Pacific Dining Car is a culturally significant luxury steakhouse business in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1921 by Fred and Grace Cook in the backyard of a friend's house in Los Angeles. In 1990, the business expanded to Santa Monica."PDC was an early favorite of the Hollywood set, with Mae West, Louella Parsons and Mickey Cohen counted as regulars". pacificdiningcar.com. Retrieved July 9, 2019. In 2020, it shifted to delivery and takeaway services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, later transitioning to online offerings and pop-ups. In August 2024, the structure sustained heavy damage from a fire. However, Wes Idol III, the great-grandson of the founders, announced that restoration efforts would continue.
The restaurant was known as Los Angeles' only 24-hour fine dining establishment, open every day of the year, including Christmas and other holidays. Pacific Dining Car was also featured in films and TV series such as Training Day and Shameless.
History
Fred and Grace Cook were inspired by a business with a similar theme and pitched the idea of a modified railway dining car experience. A friend allowed them to use his backyard to construct the dining car, which was retrofitted to provide more spacious and comfortable seating. Once completed, the dining car was moved to 7th and Westlake in Los Angeles.Figueroa, Victor (May 18, 2014). "The History Behind The Pacific Dining Car". Neon Tommy. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
In 1923, the location at 7th and Westlake was bought out, forcing the restaurant to relocate to its current site at 1310 W. 6th Street in Los Angeles.
In 1927, a San Diego rancher taught Fred Cook how to select, hang, and age beef for steaks. This led the restaurant to establish an on-site curing box for aging beef.
During the Great Depression, Pacific Dining Car staff fed the hungry in the evenings and donated leftovers to nearby missions.
After Fred Cook died in 1947, Grace Cook continued to operate the restaurant until 1960, when it was sold to their daughter Virginia and her husband, Wes Idol.
Wes Idol died in 1970, and Virginia retained ownership. Their son, Wes Idol II, purchased the restaurant in 1975 and promoted his son, Wes Idol III, to president in 2000, continuing the family legacy.Tat, Linh. "Famed Pacific Dining Car gets historic-cultural monument status". Daily News. May 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of the Santa Monica location and the original Westlake site. Most of the restaurant’s memorabilia was auctioned, and the business transitioned to online meat sales. In 2023, the Los Angeles City Council designated the original Pacific Dining Car as a historic-cultural monument. Restoration efforts began, but on August 3, 2024, the building was heavily damaged by a fire. Despite the setback, Wes Idol III confirmed that restoration efforts would continue.
In the early morning of March 20, 2025, another fire burned and left the building uninhabitable. The original faux train car and dining room was demolished later that day by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The kitchen was damaged but was not bulldozed. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In the early hours of July 1, 2025, a third fire occurred, at a building directly adjacent to the Dining Car site, less than a year after the first incident.
Menu and clientele The restaurant’s menus were categorized by meal times: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Desserts. Special menus included Afternoon Tea, available by appointment, and a Late-Night menu served from 10 PM to 6 AM. Delivery was offered for all menu items."Pacific Dining Car - Menu". pacificdiningcar.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
Located in downtown Los Angeles, the restaurant attracted a diverse clientele, including stockbrokers, lawyers, reporters, and celebrities. Notable patrons included columnist Louella Parsons, actor George Raft, gangster Mickey Cohen, and cultural icon Mae West. Actors Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp, as well as Mayor Eric Garcetti, also dined there.
Media appearances As one of Los Angeles' oldest restaurants, Pacific Dining Car was featured in several films and TV series. In the film Training Day (2001), Denzel Washington’s character recommended the restaurant’s "baseball steak," which led to the steak being renamed "Training Day" on its lunch menu. The restaurant also appeared in Chinatown (1974), Street Kings (2008), and Rampart (2011).Blake, Lindsay. "Go On Location: Famous Film & TV Restaurants in LA". Discover Los Angeles. March 13, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019."PDC was an early favorite of the Hollywood set, with Mae West, Louella Parsons and Mickey Cohen counted as regulars." pacificdiningcar.com. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
See also Victoria Station
References
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