The Pan - Gardena

I visited Los Angeles for the weekend, and while shopping and enjoying a spa, I stopped by The Pan on Saturday. I must say, it was truly fantastic! Everything I tried was delicious. The lemon pancakes were a perfect 10/10, and the shrimp and grits also earned a 10/10. The chicken breast was cooked to perfection, and the loaded hash browns were great as well.

This was our first visit to the restaurant, and it was quite disappointing. From the moment we arrived, the waitstaff were rude and seemed to lack any customer service skills. I noticed another reviewer mentioning a cart that’s just sitting there, and I have to agree—it not only smells bad, but we were seated right next to it, which was unpleasant and unsanitary. The space is also very cramped, making it extremely crowded and uncomfortable, with no sense of personal space. Overall, it was just a really unfortunate experience.

This is the perfect spot for brunch! Everything is absolutely delicious and outstanding – I've never had a disappointing dish here. The menu features some incredibly creative options. The peanut butter pancakes, guava pancakes, tiramisu pancakes, and loaded hash browns are all fantastic. The only challenging aspect of visiting can be the parking and wait times during busy periods. However, they now have multiple locations, which I haven't tried yet. I visited on a weekday and was pleased to find that there was no wait. The parking situation includes less than 15 spots in the lot, but street parking is available if you're willing to walk a short distance. Be prepared for longer wait times during peak hours and weekends!

EXCELLENT brunch spot. Large portions, yummy food. Gets very busy. Parking: Lot is full when busy. Most days street parking is available

Disclaimer: As a veteran African American teacher, I will provide reviews especially when service is subpar as well as embedded in stereotypical misconceptions of African American people…..This is why telling the true history of African Americans in our history books is so critical to healing America. I have bought take out as well as dined in several times at The Pan, Gardena. I have opted to eat here because it is my neighborhood restaurant, the food is tasty and hearty for the price. I decided to celebrate my 54th birthday, July 8th with my family, friends and my pool family at the Gardena location; this was my second time encountering the Manager waitress…..My internal instinct did not feel settled, however I went with the flow because I wanted to be happy and at peace on my birthday. However, today’s experience with my pool family confirmed my internal discomfort was spot on: the Latina waitress/greeters present themselves as being very uncomfortable servicing a group of African American people, lacks welcoming atmosphere for dining, impatient with adding people to party, lack of customer convenience as it relates to paying. The entire experience makes one feel as though we are an inconvenience to their business. The Pan is a chain restaurant, therefore I do not understand why the individualized electronic paying machine is not implemented at their restaurants. Today, I intentionally ordered my food online because I did not want to have an issue paying for my food with a card, with a group; yet I was not even offered a glass of water. I will NEVER patronize The Pan again and I will spread the word amid my village: my students, my family, my pool family and my sorority; I will tell them not to spend their money at The Pan because the service is horrible and they do not care about losing customers. Lastly, thank you to the chiefs, /cooks for doing your job well, your meals are consistent, however the servers really tarnish one’s entire experience. Note: July We spent $300+, August $250 and I spent $40 for my meal alone today. Parking: Limited parking.