Giamela’s Lamplighter

Came back here unwillingly, because a friend of mine wanted to eat here for her birthday. Otherwise I would have never shown my face back here again. Once again, the food tasted like shit. I ordered teriyaki chicken, and it tasted funny and it was very hard. And I ended up getting really really really sick during the night. I would advise everybody not to eat here, the food is disgusting! And it isn’t the first time I’ve gotten sick from eating here

great food, good size serving, great service, good prices
there is nothing bad to say, the best in the valley.

If there were a minus rating, it would be appropriate for the recent changes in Giamela’s Sub sandwiches… We have patronized this establishment from Sherman Way to Deering to Lamplighter. We recently ordered subs to go. The first time we thought it must be a mistake. The sandwiches were horrible. Bread was stale, meat tasted funny (poor Quality) and very little of it. Avocado was 2 very small slivers and bacon was bacon bits and sparce. Not what we expected at all. We tried again… That was a mistake. Same results. Needless to say we were sadly disappointed a second time… inferior and NOT cheap. If you’re looking for a good sub, save your money and look elsewhere!

Excellent wverything we went with 5 people we were all happy it’s clean and air conditioned and mostly been here for years!!!

I just ate here with a friend and was pleasantly surprised at the fare. I had the meatloaf dinner with clam chowder soup followed by a chocolate malt for dessert all of which was really good bordering on tasting like home cooking. My friend had the pork chops and was quite pleased with it. While the food was a tad slow to arrive it was well worth the wait. The service was quite good and believe it or not, some items (like the meatloaf) were actually cheaper than Norms. I will definitely return here.

This is probably the only place I’ve been to where it takes an hour to bring you your omelette… Service is terrible, the food is eh, and the staff simply don’t care. I would not come back here.

I enjoy the happy hour I like to eat the one item combo the quesadilla is huge I love it here is across the street from my house

Been going here for years upon years and this restaurant aims to better their food all the time. Their Mexican food is better than most local restaurants and has a homey feel to the establishment. The waitresses always are attentive and friendly. The managers too! Whenever I go here, I usually know what I want since I’ve had most items on the menus and the staff brings that sense of family. We’ve even been greeted with hugs and genuine asking of how we are. If you’re the type who likes to be remembered and cared for, this is the restaurant for you. Atmosphere is usually calm and steady, not too noisy. Definitely good for families and small get togethers. Shout out to Esther, Elena, and the awesome management who always make our visits pleasant and serve others with a smile.

First time there and I had a nice breakfast. I will be sure to go back again and try another entrée

I come to this place with my family maybe once a month I just wish the place was more cleaner and update it’s a little bit old and it still looks like in the 60s but the food is good and the portions are pretty good to and I wish the worker was more younger and nicer

Decent sized parking lot, and we were seated right away at 12 noon. I had the carne asada tacos with rice and beans. The meat was bland and average tenderness. The toppings and salsa were okay, but both tortillas fell apart on me as soon as I picked them up. I had to use a fork on half of it. The rice was pretty bland, and the beans weren’t that much better. I think the best part of the meal was the ice tea and the service by our waitress. They also had a variety of things on their menu like breakfast items, sandwiches, and main dinner dishes. This wouldn’t be my first choice for restaurants. But it was fair.

It was a busy night but my Girlfriend and I enjoyed our meal very much. We started w Nachos and our dinner was great. Thank you Christina for Great service and beautiful smile We enjoyed our evening thanks to you. Thank you to management for making our night special. I would recommend the Lamplighter. See you soon.

I will forever be fond of this place because it’s where my dad would take us all the time when we were out that way/​visiting my grandma. He grew up in Glendale and always raves about it. So when we pass it in chatsworth, we always go in it.
The only reason we go here is because of Giamela sandwiches, which never disappoint.
We went here last week, he always gets the pepper steak (his favorite) and I got the turkey.
Love the veggies and sauce they throw into it. Classic and delicious sandwiches.

My family wanted to take me to Lamplighter for lunch after helping them with some household chores. I was skeptical of a place that specializes in both Italian and Mexican cuisine. I found myself being a skeptic even more when I saw nachos being listed under the menu section titled «Authentic Mexican Food.» And when I walked in to find the restaurant mostly empty on a Saturday afternoon, I was beyond skeptical and into the realm of concerned. But we were here and my family was treating. Lunch at Lamplighter it is.
I ordered from the Mexican menu while my entourage ordered from the Italian section. I wanted the three item combo with a beef enchilada, chicken tamale and beef taco with the traditional rice and beans. They each ordered a beef pepper steak sandwich. I was pleasently surprised at the amount of food that came to us. Their sandwiches were huge and full of beef. And my plate looked almost daunting.
I can’t speak to the taste of the sandwiches since I did not try them. But I can tell you that my plate was pretty good. The taco was ina real shell. None of that Taco Bell premade crap. The shredded beef inside was juicy and tender. The chicken tamale had a nice tangy green sauce and the right balance of masa and chicken. It was a little firm for my liking but not bad at all. The enchilada, which I am very picky about, was great. I don’t always care for red sauce but this was good. I ate every bite of every item on my plate. It was that good. All that with some killer chips and salsa made for a fantastic lunch.
My skepticism and concern were replaced by reliefe fairly quickly as the food came out. By the time we left, the restaurant had begun to fill in. I guess we were just the early birds. And if there was one issue here, our server forgot to bring the check. We sat there for a while and had to ask her. She apologised and said she thought she had given us the check. No harm, no foul. Just momentary delay.

I love this place. The epitome of your neighborhood diner. The food is always great and the staff is very friendly. Service is pretty fast and they are on their toes with the coffee refills. I always get the California omelette with extra cheese and sautéed mushrooms

The best food in town is Lamplighter. I love their tuna salad with the Giamela’s Italian dressing. The mexican food there is amazing. Better than most mexican food restaurants. Christina is a Waitress and she is amazing. My family always requests to sit at her tables she’s waiting on. No kidding she is that superb. Even remembers everybody favorites! Overall I highly suggest Lamplighters.

I have been eating Giamela’s sandwiches from the time they were on Sherman Way, then Deering, and now inside Lamplighter. So I go a LONG way back. Last Sunday Night (01÷10÷16) may be my last visit.
I went in for a turkey sub, to-​go. Nice hostess, great service, took the bag into my car and drove off… I didn’t suspect anything until I picked up the bag from my car seat and the bottom of the bag ripped open because it was saturated with oil.
Luckily the to-​go bag sat on a newspaper on my car seat or my upholstery would have been really messed up.
The traditional sandwich I am used to being served for 20+ years has a little lettuce, pile of pickles, onions and tomatoes, a drizzle of dressing and has always been perfect. This time an oil-​saturated bag, oil-​soaked sandwich wrapper, a few pickles, a few tomatoes, a few onions, and a gallon of a salsa looking dressing that was almost pure oil. Half of the sandwich was oil-​soggy bread that appeared like it had been in a kitchen sink… under a faucet that dispensed oil.
I took a few bites and both of us crumpled it up and tossed it.
The last few times, the tuna has been relatively flavorless. Something has changed here and I do not know what. Quality control. If I am the manager, I have the cooks prepare me one of every sandwich, I inspect them and taste them.
This needs fixing.

Only food I’ve had at the Lamplighter is the Giamela’s Pepper Steak sandwich & it is absolutely amazing, no question! It’s a pretty simple sandwich, but the got the flavor nailed down just right. The service here is really good, they’re always have my sandwiches ready on time for pick up & more importantly my order is 100% correct each & every time! Thank you!
Overall Rating: A+

Great food, friendly staff? What else do you want? From the second you step in, you just feel like you’re in a small town’s local’s only restaurant. Or even more so, like you’re at a friend’s house because they really do just treat you like family when you’re there.
Food was delicious and came out quickly which was even better! We came right around brunch time so I had lunch and my wife had breakfast. She loved her omelet and I loved my sandwich.
In the end, we’ll definitely be back. Many many times. That I guarantee.

My boyfriend and I went here yesterday and it was great! It’s almost like a norms, it’s a family style restaurant with an abundance of food choices! They have great prices and their plates are big serving sizes. Our food was amazing and our waitress was very attentive! We will be going back soon!

I went there for the first time for breakfast @ 11AM. The place is a time warp — straight out of the 70’s. That’s OK, I kinda like dives sometimes.
I ordered the Huevos Rancheros off the «authentic» Mexican Food section of the menus. I was unaware that authentic Mexican Food utilized Italian marinara sauce on the eggs. THAT TOOK ME COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE!!! Even drenching the plate in Tapatio Sauce dint improve the spicy level enough for my taste!
Parking-​4, Ambience-​2, Service-​5, Portion Size-​5, Food-​3, Price-​5, Cleanliness-​3

The chicken enchiladas here are as good as it gets, fresh and flavorful. The service is awesome. Our server Esther was quick, helpful, and a delight.

An old favorite with a huge menu. Breakfast all day if you want. The specialty would be treating yourself to the Giamela’s steak and peppers. The restaurant has been here since 1977. It’s very dated but you can always count on good service and a friendly smile from the staff.

Seemed like this restaurant’s been here forever, though I remember a breakfast
which was mediocre I had a long time ago.
Recently me and my friends are eating here quite often. Why?
Because of waiting situations for Friday lunch in valley, that’s why we come here.
There’s absolutely no waiting here!
Portions are huge!
We ate just half of our sandwich, the other half we took it home.
I even got a free taco with Unilocal check-​in.
This is a huge place with friendly service.
Why didn’t I give 4 stars. don’t know why.