The Downtown Diner Experiences Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria

Now a “career woman", Leilani Wertens searches for the perfect meal during her lunch hour in an oft neglected part of Los Angeles—the newly revitalized downtown district. Read about her weekly culinary adventures on LAist.

There are some Los Angeles restaurants that have been around for so long and revered by so many that they become institutions in of themselves, think The Pantry, Philippe’s the Original or Canter’s Deli. Some, like Pink’s, cater mainly to tourists while others remain open 24 hours to cater to Angelinos that are always ready to eat. After three years of living and dining in Los Angeles I’ve had my fair share of eating at these “classic” restaurants and usually come away unsatisfied. Tired of the soup and sandwich combos that abound at the food courts and cafes crammed between office buildings downtown, however, I decided to give one of these LA cultural institutions a try.

Opened during the Depression in 1935, Clifton’s Brookdale Cafeteria serves up standard American comfort food in a setting reminiscent of a summer camp. According to its Web site, Clifton’s original mission was to serve those who needed a hot meal at a low price—often for free. Nowadays it’s a novelty for its kitsch décor and I was curious to see if the food was also one of the reasons it’s been able to survive for so long.

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After picking my way past storefronts selling gaudy gold jewelry and slinky polyester dresses, I scan the crumbling buildings of the old Broadway Theatre District for Clifton’s Cafeteria. I don’t realize I’m there until I nearly stumble on a bit of inlaid floor that spells out the restaurant’s name in Art Deco glory. Slightly disconcerted by the “B” rating posted in the tinted windows, I pushed my way through the doors and past tree stumps and several plastic molded bears to the back of the restaurant. After grabbing a tray from a wobbly stack, I am greeted by glistening dishes of jello cubes and sticky slices of cake. Grabbing dessert is tempting but I resist and make my way around the U-bend of the dining hall.

It’s not until reaching the hot plate area that I realize the menu in the entrance hall was more than decorative. Without absorbing its contents I was at a loss at what to order. After observing a few patrons in front of me I figured out that the specials seemed to be fajitas, roast turkey with stuffing, bbq ribs, chicken teriyaki, salmon, fried shrimp, and something called enchilada rice. In the end I opted for what seemed hearty and safe: roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, a dish of macaroni and cheese, and a slice of cheesecake with strawberry topping. I brought my own drink.

Tray in hand, I navigated up the stairs to secure a table overlooking the open dining room below. While digging into my mashed potatoes that tasted disappointingly like instant, I took notice of the walls made to look like hewn wood and the faded paintings of Western scenes. Chewing my way through roast beef that lacked a pink center and seemed stringy, I noted that my fellow diners fell into two demographics: families with young children or patrons that looked as if they had been coming here daily for the past four decades. Besides the kids I was easily the youngest one there.

The biggest disappointment of the meal was my macaroni and cheese. It appeared to be made from white cheddar and had a layer of cooked cheese on top. After breaking through this layer the dish consisted of oversized macaroni noodles swimming in a pool of oil and butter without any discernable cheese. It seemed that Clifton’s did not put in enough cheese or for some reason the baked mac did not set. Thankfully, they did better with their dessert. The cheesecake was by far the highlight of my meal. The strawberries were a nice accent to the creamy texture of the cheesecake, and it wasn’t too dense or rich. It also seemed homemade, unlike my mashed potatoes.

On Clifton’s Web site they claim to make hundreds of items fresh daily but I wonder at the validity of this claim. Their motto also seems a little outdated: “Dine Free Unless Delighted". I would call my dining experience there less than delightful but didn’t feel compelled to test their claim. It would have been too heartless to point out the lackluster food to the staff of a restaurant that has survived 70 years in the same location. Even though the quality of the food is mediocre at best and the Western décor has started to lose its shine, Clifton’s is still worth a visit. Just stick to the cheesecake or Jell-O cubes and reflect on times past while gazing at one of the green waterfalls or the moose head above the fireplace.

Clifton’s Brookdale Cafeteria
648 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90014
Telephone: 213.627.1673
Open 7 days a week - 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Where should the Downtown Diner go next? Send in your recommendations for cafés, bakeries, coffee shops, or your favorite lunch spot in the Downtown area to wertens@gmail.com