Du-Par's Restaurant

I'm an L.A. native, and I've been aware of Du-Par's as an institution since I was in high school. I never went, though, until this past weekend, when we took our kids for a bus ride and pancakes to fill our Saturday morning. I haven't decided yet whether this will become a family tradition, or if we'll just never go again.We showed up before 10:00 and the place was busy, with a line out the door, everyone waiting to see the beleaguered host. There were several patio tables available, but the restaurant was dramatically understaffed. The interior was charming, with a definite old-school diner atmosphere. It was decorated for Valentine's Day, hearts and themed menu items posted everywhere. Our kids were hungry, so we opted to sit on outside, but if you want the full experience, inside is probably the way to go.Service was kind of garbage, though I don't fault the staff for that. They were perfectly polite, just spread thinner than the schmear on your skinny auntie's scooped bagel. We had a hard time getting basic service--high chair, coffee refills, the extra plates I asked for when we ordered, figuring we might not have a chance to ask for them later. There were too few people covering too many tables.The food was okay, though I should note that I don't get excited about diner food in general. The pancakes are apparently the main draw here, and my husband and sons shared a full stack for their breakfast. I had a bite (about my limit for pancakes), and it was good, warm and fluffy and not horrifically sweet. I opted for the smoked salmon plate, which wasn't bad. The smoked salmon was about the quality you see at like an airport lounge or mid-tier hotel buffet, and it came with a plain bready bagel, cream cheese, lemon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and capers. Solid spread, requiring a lot more prep than I'm willing to do at home.This was a pleasant breakfast, service issues notwithstanding, and we had fun hanging out at the Farmers Market and the Grove. I don't feel an urgent need to revisit Du-Par's, but even odds we go zero or 100 times in the next ten years.

We went to Du-Par's (by Farmers Market on 3rd) for the second time. We were waiting outside for 25+minutes to be seated with my 2 toddler boys and hubby. It was chilly but we were happy waiting. We ordered omelette and egg benedict w orange juice. We waited again about 20+ minutes for the food to be served. When the food was served, all of us were so excited including my third one in the tummy. But the utensils were never given to us, so we asked our server twice for the utensils. There was no response back. So we asked the younger server twice again for the utensils. So the fourth time we asked, the server said there's no more utensils. We were waiting 15+ more minutes just for utensils. There was no response or no other substitute for the utensils. My hubby got very upset, because he was sitting in the spot where he could see all other tables. All other tables had their utensils except us including people who were seated after us. Also, while we were waiting and asking patiently and politely, I saw the server delivering a small spoon to other table. The only thing we were able to eat was the small piece of toast that came on the side and orange juice. I couldn't give any of delicious looking hash brown, omelette, or egg benedict to my hungry boys. The fifth time we asked the server, we asked for the manager. We complained that the food got cold and the utensils were never served. The manager said that they would cook the food again, but what about the utensils? We waited for an hour just for the breakfast, and is it worth waiting another 20-30 minutes? My hubby said no and we came out. In the first hand, can they be wise and serve the table with the food first if they are running out of utensils. Or can they get extra utensils ready or hire more people for the dish washing? Or can at least provide us with plastic spoons or small spoons or something with a little apology? I bet their food is still good, but they need to improve the service and be more wise. I asked my hubby if he wants to go back to the restaurant, he said NO!!! I would give them a broken star for their poor service.

Okay, Du-par's is a well-known diner chain in Southern California, mainly famous for its retro vibe and amazing pancakes. There are several locations in the LA area, like Westwood and Hollywood, maybe Glendale too. My family and I visited Du-Pars for brunch for the first time all together, and it was a delightful experience. The moment we walked in, the old school vibe hit me--it's like stepping back into a classic American diner with vintage decor and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.I ordered the pancakes, bacon, and eggs, which were hearty and satisfying. My husband opted for the French toast, and both dishes hit the spot with just the right balance of flavors. As a bonus, we were given some blueberry muffins to go--fresh, tangy, and a lovely treat to enjoy later.The customer service was truly exceptional. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made sure we felt right at home from the start. One small note: the bathroom is located outside the restaurant, so it's a good idea to use it before you're seated.Overall, Du-Pars offers a genuine slice of classic brunch culture with quality food, nostalgic ambiance, and great service. I'm already down for our next visit!

I worked up an appetite after walking around a museum, so I was in much need of some food. What better way to satisfy your hunger with some onion rings and a patty melt? After all, as a self-proclaimed patty melt connoisseur, I read that Du-Par's had one of the best around.Well, I gotta say the local diner right next to my office offers up a much better patty melt. The only thing better here at Du-Par's is the grilled onions. It was lacking in flavor and a bit light on the meat patty and not exactly cheesy either. The best patty melt I've found was one at a brewery from a food truck and so far I've yet to find a place that beats it. Their fried zucchinis were good at least, though I'm not sure what the Parmesan really does because it all falls off the zucchini anyway. And while the onion rings were good, the amount they gave you for the price they charge was not worth it. The fries were the crusty types that I love and usually they're great, but they were also just kinda meh here.I tried their Monte Cristo and that was by far the best thing we ordered. A great balance between savory and sweet and with big portions too. Lastly, the service could use some improvement. Everyone was so busy taking down Christmas decorations, wiping down tables, prepping silverware, or on the POS doing stuff that we were largely ignored for a decent amount of time. And our table was absolutely cluttered full of plates. If our server had checked in with us, we would've asked him to clear some of it, but he never came nor did any of the staff.I think the thing that irked me the most was asking for a small side of gravy. My nephew got a cup of water spilled onto his meal, so we needed some more gravy since a lot of it got watered down. It would've been nice if the server gave us a heads up that the dinky little cup of gravy was going to run us $4. And the gravy was bland too. Overall I left Du-Par's disappointed. Not only with the experience, but disappointed with the people who raved about Du-Par's having a good patty melt. It was mediocre at BEST. You're better off trying different foods from different stalls from the Farmer's Market. I would've spent less and been much more satisfied.

Great service and location. My only issue was the wait in the sun to get a table. They could benefit from a Yelp waitlist. It was hot and uncomfortable. Their French toast and traditional eggs Benedict were !

I really enjoyed my Corn Beef Hash with 2 over medium eggs. My orange juice was fresh and pulpy the slices of sourdough bread and jam was delicious. And I got a cinnamon roll which came out warmed up. My server was nice and overall I enjoyed my first visit here. I look forward to coming back for lunch and dinner!

I came here for the strawberry pie slice and that was fresh and delicious!! It hit the spot and my pie craving. Service was a bit slow by the one lady but she got my order right. It wasn't too busy when I was there. I'll have to come back to try other items on their menu.Thanks Du-Par's restaurant team for the great service!!

One word Arturo. Give my server a raise. I slipped away to the bathroom after ordering fully expecting my food to be sitting at my table getting cold. But Arturo held it back on his own initiative, and brought out hot food once I returned. Yayyy Arturo and thank you. He was fast friendly, kept an eye out to make sure I was okay, and brought me very hot coffee and suggested adding a buttermilk pancake, I devoured everything.... my corned beef hash (wash homemade with corned beef, not from a can), fluffy scrambled eggs, and hash browns shredded potatoes (panfried crispy just like I asked for)...everything was yum...If it were ladylike to lick my plate , I would have. Thanks Arturo for a great experience. Everyone was very friendly. Highly recommend this venerable institution!!

Have loved this place forever. The pancakes are served with melted butter and warm maple syrup -- simply the best!There can be a line on weekends, and parking is always fun at The Grove, but worth it.

The original Du-Par's, situated right on the Grove Farmers Market lot, is much smaller than the now-shuttered Studio City location, but it has the same unchanged, old-timey charm. I can only imagine wait times for weekend brunch, but we were promptly seated and served on a Monday evening. The waitstaff is efficient and "pleasant-but-terse", as one expects of diner employees.The menu doesn't appear to have changed much since 1938 (except for the prices, of course) - featuring classics like meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and beef liver. Good, strong coffee is served in photo-op-friendly logo mugs. We were there for dinner, but we gathered they are very proud of their breakfast and pies, promoting them on every available space they can find.We had the salmon and the bread bowl beef stew plates. The salmon was flavoured nicely with a butter-dill-lemon-caper sauce, served with perfect mashed potatoes and a bowl of creamed spinach that I wasn't jazzed about until I tasted it - it was delicious. The bread bowl was gigantic, filled with tender beef, carrots, and peas. The bowl was brioche, not sourdough, absorbing most of the stew broth.Validate your parking when you pay at the register.