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Peggy Sue's Nifty 50's Diner is a large diner, located beside busy Interstate 15 in the small town of Yerno, about half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The restaurant offers diner "comfort food," friendly service, and lots of 1950's nostalgia. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's the 07:00 in the morning opening time on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, and I've arrived at Peggy Sue's 50's Diner to enjoy great "comfort food" with both appetiser and dessert included as 1950's nostalgia. Note the sign on the freeway, above the diner, that beckons to travelers along busy Interstate 15, as Peggy Sue's has achieved quite a reputation among travelers, truckers, locals and those who love great diner cuisine, along with a hefty dosing of 1950's nostalgia. Peggy Sue's 50's Diner actually started out back in 1954 - years before Interstate 15 arrived - as a small, 9-counter seat and 3-booth diner and over the years has expanded to the large operation it is today, complete with a small park/playground in back of the restaurant. Peggy Sue's is truly a San Bernardino County landmark and is both a waystop, and a destination for travelers, who travel from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Photo: Peggy Sue's 50's Diner offers outstanding "Americana" diner cuisine, but they also offer free parking, where you can park your big rig or your motorhome overnight at no charge. The management of this fine restaurant is truly friendly to Interstate travelers! The semi-trailer that advertises Peggy Sue's is visible from the freeway, as both the restaurant and parking lot are located next to the freeway. You exit off the freeway at the Calico exit, like you're heading to the old ghost town, and you'll find Peggy Sue's on Yermo Road, which is the old highway. The Calico mountains are in the distance.
Photo: In back of the restaurant, there is the "DinerSaur" park, that is a great place to relax after you've enjoyed a fine meal. On this early Wednesday morning, the only user of the park was a white duck, who seemed to enjoying the water, as the park is truly a watering hole in the Mojave Desert for ducks, and other wildlife.
Photo: The "DinerSaur" park features a fish pond, tables, paths, playground equipment for the younger set, and several faux dinosaurs. Note the large sign near the freeway that lures travelers in to this tourist trap destination, but unlike most tourist traps, the food is great, the staff is friendly, and the prices are reasonable.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you're greeted with a friendly mascot who invites you to seat yourself at any open table. I noted this guy proves to be popular for portraits and "selfies."
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, look to your left and you'll notice the well-stocked gift shop. At my just-as-the-restaurant-opened visit today, the gift shop wasn't open, as it doesn't open until mid morning.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you will be treated to the original section, before additions, that is nearly the same since opening, back in 1954. There are nine seats at the counter and three booths, along with a classic pie case and a window to the kitchen. Alright, it's May, 2023, and where are the computers? Computer... what's that? At Peggy Sue's 50's Diner, the staff still take orders on an order pad and pass it to the kitchen that way, circa 1963...
Photo: Today my plan was to "open up" the restaurant and to avoid the crowd, as Peggy Sue's has achieved quite a reputation and is normally very busy. On this Wednesday morning, there were two hostesses working the restaurant. The last seat at the counter seems to be sort of an "office" where the hostesses do their accounting on the order pads, without the aid of a calculator or a computer. Hello 1950's!
Photo: Page one of the menu lists the breakfast choices, named after the classic 1950's pop song, "Mockingbird Hill." I went from the top of the menu with bacon and eggs, which is a great diner classic breakfast.
Photo: After passing through the original diner, and the adjoining dining room, you reach the large "Pizza Parlor," which is a fairly recent addition. This dining room was closed, as it only opens in the afternoon for the lunch and dinner menu. Like the rest of the restaurant, this dining room is decorated with 1950's photos, posters and memorabilia.
Photo: The second dining room is located past the counter, and features a more subdued, intimate atmosphere, and is lit from strings of overhead lights.
Photo: Marilyn Lane is featured on a whole wall of this dining room. Like every room in this restaurant, it is decorated with 1950's photos, posters and memorabilia, with 50's/60's pop music playing in the background to add to the ambiance.
Photo: One wall in the main dining room features photos of 1950's musicians along with newspaper clippings. If you're into 1950's nostalgia and great food, Peggy Sue's 50's Diner is your restaurant!
Photo: Like most vintage diners, Peggy Sue's features a window to the kitchen, where completed orders are placed, ready to bring to hungry diners. I love the signs and posters, such as the photo that reads, "On this date in 1897, nothing happened."
Photo: Meet Connie, my friendly hostess, who brought my order to me with a smile, behind her mask.
Photo: Thanks, Connie, for taking my photo as I smile and get ready enjoy my delicious breakfast. I'm in the cheerfully lit main dining room, behind the original diner, with Elvis and his guitar in the background. Cheers!
Photo: From the"Mockingbird Hill Breakfast" section of the menu, I went with bacon and two eggs and sourdough toast. For some strange reason, I simply wasn't in the mood for biscuit and gravy, which I usually prefer over toast. Guess it must have been a "Wednesday thing..." The menu describes "Mockingbird Hill Breakfast" as, "Egg breakfasts include your choice of hashbrowns, sliced tomatoes or cottage cheese AND toast, English muffin or homemade biscuit and gravy." Meat choices are bacon or sausage and I went with bacon. Of course your eggs are cooked to order, and I went with sunnyside up, which works wonders when you order hash brown potatoes. The hash brown potatoes arrived with a perfect golden, crispy texture on the outside, but soft and tender on the inside, just the way a perfect side of hash brown potatoes should be. My two eggs were perfectly cooked sunnyside up, as ordered, and worked well with the hash brown potatoes, and the two slices of toast. Peggy Sue serves a great breakfast! I truly enjoyed my 1950's-style diner breakfast! The bacon, eggs, hashbrowns along with the toast were perfectly cooked to ordered, my hostess was great, and the atmosphere was simply kitschy faux 1950's. Such a great breakfast with a HUGE helping of vintage nostalgia thrown in. I was simply amazed my bacon arrived exactly how I like it - without saying anything to my hostess - as it arrived cooked medium, juicy and not crispy or burned, as how most people seem to prefer their bacon cooked. The bacon was simply perfect! Yes, Peggy Sue's 50's Diner is a tourist trap and a true roadside attraction, but the food is great, the prices are reasonable, the service is friendly, and the "Dinersaur Park" is a lot of fun. It's a solid restaurant for great eating, and a great place to enjoy a great meal, along with a hearty dose of 1950's nostalgia. Stop by, say hello, stretch your legs, and enjoy some great 1950's style diner cuisine at Peggy Sue's 50's Diner, located in Yermo, CA. Peggy Sue's 50's Diner Copyright(c) 2023 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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