My kids were watching some movie over the weekend, and one of the scenes had the family having lunch at an old school cafeteria, where you grab a tray and grab the food you want on the food line, and pay at the end. They asked me to take them to a cafeteria too, so they could experience that type of restaurant setting. Of course, I can't think of any, other than Clifton's (RIP?) and Ikea (which is sort of a cafeteria setup).
We're in the SFV. Any cafeterias I could take my 9yo and 11yo to for lunch? I don't mind driving over the hill, but I'm not going to drive to Tustin or anything that far. :)
Ah yes, the days of the Piccadilly cafeteria.
Still prevalent in the southeast, not so much in LA.
Clifton's cafeteria downtown is really the only authentic one. Closed for renovations, should be opening in the next few months.
http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com
Phillipe's is close to a cafeteria but not quite:
Otherwise your best bets are work-around options like Hometown buffet or Soupplantation, where you "get a tray," and pick what you want, but they're not authentic or anything.
Lemonade
http://www.lemonadela.com/
Also Sodexo Magic Cafeteria at the SCE building which may or not be open to the public. It may be worth a call to find out though.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sodexo-magic-...
We've done Souplantation several times but they want to do the type where the slices of pies are all laid out, and you grab one, you tell the lady behind the counter which veg you want on your plate, etc. The old fashioned cafeteria.
School cafeterias aren't like that, at least not in elementary school. You buy the set meal, or you don't. Plus school food is pretty bad - my kids ask me to pack their lunches every day!
Oh how I miss Beadles, a killer cafeteria in Pasadena.
That said, I agree Ikea has hints of that. And it's surprisingly good for the price! But also....
If you have chance to get your and your kids into a corporate cafeteria, it's way cool as well. I've been lucky enough to eat at Mattel, Nestle and Warner Bros with friends, and it's the same "Ask for it or grab it, put it on a tray, get it totaled and pay" as a classic cafeteria, but the quality is way higher.
Oh - and if you go to the Getty Center, their casual cafe is actually more of a cafeteria, so that might be an option as well!
For the latest take on school cafeterias, check this out on Amazon on January 15. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3915196/?...
This is the type of thing we are looking for! They don't want a buffet ala Souplantation. In the movie they were watching, the family lives in the South and they go to this old cafeteria and grab potato salad (or cole slaw or something) that's already in a bowl, a slice of pie, and a couple other things. Everything went on the tray, and you pay at the register. Ikea is sort of like that, and I reminded them of that (they like the Ikea restaurant), but they want the old school experience. I used to go to places like this as a kid in Illinois, and always thought it was so cool, so I can see why they want to try it too!
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