[category]
[title]
One of Los Angeles’s most iconic diners is reopening to the public, sort of.
Beginning tomorrow, artist Gary Baseman transforms Johnie's, the legendary Googie-style coffee shop at Wilshire and Fairfax, into a temporary exhibition space celebrating the city’s dining culture through hand-drawn restaurant menus.
Titled "Off the Menu: Dining & Drawing in L.A.," the exhibition features roughly 40 illustrated menus from beloved local institutions, including nearby Canter's Deli and Genghis Cohen, as well as icons like Musso & Frank Grill. Baseman drew directly onto real restaurant menus collected during years of dining around Los Angeles.
View this post on Instagram
The setting may be just as exciting as the artwork itself. Built in 1956 by famed architects Armet & Davis, Johnie’s is considered one of the city’s defining examples of Googie architecture, with its swooping roofline, glass walls and massive neon signage. The diner closed in 2000 but became a beloved filming location thanks to appearances in movies like The Big Lebowski and Reservoir Dogs.
In recent years, the building has also served as a political organizing hub and mutual aid space under the banner “Bernie’s Coffee Shop,” further cementing its strange and very L.A. afterlife.
The exhibition’s timing is intentional: It coincides with Friday’s opening of Metro’s new Wilshire/Fairfax D Line station, placing one of the city’s most famous dormant restaurants directly back into public view. It's also the latest temporary exhibit to pop up in the neighborhood, following successful shows at the neighboring (and also empty) 99 Cents Only Store and Sizzler earlier in the year.
"Off the Menu" officially opens May 8 with a Metro celebration from 3pm to 6pm, followed by a public reception on May 9 from 6pm to 9pm. After that, the exhibit will run Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 7pm through June 14. Admission is free.
And while this isn’t the full-fledged diner revival Angelenos have fantasized about for years spent years, it's at least a welcome chance to poke around one of the most recognizable corner buildings in the city. With ot without pancakes and coffee.
Johnie's Coffee Shop is located at 6099 Wilshire Blvd. For more information, click here.