The Apple Pan - American restaurant in Los Angeles - 10801 W Pico Blvd, USA

The Hickory Burger and Apple Pie a-la-mode tastes the same as it did in the 70's. My parents brought me here when I was little, and now I'm turning the next generation on to it. Since we are coming up from south Orange County we only get to stop in every once in a while, but it's always good and it always reminds me of a simpler time. Since we hit it late at night we were able to all sit together at the counter, which is not always the case. When you first see the menu, you might think, wait, $5 for fries? But yes, they are tasty, and yes, there are enough to share between two people. And if you're looking forward to pie, ask when you arrive if there's any left, and ask your server to set aside a slice for you. This time around my wife opted for the Grilled Cheese on Rye, and she loved it. My son got a Double Steak Burger and still had room to split a Chocolate Cream Pie with his wife. Consistently, I have noticed that the chefs give an extra measure of hickory sauce and also a significant amount of lettuce, enough to make the first mouthful crunch. Just as good as I remember it from 40 years ago.

Great historical restaurant with good old fashioned American fast food served with love. It wasn't too busy when I went so I got to sit inside at the counter. The staff is so friendly and they take really good care of their customers.

I grew up on the Westside and have been going to the Apple Pan since the early 70s. The first time was when my best friend and her mom took me there. I remember standing behind the U-shaped counter, waiting for seats to open up so we could sit down. I ordered the hickory burger and it was delicious! With the first bite, I could taste both the juicy burger and the sweet, yet tangy hickory sauce. It had the perfect blend of meat and sauce, a thick slice of Tillamook cheddar cheese and condiments on a bun that tasted freshly baked. Throughout the years, I continued to order the hickory burger and I was never disappointed. It always was juicy and delicious from the first bite. Of course, I often saved room for dessert. Through the window on the back wall, I remember always seeing the domed-crusted apple pies on the shelves next to the ovens where they baked the pies. I usually ordered a slice of apple pie with a scoop of rich and creamy Danish vanilla ice cream. It was the best apple pie on the planet! I have continued to enjoy the food at the Apple Pan through the years…until last night. Although I moved out of the area a few years ago, I have eaten there twice during the pandemic and I made the hour and a half trek there last night. I ordered my usual, the hickory burger with cheese and fries. I took several bites of lettuce before I could even see the burger, and even though I could see it, I couldn’t taste the meat —or the cheese, or the sauce — at all. It tasted like a lettuce sandwich and I only ate half. This was not the hickory burger that I ate and loved for decades! I also ordered fries and they were tasteless, even after repeatedly shaking salt on them and dipping them in gobs of ketchup so I ate a few and took the rest home. With plenty of room for dessert, I ordered a slice of apple pie with vanilla ice cream. The pie did not look or taste like it has for many years. No longer domed, the top crust was flat and thick, and the vanilla ice cream tasted ordinary. The Apple Pan’s motto has always been, and still is, “Quality Forever!” Although the name remains the same, the food has changed and it is no longer worth the long drive (or even a short one), to go to The Apple Pan. Aside from being extremely disappointed last night, I did not experience a delicious meal or the quality that the Apple Pan has stood for, for so many years.

Biting into a hickory burger with swiss cheese will never get old. I’ve been coming to Apple Pan longer than I care to admit and it’s one of the few places in LA that got better over the years. You can finally pay with a credit card and enjoy the newish take out window and patio in the back. Tuna melt and egg salad are menu sleepers. Pies, all the pies!

Est. 1947 Layout/atmosphere *U-shaped counter with 20+ stools around the center grill (first come, first serve); backyard area with picnic tables; servers in buttoned down white shirts Service *Quick Food/drink *Hickory Burger (house sauce, mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce) with Tillamook cheddar cheese - good; smokiness from the sauce; overloaded with iceberg lettuce *French fries - Good; crispy *Pecan pie - Good; fresh pecans

I've wanted to visit for a while ever since I saw The Apple Pan featured on Youtube, but after my meal I was kind of disappointed. - The steak burger was not bad - generous lettuce, mayo, relish sauce, quality cheese for a dollar more. The relish sauce was unusual and made the cheese harder to taste. - Fries were stale out of the fryer and unsalted, which probably means their fryer wasn't up to temp. Had a hard time getting through them. - Apple pie was really disappointing for me. It was really watery and soupy. The crust was also mealy and burned on the bottom. Ice cream just melted into the soup. - Service was great and the staff were very friendly. I liked the whole old Americana thing, but the lights were a bit dim and dark. In total, the whole meal ran me about $30 before tip. It is pretty expensive - at this rate I probably would have just gone to Five Guys for about the same price

The Apple Pan was very well-prepared to hand us our pie orders for Thanksgiving when we picked them up the day before and we did not have to wait terribly long to sit down. The food never disappoints and my wife and I wish that this could expand elsewhere including Las Vegas, where we live. Many thank-yous to the staff and keep doing what you all do best!

I opted for a double patty hickory burger made with Impossible patties with no mayo and their house sauce on the side. I wasn't going to get fries but when I spied other people's portions I couldn't help myself! I ate everything before I remembered that I'd forgotten to snap pics of my food. But check out the generous portion of ketchup they provide in anticipation of the super delicious fries!