Brite Spot Family Restaurants

07/27/2008 Posted by wellesradio

In fact, you will be miserable and unhappy. The food here is bad. Very bad. The place has a "B" grade posted on the door for a reason. This is literally a sign that you're in for inferior quality or just bad hygiene. Everyone says that this place used to be great, but I've never really seen it. I will however admit that the place has its charm and that this charm will make you come back a couple of times until you tire of it. EVERYONE grows tired of it eventually. I guess I was lucky. My girlfriend and I first went here with a friend who is somewhat of a hipster, so we had our "in" and the waitresses usually gave us free toast and refills and such. No issues with the service except that maybe they took forever once in a while. Or they ignored a major spill on the ground. Despite this I got hooked on it and wanted to go back to the cozy little place. But after 3 or 4 times you start to wonder why a breakfast for 2 comes out to $35 (with tip) and you're essentially eating vegetarian dog food. And I'm a pescetarian. My girlfriend is a vegetarian. We like that this place offers a lot of vegetarian options, but we HATE that they charge you an arm and a leg to get those options (seriously, substitutions here run around $4). Then there's the hipster issue. Given the neighborhood it's no wonder you're gonna get this type of crowd, but today (and I swear this was the last time I ever go, hence this Parthian shot) I had to listen to some 50 year old balding fat guy in a ponytail and soul patch bragging to his tatted up grandma-aged girl friend about seeing The Germs and promoting a punk rock concert. Ick!! Jesus, listen to some grown up music already, scooter, and stop with the mid-life crisis. That said, this is really the only type of person who will continually come here to listen to the horrendous soundtrack they blare at you so you can't hear yourself. The service is ok, but you can tell the waiters would rather be home "making art".

06/21/2008 Posted by sooverhipsters

My boyfriend and I used to eat at the Brite spot regularly however we finally got tired of their deal. Just so you know, if you are going to eat here you will get BAD RUDE service, you will be OVERCHARGED for average (at best) food, the waiters will NEVER get your order right, and you will be eating in a restaurant full of retarded hipsters who think they are cooler then you. That is the Brite Spot in summary.

Pros: open late- (used to be 24 hrs)

Cons: everything else

02/01/2008 Posted by missemmaline

expect to wait during breakfast lunch or dinner. the food is diner food but not good diner food. it's just bland. the place gets so crowded during weekend brunch and sometimes service takes forever. it's a wee bit over priced, too. on the upside it's a good place to people watch cute hipsters. the wait staff are nice and it's open late so you can go after the bar closes and get some tiny fries.

Pros: cute people and late hours, lots of choices

Cons: long wait, bad parking, boring food

01/01/2008 Posted by artf47

What happened to the Brite Spite? It was such a great place to eat with great food and nice servers. Not any more. Not worth the effort for the attitude.

Pros: Crowd

Cons: Food & Service

12/09/2007 Posted by hipstersrgay

I waited there seated for almost 90 minutes while the hipster f*g waiters served every hipster f*g within ten minutes of walking in through the door. So I finally left without any service. If you received service within ten minutes, ask yourself why nobody likes you south of Pico and east of downtown. THE WORLD HATES YOU and you have to take refuge at the brite spot where the wait staff reflects your cooky cutter personality.

Pros: None

Cons: SERVICE & CULTURE

11/29/2007 Posted by gwangipal2

I ate here for years, but my recent visit after a few years away, was like going into a reality show designed to showcase how awful a coffee shop can be: got there at about 9 A.M., and asked for one of the booths (two were occupied) and was quickly admonished that they were trying to keep people at the counter. Then he relented and seated me. I ordered a waffle, eggs, and bacon, along with coffee. The eggs, bacon, and waffle were cold: the butter on the waffle just stood there in a chilled lump and NEVER melted. The "eggs" were a milk-diluted, rubbery "thing," and the bacon fat was coagulated and cold. The coffee was not quite up to Winchell's quality. The tab, with taxes? $14+. What was really ironic was that, at the adjacent table, a group of waiters and staffers were holding a meeting and discussing everything BUT how to improve the food and service: blah-blah has a new tattoo; "x" is a b; she didn't look like she should serve here (the requirement is apparently many tatoos, disinterest in the customers and what they're served, and ceasless '"we heard this band that was really...last night and I'm So hung over" commentary at waaaay too many decibels: you get to hear all their opinions, loudly and endlessly, while the food sits there, cold). Look: this place fails the most rudimentary requirements for basic food and service and is simply a retro look and b-flat food for spoiled white "hipster" adults who really never should have left Orange County. This is NOT what coffee shops used to "be like"; this is what people with too much money and little taste do in lieu of a life on Saturday mornings. (Strangely, the coffee shop next to my girlfriend's storage area in Lancaster is both cheap and has terrific food.)

Cons: Little parking, indifferent staff, and cold waffles that won't melt butter: too hip!

09/21/2007 Posted by heyitsdi4n4

i don't know why people are so into this place. everything is overpriced, and is bad quality food. they can't even get their freaking milkshakes right. $6 and no metal cup full of extra shake? and you can tell it's all milk. the service isn't that great either. it's just where all the hipsters hang and think it's cool. they have comfy red sparkly booth seats, that's about the only good thing about it.

Pros: location, hours

Cons: bad food, high prices, so-so service

07/16/2007 Posted by harryheadcase

I've curiously passed this corner 'spot' every morning since starting my new job downtown. I've noticed the constant heads occupying the window seats and a general rule of thumb regarding the quality of a restaurant is...without a word of mouth review on a place you've never tried, seeing asses in seats is a good sign. My lunch partner (we'll call her R) and I are always up for trying new places that fulfill a definite criteria: GOOD FOOD, GOOD PRICES, GOOD SHAPE & GOOD SERVICE. 100 is perfect (25pts each), I score Brite Spot a 55. Good food: 20, yes the food is right up there with what you might expect from a what it is, A DINER, but with great variety. I have no complaints toward the kitchen. Good Prices: 20, This food is much better than any Taco Bell or Jack in the Box, and having spent $9 on a 3-piece meal at KFC, you'll gladly pay $8 for a good Greek Salad. Good Shape: 10, clean overall but the bathrooms are suspect. Don't forget, it's a DINER. Parking can be tricky. Good service?: 5, PROBLEM. You'll get seated fairly quickly, you'll have your drink order taken and filled by a busboy and for that I'll give a 4. Hence 1 point left for the wait staff. I don't think I've ever seen the same server twice and this will carry the usual unfamiliarity of the menu, lack of attention to your needs (refills, napkins, condiments, etc.). The last three times I've been there I've experienced the same neglect, your order is taken and within minutes your food is on the serving counter where it will sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes. The order is served and the Houdini act is repeated. When it's time to leave, don't wait for the check, go to the cashier, tell 'em what table you were at and pay the bill. You'll save yourself from your bosses evil eye when you return to work 15 minutes late. So why return? The food IS good, it beats the hell out of most places around. Just don't be on the clock when you go or do go to stay out of the rain. There's no rain in LA. 'D'

Pros: Good variety, good quality food

Cons: BAD SERVICE

04/20/2007 Posted by alswims

I grew up in this neighborhood and I remember when this was a GREAT neighborhood spot. Over the last 3 years its been going down in a dismal death spiral. I used to eat here at least once a week or more. Now I visit about once every six months or so. I just got back from breakfast and as usual, very disappointed. It was pretty dead, maybe 15 people in the entire room. Three servers were there but i sat at the counter for 30 mins before anyone even offered me water. The whole time one waitress and the "host" sat in the corner and talked between the two of them. The food was again, bland and kinda creepy looking. Half of the omelete was burned, and when i brought it up the host asked me what she was supposed to do. This is really the last time i will ever go here. Check out Masa, or Elf Cafe. Both within a few blocks and MUCH friendlier and amazing food.

Pros: its cheap.

Cons: everything else

01/31/2007 Posted by server123

okay so it's not the cleanest or the best run place in town, but lets cut them a break. After being shifted around with management it is finally starting to come back into it's own. The wait staff not only wait the tables, but act as host, phone operator, and busboy more than half the time. It's lucky they get to the tables at all some shifts. The food is not great and yes over the passed 2 years has been more than inconsistant, but it's diner food. And if you are lucky and discover a one of the few good waitresses you get what you pay for with a smile. You can't go wrong with the Chiliquiles or the breakfast quesadilla for breakfast. Burgers and clubs are good lunch and the soups are usally good. Late night is a completly different monster. Loud music and too many drunken hipsters for me. The waiters usually act like they don't give f*** if you need anything or not. Not my scene. I'll stick to the mornings and weekend mornings thank you. Lets hope it keeps trying to get better and stay a staple of the neighborhood.

Pros: weekend waitresses, breakfast, coffee, parking

Cons: waiting list, late nite crowd