Legendary Los Angeles diner Swingers opens in the former Silver Lake All Day Baby space on Tuesday, October 20. Smash burger restaurant Heavy Handed previously occupied the storefront, opening on the corner in March 2025 before closing just a year later
in spring 2026. Swingers will initially open with takeout only, with the dining room slated to open fully in December.
Swingers first opened on Beverly Boulevard in 1993, slinging steaming cups of coffee and French toast until the early hours of the morning. The iconic Googie cafe inspired the 1996 movie Swingers (although the film was shot at the former 101 Coffee Shop) and appeared in other Hollywood productions, including Knocked Up and Insecure. The diner has long held a special place in Angelenos’ hearts, conjuring memories of late-night breakfasts in plaid booths with dishes splayed across gleaming orange tables. Swinger’s announced it would close permanently in April 2020 due to impacts of the pandemic, but reopened in November 2020 under new owner Stephanie Wilson, the former general manager who has been with the restaurant since 2010 in different roles.
Wilson tells Eater she long believed Swingers would do well in the Silver Lake area and had been looking for the right home; when the former All Day Baby space became available, it just felt right, she says. She adds that many of her longtime regulars have also moved farther east and have asked if the restaurant would ever open there. “People would always comment things like, ‘Oh, I wish you guys were on the Eastside,’ or, ‘Oh, I don’t come so often because I moved to Silver Lake or I moved to Echo Park,’” Wilson says. “I’m like, ‘What’s going on over there? I need to get over there and see this part of town.’”
The Swingers menu in Silver Lake will mirror that of its original location, with California omelets folded around avocado, Jack cheese, bacon, and tomatoes; buttermilk pancakes crowned with butter; the Swingers burger blanketed in sauteed onions; and a hot turkey sandwich. “There’s really something for everybody,” Wilson says. “We have really great vegan and vegetarian options, too, but if you’re just looking for eggs, bacon, and pancakes, I really don’t think any place does it any better than we do.” Her current favorite plate is the chilaquiles but she’s had love affairs with the chicken sandwich and jerk chicken entree. Alongside the daily menu, Swingers will offer location-specific specials that are still in development. Wilson also hopes to put a dish on the menu to honor the late All Day Baby chef, Jonathan Whitener. “I’m really honored to take over the space that All Day Baby had,” she says. “They had such a huge following, and the chef was so special to so many people. I want to honor him and do something as a sweet nod to him.”
The nostalgic retro-inflected interior of Silver Lake Swingers will replicate its original location with plaid booths, mosaic tiles, and wood-paneled walls. “The spot is so iconic and everything about it is so recognizable that I really wanted to remake that same place, but also add a couple of things that make Silver Lake a little different,” Wilson says. Swingers will initially run limited evening take-out hours from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.; when the dining room opens, it will operate from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.
As Swingers nears its debut, Wilson looks forward to the exciting energy of opening something new, the foot traffic Silver Lake will bring, and sharing the restaurant with the local community. “Small restaurants like ours are so important to the culture and the community of L.A.,” she says.
Swingers opens for takeout on Tuesday, October 20, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Beginning Wednesday, October 21, the takeout hours will expand to 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.
