Wheel Inn Restaurant

for the love of god please do not nuke the dinosaurs yet! i'm on my way from boston to l.a. asap....seriously

i'll even hitch a ride with large marge if i'm lucky.

Stopped on my way to my moms in Menifee for some good nostalgic greasy food and was so sad to see even the building doesn't exist anymore. Only a sign.  What a bummer!  I always loved to see the Dino's whenever we went to see family in Imperial Valley  when I was a kid.  And their banana cream pie was the best I've ever eaten!  Pee wee is one of my favorite movies too.  What a loss.  Couldn't someone keep this gem going?  There must have been plenty of customers, it was jam packed today at the Dino's.  I wonder what happened?  I roadside kitcsh.  So sad, this was one of the last of these kind of treasures

So sad to hear this place closed down.

Years ago I used to drive to see the dinos before the new management and once with my ex when they added a museum and all that other stuff.

Everytime i would go there i had to stop in and have a bite to eat with whoever i was with. I have a lot of good memories attached to that place and I never had a bad experience and the food was always good.
Even though I heard later the food went down hill over the years.

The staff was always nice and well im just really going to miss this place :-(

I loved this place. Had my first monte Cristo here. I watched as it was closed, for sale, then torn down to nothing... all that's left is the sign now. Such a loss to the little town of cabazon. Too bad they don't build another Dino themed restaurant. The Dino's are world famous..

The Wheel Inn has been featured prominently in Peewee's Big Adventure, and Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" music video.

What drew Me to this quaint establishment is the classic "EAT" sign off the side of the road of Route 666, accompanying the giant dinosaurs created by Knott's Berry Farm artist & sculptor Claude Bell as his first project {who also ran The Wheel Inn}, of course - a brontosaurus named 'Dinny' and a Tyrannosaurus Rex named "Mr. Rex", now attached to a maze of dinosaurs somewhat likened a 'monster island', which was an amusing excursion.

The atmosphere is most definitely a diner experience with an Old West theme. My visits there were most gratifying, with quick attentive service and delicious repast. Featuring pinball machines, velvet paintings, home cooking, operational payphones, a gift shop, even a prospector and his trusty companion stationed outside bidding patrons a welcome and a come back soon...

Pretty solid meal. Everything was smothered in gravy. It's a little more than I'd expect to spend on diner food, but hey, when you're on the 10 and you're starving, it gets the job done.

Our table was beneath a mounted buffalo head, and on the way to the bathroom you go through a room with dozens of cattle horns hanging on the walls.

My only real complaint was the size of the bathroom stall. My knees were up against the door.

Odd or interesting fact, I suppose: The dinosaurs have been purchased by an intelligent design group. The giftshop inside of the apatosaurus (brontosaurus, if you like) is filled with anti-evolution propaganda.

This place is as prehistoric as yelp.com/biz/dinosaur-de… the Dinosaur exhibit that is located just behind the restaurant, after seeing this sign yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi… I just had to check this place out.

This place has been here since 1960 and by the interior it really shows yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi…  yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi…
with all the funky decor that has obviously not changed since the opening. I came here to try out the chicken pot pie but my wife changed those plans as she really wanted to eat somewhere else and does not like chicken pot pie and we were going to share a meal.

Then I saw this yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi… Hmmm Buffalo Burger never had one I'm down to try it so that's what we ordered, maybe they are even fresh? yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi… and after what seemed like forever the food arrived.

Buffalo Burger & Fries - yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi… the fries were OK they reminded me of In-N-Out fries but cut larger, but the Buffalo Burger yelp.com/biz_photos/cjWi… was tough and hard I think this might have been one of those dinosaur's from out back, now I've never had a Buffalo burger before but I don't think they are suppose to be this tough, and by the looks of the patty I think these are frozen patties and not fresh.

This place get's some good reviews and I'd come back to try the Chicken pot pie or??, but.....The Buffalo Burger I would not recommend!.

I came in here expecting it to be some greasy spoon type of place...boy was I wrong!

I eat like a child...very basic...so my options are usually limited. I'm usually grilled cheese, mac and cheese, pizza etc. I decided to try some sort of southwestern veggie burger they had on their menu. YUM! The toppings it came with were salsa and a bunch of other things associated with "southwestern" haha. I ate more than I expected and then kicked myself in the ass for ever doubting the Wheel Inn Resturant. If it's good enough for Pee Wee, it's good enough for me...right?

The waitress was very kind, social, and full of life!

As a fan of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, I never got my chance to make it all the way to this diner, Wheel Inn, in Cabazon, California.  When I heard this exact diner closed, I felt devastated on behalf of Hollywood historic and Hollywood nostalgic sake.  Saw some video on YouTube of it demolished, but yet that "EAT" sign was still up.  By chance is it going to be rebuilt and modernized, like some other 24/7 diners elsewhere, coast to coast?  If "yes," I'll make my way out to Cabazon for some good traditional American food, and to see them two dinosaurs that were shown in the movie, too.

and Sunday FUNday continues...

DTLA--- Cabazon--- Morongo---Palm Springs----then...
back to the secluded gas station near Morongos Casino for din din.
Thank you, big huge "EAT" sign that drew our attention and made us come back after driving 15 miles into Palm Springs, in hopes of finding something good to eat over there.

...and that is how my EPIC(eating partner in crime! ;)  and I roll. True foodies, for sheeez! ('',)

Back to the restaurant....

3.5 to be exact,  for the whole "experience" of this restaurant. Located in the middle of nowhere land, this restaurant is paired with a mini market/gift shop inside and rest stop/gas station outside.  "ODDLY interesting" is the best way to describe this joint.

FOOD: surprisingly decent/good
- Chicken pot pie: warm homemade cpp topped w/ gravy. Besides the Marie Calendar's microwavables from Costco, I've never really had or ordered this at a restaurant. Perfect occasion and setting to try it.

- Monte Cristo: .ham and turkey sandwich dipped in egg batter---kinda like a french toast sandwich. sortta. I wish it was battered and deep fried---thanks for imprinting that in my thoughts EPIC!

- French fries: really good! They make it fresh themselves---kinda reminds of the fries at Steak Escape. yum.

- Peach cobbler: no comment---just check out the picture...once i post it.

SERVICE: 2 thumbs up!