Chinatown/Elysian Park: Breakfast & Lunch at Nick’s Cafe

Though reasonably healthy and fit, my brother and I have fat kids inside us, and they are partners in crime. I’ve evidence this phenomenon before on this blog, during a certain chili dog outing that took us all the way to West Hollywood. This time, our carnal food desires lured us to Nick’s Cafe, an LA institution and cop hangout since 1948. And, oh, was there gluttony.

Pure and unadulterated.

Nick’s is best known for their Famous Ham N Eggs. Being a purist, my brother opted for this giant slab of pork, which is slow baked, sweet, juicy and fat in all the right places. It comes with hash browns, made fresh in house—no frozen potato patties to ruin the party.

All breakfasts (served all day) also come with two of the most delicious biscuits you’ve ever laid eyes on—they’re dense and buttery with a melt-in-your mouth quality. I couldn’t resist breaking off a smidge and smearing it with the house-made grape jelly served in white paper cups.

More of a lunch person, myself, I ordered the Cheddar Burger. I was expecting usual diner fare, but what came out was far better than I’d imagined. No giant Sysco poppy seed bun or thin, straight-from-the-freezer-bag beef. Nope, the soft bun was nice and airy, and the thick patty definitely formed by human hands. My one complaint was that it could have been better seasoned because though I like a light hand when it comes to salt, it was a little on the bland side. However, it was quite enjoyable overall, and I appreciated that fresh, whole-leaf lettuce was used instead of shredded iceberg.

Partly because we are pigs and partly because they’re a good barometer for judging diners, we ordered a side of chili cheese fries. They also exceeded expectations thanks to hand-cut fries and chorizo and tomato-based chili that was on the sweet side. We liked how the zany server exclaimed “now that is some big ass chili fries!” when the order came up.

Big ass indeed.

-Valentina

Nick’s Cafe
1300 N Spring St Map.0446e24
Los Angeles, CA 90012