Fred's name sake in Los Angeles...

...not worth going out of the way for

Fred 62, 1850 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, (323) 667-0062



When we were in LA the other weekend, we went for brunch at Fred 62 in Loz Feliz. It wasn't so much a predetermined choice, more the closest place to where my friend lives and she hadn't yet tried it. If you fancy a smoke and a drink, this isn't the place for you. Sit outside and you can smoke, but not drink any alcohol. Sit inside - and you can drink but, obviously, not smoke.

It was furiously hot for us delicate San Franciscans more used to Summers that look grey rather than blue so we ventured inside where we scored a comfy air-conditioned booth. As it turns out, the drinks menu was laughable. They made a big song and dance show (they had their own plastic stand-up menu) about their Soju cocktails so we each decided we'd try a Soju 'Mojito'.

Blaech! They arrived in pint glasses, tasting of cheap, heavily sweetened lemonade with too much ice. They were undrinkable so we sent them back. The only other drink choices were beer and mimosas so we opted for those instead. If you want a 'real' drink at Fred 62, don't worry about where you sit, just bring a hip flask instead.

The menu was pages long. A typical 'diner' menu. I ordered eggs benedict, Fred had scrambled eggs and my friend had a tofu dish. All of it was unexceptional verging on unedible. My dish tasted particularly awful because they had used some kind of cheap tasting fat, which I suspect was animal-based margarine, to spread on the muffin before assembling the benedicts. Why anyone needs to add even more fat to this dish than is necessary, beats me. It was so bad I couldn't eat my English muffins. Me - not eating my muffins? Muffins are one of those things you can't go far wrong with. They are usually a safe choice, but Fred 62 managed to successfully mess them up.

Our waitress was lovely, charming and friendly. The staff wear cute little orange and green uniforms. They all look very stylish. I was taking some pictures inside, but this guy came rushing over with a horrified look on his face. "Why are you taking those pictures?" I just smiled sweetly and told him "I was just being a tourist". I was taking pictures of the diner, not the food, folks. Believe me, the food wasn't worth photographing. Anyway, I know that original American diners are sensitive about pictures of their interiors getting in to the wrong hands, so even though I have a nice selection, I will refrain from sharing them with you here.



PS This review was a 'First Impression'.

Tagged in Food Restaurants Review Los Angeles First Impressions

Fred's name sake in Los Angeles...