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Dennis Begin photos
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Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner - CA
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Dennis Begin photos
Story & photos by Dennis Begin
Everyone likes to eat. Halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is a 1950’s diner at Yermo, approximately 13 km (8 mi) east of Barstow, California. Yermo is Spanish for ‘wilderness’, and is located in the wilderness of the Mojave Desert and near the Calico Mountains. Barstow is one of those small cities many tourists pass through on the way to someplace else. The city has always been a major centre for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, the Marine Corps Logistics Base, as well as the junction for Highways 15, 40, 58 and Route 66. Barstow is even mentioned in the classic song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66”, with the famous highway passing through the center of town on E. Main Street. Diners along this famous highway were at one time very common, but today few remain. Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner is a welcome exception.
With an intriguing address of ‘Ghost Town Road’ [Exit 191], any truck stop should be an immediate success. In 1954, the Dutch Maid Restaurant opened for business, with the small diner a part of the owners’ home. Gradually the Dutch Maid was enlarged to nine stools and three booths, serving up to twenty-seven patrons. The truck stop however, did not survive. In 1987, the diner was reopened as Peggy Sue’s Diner by its new owners, Peggy Sue and Champ Gabler. Over time the diner gradually expanded, and can now serve three hundred people from two kitchens. This retro diner also includes a Five & Dime Store, Soda Fountain, Ice Cream and Pizza Parlor. It is not easy to leave the gift shop without buying a souvenir of the diner or one of the movie stars of the 50’s.
Both Peggy Sue and Champ Gabler came from the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, meeting on stage at Knott’s Berry Farm. As actors, they continually collected movie and television memorabilia, which is now used to decorate ‘the walls of fame’ throughout the diner. When you walk through the movie theatre-like main entrance, Betty Boop is there to greet you. Take a right turn and follow the Yellow Brick Road to five different dining rooms. The diner is pure ‘Americana’ and provides a nostalgic walk down memory lane. Take some time to browse through the diner and look at the myriad photos including Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, James Dean, Lucille Ball and many others.
Many of the pictures and memorabilia also came from garage sales or individuals making a donation. The 50’s music and jukebox with their 45 records are a ‘blast from the past’ and set the mood. A more modern addition includes a life size replica of the famous Blues Brothers singing ‘Soul Man’. If time permits, ask for Danielle and she will graciously give you a guided tour of the restaurant.
The food is not fast food, but good homemade food and typical of a 50’s diner, meaning plenty of comfort food at reasonable prices. A full menu best explains the food selection, which includes the Buddy Holly Bacon Cheeseburger, Patti Page Patty Melt, Mickey Mouse Club Sandwich and the King Kong Monster Burger. Other food items range from chicken fried steak to the all-day breakfast. Do not leave without trying their smooth ice cream and Elvis Presley Shakes.
Diner-saurs Park is behind the restaurant and features ponds, waterfalls, bridges, ducks, turtles and huge metal dinosaurs. The intent of Peggy Sue was to create a tourist stop for families, where kids could eat and then let off some steam. The large dinosaurs are the armor plated Stegosaurus, the long neck Apatosaurus, T-Rex and even a 6m (18 ft) King Kong gorilla. What kid doesn’t like dinosaurs!
What really impressed me about the diner was the ambience. This was a fun place to experience more than just eating. The waitresses, dressed in 1950’s uniforms of green and pink, seem to really enjoy working and interacting with the customers. One of the many humorous signs decorating the wall said it best, “If our food does not meet your expectations, then lower your expectations”. That certainly was not necessary.
Peggy Sue and her husband have created a specialty diner while raising four children. Their diner reflects the American culture, which existed along many highways in the 50’s. The words of that famous song about Route 66 are very appropriate……”If you ever plan to motor west, travel my way….get your kicks”…… at Peggy Sue’s Diner.
For the record, Peggy Sue Gabler is not the girl in Buddy Holly’s song “Peggy Sue”, nor is this diner connected to the restaurants in San Jose and Maui. Bon Appetit!