Recommendations to replace Tokyo Lucky 7 Coffee Shop?

[EricDC]

Guys....

I happen to have a mid-week day off work. I would really love to go to Tokyo Lucky 7... but of course, it doesn't exist any more. And now I don't have any cool mid-week breakfast place to go.

Anyone have any ideas? Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Brentwood, and Culver City are all fair game... I just need a great place to go eat breakfast for an hour and half and veg out, glad to be having a coffee and not pushing papers.

What's your spot?

[Burger Boy]

Rutt's Hut on Washington near Centinella or Inglewood. 26 Beach is also great but totally different from Rutt's or Tokyo Lucky 7. Is it the type of food or the atmosphere you want?

[EricDC]

26 Beach isn't open until 11 and doesn't do casual weekday breakfasts, so that really doesn't fit...

I checked out the Rutt's website though, and that looks pretty cool. You're a fan? What do you eat there?

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26 Beach
3100 Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292

[Servorg]

Have you checked out Sauce on Hampton in Venice? Might be right up your alley.

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Sauce On Hampton
259 Hampton Dr, Venice, CA 90291

[Jase]

The royale's at Rutt's are very good. Make sure to ask for fried rice instead of white rice when ordering. Also be warned that the large portion is very large. I'm asian and can power down fried rice dishes like it's my last meal. But unless I'm starving, I don't get the large.

[Servorg]

I like to have them omit the moyashi from my Royale's as well...

[EricDC]

On your guys' recommendation, I went and checked out Rutt's. I ended up backing off the Royale, good as it looked, and having the two-meat combo platter with Char Siu and Kalua Pork, which came with rice and mac salad.

Thoughts: good. I know I ordered Hawaiian and not so much Japanese, but hey, it's what I felt like. The rice was fine, if plain; the mac salad, too, was OK, if a little over-mayo'd.

I quite liked my Char Siu, and my Kalua Pork was different than what I expected - it was crisped in oil, which was actually kind of interesting.

The atmosphere was pretty diner-ish, which I liked - I especially liked the counter. But I'm not sure I'd really be welcome to linger there - do any other patrons have thoughts on this?

All in all, I was pleased, and I'd go back. But I'm not sure that it's next in line to be my weekday-off, morning treat... I think I'm going to need to check out some of these other suggestions before I find my new home.

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Rutt's Hawaiian Cafe
12114 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066

[Burger Boy]

Bacon fried rice with eggs over easy. Rutt's has some good authentic grinds, enjoy! 26 Beach opens at 10 during the week and they serve their breakfast/brunch menu till 3.

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26 Beach
3100 Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292

[EricDC]

Ah, good to know; their website says not open 'til 11.

What's it about that place that brings you in?

[Burger Boy]

Burgers, French Toast & Salad, in that order. Some really interesting burgers that they have been doing for 25+ years. They are no johnny come lately to the party, The threw the party back in the early eights and it has not stopped. Right now I am diggin on this Eel burger they have, yeap, eel on a hamburger. Try the Peaches & Cream French Toast or the Lemon Curd French Toast. Salads You have to go with the Brown Rice, Ginger Salmon, the Ahi Tuna or my new favorite, I had about a month ago, Duck Salad. Check it out my brother!

[Ogawak]

Because you mentioned coffee, I recommend La Grande Orange on Main St. in Santa Monica which serves Intelligencia coffee. Great pastries and decent breakfasts.

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Main St Cafe
450 Main St, El Segundo, CA 90245

La Grande Orange Cafe
260 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105

[emp2b3]

I think that the breakfast spot that is most similar to Tokyo 7-7 in the area is George's Coffee Shop on Sepulveda (ultra-cheap breakfast, traditional Korean offerings and some fusion vs Japanese at the former).

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Tokyo 7-7
3839B Main St, Culver City, CA 90232

George's Coffee Shop
5439 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230

[Mattapoisett in LA]

I'm seconding this rec and adding another which is Submariner on Centinela. They don't open till 10 am but they have some of the Japanese fare which was on Tokyo 7-7's menu

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Submariners
4562 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

[Jase]

Thirding the George's rec. Agree that it has the same vibe and offerings.

[buhhh]

emp2b3: You mentioned George's and I immediately thought of the one on Lincoln and Marine in Samo. I love their straightforward and cheap hamburgers. And it has a nice quiet vibe at breakfast time. And comfy booths. And they're friendly.

[EricDC]

Is that George's the same thing? Or is that just a case of similar names? I've driven past that George's and figured it wasn't really much a place to do more than grab a burger from and leave...

[buhhh]

This George's has a Mexican slant. I've only had hamburgers but the people having breakfast looked quite content.

[emp2b3]

I believe it is just a case of similar names, but someone else may be able to confirm one way or another.

[PaulF]

Those two George's couldn't be more different. Same name, different thing.

If you are in my neighborhood (I'm on the Culver City/Mar Vista/Del Rey border -- basically Inglewood/Culver where Tacomiendo, El Abajeno and Sanchez are) then the closest thing to the Santa Monica George's would be Centinela Cafe. They are in that American comfort food/Mexican comfort food zone with burgers, tacos, pancakes, huevos -- stuff like that. You can have hot pastrami while your date eats huevos con chorizo.

George's on Sepulveda is a quiet diner with some Asian (Korean and Japanese) type items. It's never really crowded, you can do the crossword puzzle there. It's very good and inexpensive, but I'd say it's basic. I define neighborhood places as a place you might eat in if you live nearby, but you wouldn't drive across town for. George's (on Sepulveda in CC, across from Sorrento's) is a neighborhood place, If you live within a mile or so, it's good. If you drove over from Monrovia because you read a thread on Chowhound, you'd be a little disappointed.

Surprised to see a rec for the Submariner -- I've only been there once in the nine years I've been in the neighborhood and had a so-so tuna sub, with sort of icky tuna. Maybe I should go back?

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Tacomiendo
4502 Inglewood Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230

El Abajeno
4513 Inglewood Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230

Centinela Cafe
4800 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

[Mattapoisett in LA]

The request was for a place that was quasi Tokyo 7-7 like aka American Japanese mashup. We were there checking on someone's pronouncement that it has the best cheesesteak on the westside. We noticed the menu had some things like a Beef & Gyoza Teriyaki Bowl which you don't normally find at a place like that. but considering that Tokyo 7-7 wasn't haute cuisine, this might fit the bill.

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Tokyo 7-7
3839B Main St, Culver City, CA 90232

[Dommy]

For a simple cheap breakfast or club sandwich with fries, I recommend George's... For the more Japanese specialities like the SUPER teriyaki bowl... then I am still looking... But the winner so far has been Super Pho on Venice. The Pho is 'meh', but recently have been going for their Teriyaki Bowl and oddly addictive Korean Pork Bahn Mi. The prices are also in line the Tokyo 7-7...

--Dommy!

[New Trial]

In Santa Monica, I rather like Jinky's; for the Marina, there are Maxwell Cafe and Nichols or, if you are willing to venture down to La Tijera, Pann's; and if West L.A./Century City is fair territory, there is John O'Groats.

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Pann's Restaurant & Coffee Shop
6710 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045

John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Jinky's Cafe
1447 2nd St Fl 1, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Maxwell Cafe
13329 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Nichols Restaurant
4375 Glencoe Ave Ste D2, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

[meg3325]

Rae's on Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. It's an old-fashioned diner with old school style breakfasts. I miss Tokyo Lucky 7.........especially the nice elderly Japanese ladies!

[bulavinaka]

>>I miss Tokyo Lucky 7.........especially the nice elderly Japanese ladies!<<

Take my mom - please! ;)