SoCal loves its diners. Here are some of our favorites

After our diner series last year, you might think we are tired of talking about diners — but you'd be mistaken. Our love for diners shines as bright as a neon sign along the historic Route 66, beckoning hungry customers to syrup-laden pancakes with crispy edges and endless refills of watery coffee.

We kept going. Since then, we've visited Max & Helen's, Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton's Larchmont diner, which became an unlikely viral sensation — eight-hour waits, celebrity sightings, and a $17 waffle (which we believe is worth every penny). We dropped in on Stanley's, the Sunday-only Hollywood pop-up where a Michelin-starred chef is quietly making one of the city's best pastrami sandwiches out of a to-go window. And we made it to the official end of Route 66 at Mel's Drive-In in Santa Monica, one of the last Googie buildings standing.

(Oh, and the Tesla Diner did open in West Hollywood last summer. The charging stations are apparently excellent. The food, less so. Guess some things are better left to the humans.)

The original series focused on three diners that reflect the current scene. Afterward, we heard from many of you expressing love for your lifelong favorites — so many, in fact, that we compiled them into a list to share with everyone. It spans SoCal, from Hollywood, Pasadena, and Chinatown to the South Bay and even Orange County.

While some of the places mentioned here aren't precisely diners in the traditional sense — meaning they're a coffee shop or cafe — we decided to let a few slide because they still meet the crucial criteria: They're open late, have a counter space, and, of course, serve breakfast all day.

Take a look and see if your favorites are here.

Pasadena

“The Reyn in Pasadena. Spires in the South Bay from when chains had style. Happy Diner in San Pedro. Ed’s Place in Glendora. Lancers and Tallyrand in Burbank are good too.”

-Michael Morill

Manhattan Beach

“Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Manhattan Beach! Completely packed on the weekends because of the proximity to the beach, but during the week it’s a beloved local hangout for breakfast and lunch. My fave is a cup of chili with a grilled cheese sandwich.”

-Tina Studier via Facebook

Pasadena

“Andy’s Coffee Shop on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Family run, walking distance from Caltech & PCC. Best breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, blueberry pancakes and hash browns! Was featured in 'Mad Men.' Not fancy, but I don’t go for the building, I go for the food.”

-Sheila Sasha Boyd via Threads

Hollywood

“Clark Street”

-Vinz Karl

Glendale

“Foxy's in Glendale. Classic diner food, fantastic breakfasts, their bacon avocado cheeseburger is one of the best (at least it still was last time I was there a few years ago).”

-Damian Wiesbach via Threads

Pasadena

“Russell’s.”

-Jessie Perea

Chinatown

“Nick’s Cafe . It’s warm, welcoming and like a hug. What a diner should feel like, in my opinion. The food is good and enjoyable. Coffee is your typical diner drip, but it’s enjoyed more because of how it’s set up. Sitting inside and having that more intimate connection with staff and even kitchen staff is a whole diner experience.”

-Natalie Lara

Culver City

“If you’re on the Westside, you can’t go wrong with Ronnie’s Dinner on Culver Boulevard. It's great for breakfast. Good service. Reasonably priced. My favorites are the bacon avocado scramble (all the scrambles are good and can be ordered as burritos) and the chorizo bowl (no sour cream)."

-USC_alifornia via Bluesky

Silver Lake

“Millie's Cafe .”

-Claire Fogarty

Bellflower

“Uncle Bud’s Kitchen in Bellflower. I went recently, and had been once before, nine years prior. Both experiences were the same — loud and busy service, all guests interacting. It felt good. I got sausage, eggs, potatoes, pancakes. Kept it simple."

-Jairo Bogarin

Downey

“Stox”

-Luis Maya

Newport Harbor

“The Galley in Newport Harbor since 1957!!! I've grown up going there. It's a total time machine — it looks the same as it always has, there's no reservations or waitlist, you just wait outside in line, and there are some characters among the staff. The menu is fairly predictable as a diner, but their chili cheese omelet is insanity. Heart attack on a plate, but so good. Their milkshakes are also to die for, and they have my favorite hashbrowns in the city. Lunch is also solid, I love their club sandwich. I meet my dad there for breakfast like once a month. It's such a special place!"

-Lili Phung

Whittier

“Jack’s.”

-Erick Galindo

South Pasadena

“Shakers in South Pasadena.”

-Nicole Martin

Long Beach

“Coffee Cup Cafe in Long Beach. Their green chili chicken omelet is 🌶️. We went there right after we got engaged to celebrate 😅.”

-Bethany Gilbertson

Silver Lake

"Astro Family Restaurant, Silver Lake, is a mixed bag of all kinds of folks from L.A. Frank Lloyd Wright said, 'Tip the world over, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.' There must’ve been a funnel straight to Astro’s. Hungover hipsters, actors, and Hollywood types, the remaining older Latin community — all there eating together in one place. It's been a while, to be honest, but when I lived in the area, I was always amazed at the variety I saw there.”

-Javier F Garcia

Various locations

“Norms.”

-Daniel Garcia

Santa Monica and Chinatown

“Rae’s in Santa Monica and Nick’s in Chinatown.”

-Jason Goble

Various locations:

“For American/Greek: Lucky Boy (Pasadena). For American: Clark Street (Hollywood), Wendy’s Place (El Segundo), Pie n’ Burger (Pasadena), Chef’s Coffee Cafe in Arcadia.”

-Julie Brehove

Eagle Rock

“Cindy’s in Eagle Rock is my favorite. It’s the food for me, specifically breakfast food. The weekend crab hash is phenomenal and is, in my opinion, the gold standard for a hollandaise sauce. Cindy’s McBreakfast sandwich on weekdays is also a top-notch menu item. Beyond that, the aesthetics is a whole vibe, and the service for me has always been great. Love that place.”

-Javeck Verdugo

Westchester

“Pann’s (Westchester) for the nostalgic aesthetic, booze offerings, location, and I remember the food being good and being queer-friendly.”

-Aylssa Lorea