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, but no one can deny that it’s damn good.

Decor/Ambiance: It’s a no-frills place, and everyone sits at a U-shaped diner bar. The place is usually full, so really hard to get a group to sit all together. That’s ok, because less chatter, eat faster, as people are usually standing around the bar awaiting that open seat. If you don’t want to wait you can always order to-go.

Service: Staffed by famously grumpy old men, service has been very good whenever I’ve gone.

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, then you think there must be a reason to their madness and so you wait in line too. Finally, you’re told to sit over there on that stool. You do and then you look at the menu. It’s sparse so you look around and take a sniff of that glorious scent in the air. Everyone else is eating a Hickory burger, you must too. And then the burger arrives, you take your first bite. **** Your heart stops beating**** You think, “Damn, that’s one good burger.” So, there you have it. Yes, this burger is that good… it is worth waiting in line… it is worth siting at some no frills restaurant counter… it is what it is… Damn good.

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 U-Shaped table for open seats.

I just ate at the Apple Pan on Pico in Los Angeles tonight, and yes the burger and fries were very good—not the best—but very good, but they will NEVER see my George Washington’s again and here is why: A single patty basic hamburger, size no greater than the single at In & Out Burger or a single at Wendy’s or McDonalds that only comes with lettuce, pickles, mayo and their sauce costs $6.50! I added small fries to that for $2.20 and no drink, no cheese and nothing else—came to an unreasonable $9.30 with tax, not including a tip for the gruff service.

After I left, I felt that I was really taken, or as my mother would say, “they have some nerve!” This Apple Pan hamburger and fries tastes just the same and not better than the one at In & Out Burger all over California and if you go there—the same exact single burger and fries would cost you less than $3.50! Now folks, please keep these other things in mind. Add a slice of cheese: $60 cents and a drink: $ 1.75 and you will walk out of there paying $12.00 for a thin fried burger, small fries and a drink. Still hungry—order their Apple Pie Slice: $5.00 a slice. Now, $5.00 is not bad for a nice sized slice with chucks of apples, but not the small 3-4 fork serving that they give you there. Now your bill is up to almost $18.00 with tax, and no tip. $20.00 for one person to have a complete hamburger meal at this place: As my mother your say again: “They have some nerve!” But folks—It gets worse—there are NO TOMATOES. (In & out on the 1.75 burger has a tomato or two.) I ask the waiter who says, “use the sauce.”

There are some places that have been around for a very long time that regularly attract the locals that grew up there and went there with dad and now they take their children, but whose value is now diminished or non-existent. Apple Pan is one of them. Go somewhere else unless you have a lot of money to burn or want to walk away hungry—there is nothing memorable about this place except how you paid 3x the price for a fast food hamburger and how they are probably still laughing at you.