This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
History Lesson: Los Angeles Cafeterias 101

Cafeterias are so much more than Jell-O and hair nets. And the Southern California Restaurant Historical Society is going to prove it to you.
Its fourth event -- a “Salute to Cafeterias!” – will be held at Clifton's Cafeteria in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday (May 26) at 10 AM.
Guest speakers include:
>> D.J. Waldie, author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir, who’ll discuss postwar dining in Lakewood (the prototypical suburb),
>> Charles Perry, the Los Angeles Times food writer and president of the Culinary Historians of Southern California, will talk about the origin of the species: the first cafeterias in Los Angeles, and
>> Chris Nichols, Los Angeles magazine editor and author of The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister, who’ll school attendees on McAllister’s midcentury restaurants. (Think Lawry’s, Bob’s Big Boy, et al.), and
>> Special guest Robert Clinton, the third generation owner of Clifton’s, will also be on hand to discuss his restaurant’s history (which has been around since 1931, btw).
But here’s the best part: There’s no charge for the event.
Southern California Restaurant Historical Society’s “Salute to Cafeterias!”
Clifton's Cafeteria
648 S. Broadway
Downtown Los Angeles
Saturday, May 26 at 10AM.
-
Cruise off the highway and hit locally-known spots for some tasty bites.
-
Los Angeles-based restaurant owners rejoice as a new ordinance makes its way to the city council.
-
The new season of LAist Studios' WILD podcast is a fictional rom-com set in Southeast L.A. Diners play a big role in fostering conversation between the shows' two hosts this season. Here are host Erick Galindo's must-visit L.A. diners — whether you like breakfast or not.
-
The new season of LAist Studios' WILD podcast is a fictional rom-com set in Southeast L.A. Donuts play a big role in episode two of the show. Here are some of our favorite, wildly creative, and iconic donut shops in Los Angeles.
-
Cheap Fast Eats, Koreatown After Dark! Asian American Pizza, Hot Cheeto-Encrusted Corn Dogs And MoreCheap Fast Eats visits one of L.A.’s most distinctive neighborhoods for some nighttime bites.
-
How to get the best eggs in town without leaving your yard.