Eat At Joe's, Redondo Beach

Former owner and current namesake Joe Filkosky is responsible for many of the hearty breakfast platters still on the menu at Eat at Joe's. But it's John Wayne who gets the credit of one of the most famous. When the icon sidled in one day and asked Joe to cook him a special breakfast, the meal quickly landed on the regular menu—a belly-warming combination of two eggs over-medium with cheese, home fries, and a tortilla, all slathered with Spanish sauce and sausage.

Clientele aside, the interior of Eat at Joe's has barely changed a bit since it was founded. Much of the menu comes packaged in red plastic baskets, and the simple white tables are still laden with home-cooking classics such as burgers, chicken-fried steak, meatloaf, and roast turkey with stuffing. In the morning, diners start the day with hearty omelets and fresh-squeezed, decaffeinated orange juice.