The Apple Pan

The apple pan is a great place to grab a burger and a piece of pie. BUT - you should know what you want BEFORE you order. Do yourself a favor and read the menu.... only after your decision should you place your order. Otherwise you will feel very unwelcome. \r \r The best thing there is the pie. Pros: Good for a quick lunch. Cons: Seating - but that's the way it is baby. more

We went into the Apple having already known a few things...1...the place is always busy...and 2..the burgers were supposedly great.\r \r After taking a seat I was impressed with the nostalgic environment offered but the menu soon changed my opinion of the Apple Pan even before I received my food. To give you an idea....burgers are 6.50 before the .50 slice of cheddar. Fries were about 3.00 for a small plate...maybe enough for 2 if you're not too hungry and the whammy...a slice of Apple Pie is 6.00....\r \r We decided to share a soda....unfortunately a can which means no free refills and also split a single order of fries. I got the hickory and she got the steak burger. The hickory sauce is actually pretty good and so were the two burgers in general. It reminded me of in and out except with a larger patty and much more lettuce. If you don't mind spending 20+ for a fast food meal then this is the place for you. If offered you a fast food meal that cost over 20 for 2 people that also came with an average 10 minute wait for a table would you go? Oh...cash only as well. Pros: Decent burger, near mall, ambiance Cons: HIGH PRICES, parking more

It's not a great burger; its a good burger. Don't get me wrong...I like Apple Pan, I like to sit at the counter and escape the world for 20 minutes, and the banana cream pie is the best I've ever had, but if you sit in Manny's section (on the left half of the restaurant) be prepared for the worst service ANYWHERE in LA. \r \r This place means a lot to LA natives because of the tradition, and the generations that have enjoyed it together. Those who say its the best burger in town are very biased, and they're blinded by tradition. \r \r In Manhattan there's a chain called Jackson Hole Wyoming...now that's a hamburger. Russell's in Pasadena...another great burger. Pacific Dining Car...the best burger ever. more

The only reason we stopped here was because Huell Howser did a segment on one of his shows about it. Born & raised in LA, I had never heard of this place until I saw it on his show. At 8pm on a Saturday night, I thought it might be crowded, but we found a parking space in the tiny lot behind it & only waited about 5 minutes for 2 seats. The menu is simple & straightforward. Service was fine. No grumpiness whatsoever. My husband & I each had a steakburger & a soda & shared the fries. The fries were pretty good but the burgers were just average, if that. For what we paid, we could have had 4 complete meals from In-N-Out & been much happier. On our way home, we bought an entire Marie Callender's pie for what the Apple Pan over-charges for one thin slice. We will never return & certainly can't recommend it. more

This visit just about cinches it. I've now decided that ANY LA restaurant that you've heard is an 'institution'? Well, just stay away because it will be w-a-y overpriced (Pink's Hot Dogs included!). I made the mistake of not looking up the menu/prices online before I left. My hickory burger w/cheese cost close to $7 and I don't know what the fries cost, but they must have been sprinkled with gold. I walked out of there $10 lighter. Insane. I had the Hickory burger - which I had read was a 'must have' -- and it was not that great. I hated the BBQ sauce and all the pickles. Hmm...seem to remember paying extra for cheese but didn't see any on the burger. The bun was awful -- same as I can get myself at Pavilions. I thought for $7 (or close to it), I would get a special bun. Nope. I much prefer the plain old mustard and mayo dressing. The fries were good. The atmosphere is fine, very old school. But I won't become a regular customer. Their prices are ridiculous. Who goes to this place?? Pros: 50s Diner Feel Cons: Overpriced more

We recently went to the Apple Pan to see what all the fuss was about. We were hoping for something between an In and Out burger, and Father's Office....or that is at least something good and worth the money. We were rather disappointed. The burgers are mediocre at best and way over priced. Their ""special sauce"" is nothing more than fancy catsup and when you order a soda you end up paying $2 for a canned coke in a paper cup. When we left we felt like we had been duped by some sort of practical joke the city of LA is all in on. Something like ""Oh yeah....let's see how many people we can convince to go to this greasy spoon dive! If we market ourselves like we're the best, then we can charge 3 times what our food and service are actually worth!"". It's a cruel joke and hopefully this non-recommendation stops it right here. DON'T GO! Save your money and go to Fatburger or In and Out...at least at those places they're somewhat efficient at taking orders and the food is good! Pros: They do have a bathroom at least Cons: Over-priced bad diner burgers more

Reputation based mostly on Hollywood hype. I found the hamburgers to be nothing special. The french fries were greasy and soggy. I would put into the same category as Pink's: reputation does not support actual quality. more

The charm of the place is that nothing has changed since the 1940s. If you want to experience a genuine slice of pre-MacDonald's Americana, then it is worth a visit. However, viewed solely as a restaurant, the Apple Pan serves average burgers and fries and apple pie (and almost nothing else) at very steep prices. A typical bill for two approaches forty bucks, which is just way too much for fast food. Doubtless, the world would be a better place if more mom-and-pop greasy spoons had survived the onslaught of the corporate fast food chains. For that reason alone, the Apple Pan deserves your support. Unfortunately, the value proposition here is getting pretty close to untenable, so you may choose not to show your support all that often. Pros: A fascinating glimpse of the pre-MacDonald's past Cons: The prices are just not palatable more

This is a unique and fun atmosphere for sure. There are only counter seats at the bar and the menu only contains about 6 items. The drinks are served in paper cone cups, and the food served on paper plates as well. As far as the burger we tried the hickory burger and steak burger. Both were good burgers, but for about 6.50 a piece I do not think they were worth the money. I'd rather have spent less money on a burger at in n out; however it was worth trying a new place for a change of pace. Unfortunately they were out of most of the pies. We tried the apple and it was good...but very expensive. About 5$ for one piece and 2$ extra for icecream. For the atmosphere and the decor..the prices really don't fit. If everything was about 2$ less then i would go back regularly....the fries were probably the best part Pros: atmosphere, old-town diner feel, fries Cons: prices more

They have pretty good burgers. We got to go service so I wouldn't know how good the service is there. There... more

They have pretty good burgers. We got to go service so I wouldn't know how good the service is there. There was a lot of people waiting around the ... more

The secret hickory sauce is heaven! I love it on my burger, on my fries, on the side and I even eat it with the amazing banana cream pie! \r \r Everyone commenting on the ""service"" at the Apple Pan is totally missing the point. This place is not for those who want to kick their feet up and get served with a ""yes mam,"" ""thank you mam"". The guys who work there are joint owners of the place. They have been for decades. They are not your average waiter. This place is these guys' life. The guys that work there are of different nationalities so the thing about them descriminating is totally off. They give the same no-nonsense-treatment to everyone who comes there. You can not be put off by them slapping down the menu and looking at you to speak up and tell them what you want. You have to sit up straight, speak up, know what you want, tell them without wasting their time and you will get it. Its a bit like the Seinfeld episode about the soup dude. \r \r So the Apple Pan is an experience and the treatment goes along with it. You have to pretend you're in a play and you have to play your role right otherwise you won't know what hitya and you'll leave not knowing what happened rather than embracing and enjoying the experience. You have to be a ""confident eater"" and grow some bullocks. \r \r These guys take pride in what they do and if you don't get it, then you just don't get it. Then you might as well go to your regular burger joint where they'll give you crapp with a smile and tell you to have a nice day. But hey! If that's what you're looking for, that's what you'll get. :) Pros: Hickory sause, original setting, no-nonsense attitude, its an experience Cons: I guess its an experience you need to be up for, but everyone I've taken there loves it. Maybe you just need to go with someone that can show you the ropes if you can't handle it on your own. more

From Father's Office to The Counter to In'n'Out to my own porch BBQ, L.A. is filled with many great burgers. The Apple Pan is not of them. I had heard about this place countless times, and had always been curious. Never did I think my interest in this place would turn so sour.\r \r First, let's talk about the burger itself. If you're a big fan of lettuce, then this is for you. If you like inhaling more air than actual meat, then by all means go for it. If you like bbq sauce (on the hickory burger) that is virtually indistinguishable from ketchup then, again, you've come to the right place. Personally, I like a burger patty that's more of a fatty than a skinny -- this thing was less hefty than a McDonald's burger. As far as taste goes, ok, whatever, not bad, I guess it was alright, ho-hum, snore, zzzz..... etc.\r \r Next, we come to the fries. They're good. Point Apple Pan. The root beer was good, too (came in a bottle). I didn't even get to dessert, because I was rudely denied (I'm sure they're good, but they didn't look it).\r \r I heard and read that the grumpy old men in this place make it a sort of a love/hate kind of place. Fine. A lot of places are, and in some ways that makes for the experience. But when grumpiness turns into sheer rudeness, that's another thing. I'm not sure if this old man was hard of hearing or just hard of kindness, but if you don't like it, DON'T WORK THERE. I so kindly (as if requesting soup from the Soup N*zi) looked right at him and said audibly: ""May I have the apple pie with ice cream?"" His response was to turn around, and begin chatting away humorously with a co-worker (so, it's them vs. us, huh?)\r \r Long story short, if the burger were great, the guy wouldn't matter. If the guy were nice, the burger might have been more palatable. But, these two strikes along with the fact they've magically persuaded poor misled Angelinos into believing this is some wonderful burger joint -- well, that's three strikes ... they're OUT! more

I like this place because they have great hamburgers and there is nothing like a good and hearty burger to interupt your shopping at Westside Pavillon. It is worth it. more

The first time I stepped in Apple Pan, I thought I was going back in time. Their old fashioned cash registers and overall decor is adorable. The hamburgers were extraordinary, but their pies, particularly the boysenberry and banana creme, are the highlight of this small burger joint. However, the only bad thing about this place is that it could get pretty crowded during mealtimes, and the seating is pretty limited so the wait might be kind of long. Also, this is not the place to go if you're looking for private dining because everybody is seated on the counter, not in individual tables. The staff and even the customers are extremely sweet and friendly, making you feel right at home! more

I grew up in Los Angeles, and have not been to the Apple Pan since I was a kid. I read the reviews, and was somewhat concerned - so I decided to check it out for myself. I went at lunch time arriving at 12:30pm and waited about 10 minutes to get a seat. The waiter was very abrupt - but I was prepared - you can't fool around here. I gave him my order, and he stared me down. Next he slammed down the old fashioned silver holder with the paper liner down and filled it up with a cream soda. Then came the fries. A paper plate, onto which he them proceeded to turn the ketchup bottle upside down and deliver more ketchup than I could possibly use. Or so I thought. The burger came, with cheese, and it was delicious!! It is a big burger and worth the price. My coworker and I split a slice of pie - I was surpised he divided it up on two plates for us. I expressed my gratitude for this , and I think he smiled! Pros: Great classic hamburger joint Cons: Jockeying for a seat at the counter more

At first glance, you'll see a line of people out the door. You'll think, surely these people are mad. Why... more

At first glance, you'll see a line of people out the door. You'll think, surely these people are mad. Why would they wait for a burger? And, the... more

Go to Apple Pan and have some of the best burgers you'll every have. Yes everyone has their own peculiar... more

Go to Apple Pan and have some of the best burgers you'll every have. Yes everyone has their own peculiar tastes, so it won't be everyone's fave, bu... more