Comments (0) Best '50s Coffee Shop (1958) - 2010
Pann's Restaurant
6710 La Tijera Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
310-670-1441
Greek immigrant George Panagopoulos learned to cook fast, tasty food as a chef in the Air Force. Following World War II, he worked at several SoCal restaurants before he and his wife, Rena, opened Pann's Restaurant in 1958. The place remains virtually untouched today, with hearty food, friendly service and down-home ambience. It's the real thing, not like the ubiquitous faux-'50s coffee shops created to play on nostalgia from that earlier time. Pann's is situated on a traffic island at the intersection of La Tijera, Centinela and La Cienega boulevards. Designed by the California firm Armet and Davis, the structure is a fine example of Googie-style architecture. Reflecting the country's midcentury love affair with aviation, Pann's could easily be described as the restaurant version of nearby LAX. Its iconic architecture has earned it cameos in films like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, as well as the Los Angeles Conservancy's award for best example of "Classic '50s Coffee Shop." Pann's founder George has since passed on, but 89-year-old Rena still greets customers today. 6710 La Tijera Blvd., L.A. (323) 776-3770, panns.com. —Tanja M. Laden
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