Wake Up LA: CJ's Pantry
While most restaurants forgo the use of totem pole style mascots, CJ's Pantry wheels out this weird creepy statue man to guard the breakfast goers from evil spirits, and to insure that you won't soon forget where you ate those awesome semi-crunchy pancakes, and that crunchy-as-hell bacon.
Everything is priced very reasonably with the average price per plate hovering around nine or 11 dollars. I eat pancakes all across town, and i can vouch for CJ's pancakes. They are seriously exactly like the kind you would make for yourself at home in your frying pan, which i find particularly delicious compared to the average restaurant pancake which can be too fluffy.
On the weekend be sure to bring a newspaper or if you're hungover a dark pair of sunglasses, because the place is popular and you might have to wait 15 minutes or so in a plastic chair out front in the sun.
Serving the South Bay through two locations, one in Manhattan Beach, and one in Redondo Beach CJ's is coated with cool local sports paraphernalia. Which is cool, I guess, even though I'm not a sports fan. but i enjoy restaurants that are heavy on random decor, and that they have lots of.
324 S Catalina Ave.
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 318-2411
HOURS: Sun-Thu 7am-1:30pm,
Fri-Sat 7am-2:30pm
Photos by John W. Maioriello