Papoo's Restaurant

Papoos was named Papoos by the grandchildren of the original owner in the late 50's, Grandfather in Greek. It has been recently purchased by a woman, Leona, who is not a grandfather nor Papoo. 40 years ago people ate lots of hot dogs, today they don't. Papoos has been selling more of everything else for nearly that long. Where has Culinaryman been? The dogs they do sell, where researched and taste tested in Papoos for months. They are the highest quality available, not as cheap as the ones from an imaginary past. Papoos is not a fast food joint, nor a hot dog stand, its a sit down restaurant. There's no take out window or drive thru. If you go there during lunch hour, you'll have to patient, its a popular place. I'm from PA, but I eat there anytime I'm in LA, and I have yet to finish everything on the plate. Its a shame that time moves on, but many of us don't. But its an awful shame to denigrate a good place with bad data and nostalgic disappointment. more

The ""Hot Dog Show"" used to be a favorite hang out for a lot of teens, among others young and old, back in the 60's and 70's around the time I was in high school. Since it has become ""Papoo's Hot Dog Show"", it may still look the same on the outside but what,s on the inside has changed a lot. The food is definitely not of the same quality nor is the service. Obviously the prices can not be what they were 30 years ago but, their prices for this type of food has gone up beyond value. This hot dog stand used to be unique because of their menu and all the different varieties of hot dogs they offered with catchy little names. Of course you can't expect any restaurant not to add new items to their menu since not everybody will want a hot dog but they should have kept the novelty of the original hot dog menu alive. When I ate there with my wife recently, she was on her lunch hour, we barely got out of there in time to get here back to her job on time, the service was horribly slow and this is unacceptable for fast food. Besides the tables, there used to be a eating counter all the way around inside, this has been changed and for some reason the nostalgia seems to be gone. Oh, and one last comment, I realize that the owner Papoo wants everybody to know it's his place but I feel that possibly more old time customers like myself might have been prone to go there if he would have just left the name alone as ""The Hot Dog Show"". Pros: Nostalgic appearance of landmark building Cons: slow service, high prices, just average food more

Good hot dogs, great milk shakes, good prices, bad service, slummy building. Worth checking it out if you don't mind the atmosphere. A good building make over would do this place good!! Pros: hot dogs, milk shakes, cheap eats Cons: dirty/slummy restaurant, slow service more

Back in the day (1950's) it was not Papoo's ,but just the ""Hot Dog Show"" . There were 7 kinds of Hot dogs from the""Mutt"" at $.25 (Mustard, onions, relish) to the ""husky"" (Chili, onions and melted chedder cheese) at $.45. Along with the dogs you got potato chips and carrot sticks! (I have no idea why but I ate em LOL ;) There was also an offer (unadvertised) of a free meal if you could eat 12! They had a great ""to-go"" service which we usually used. I rarely fail to visit this place when I am in Los Angeles... Many great memories. The food is still great but being a purist I often wish it was still just a hot dog joint. more

Papoo's is a great little spot in Toluca Lake. Their mainstay weekday waitress, Maria, is a charm and manages to serve what seems like dozens of people at once while maintaining a smile and telling jokes. The breakfasts are reasonably priced, and for lunch during good weather, there is a nice patio. Pros: Good food, friendly service, nice patio, good value more

This place is soooo yummy! ATmosphere has an old feeling to it. The food is great! I always bring all my friends who visit me at work to this place. It has the best tuna avocado sandwiches. The fries are great with ranch sauce. It isn't necessarily the healthiest since the sandwich is grilled, but you HAVE to try it! I always crave the tuna so when I go back to try something new, I end up getting the tuna again. more

I went to this place because of what i heard. what a joke !. the food is below average and overpriced and small portions. they dont even accomodate customer requests for a milkshake saying ""they are too busy right now to make it"".so that is the last time i ever set foot in that place. more

Okay so the food here may not be anything special but it's such a fun atmosphere that it makes up for it. The food is inexpensive, there's a tv, some old video games, red and white checkers, and friendly service. It is an old school diner. P.S. - prepare to potty in an outhouse Pros: Fun! Never too crowded. Cons: Average diner food. more

Work people and I go here about once a week. We always have great food, lots of laughs, and fantastic service. Pros: Quick, Great Menu, Cheap Cons: Limited Parking more

This laid-back, old-school 1950's hot dog joint is bizarrely overlooked. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, terrific breakfasts, and a pinball machine that still gives you five balls for a quarter. My kids adore this place, and the fact that it's not mobbed with people is both a selling point and a dirty shame. Pros: fun, cheap, classic Cons: outhouse more

This is one of our favorite places for a good breakfast burrito - cheap. On the weekends the pace here is relaxed and you can lounge over a cup of coffee and read the paper. Great place for babies - they can scream or make a mess and no one cares. It can get warm in here during the summer so make sure to wear your shorts! Pros: relaxed, easy parking, cheap more

I tried this favorite hot dog stand not long ago. This is where I spent many hours as a teenager talking with friends and enjoying some of the best hot dogs around. It used to be our second best place to go since it is right across the street for Bob's Big Boy. But oh my, the hot dogs are terrible now. I don't know if its the hot dog's they buy or if it's the way they cook them. But now I'll just pass by and remember the place and think about those mouth-watering hot dogs of yesteryear. more