Wake up LA: John O'Groat's
John O'Groats is an inconspicuous little breakfast and lunch joint on Pico Blvd, near Westside Pavilion. There's a blue awning and a container of coffee outside -- to keep you awake while you wait for a seat. Alas, I can't vouch for the quality of the coffee, because we were seated promptly.
Photos of actual food, after the jump...
The restaurant is broken up into three different rooms, each with its own decor. One is a poster room, the main room is darker, with smaller pieces of framed art on the wall, and the last room is brightly lit and dominated by a big breakfast counter. We got seated in the poster room, and the walls were filled with great posters of San Francisco and New York.
We ordered a "Perfect Combination", which consisted of two pancakes, two eggs, and two bacon strips. First of all, the pancakes were fantastic. Huge, amazingly fluffy and complete with a home style feel.
The bacon was a little bit sweet, crunchy, not too salty. Plus it's BACON!!! So it's really good. The eggs along with the home fries were pretty ordinary. Good, but nothing to write home about.
This is called the Huevos O'Groats, their specialty. Eggs, beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, and green onions all piled on a tortilla and topped with cheese and sour cream. No one ingredient or flavor dominates this dish, but when it all comes together, the variety of textures really works well together. I wish I could have wrapped it all up and eaten it like a burrito because I suppose that's how it should be eaten. Unfortunately it was just too big to wrap it all up, but when I did try with a smaller piece, the added texture of the tortilla really made sense.
The orange juice (not pictured) is extraordinary. Incredibly fresh and not sour like most fresh squeezed orange juices. It was like sunshine in my mouth. It was pricey, but good. No, you can't have mine, GET YOUR OWN!!
Service was prompt and friendly. Atmosphere was relaxed and family-oriented. Prices are on the higher end, but I felt it was justified by the quality of the food. I'll definitely be back for more pancakes and to try their specials.
John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 204-0692
Website
Photos by Kevin Cheng for LAist.