101 Coffee Shop

This place is awesome. On a weekend morning or early afternoon, it bustles like a NYC lunch counter. This might make seating a little difficult but I've never waited more than ten minutes for a table even when it's totally packed. And the wait is worth it. Their signature dish is the catfish platter, which is great, but if you're going breakfast, you can't go wrong with the breakfast burrito (you'll need the knife and fork) or the "Mickey Fitz," the general eggs and meat and pancakes combo. Good burgers for lunch and great specialty milkshakes (made with real milk and ice cream; my favorite is the "Purple Haze"). It's not rare at all to see a name or two at the 101, as well (I've seen Michael Cera, Quentin Tarantino and Ryan Gosling before), plus some scenes from SWINGERS were shot here, so it's a decent tourist-trap destination for visiting friends.

And I think their pancakes are fresh and not from a mix. Do try the fried chicken dinner on Thursday nights. Also, sweet potato fries. :)

The delcious milkshakes and the 70s style decor are the real reasons to hit this joint. The service makes mothers weep and war heroes beg (for their check or even a refill on their mediocre coffee). The food is passable if a bit over priced. Hit it late at night if you have to since no doubt it will be a better experience than a Dennys.

My kids and I have eaten there 5 times on the way to Disneyland or the ArcLight. Living in Santa Clarita it's hard to find a decent place to eat with them. Everything that we have had has been very good. The breakfasts in particular stand out. They offer one of the best breakfast menus around. We also really liked the fried chicken which they serve on Thursday. It's a huge flattened boneless chicken breast which they bread and fry. It comes with really good mashed potatoes and buttered green beans. The blackened catfish sandwich is outstanding, a little bit spicy and very juicy. The food is a step above what you would get at a normal coffee shop. You can tell that they pay attention to the quality of ingredients and how they prepare it. Service can be hit or miss. One time we had really good service, another time we had to flag down a manager after 15 minutes to get us a waitperson. This is a really cool coffee shop, you'll see almost everyone there. It's a very freindly place also. The only problem is how loud it is. Unless you yell, a person sitting across from you won't have a chance to hear what you are saying. They have a juke box but unless you go into the restroom you won't have any idea that it's playing let alone what's playing. If you're looking for an above average breakfast or some really good comfort food I heartily recommend the 101 Coffee Shop.