Original Pantry

Not far from the Staples Center, the Original Pantry is a choice stop for fans after Lakers’ games. Never having closed its doors since opening in 1924, this round-the-clock temple of honest eats is renowned for hot cakes and full-bore egg breakfasts accompanied by sourdough toast, thick slabs of bacon, and piles of excellent hash brown potatoes. OJ is fresh-squeezed and the coffee keeps coming.

At supper, you can’t go wrong with a steak platter or such stalwarts as roast beef or short ribs. Portions are immense. Sourdough bread and cole slaw are served with every meal.

When the Original Pantry was threatened by developers in 1980, former Mayor Richard Riordan bought it, and His Honor’s aura helped make it a destination for city politicians, big wigs, and wannabe players, especially at breakfast, when people-watching is a sport. A relatively small place, it is always bustling. Service by hash house pros is nearly instantaneous.