Los Angeles, California: Fake Forest Cafeteria (Gone)

We went to visit Clifton's Cafeteria on the last weekend in February after seeing the tips on this website, but there were signs up that said it was closed for remodeling! The signs said to check their website for information, but on the website, it said the cafeteria was still open for business. I asked around about it and some people said it has been closed for several months. I hope it opens again in the near future!

The decor in Clifton's is amazing. On the top floor, there are photos of the now-gone other locations, which had other themes. I can only wonder where those neon palm trees went!

The interior of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria is great! Fake trees, stuffed animals, phony stone, a waterfall, a hollow tree housing a one-person sanctuary, a log cabin, and lots of other plastic plants and animal statues. There's plenty to see, too, as there are dining rooms on three floors.

There are also framed images of other now-closed Clifton's locations, like the Clifton's Pacific Seas, in the stairwell leading to the basement restrooms. I imagine that this place looks pretty much like it looked when it opened over 70 years ago. And considering that it's a cafeteria, the food's not bad at all.

Look down at your feet while entering or exiting, because the terrazzo sidewalk, which depicts LA area highlights, is really cool, too.

Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria is an old cafeteria in the middle of downtown L.A. The food is a fine reason to avoid the place, but the interior is astounding! The whole place is designed to look like a Washington forest, complete with a waterfall running through the dining area and ducks stapled(!) to the wall. It's very surreal to go from the hub-bub of the discount shopping along Broadway to this 1940's environment.

They dress it up according to the season as well, with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny making special appearances at the appropiate times.