Roberta's Village Inn

The inspiration

Roberta's Village Inn has been serving traditional American diner food on D Street in Old Town La Verne since 1969^1,2 . The idea is simple and deliberately old-fashioned: home-style cooking in a room done up like a 1950s diner, complete with vintage Coca-Cola signs and an antique cash register^1,3 . The building itself carries plenty of history, having housed a deli, a Chinese restaurant and a string of coffee shops before the Village Inn moved in^1,4 .

Who's behind it

The diner takes its name from Roberta Virgin, who started as a waitress there in 1977 and bought the business in 2000, adding her name to the sign^1,3 . In 2010 she sold the restaurant to Francisco Ramirez, known as Poncho, who had cooked in the kitchen since about 1999 and had earned her trust over the years^1,2,3 . Ramirez still cooks while running the place, and Virgin has stayed on as manager¹ .

What to order

• Chicken fried steak and eggs: a home-style classic, with hash browns on the side⁵
• Pot roast: served with a baked potato and vegetables, a popular dinner plate^5,2

What people are saying

Locals sometimes call the place the Cheers of diners, because everybody seems to know everybody³ .

Why you should try it

Come for breakfast, stay for the feeling of being a regular on your first visit^1,3 .