I met a friend for weekday lunch at Barbara Zamitiz and Rudy Pastrano’s year-old diner, which was recently featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.” Located near the end of the 110 freeway, Gaffey Street Diner sports a mural of the bridge and port on the outside wall. Inside, there are booths, a small counter hosting just a few chairs, yellow and red walls, and incredible panoramic photos of San Pedro, including Ports ‘O Call and the point where the Pacific Ocean meets the cliffs. The diner opens early to feed local dockworkers, but by the time we arrived for lunch, the crowd had thinned.

Gaffey Street Diner claims to have the “Best Home Cooking in the Harbor,” and the lunch I ate certainly made a convincing supporting argument. Our waitress said everything’s made fresh, that nothing canned is used. She said that every morning, somebody shows up at 3 a.m. to bake a turkey. My friend asked our waitress’ name, and she said, “That depends. If you don’t like something, it’s Tracy. If you do, it’s Veronica.”

I asked Tracy/Veronica to recommend her favorite lunch plate. She mentioned the breaded chicken breast cutlet, the country fried steak, the grilled pork chops, even liver & onions. I ordered the duo of juicy grilled pork chops ($9.50), which were coated in a thin layer of batter and grilled. I was given a choice of mashed potatoes, French fries or home fries. I selected home fries, which were really good, crusty on the outside, but not dry, mixed with green peppers. I was also served steamed vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli and sliced carrots. Given a choice of garlic toast or biscuit, I chose a biscuit, which was fist-sized yet fluffy, and served warm. My friend ordered the French dip sandwich from the specials board. It was huge, served with a cup of gravy. He was entitled to a cup of beef vegetable soup, but opted for a dish of potato salad. He was happy with his lunch.

I plan to return for breakfast, which is supposed to be even better than lunch. If that’s the case, wow.

Gaffey Street Diner
247 North Gaffey Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
310 548 6964
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 5 AM – 2:30 PM
Saturday – Sunday: 5 AM – 3 PM