakfast food. The staff here is amazing and always looking out for you. My goto here is the cream of wheat and the fried muffins. Hard to find a place that still serves cream of wheat. Yeah I can make it myself but too lazy lol. I always bring people here and they always fall in love as well. Everyone always enjoys what they eat so I'll eventually venture out and try something else but I'm quite content with my goto. read more

Nick's Cafe - New Specials Menu? - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Pulled up a recent weekday morning just about an hour after opening. Was greeted and seated outside by choice to a fresh cleaned table quick. The entire menu was tempting but I tried the Chilaquiles Rojo. They came out cooked well, some crunch to every bite not soft over sauced except where the salsa collected in the middle. And a really nice addition was the grilled slice of Cotija cheese as a garnish. Ready to go back and try some skillets and pancakes and french toast next. read more

I really wanna give this place a second try to prove the positive reviews right. Sunday morning for two people was a 25 min wait. Not too bad. We got the broadway omelette which was 6/10. It was about $22 with tax for the omelette, hash browns and toast. A bit overpriced if you ask me, yes it is a big portion but the egg itself was not the greatest. Lacked seasoning and the egg was a bit overcooked, the texture on it started to get stale as you ate it. I got the strawberry cakes combo which included two eggs and a protein. They are not strawberry pancakes! They just put pre-cut strawberries over it and call it a day. Eggs were eggs but when it came to the protein, they only give you half a link, which for the $20 combo price I would've appreciated a whole link. I got the Hawaiian link which I think was a $5 up charge! The whipped cream is not home made, which is just a personal preference but I just find small details like that important to consider coming back for good food. Coffee is $5, it's legit Folgers coffee which I don't consume at home so going out and having it, again is not my personal preference. Host was friendly and attentive! Server was not as attentive, no table touches after receiving our food and food wait time was 15 minutes. Overall a 5/10. read more

It is well known local breakfast to local law enforcement and local peeps. They only opend for breakfast and are always packed. They do not do in person take-out orders. Order is placed in line or via apps. We ordered through yelp app. The portion is huge but it is a bit spendy for breakfast food. We had Spring street omelet for $20.95, 2 eggs, 2 bacon and hashbrowns for $17.95, and blue berry cake for $19.95. Spring street's omelet has spinach, mushroom, pepper, cheddar cheeses, etc. Served with harsh brown and bread. Blue berry cake has very fresh berry and good size to share. Overall, we like the portion, fresh produce and quality... but we do miss a good old day when breakfast does not cost more than $50 for 2. read more

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Cool little classic dinner. Good food and great atmosphere. French toast is very good

This place is so good! Was looking for something that opened early & Nick's cafe was it! We Had the sunrise combo, strawberry pancakes stack, chicken tortilla soup, and California scramble - everything was delicious. Will definitely be coming back here. Service was amazing as well! read more

Waited about ten minutes to be seated. Customer service was excellent! Food was good, got the Mexicali breakfast plate with chicken added to my roja chilaquiles. Small parking lot, but plenty of street parking. The view from my seat was a beautiful public park across the way. Would recommend this restaurant to all. read more

Nick's Cafe - Mexicali Breakfast - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place is not what it used to be. Drove from Glendora to find out the no longer have coffee outside on weekends. Then I looked at the menu and anything worth eating is over $20. This is just breakfast, like just no! The place is not nice. The setting outside continues to get worse every time we come in. Before they had umbrellas now it's some tarp that is falling apart. The restroom looked like something you would find in a sweatshop. We won't be coming back. The food here is not worth our drive. read more

Just a small dingy diner with mediocre food and terribly slow service. Food is overpriced and bland, you have to douse it with sauce so that it even tastes like anything. The drinks are all the cheap "First Street" stuff from Smart & Final. I asked a guy who was filling up the water jug if I could have a to go box, and he just looked at me and looked away and completely ignored me. It's only busy here because there's nothing else in the area for breakfast. read more

My usual story...we've driven past this place a million times...always noticed a crowd...really wanted to go...blah blah...finally did. And it was perfect! I love a little old school diner/good breakfast spot and this hit all the right notes. We were seated at the counter immediately. The service was great. Staff were all SO friendly! Loved the intact original decor and aesthetic. And it was, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee! We will def be back! read more

Nick's Cafe - Interior - spot at the counter - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

There's more than one reason I'm giving this a one star. The parking is horrific. That's not the restaurants fault though and didn't contribute to the one star but it is important to note that the parking is near impossible. The reason it gets one star is because of the horrible service we got. The lady who was our waitress was immediately rude. She came over one time and was so cold and rude to us when she took our order. Then she never came back not once. We had to physically get up twice for our drinks to be refilled and we ordered more from the host (the only person trying) and we just never got it. When I got the check they disappeared with my card for a super long time then came back. The food was also super dry and stale. The bbq brisket was dry and not good. The coffee was burnt. We just expected a little more for 1 small Meal and a side of pancakes for $60. read more

Still great breakfast prices have gone up so breakfast will cost you about 20 a person If your on a budget check out the breakfast burritos. They have updated with outdoor seating and I sat inside they spaced people with an open space between people. I do know if this is temporary or permanent but I appreciate not being elbow to elbow. I did the California Egg Scramble which includes fresh avocado They do have Sunrise Specials which ends at 9 am read more

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I hidden gem! We found this place thru yelp after fasting for some blood tests! This is the place to break your fast! No bun intended! Burnt ends and eggs! Tri tip ends with eggs and perfectly crispy hash browns! Perfectly crispy bacon. Fluffy pancakes! My new favorite place for breakfast. A nice old fashioned diner! read more

Amazing food great service The waitress recommended the Chilaquiles rancheros special and it was amazing. Will definitely be back. read more

We came here to pick up lunch while spending a couple hours at the park across the street. This wouldn't have been my first choice but everything else was closed and we were hungry! With a large menu to choose from, we decided to have the kids French toast and a breakfast burrito. Our kids are pretty picky and they ate the entire dish along with the side of scrambled eggs and bacon. My breakfast burrito was big and tasty: bacon, eggs and potato filling. Our waitress was super nice- loved it! read more

I love myself some breakfast, and Nick's definitely delivered. I had the meat lovers skillet and a large orange juice. Overall, it was a well balanced dish with eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes. Even though there were several cured meats in the dish, it wasn't very salty. The flavors played against each other nicely. The service was good but a little slow, probably due to how busy it was when I went. I would definitely come back to try more of their breakfast dishes. Until next time read more

Nick's Cafe - Here for the brunch!! - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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[Review #634] 2021 Yelp 100 Challenge (54/100) Cuisine: American diner with a melange of eggs benedict (200+ varieties), available only on weekends. Price: Moderate with portion-appropriate plates. Restrooms: Yes; diagonally outside of the main entrance -- super tight, well-stocked restroom with an unpleasant smell. :-| Parking: Very small private lot with cramp spaces. Atmosphere/Service: Casual; long weekend lines, service was better once our order was in, but we sat for 10+ mins until I flagged the host. COVID-19 Protocol: Masks, hand sanitizer by host table, socially distanced patio dining, touch-free menu available via QR code on Specials Menu. We were in Chinatown mainly to see my accountant for our annual taxes, & was looking for a sit-down place to eat. I haven't been back for awhile so I imagined it would be challenging to find a dine-in restaurant so I expanded the search to nearby outskirts & found Nick's Cafe in the Mission Junction area across from L.A. State Historic Park. Luckily I drive a compact so we were able to squeeze into the last available space (don't think there were even a dz. in this tiny lot). We checked in at this quasi table & given a 15-min. wait. Once seated with menus & flatware (with a couple of sticky handles & less than clean tabletop on our side, kids' side was clean), the server was nowhere to be found. I had to flag the host to find someone because my kids were hangry since it was already past noon. The makeshift patio was not comfortable... the table was on uneven ground & wobbled at every bump from my kids, & the crayons provided to their kids menu activity book kept rolling off. =( Things perked up once our order was in: SOCAL BURRITO (eggs, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, avocado, salsa, cheddar), ALPINE ST. OMELETTE (turkey, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeños, Jack cheese), & KID'S PAN SAN (1 egg, 2 mini cakes, 2 bacon). The kitchen was pretty quick in expediting orders so we could eat & get on with our business. Between the wait time & getting served, it was almost 1 PM before we ate & my stomach was grumbling because I skipped breakfast. I initially wanted to try their eggs benedict (& they sounded great based on the menu's description), but I was too queasy from my recent cv shot to handle the sauce. :-| There wasn't anything particularly memorable about the burrito... however, when I add their in-house bottled salsa... bam! it kicked up a notch with an extra spice kick & I quickly snarfed up the burrito! =D I tried my hubby's omelette & thought it tasted pretty good. He didn't say much because he was too busy eating. ;-) The kid's meal pancake was just enough between my 11 YO & 5 YO; I had feed them some fig bars while waiting to stave off their hunger pangs. They liked the fluffy pancakes & eggs, only my daughter ate the bacon; my son still isn't liking this salty pork strip that makes vegetarians become meat eaters again (so I'm told). Our breakfast for lunch was just enough to satisfy our bellies, but not a hearty meal for its price point. Service was a slight miss until we ordered, then it was on point. I liked that we were seated at the edge facing the historic park to enjoy the nice scenery across the way. It was quite noisy from the brewery/bar so it spilled over to us, making it hard to hear/carry a conversation. Overall, a solid 3.5 stars with plenty of improvement once they open up for indoor dining... I definitely want to come back for their eggs benedict (one of my fav breakfast foods). Recommended: SoCal Burrito, Alpine St. Omelette, & Kid's Pan San, & in-house salsa (a must if you want a spice kick). read more

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Love coming here when im in the area. Their mini pan san is like regular size pancakes. Food is really good and staff is super nice.

Food and service was great like always and ambiance is relaxed. Even though it was packed with people it was about a 15 minute wait for 2 (not bad for a Sunday). We had french toast with a side of hash browns and ham (10/10 super delicious) and machaca (10/10 very flavorful). As for the service, staff was very attentive and friendly! Can't wait to be back. read more

Nick's Cafe - Machaca skillet, french toast with side of ham and hash browns. Yummy! - Diners Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My family and I used to come to Nick's Cafe a lot it was our go to breakfast spot. Unfortunately the quality hasn't been the same the pancakes can definitely be improved. Besides that everything else is okay! read more

I do love this cafe, they give ALOT of food for your money which is a pro for some but I usually can't finish my food when I go here. The food quality is 10/10, coffee is pretty good here. I do love the server here, rosemary, she always makes us feel welcomed. She always comes back to check on us to see if we need anything and she remembers we always order coffee and water. Her customer service is very genuine and not forced like other places I've gone to. Every time I go there I always expect to see her and get disappointed when they have someone else there that day because I do enjoy that she can have a conversation and still serve others instead of just bringing us a check. All in all I think this place is great. read more