Chow Time: The La Palma Chicken Pie Shop

The La Palma Chicken Pie Shop

Have you ever wondered what meatloaf tasted like in 1957?  While thumbing through old issues of Colliers have you seen the technicolor images of dinner time favorites and thought to yourself, "Where do I get food like that?"  Do you ever get a hankering for a four-course meal for under $7.00?  Well the answer to all these questions can be found on the corner of Euclid and La Palma in Anaheim, CA.

Set in a thrillingly, mid-century shopping center, only slightly obscured by time and wear, The La Palma Chicken Pie Shop is the antithesis of gourmet food trucks.  It isn't clever by virtue of its name, method of delivery or its "fusion" cuisine.  It is one step above cafeteria food, prepared and served in the same way for over 50 years.  It is not a throw-back restaurant in the vein of Ruby's or Ed Debevic's; it is the genuine article.  In fact, it speaks much more to "grandma" than to "retro" - thank goodness!

A view of the shopping center from inside the restaurant

Signs from the neighboring businesses

When you walk in you are greeted by a fully-stocked bakery - almond bear claws, cream puffs, sugar cookies, rum balls, chocolate chip "dog bones" - and nothing is over $1.00!

The Bakery Counter

Not only do the menu offerings/prices give you the feeling of entering a time warp,  the dining room, the seating and the staff perpetuate the illusion.  The waitresses, having honed their skills in the art of gracious food service, have made a career out of serving piping hot food in generous portions.  The Chicken Pie Shop is like one of the less-ironic episodes of The Twilight Zone where death doesn't take the form of Robert Redford and where "To Serve Man" really is a cookbook for delicious food that does not require human flesh as an ingredient.

Almost everything in the joint is original - 

right down to the death trap highchairs.

It is easy to look past the rough edges when one has 

the cutest and most charming dining companion.

One of the original, bent-wood dining chairs

Why am I always tempted to steal something wherever we go???

A typical booth with but a few of the chicken figurines

The obsession with interesting light fixtures never wanes

Obviously, this restaurant is most famous for its eponymous food stuffs; the chicken pot pies are the most popular item on the menu but we encourage you to keep your mind open when ordering.  Their hamburgers are delicious and are served on soft, yet sturdy, homemade buns.  The dinners are served with soup, salad, choice of potato, vegetables, a soft roll and a piece of pie for dessert.  If we sound like crazed seniors who flock to the nearest early bird special that includes soup and salad and dessert, then we are effectively communicating our position.  The Chicken Pie Shop is wacky tacky in its finest form.  Best of all, there is a bucket of Andes mints at the cash register that are to be had at 10 for $1.00.  That is our idea of living, it truly is!

The Menu

A typical Chicken Pie Dinner with gravy

Our meals included:

Chicken Pie Dinner with french fries

Cheeseburger & Fries

The Lo-Cal Lunch

There were four people in our party and the bill was less than $20.  Granted, one of our group was a 9 1/2-month-old baby, but he did his fair share of sampling.  With the change we splurged and got a handful of Andes!!!

 The proof!

La Palma Chicken Pie Shop
928 N Euclid St
Anaheim, CA
(714)533-2021

Dine-In & Take-Out


The one thing that detracts, only slightly, from the beauty and interest of the original restaurant is the collection of chicken figurines scotch taped - literally - to every flat surface.  By the same token, this lent additional "grandma's house" ambience.

Who you callin' a chicken, turkey!!!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny