Penny’s Restaurant

just love eating here if you like a great breakfast n lunch place this is it. i’ve been coming here for about 15 years. they have great service n prices i would definitely recommend you come n eat here bring all the family.

Penny’s is a peculiar, well hidden place. It’s an American Style Food Diner amongst its other 99% Asian sibling stores and restaurants. It also sells Lotto Scratchers and Tickets, for all the hungry gamblers out there. It also has some pretty weird hours; closing for a while and then re-​opening, only to actually close for the night. It’s a pretty odd place to eat at… BUT DAMN IT, IT’S AMAZING!!!
I came in thinking it be the standard diner tastes but I was very wrong. Very wrong, indeed. I had ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger special, and it just impressed the hell out of me! The burger was HUGE; it was pipping hot and it was DELICIOUS! And yes, it was the first burger that I could barely finish or got me full. My fiancée ordered a breakfast plate and it was great too! The portions were generous and the flavors were spot on. We had eaten at Denny’s, a few nights before, and though this popular chain is great, I really believe that Penny’s is WAY BETTER!
Pros: The food is delicious and in generous portions. The menu has many selections, that are all worth trying. The waitresses are nice and friendly; one more so than the other but to each their own. Our waitress was great and helpful; she came by every so often to ask if we had needed anything and even offered us a to go cup for our drink! The prices are pretty good too. They seem a little high, until you get the bill. With two dinner specials, the bill came out to $ 16 and some change. Anywhere else, the bill would have been in the high $ 30’s! The diner, itself, is none too fancy, but the atmosphere is the key to its success. You feel warm, cuddly and safe inside. Penny’s is fun for the whole family and clean to boot!
Cons: As I mentioned in the beginning, Penny’s is well hidden and hard to find, especially if you’re not a local. The store hours are somewhat odd and confusing. Sometimes I want to come in and enjoy a nice dinner, but it will be closed until a certain hour. To be fair, I may be craving some Penny’s at another odd hour and it will be open…
At the end of the day, even with the confusing time schedule, I would most definitely choose and recommend eating at Penny’s! It’s my new favorite place to dine in at! 4 Stars!

The service here needs an attitude adjustment. The servers are not nice. They don’t even smile. The food is great so if you want to have a good breakfast this is the place. That’s if you could handle the service.

Friendly service. Good food. I ordered the Machaca, although it wasn’t technically Machaca it was good. I’ll definitely go back and explore the menu some more.

Items ordered: Corned beef hash and eggs over easy with Biscuits and gravy
Penny’s is located in Hong Kong plaza, and while a lot of stuff has changed, this place has survived. I’m glad I finally tried it! I had a craving for corned beef hash so I decided to try this place. I almost have enough corned beef hash places to make a list! haha. As far as breakfast spots in the west covina area, I tend to go to Lisa’s coffee shop, but Penny’s is pretty comparable.
They serve a generous portion of corned beef hash, and it’s nice and crispy which was nice! I don’t mind when it’s not crispy also, but I liked it. Eggs were cooked just right and the hash browns were crispy. The biscuit and gravy was not bad, but if you’re craving biscuits and gravy, I would recommend Lisa’s.
Service was decent, but my waitress wasn’t the most cheerful lady… a smile every so often would be nice. haha.

This place is amazing. My boyfriend and I were looking for a place to stop on our way to upland and this place popped up. So we said why not. It has a cute mom and pop feel which we love! My boyfriend is a breakfast fanatic so he wanted that of course and he loved it and could stop eating! We will definitely return in the future.
Try the pancakes!!!

Loved the beef sandwich. Service was good and coffee hot. Husband enjoys omelets very accommodating to your food needs.

It was our first time coming in. I heard the breakfast is good here so I tried the best special which comes with 3 pancakes 2 sausage or beacon with eggs. The pancakes are the best it’s buttermilk. It’s not like McDonald’s pancakes. The waitress was nice her name is Maria she kept asking us if everything is ok which I don’t mind when they come up and ask. Food and service was good. It’s an old diner place don’t let the looks fool you. To me if a place looks old I don’t care as long if the food is good.

Love, love, love the pancakes. They’re not open all day just breakfast and lunch. A lot of food and great prices.

Not the most welcoming/​Friendly waitresses but I like it here because I don’t like highly seasoned food. Everything is nice and plain, and the fast service!

This place is cool and the food is real good. I recommend the breakfast menu. You’ll come out feeling satisfied.

We came in for breakfast for the first time. We enter and it looks like an old hospital run down cafeteria, which sort of grossed me out. The ‘menus’ on the wall are made of cheap paper too.
My cup was dirty and had lipstick on it.
The food was very bland and had no flavor.
We saw an older waitress blow her nose in the front where the counter is and continue working (that was disgusting) without washing her hands.
I wont be returning.

Just left this place. I used to go a couple years back, loved the place but today I seriously experienced the worst time ever. I went to get breakfast not only was the waitress rude and made us feel unwelcome. One of them sat two other people who got there much after before us and when I said something about it. The very rude young lady goes and tells them oh their mad about you skipping them and made a face like we were the problem. If you aren’t happy with your job please don’t do it. Find something else to do. DONT take it out on customers because you’re not happy. Horrible experience. Never going back.

Great place to study. The atmosphere is very homey and chill. I tried their cajun sausage and scrambled eggs wth mashed potatoes+brown gravy. It was soooooo good!!! Planning to try one if their pancakes which looked good :)

Portions and prices are on point, the food is good, but the location could have some touch ups done. I’m not complaining though ’cause this place has been here for over 20 years! :)

What more can I say about this place? Besides the fact that every time you go in, you’ll see all the workers from the last you were there, helping and serving the elderly, cracking jokes & smiling. The atmosphere here makes you feel just at home. Makes you feel safe.
I’ve first discovered this place in High School. I used to ditch school with a few of my friends and come here to eat. 10 bucks for a steak?! IN THE MORNING? I die. Or their hashbrowns. Don’t forget their Ham & Eggs special with a side of toast or biscuit. FREE REFILLS OF COFFEE! I love breakfast and this has been my staple ever since.
The staff here are so very friendly. Don’t expect to get greeted or seated on a busy day. You usually have to sit yourself if you see a table. Prices are very reasonable.

Expext a wait and no one to greet you.
So your on your own to find a seat.
By pass all the dirty tables loaded with dirty dishes
Finally you find a table that is semi clean with little grits of food
Only to find out that the table we sat at in the corner was next to a mirror
Where someone had tossed either some milk or something on it.
We saw peoples food going by and it looked semi good.
So after sitting for several minutes with no one approaching us.
We decided to leave and go next door.
But not without taking a glance at the dirty windows.
By the way… WalMart which is in your shopping center sells cleaning supplies, mops and brushes so you can have a major makeover. Throw in a couple gallons of paint too… so it smells fresh.

We got takeout breakfast for the office and nobody was impressed. One of the girls insisted the bacon smelled like urine and nobody would eat it.
I personally didn’t think the omelettes were bad, but agreed the food tasted ‘old’ — and the bacon did have an ‘off’ smell and was not tasty (I tasted it anyway, that was a bad move, I still regret it)
Maybe it’s better if you eat while you’re there instead of takeout, maybe it’s better if you order pancakes instead of eggs, don’t know — but my assistant who picked up the food also said the place looked dirty and the waitresses were scatterbrained… so…this will probably be a never again.

2 big, thick, juicy patty’s made from ground beef rounded in the restaurant, not from a pre-​cut box of frozen patties. When I walk it, the place looked so huge, not easy to find from the street, in a huge lot with a variety of shops with letters from nations in Asia on the walls. Parking is so easy to find, sometimes it can be a bit of a walk, not too much. It is not fancy-​schmancy but you feel comfy, at home and people just loving their food, old school Americana décor and menu, I was surprised I did not see broasted chicken.
The burger was two large patties which were at least 14 or ¹⁄₃ pound, possibly more, at least 10 slices of bacon and 2 slices of cheese. The bun was soft, with a yellowish hue and sesame seed buns on top, I could not ask for anything more. The lettuce tomoato, picks etc were served on the side. Each bite was moist, with a balanced flavor, beautiful.
The French fries were not sliced fresh but they were crinkled, so I really enjoyed them, they were not sitting under heat lamps either. The soda fountain was perfect, not a diluted, or harsh flavors like some CO’s machines, an enjoyable Coca Cola in a glass cup.
The staff was friendly, the tall blonde waitress/​cashier/​etc, whose name I did not, served me quickly and left me smiling. There was another waitress who was quickly attending to customers at that time, decent size crown for lunch time in the area.
By some Unilocalers standards this restaurant will be 3 – 4.5 stars. I give Penny a 5 star based on my first visit and that burger. I am also giving FIVE stars because I feel they meet criteria for an Americana eatery, what it is…
That huge burger caught my attention, while I am on a diet and will not be back very soon, I do plan to come back for some more. Pastrami, patty melt, chicken, know knows what else I will try, but they need to keep that burger, COMBO # 6 on the menu.
Song parody of Lil Wayne feat. Mannie Fresh 1999 song «Back That Azz Up»
Burger looking fresh yea, so bad yeah
Make a Unilocaler spend the cash yea, their last yeah
Chains frown when you pass yeah, they mad yeah
Gonna take you in my jag yeah, and drag yeah
In a plate or in a bag yeah, for Dragon yeah
I’m a big fat Unilocaler yeah, hunger trigger yeah
Need flavor flipper yeah, no chick-​fill-​al nahh
In a burger mood yeah, in my hood yeah
Fresh ground I understood yeah, it is all good yeah
Got a Unilocaler feenin large yeah, hunger hard yeah
A smooth thick patty yeah, bombard yeah
Heavy like a brick yeah, no trick yeah
You order with a drink yeah, they make it quick yeah
You pay a little more money yeah, but it ain’t funny yeah
Forget about running yeah, to burger chains yeah
(CHORUS X 2)
Burger looks good, won’t you back that thing up
You a fine thick burger, won’t you back that thing up
Serve a juicy patty, will you back that thing up
Serve me some more of that, back that thing up
Burger looks good, won’t you back that thing up
You a fine thick burger, won’t you back that thing up
Big beef blast yeah, all mass yeah
You make me wanna grab yeah, meat slab yeah
I walking in the doors yeah, hunger long yeah
Wanna review like a hog yeah, break you off yeah
Got mine, you get review yeah, for sure yeah
Soothe my hunger nerves yeah, in the suburbs yeah
Your effort is known yeah, and it show yeah
I’m coming back for more yeah, let beef flow yeah
Freshly ground beef yeah, I will reach yeah
You made a burger hit yeah after hit yeah
Crinkled French fries yeah, I wanna bite yeah
I could eat you right yeah, all night yeah
Wanna bring it to my house yeah, on the couch yeah
Eat the soft beef out yeah, at my house yeah
I wanna see my sodas yeah, fountain flow yeah
While I eat it in the corner yeah, that’s how I know yeah
(CHORUS X 2)
Burger looks good, won’t you back that thing up
You a fine thick burger, won’t you back that thing up
Serve a juicy patty, will you back that thing up
Serve me some more of that, back that thing up
Hunger, I can’t stand it, demand it
Spot landed, see burger handed
Wanna eat it all, get fries crinkled all
Put the ketchup on the table and pics on the wall
I feeling kindry hungry, my Unilocal homie
Put the patty in the bread like bolognie
Fresh ground plumper thick, beat like a drummer thick
So excess like I’m driving a hummer thick
Big and pretty fat, look at that
I love a plump and juicy stack, that’s a fact
From a well-​made burger grill, heat it grill
I’m a Unilocaler, Unilocaler, eat from the grill
(CHORUS X 2)
Burger looks good, won’t you back that thing up
You a fine thick burger, won’t you back that thing up
Serve a juicy patty, will you back that thing up
Serve me some of that, back that thing up
Now now now now now
After you grill it up, Don’t stop
Then wha-​wha-​what, drop when it’s hot
After you grill it up, Don’t stop
Then wha-​wha-​what, drop when it’s hot
Drop it when it’s hot when it’s hot
Drop it when it’s hot when it’s hot
Penny Family, just, drop it when it’s hot
Drop it when it’s hot, drop it when it’s hot

You can never go wrong with Penny’s. This is my moms «go to» spot when she wants a good hearty American Breakfast.
Located in the Hong Kong Plaza, Pennys and the bronco grill are the only Non Asian establishments in the whole center, so although they look out of place, that should definitely tell you something about sticking around when the turnover on the HK Plaza is pretty often.
Any who, From the outside Penny’s looks like your ordinary Mom and Pop diner, and the inside is just the same. Nothing special, no gimmicks, just good food.
The place gets packed with regulars, but we’ve never had to wait. Service can be spotty, but then again, there’s only 3 servers and 1 busser who looks like he is definitely up there in age. Waitresses can get caught up talking with the regulars, which most are also up there in age and we all know they like to talk. But Service is friendly and you get what you need when you ask for it.
In all the years I’ve been coming to Penny’s I see the same faces.
On to the FOOD! Portion sizes here are great. Hash browns are always overflowing my plate, Jumbo Eggs, and a cup full of gravy for my biscut. I went with the corn beef hash this time and it’s always good. nice and moist in the middle and deliciously crunchy on the outside! My mom went with the Spinach and tomato omlet which was huge! 3 Jumbo eggs, about a pound of spinach and tomato’s. The omlet should have came on a plate of it’s own! We didn’t get the pancakes this time but they are delish! Coffee cup is never empty.
reason for the 4 stars is that Penny’s could definitely douse the place with beach and just clean it up a bit. It’s not filthy or bug infested at all, it just looks pretty dated and junky. The front register area is just covered in dated special posters that look like they can afford to be updated to new poster board. Their women’s restroom is clean, but just so old that it’s a bit of a turn off.
I guess you can go back to the old saying «If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it»…