Patrick's Cafe

A couple of weekends ago 3 friends and I decided to try something new for lunch. I had driven past Patrick's Cafe several times and thought it sounded like a good place to try. It was rumored to have something for everyone. Patrick's Cafe is right on the main San Fernando drag when you drive from Burbank to Glendale on your left. It has taken the spot of an old diner and has both patio seating and indoor seating with lots of windows. The parking lot is a little cramped but there is also street parking.

We arrived around 1pm on Saturday and there were a lot of people there--mostly eating indoors as the patio atmosphere is right on the main street and could potentially be loud (although I don't know because I didn't sit there). We came in the side door and were a little confused about what to do. We went up to the register and saw menus. This is the kind of place where you read the paper menu, order, take a number and have a seat. The tables in the restaurant were huge wooden ones with thick leather-like chairs. They reminded me of tables you might see in a castle. Because the tables are large, and the kitchen area extends into the restaurant leaving little space to walk. I think Patrick's Cafe could do with smaller tables to make the space feel a little more open. While we were waiting for our food, a woman and her wheelchair bound husband came in. She could hardly maneuver his chair through the restaurant and it seemed like they were told to sit outside because that was the only place they could find space.

The menu had a variety of sandwiches, salads, and burgers and a couple of other entree-style dishes. The prices were a little steep but all similar. I probably would be more likely to get a gourmet-style sandwich there than a tuna melt when the prices were upwards of $8-9. There was a small pastry cabinet next to the registers, however, the pastries looked just average.

I ordered the Prosciutto Caprese Sandwich. It came with a side of either salad or fruit. I decided to stick with water for my drink and chose the salad. I didn't find the clerks to be particularly friendly but actually a little bored and short. I found a table and found the seats to be a little less than comfortable. It took a long time for our drinks to come, I guess it is possible that it was only 6-7 minutes but it seemed like ages. Our food came shortly after.

The salad I had was small with a huge side of dressing. The sandwich was forgettable. I ordered it primarily because I thought the addition of the tapenade would add a nice boost of flavor. Unfortunately, the tapenade added no flavor and the sandwich really lacked flavor. The bread was also a little too soft for the sandwich. Other items at our table included the tuna sandwich with salad and a cheeseburger with fries. The tuna sandwich could have been made cheaper and tastier at home--it looked like it came right out of my grandma's kitchen. Again, the salad seemed like a useless side item and more of a garnish. The tuna orderer felt his meal--$13 with a drink--was a total rip off. The burger was quite large and looked pretty tasty. The fries were plentiful and tasted good while they were hot only.

The waitress came back several times for drink refills and with boxes but again the service was a little weird. It seemed like they didn't really do refills often or that it was sort of a hassle to leave the kitchen. I also felt like the paper menus didn't match the decor with those huge tables. I expected real menus or at least a couple of laminated ones or something on the wall. All in all, I would say the food wasn't memorable but I would consider going back to try the breakfast. There were a lot of people there and the restaurant has been around for some time so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. The burger seemed to be the best thing at the place--although a little pricey.





Patrick's Cafe
6720 San Fernando Rd
Glendale, CA 91201
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