Olympic Cafe

Olympic Cafe is small—so small you’ll probably have to stand outside if all the seats are taken. It’s also only open from 7am to 12:30pm. And they only take cash. Got all that? Now, onto the charm: this 50-year-old spot in Mid-City is the quintessential diner where regulars tell you they’ve been eating at since they were kids. The counter is lined with chunky mugs full of mediocre coffee, the place smells like bacon fat, and the menu plays the hits. Pancakes, hash browns, and eggs, any way you like them, are all fine, but we gravitate toward their Hawaiian-leaning dishes like spicy Portuguese sausage and grilled teriyaki short ribs.