I’ve got some family in town, and I want to take them to weekday breakfast/brunch near Culver City. Because we aren’t going to have a lot of time, I don’t want to have to drive more than 20 minutes. Also, they are from Marin County, so I was hoping to get them something just a bit distinctive, or really good. Most of the menus I’m seeing are like clones - avocado toast, omelettes, french toast, a breakfast burrito, some omelettes, and yogurt/granola/fruit parfait. I’m fine with this if it’s really high quality. At the same time, I remember really enjoying Destroyer, and my only concern is whether it’s hard to get seating for four on a weekday around 10:00 am. Unfortunately, Republique looks like I can’t guarantee there won’t be terrible traffic getting there. At any rate, thanks in advance for any recs.
if they’re coming from marin, literally any food will be better than what they can find at home. (i kid! but i do think marin has the highest concentration of overpriced, barely edible food in caifornia-- and i would love to be proven wrong.)
grabbing four at destroyer on the early side has never been an issue for me, but it does come with that will-there-be-a-table-? anxiety. it’s my go-to spot for visitors: good selection, great drinks, high qpr.
** couple of other ideas: grand casino has a nice seating area, is in downtown culver, and the menu is very accessible. provecho calimex on sawtelle has great mexican and american breakfast dishes.
I would do destroyer thsts the best of something different. It’s first come first serve And so is republique but you could check traffic before going and have destroyer as a backup. Lodge bread is also pretty good.
CJ’s cafe or honey bee for older school diner fare
Crazy good huevos rancheros and also, if you want pasta, Capo’s white truffle and beef rigatoni is also on the breakfast menu at Cora’s Coffee Shoppe in Santa Monica. Bang bang afterwards with a young Thai Coconut Smoothie at Donut King (Motor and Venice)…
Dinah’s on Sepulveda near Washington Blvd. for the oven pancakes-apple, banana-walnut, or German (easy parking in the lot). Metro Cafe on Washington Place East of Sepulveda (harder to park, but there are meters).
It’s worth driving to Republique, and you’re going against traffic if driving east (traffic heads west, toward Santa Monica).
It’s standard fare breakfast but I like Re/creation Cafe and Lunetta for the vibes and never had a bad meal there.
John O’Groats is a solid breakfast place (with history). Rae’s Diner, also. Oh, and S&W Country Diner in Culver City.
I don’t know what you seek that’s distinctive, but I think an old school diner is different since they barely exist, now.
Erewhon’s a great only-in-LA place to take people from out of town. Not sure how much demand there is for the available seating.
There’s great food in Marin though also a lot of boring mediocre places for people with more money than taste.