Craving a corndog?

If the answer to the above is ‘Hell Yes’, then head on over to Wilmington for this endearing classic of frankfurter goodness. Founded by John Galardi in 1961, this original stand  was added to the Los Angeles registry of historic-cultural monuments in 2013. Unlike the more familiar ‘A’ frame architecture of other Der Wienerschnitzel locations, the original, which is less than 600 square feet, is a flat-roofed drive-through/walk-up.

Interestingly, John got his start working for Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell. The Fast Food history of Southern California is very incestuous. Also, just to let you know, particularly if you have never eaten at a Wienerschnitzel before, they don’t have Weiner Schnitzel. Weiner Schnitzel translates as Schnitzel Vienna-style. Glen Bell’s wife made the suggestion to John to call the business Der Wienerschnitzel. He thought over her suggestion for a couple days and decided it was better than anything else.

So, on an early Saturday morning, sans the kids and wifey, I found myself heading down to Wilmington for a breakfast of champions.

 

Location:

900 W Pacific Coast Hwy, Wilmington, CA

Notes and Links:

“Crowd celebrates original Wienerschnitzel restaurant in Wilmington, now a Los Angeles city landmark”, Daily Breeze, 9/16/14.

“First Wienerschnitzel, symbol of L.A. car culture, now a landmark”, Los Angeles Time, 12/3/13.