When Visiting Los Angeles, Don't Forget To Snag A Slice Of Pie From One Of The City's Oldest Diners

Los Angeles can often seem totally fixated on the new. Just look at some of its most famous faces. But it also has a long, rich history written across the Hollywood sign, in the glittering hills, and via Dick Van Dyke. The City of Angels has a homegrown culinary tradition, too, which you can find all throughout Los Angeles' most historic restaurants. And it would be a shame to miss the storied, excellent pie at The Apple Pan, whether you've lived here for 100 years or are just sightseeing during pilot season.

The Apple Pan, which also serves the best hole-in-the-wall burger in California, first opened in 1947. Sure, there are much older restaurants all over the world, but most movies were still black and white in 1947, and it would be several decades until we could watch them on our phones, perhaps even at diners such as this. The Pico Boulevard spot also still has the cozy, throwback look you might expect of a '40s diner, too, with a kind of cottage aesthetic on the outside. The cozy counter inside, where you can snack on slices of the eponymous apple, pecan, and banana cream pie, is so enticing it might actually distract you from your phone.

Like a lot of diners and similar eateries, The Apple Pan does not take reservations. Unlike many diners, though, it does not have a single table inside, but rather, one large U-shaped counter with a couple of rules. Larger parties are encouraged to split up for efficiency in the event there aren't enough stools in an uninterrupted row for everyone. The restaurant also asks you don't leave gaps, like you might feel inclined to at any old bar but instead take a seat right next to whoever's already there. "You never know who you're going to meet," the signs enthuse. But there are also picnic tables outside, if you prefer.

Once you find your place, you can pick from a tight list of sandwiches that include a couple of those terrific burgers, plus classics, like grilled cheese and tuna salad. The pie menu is even longer, with a dozen whole pies available by the slice. Most of those, like chocolate, coconut, peach, and pumpkin are covered in a thick cloak of 100% pure whipped cream. The Apple Pan also serves a Danish vanilla ice cream, which you can opt for on your apple or pecan pie.