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Bagdad Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Cafes Restaurants American (Traditional) Cafes, American (Traditional)
46548 National Trails HwyNewberry Springs, CA 92365
(760) 257-3101
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
18 reviews for Bagdad Cafe
18 reviews in English
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Review from Chuck H.
Los Angeles, CA
5/23/2012
Fantastic!! Don't judge the often chemically-altered staff by their teeth or clothes. They tend to be decent friendly folk typical of rural U.S.A. Which is a good thing, unpolished, keeping it local. This ain't Disneyland, yet it is in a way....sometimes a caricature is the real deal. I read some reviews,and they mock the staff for being what they are, true characters, no corporate line to follow, no clue really about customer service, but they cook great and care about you and the cock-eyed experience is what you want here....just don't judge what it should be, once was, or will be. I've eaten at backwoods dives from Tennessee to here in CA and this is typical, down home cooking with true heart, friendly service not from a script but from human decency coming through folks who may have been through the mill, but hey, who hasn't in some way or another.
I saw people, even from France! turn around and walk out after the greeting by the staff, but stay, be yourself and talk to them, and you will be rewarded by great honest food, value, and if you are lucky, a few good stories. -
Review from Shane S.
Los Angeles, CA
2/17/2012
Wanted to take a trip down nostalgia road as I shot a movie here about 15 years ago. it was then a cool little place stuck in a time warp. something how one would imagine a route 66 diner was going to look like. Well.... its not that same place. We walked in from the cold and 2 guys who looked a bit disheveled came out asking "where you from" and " you want a drink" "you want something to eat" . all at a level much too high and high was a key theme here! Not surprising one else was there as Im sure they were chased away . It was really a funny experience of Seinfeld characters at its finest. I think Jerry would have had material for a few seasons ! Well to avoid being asked any more of the same questions (really really fast!) we thought we would have chili fries. I never seen a guy move at mach speed in the kitchen to fry some potatoes and chop a few onions. Maybe he was "cleaning" . The cheese? well it was a few slices ....yes slices of packaged stuff with some canned chili and beans. Now I know one does not come here for the dining experience, but I figure fries and a burger should be safe. (luckily I opted not to get a burger! ) all in all it was a great diner in a condition..... well not so good anymore. To say the least it was dirty , messy and had the look of someone someone on meth would decorate the place. Random everything everywhere!! I love these old places, and I love to sit at the counter and think of what it was like in the heyday!! Im very sorry to say that this one is not that place anymore. BTW the film was "Speedway Junky" with Jesse Bradford (1st movie) Daryl Hannah and Jonathan Taylor Thomas (who? )
wish there was a minus star..... - 4 -
Review from Godzilla T.
Los Angeles, CA
2/14/2012
My Mom and I decided to go check this place out one day because she had heard about it being close to her. The movie it's self was somewhat happy...definitely not a blockbuster...and the woman who played the owner was a horrible actress. ANYWAYS...We went in and it was completely empty aside from a woman in the corner (Who looked like she had been rode hard and put away wet) with a small child in her lap.
The walls were covered with t-shirts and notes and money from foreign places which was very surprising because of the lack of people in the place at the moment. I had a very overwhelming feeling that the place had not been properly cleaned for a long time.
A man who seemed to have his jaw wired shut or some sort of issue enunciating his words sat us and asked us if we would like anything to drink. I ordered coffee because I was afraid to drink the water.
The man gave us our coffee and stood at the table waiting for us to figure out what we wanted to eat which was sort of creepy. I really didn't want to eat anything substantial because of the filth so we ordered fries...and if they weren't some of the best fries I have ever had! I was surprised.
I was taking pictures with my phone and a man seeming to be some sort of meth junkie told me to go behind the counter and he would take a picture. I wanted nothing to do with this guy. He was obviously on drugs and trying to be too friendly. His teeth and movements and the way he spoke gave it away. He started to tell us about his job as a repo man...oh great, I so wanted to know about your repo work and how badass you are.
This place has a lot of potential and if they would just not hire tweakers and actually clean the place I think they would have more customers in the off season. -
Review from Sylvia G.
NEWBERRY SPGS, CA
5/12/2012
If you are going for the movie, it's o.k, the place is filthy, no service, and the suveniers
are full of dust. The people don't know what is a customer service. I was there for a lunch with my friend, we sitting for 10 min. and no one came to ask if we need something to eat. It's a shame.
For a tourist atraction--0 star--for customer service another o, and cleanning -100, I will not eat over there, even if was be FREE -
Review from B. D.
Greenwood, IN
5/5/2012
Located in the middle of the California desert on old Route 66, the Bagdad Cafe is an establishment with character -- and European tourists, thanks to its cinematic heritage. I stopped by during a Route 66 trip and soon found myself having a pleasant chat with a French family of three.
I settled for a beverage, since I'd just finished a meal in Ludlow 15 minutes earlier. But upon leaving, I somehow managed to forget my road atlas, which gave me an excuse to come back the next day on a hurried trip to the Las Vegas airport.
To my surprise, one of the staff had taken the time to scribble out a map directing me along the quickest backroads path to the interstate. I was grateful for the gesture, and was equally delighted with the buffalo burger I ordered to go.
The Bagdad Cafe isn't the easiest place to get to, but I found it well worth the drive. -
Review from Terry T.
1/18/2012 2 photos
The café that was featured in the 1987 movie is long gone, but the memory lingers on in this café. The nearby motel is boarded up and so is the gas station. This roadside stop captures the vast and desolate area that the movie portrayed so well. It's a must stop along route 66.
I am not sure about the food, but it is 5 stars for the whole complex.Listed in: Route 66
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Review from O K.
San Jose, CA
10/26/2011
Wow...what the hell do you people expect? It's grease stop on a road that's barely travelled anymore except by tourists. I loved it and so did my girlfriend.
We had watched Bagdad Cafe a week before and decided to trek out there from Santa Clara County. The drive was a bit much but when we got there after staying the night at some dive, it was worth it. The place was PACKED with European tourists but it brought back all the memories from seeing the movie and I could imagine that in it's day, it was probably something nice.
The place overall is in pretty bad shape and it's understandable since not everyone has seen the movie. The "motel" is pretty much abandoned and seems to have been occupied by squatters. The food isn't a 5 star meal but they have great burgers and fries and I got to enjoy them right under some pictures of Jack Palance and the crew from the filming of Bagdad Cafe. After being at Calico Ghost town for most of the morning, this was a nice way to end the day.
Loved it!
Good luck to the folks at the Bagdad.... -
Review from Gerry A.
Barrington, IL
9/19/2011
FINALLY made it to the Bagdad Cafe and really enjoyed our visit on a Saturday afternoon on our way from Vegas to LA. It was probably around 4pm and there was basically NO ONE there except a barkeep trying to fix the jukebox and a couple people in the kitchen that looked like they hadn't eaten in a week. WHY would anyone eat here anyway? Do you remember ANYONE EATING in the movie, or was it just coffee and beer? We went with the latter ICE COLD beers (on the counter IN ice water) for $4 and wandered around inside and outside for about an hour. There are notes and cards from all over the world posted, and the owner has some memorabilia from the movie on one side. She was not there when we visited and would have added a lot I am sure. I don't believe she was the owner when the movie was filmed. Very familiar looking gold vinyl booths.
We also walked to the open wreck that was the motel, that is definitely late night critter and vagrant housing now. The water tower is in two pieces still recognizable and there are a couple airstreams on the property. Jack Palance's ghost is definitely present, and that is about all. There isn't much around there other than dirt, JUST like the movie.
The barkeep was very friendly as were the kitchen help and eager to take our picture in front of the bar with a yellow coffee dispenser behind us and holding a Route66 sign. They really seem to enjoy the attention and were not trying to work tips. The ice cold beers added a LOT to the ambiance. They said they are getting 2-300 people a day from France coming through to visit this time of year on bus tours. We signed the guest book, and there wasn't very much English in there, seriously. The movie was always MUCH more popular out of the US.
Here's a short Utube clip nostalgia shot. http://www.youtube.com...
It was FUN. Do IT. I.....am calling....YOU............ -
Review from Kaylee T.
Yermo, CA
2/4/2012
Went Here On A Visit to Newberry Springs to see my little brother decided to try it and wish i didn't the chicken fried steak was at first apparently all chicken but they were out of chicken so the just steak and cracked a egg and put a thin coat of it on the out side and then served it the fries were good but it aint that hard to make french fries the cokes were tiny and a bit watery the waiter though was decent and it was fun to look around the place and see the guest book the place was also empty and when i say empty i mean completely empty then as we were almost finished eating in walks a tweaker that looked in my eyes homeless and he went to the back of the cafe where the cook was...yea not going back
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Review from Colleen F.
San Diego, CA
4/3/2012
the food was quite good (we stopped in for breakfast) and the show was even better. a local was happy to share his story with us, we played the jukebox and drank coffee.... then, out of nowhere, a tour bus showed up with a delightful bunch of french people who were fans of the movie and delighted us with their own delight for the place.
Don't expect much in the way of ambiance, but the characters - both local and foreign - were charming and we came home to enjoy the movie again.
Breakfast and a show. Fantastic! -
Review from Sean P.
Brooklyn, NY
6/30/2011
Harold Kelly must be turning in his grave. Long gone are the days of glorious pig roasts, of four piece bands playing in the desert, of the sense of community that this cafe brought to Newberry Springs, California.
I stopped off at the Bagdad Cafe when I was driving Route 66. My girlfriend and I were weary of the miles we had put in that morning and needed a change in scenery. Who knows, we thought, we may just meet General Bob.
When we pulled off the road, kicking up the dirt that surrounds the property, there was no one in sight. A truck was propped on a sawhorse. A dog appeared from the back. It was so quiet you could hear the whirl of the freeway miles away, the creaking of the sign. There was something most certainly amiss here.
When my eyes adjusted, I saw several men, maybe fifteen in all, huddled around a few tables and booths playing cards and drinking coffee, like sad vestiges waiting to be scored by Ennio Morricone. In another room to the right there was a children's crib, surrounded with boxes and bins with their contents spilling everywhere.
I said we'd like to look around if that was alright. As soon as I said it, I knew I had misspoke. It was obvious that it had been a long time since there was anything to look at here. The walls were covered in t-shirts, in sports team's jerseys, all signed by international tourists. Their quantity was baffling. You couldn't find the wall. I could imagine a manic proprietor pinning them all up for hours.
An employee insisted we stand behind the counter so he could take our photo. I'm glad to have it now. When we got in the car and pulled onto the road, the dog watched us go and I could see that everything returned as it was in the review mirror. Like we'd never even been there. -
Review from Meg T.
Waukegan, IL
9/21/2011
We had the same experience Gerry had! Really nice guys inside with NO customers, glad to let us wander around and willingly answered our questions and asked us if we wanted a picture in front of the bar (we did).
Actually a local looking dad and a couple kids came in and ordered some food when we were heading out.
It would be interesting to get a guesstimate on how many people have visited there JUST for the movie history. Must be in the tens of thousands who have been called back, like Miss Jasmine.
We had already decided we weren't going to eat or drink anything unless it came in a plastic bag or had a screw top so we had the same Ice Cold Beers that Gerry had - from a bucket with Ice! Amazing interesting totally eclectic notes and shirts all over the walls from all over the world.
We ALSO stopped at Big Al's Pistachio Farm about 5 miles away. They were closed but we had never seen pistachio trees so checked them out and sampled a few, pretty good when not roasted and oversalted.
GET your kicks on Route 66. A Tribute to the Bagdad Cafe.
http://www.youtube.com... -
Review from Heather L.
Pacifica, CA
6/1/2011
I was one of the few Americans who actually watched the movie that was filmed here (of the same name). So, when I realized that we'd be driving right by, we had to make the pit stop to check it out. We had already had breakfast, so we didn't eat here....seems like a classic greasy spoon. However, I did stop and buy a T-Shirt....although I was hoping for a magnet or a sticker. NOPE...only options were a postcard or a T-Shirt. So....I picked up the latter as a souvenir. Got my picture and carried on with our journey. If I'm ever in the area, I'll give this place a try. The staff seemed friendly enough.
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Review from Jim E.
San Clemente, CA
4/28/2010 1 photo
April 24 2010
Finally stopped by the famous Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs. Had the tuna melt, jack palance burger, grilled cheese.
The food was adequate, however we did not stop here for the food. Rather to live the experience of the rustic 66 and it's home grown Americana feel. Andrea Pruett has been the owner for 15 years.
She says the business is almost 75% European ! Come enjoy the high desert and the charms of the Bagdad Cafe! -
Review from Randy M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/12/2006
This is the same place that was used in the move of the same name. But stopping here was not becuase of the movie. It had to do more with being extremely cold on a winter ride in the high desert. The food was mediocre. The coffee, watery and oily. The price was ok though.
This establishment from the looks of things thrives primarily on the movie noteriety, which is the only reason someone may want to stop there. Other than that, drive on by.Listed in: Places to avoid at all costs
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Review from angela a.
Evanston, IL
10/29/2011
Do not go here for the food. If you want a Fellini-esque trip into a world straight out of the film which features this roadside attraction, then get off the interstate and punch it into the Garmin and bumble on in and set a spell. Here there is beer and there is coffee, and its cowboy not Starbucks in this diner--much of what else is on the menu is not really available, and if it is, it is mediocre at best. You come here to step into another universe, dust blowing by on Route 66, stuck in the middle of the Mojave. Worth the trip.
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Review from Robert M.
Barstow, CA
7/25/2008
This was once called the sidewinder cafe, but the name was changed after the movie, "Bagdad Cafe" was filmed there in the 80's.
Out taking photos of Route 66 it seemed natural to stop in and have a bite at this "landmark" cafe.
I should have just taken photos and moved on.
I would give the cafe a one star, but it is historic after all, so I'll settle for a two star rating..
The waitress, the only one there - was very nice, but was very concerned about fixing the fax machine.
( I'm not sure who they would fax out here in the middle of the desert)
She had me sign the guest book, they have filled 19 and they are all on display.
She said most of the customers are from Europe because of the cult following of the movie.
They only other people there were frim Denmark, and they seemed thrilled.
I was not.
The sign said try something different - and suggested a "philly steak sandwich or a buffalo burger."
All the burgers on the menu were named after the stars of the movie, or the current owner ..... cute !
Since Philly Steak did not seem to out of the ordinary, even in the middle of the desert - I tried the buffalo burger.
Thank goodness there were only two groups in the cafe, because it took forever to get the burger cooked and delivered.
I would hate to see how long it would take if the place was somewhat crowded.
Then again - two groups in the desert is a crowd.
It did give me a chance to look at all the nostalgic stuff plastered on the walls..... pretty nice.
Food ..... pretty bad.
even the coke was watery ,,, whew .... watery coke ... .
how can you mess that up ????
A place from hollywood history ..........
Enjoy the view, enjoy the cult status - don't go for the food. -
Review from Ben F.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2010 1 photo
I didn't expect too much, but I was still disappointed. I hit three coffee shops on California's stretch of Route 66 that morning and this was shockingly scary to visit. It was about 11AM and they seemed disinterested in cooking me breakfast so they recommended the pie. I agreed that pie would be great. The guy working there then used his filthy fingers with black under all his fingernails (I pray it was grease, I fear worse...) and then licked his fingers, and then finally handed me the plate. The coffee was Farmer Bros. brand which is fine for the location, but still bad coffee for California. It does make the scenes in the movie where the real coffee from the German tourists shock everyone come to life! Anyhow, back to my experience. I didn't want to get hurt, so I ate my pie, drank the coffee paid in cash so they didn't know my name and got the heck outta there. The two dudes working there looked like they treated themselves pretty rough if you know what I mean.
Because of my passion for Route 66, the movie "Bagdad Cafe," and history, I will re-visit them within a year. If things improve, I will change my review. I sure hope they clean up their act a bit, they are sitting on what could be a treasure.
A week after I got home I got a blood test for Hepatitis and was clean, but I was concerned because of the finger-licking and dirty flatware.
