Uncle John’s Cafe: The Ultimate Diner
When it comes to Uncle John’s Cafe, we’re always down. Uncle John’s Cafe is an iconic DTLA diner since 1968 serving up incredible American-Chinese fare. With reasonable prices, laid-back vibes, delicious food, and quick service, you literally can’t go wrong with this place. From experience, as repeat offenders at Uncle John’s, it has always delivered.
Busy but Chill Diner Vibes
We usually hit up Uncle John’s Cafe on Saturdays around brunchtime, and it’s usually bumping. Despite it being busy, I’ve never had to wait for more than 10 minutes for a table. The servers are quick, the food comes out fast, and peeps get in to dine and they’re out. There’s nothing fancy about this joint, but the yellow tables and plastic floral plates give it a quirky, chill, homey vibe.
What got us hooked! Breakfast – $11 Steak and Eggs
I first heard of Uncle John’s Cafe from BuzzFeed’s WorthIt. Featured for their budget-friendly $11 steaks and eggs, I was sold. Their steak and eggs come with fried rice, toast, 2 eggs and a ginormous slab of steak. Everything is cooked to perfection. The eggs are spot on, the rice is on point, the toast is toasty, and the steak is tender and done just how you like it. It’s happiness on a plate.
While they offer traditional diner brunch classics, like pancakes, I come to Uncle John’s Cafe for more unique breakfast combos. Their spicy pork chops will guarantee to cure any hangover and set you up for that next drink =)
Beef Chow Mein
My boyfriend gets this dish EVERY SINGLE TIME. The noodles have a great bite and are very flavourful. One of the things my boyfriend loves about this dish is the amount of tender beef they include. As soon as the chow mein gets to the table, expect silence from him. He doesn’t say a word and the only thing audible is the noodle slurping noises here and there.
Garlic Fried Tofu
I’m a big tofu fan! That being said, I’m very picky with my tofu. As a side dish, the garlic fried tofu at Uncle John’s Cafe is perfect. The contrast of the crispy battered outside and the soft juicy tofu inside is just amazing. It is topped with crispy garlic and fried jalapenos. Don’t underestimate the fried jalapenos. I’ve had some fiery ones. For all the dippers out there, ask for some vinegar to dip the tofu in – it’s absolute magic.
Honey Shrimp and Fried Rice
Their honey shrimp fried rice is pretty much their version of the classic honey walnut shrimp, minus the walnuts. For less than $13, you get some fried rice and a mound of fried shrimp covered in honey and mayo. Typing that for some reason, didn’t sound too appetizing. But for reals, it’s super good and worth every calorie!
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