An L.A. Diner That’s Been Obsessing Over Its Burgers and Pies Since 1947

As a companion to T’s 212 series about New York institutions, the 213 column highlights beloved landmarks in and around Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is the promise of speed denied.

It’s a city of five-lane freeways where traffic crawls. A city that teases the possibility of instant stardom, yet it can take years to land a SAG card. Los Angeles is the birthplace of In-N-Out Burger — its very name auguring swift satisfaction — where the drive-through lines stretch to infinity. Behold the Maseratis in the queue: eager to race, forced to idle. Angelenos know the feeling.

So anywhere that things happen quickly and smoothly in this town? Those are the spots to be treasured. And top of the list for me is the Apple Pan, established in 1947.

Which is not to say it’s a fast-food joint — speed isn’t the intended main attraction. In fact, the Apple Pan owes its fame to two things: its menu and its time machine interior. Push through the swinging wooden double doors and you’re in the Platonic ideal of a no-frills ’40s diner. Just about everything is as it was 76 years ago. Lacquered wood lines the walls and window frames. There are no tables. Instead, a U-shaped countertop with seating for just 26 customers frames a central island of brick-lined grills, deep fryers and stainless-steel prep stations. There, a gaggle of chefs and servers in old-school paper hats churn out French fries and sandwiches with the discipline of a bee colony. A window along the back wall allows a clear view into the baking area, where more workers pull little steaming golden volcanoes from a stack of ovens. These are the Apple Pan’s famed apple pies, with their distinctive domed crusts.

All the food prep is visible at all times. The message is clear: “We have nothing to hide. We’re proud of these ingredients and we’re happy to be scrutinized as we turn them into your lunch.” A sign above the entrance proclaims, “Quality Forever.”

To live up to the slogan, the menu has been kept spartan: Just seven sandwiches, about as many pies and a couple of sides. Every detail of every dish has been refined over decades. The grilled cheese arrives garnished with three pickle slices and three olives, and you have the sense that this is the optimal number of each required. Order a whole apple pie and it comes boxed with a little cup of extra syrup, so you can add moisture during reheating at home. According to the co-owner Shelli Azoff, the secret ingredient of the signature…