A review on Yelp said this place was “better than it deserved to be”, and although I am not exactly sure what that means (I think it is a compliment), this place is a big surprise for where it is located. The Salton Sea isn’t exactly a dining (or anything ) destination these days, but I was idling away around the California desert, drove down this highway, and found myself here at lunch time.
It has a surprisingly diverse menu, covering most of the pop ethnic cooking categories. A couple of days hence, I was anticipating being in L.A. and hitting Felippe’s or Coles for a dip, and couldn’t wait, so I ordered the French dip here, fully prepared for it to be mediocre.
And I was surprised. It was excellent, and a good value. I hesitatingly upgraded the side to rings for a dollar more, and they were excellent as well, with a crispy tempura batter, nice size, nice crunch. The sandwich bread is some of the best I have had, second only perhaps to the best in the country, Leidenheimer’s in New Orleans. No kidding, it was that good, crispy and moist french.
The au jus for the sandwich had none of the negative qualities one can often find accompanying these sandwiches. This tasted akin to home-made.
I doubt I will ever be in the area again, but I would go back. They serve all three meals, have a nice bar, and hoity-toity coffee drinks as well. They were surprisingly busy, so wait service was a little slow, but not enough to result in a negative remark from me.
This Google map is slightly off, the restaurant fronts the highway.
