Holiday shopping in California still comes with a lunch break worth planning for. Long before food courts, shoppers rested their feet at department store tea rooms, soda fountains, and long counters with spinning stools.
A few of those spots are still serving popovers, pie, and burgers today. Here are six places where your shopping bags can rest while you warm up with a bit of history.
1. The Rotunda, San Francisco, CA
Look up first. The Rotunda sits on the fourth level of Neiman Marcus at 150 Stockton Street, under a stained glass dome that has become one of the city’s best-known ceilings.
The windows look straight out onto Union Square. During the holiday season, that makes it a favorite place to pause between stores and enjoy the festive view.
Afternoon Tea at Neiman Marcus is the classic order here. The popover with strawberry butter is the house signature, and it comes out warm before the meal.
For something cozier on a chilly day, the menu includes chicken consomme and lobster bisque with chives. Fresh oysters, tuna tartare, and salads round out the lunch choices.
Hours run 11 AM to 4 PM most days, stretching to 5 PM Thursday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended, since Saturday afternoons get busy.
Plan on about $40 to $100 per person and paid garage parking nearby.
2. The Woolworth’s Luncheonette, Bakersfield, CA
Remember when the five-and-dime had a lunch counter? Downtown Bakersfield still has one, and it is a big one.
The Woolworth’s Luncheonette at 1400 19th Street sits inside a former department store. It has been carefully restored to its 1950s look and is considered the last remaining of Woolworth’s original restaurants in the country.
The counters stretch on and on, so grabbing a stool feels like a step back in time. The menu keeps it classic with burgers, fries, milkshakes, root beer floats, and a chili cheese dog that fits a cold December afternoon.
Prices land around $10 to $20 per person, which helps after a day of gift buying. The building also has vintage items to browse.
Service is counter style, with no reservations. Lunch runs 11 AM to 3 PM Monday through Thursday, with later hours until 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
It is closed Sundays, and free parking is usually easy to find.
3. Mariposa, Beverly Hills, CA
Shopping on Wilshire Boulevard calls for a lunch spot with a little art on the walls. Mariposa, inside Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills, is decorated with Calder tapestries, which gives the room a colorful, gallery-like look.
It is a polished midday stop with table service and a varied menu. Truffle fries are a popular pick, and desserts and coffee are a strong way to finish.
I would save this one for a slower shopping day when you want a proper sit-down lunch instead of a quick bite. The service here is attentive and unhurried.
Timing matters. Mariposa is open only Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 AM to 3 PM, and closed Sundays and Mondays.
Reservations are accepted, which is handy in December. Parking is usually plentiful at 9700 Wilshire Boulevard.
4. Fair Oaks Pharmacy, South Pasadena, CA
Here is a fun one for the gift list. Fair Oaks Pharmacy has been on the corner at 1526 Mission Street since 1915, and it is still a working pharmacy in the back.
Up front, you will find a full service soda bar and milkshake station. The old-timey menu covers sandwiches and ice cream desserts, so it works for both lunch and a sweet break.
The shopping side is just as entertaining. There is a merchandise area, a small market, and a Celebration of Pop Culture room filled with retro memorabilia from the 1950s through the 1990s, all for sale.
That makes it a handy stop for stocking stuffers with a nostalgic twist. It also sits along the Route 66 corridor, which adds to its road trip appeal.
Plan around the schedule. It is open weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM and closed on weekends, with free street parking nearby.
5. Pie ‘n Burger, Pasadena, CA
The name tells you the plan. Pie ‘n Burger has been making fresh burgers and baked pies on East California Boulevard for more than 60 years.
The long lunch counter is the heart of the room. Grab a seat there for a quick meal, or take a table if you are shopping with a group.
Burgers come in beef, turkey, or vegetarian versions, served with fries. The pies are the real draw, with choices like peach pie and rhubarb pie a la mode, often topped with plenty of whipped cream.
An ice cream soda is a sweet throwback if you want something from the fountain side. Coffee is on hand for colder afternoons.
Hours are generous, from 8 AM to 9 PM every day, so breakfast is an option too. No reservations are taken, and parking can be tricky, so weekday visits are easier.
Expect about $20 to $30 per person.
6. The Apple Pan, Los Angeles, CA
Since 1947, The Apple Pan has served its food from one tiny U-shaped counter on West Pico Boulevard. Seating is limited, and there is usually a wait, which is part of the routine.
The Hickoryburger is the signature, with the steakburger as the other classic choice. Tuna melts and French fries fill out the short menu.
Then there is the pie. Apple pie comes with vanilla ice cream, and the banana cream and cherry cream slices are just as popular.
Whole apple pies are available too, which makes for an easy holiday dessert to bring home.
Late hours make this the night owl of the list. It is open until 11 PM most days and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Prices run around $10 to $20 per person. Reservations are not taken, and street parking can take some patience, so build in a few extra minutes.
From stained glass domes to a counter older than most freeways, these six spots prove the best part of holiday shopping might be the lunch break.
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