If you're making the drive between Santa Fe and Roswell, this is realistically the only stop--and…read morehonestly, it's a pretty solid one. Penny's has that classic roadside diner charm, complete with the shiny silver exterior and that satisfying old-school diner door. It leans into nostalgia in the best way, like you accidentally pulled into a time capsule somewhere along a desert highway. Inside was clean and well-kept, and the staff were attentive and friendly without being over the top--exactly what you want when you're road-weary and hungry. Food-wise, the burger hit the spot and the tots were crispy (always a win). Simple, classic diner food done right. A couple of knocks: the bathroom was just okay, nothing terrible but not great either. And the soda... not good. It had a strange flavor, almost like the lines hadn't been changed in a while--definitely stick with water or something bottled. Overall, it's not a destination restaurant, but for where it's at, it absolutely delivers. A reliable, nostalgic pit stop that does the job well. Worth the stop? Yes. Just skip the soda.

Finding Penny's is like striking gold (note: this review applies to their Yampa, Colorado, location…read moretoo). Either stretch of road is remote and food options are few and far between. When you see the lights are on, it's a relief. From what I understand, they're able to stay open 24 hours because of a contract with Big Rail, which keeps train crews fed and honestly, the rest of us travelers benefit too. I love that the choo-choos take care of their people while providing a service to anyone passing through. It's a cozy, welcoming stop when you need it most. The kind of place that makes a long drive feel less lonely. In the instance I'm in those parts of New Mexico or Colorado, Penny's is my go-to. Five stars!

Open at 5:45 when I swung by off 40. Drive thru was clean. Signs are hella bright! Food was a…read morelittle under cooked, and I got one thing wrong. I didn't have them fix it- not a big deal. But overall good basic McDonald's. Spent 5 mins here no line quick service.

Dirtiest bathrooms I have seen at a McDonalds recently!!! Disgusting. Trash all over and the…read moretoilet was even crooked coming out of the wall

When we first walked in, we were greeted immediately by one of the family members. Cute little gift…read moreshop items adorn the walls and around the cash wrap we were sitting in the corner of the restaurant and had a nice view out of the window. We were immediately asked for our drink order now they do serve beer here and it's my understanding the margaritas are made with wine. We just had water as we had had a long day traveling and just needed to rehydrate. I included some pictures of the food that we ordered, but I wanted to note that the chips and salsa was very good. The chips were made of corn and salted lightly and served warm. The salsa was handmade and on the spicy side I had a bowl of Caldo de Res ( beef soup with vegetables. Definitely comfort food and I highly recommend) and a homemade pork green chili tamale on the side. The tamale was flavored outstanding, but was a little lacking on the meat and slightly on the dry side, but I would definitely order it again because it was authentic and the flavor was great. The other person in my party had a quesadilla stuffed with chicken. I didn't have a photo of that, but it was the fattest quesadilla I've ever seen they raved about it. The restaurant was relatively full. I noticed in the parking lot that most of the license plates were from out of state so since this restaurant is in Santa Rosa, New Mexico located off the interstate of I 40 many of these patrons were traveling we're passing through. A lot of individual people eating alone as well at the bar. The service was fantastic. There was two young ladies working together in tandem definitely family members. Both had great big smiles on their faces. I did comment to both of them not to work too hard and both responded "oh we have been since the day they we were born" as they chuckled, commenting something along that line with warm smiles and a chuckle. This particular restaurant gets high marks for me as I compare it to the one down the end of the street also on this historic route 66 that I reviewed not just four or five weeks ago at three stars. I would highly recommend this place over the competitor. Not only for flavor of food but Service, atmosphere and pricing. I travel through here quite often and I will definitely make a point to come back and try several different menu items. I will be sure to ask the owners what they recommend and report back and review that for all that maybe are following in case you happen to come through here to this family owned an operated gem.

First time and the service was very friendly and on top of things. The atmosphere was pleasant and…read morethe food was very good. The salsa they serve with the cups is really good. They do not have a full bar so the only margarita I could get was a frozen one. It was very good and tasty actually for not usually drinking these. This is a nice place and we would go back. Definitely recommended.

Austin, the Asst. Manager is a star! He is polite, friendly, fast, efficient, thorough, and knows…read morehis products. I don't think food when thinking of Dairy Queen but my cheeseburger was better than most and the fries were screaming hot, crispy and yummy. There cannot be many tougher jobs than managing a Dairy Queen off a major interstate but Austin makes many things look easy. Thank you, Austin! You made our day!

We stopped by on our way to AZ from Maine at around 10:00 AM and it seemed like lunch time for us…read more They were happy to make two orders of chicken tenders with Buffalo sauce for us even though it wasn't really lunchtime. The tenders were cooked to perfection and so were the fries. We have had these in many different states across the US and honestly these were the best ever! Friendly service too. We will probably see you on our way back to Maine in the Spring.

So only fries, tenders reg, boneless wings and biscuits and fries. Soda fountain was down. This…read moresucks! Well at least the bathrooms were stocked and clean. I was looking forward to the cluck cluck, but no luck luck. Call before you stop man..... Sad day...no bone in chicken

It's currently 9:23PM... I stepped up to the kiosk to order and I'm abruptly stopped told that they…read morealready did their last drop and my only options are food that's been pre-cooked and sitting under the heat lamp even though they are supposed to be open for another hour and a half. There's a legit nothing else around here and they're telling me I can't order what I want because they don't have enough staff I see two people in there the jack in the box by my house which is 10 times busier than this functions on a daily basis off of two people is that right now but this is bullshit and now I understand why this place has such shitty reviews.

Overall, things went really well. I was in the area after a trip to Carrizozo and decided I would…read moretry this quaint café. I was served promptly and the food was delicious. They had a nice selection of New Mexican food along with American favorites. The only needs improvement I have is they did not offer an itemized receipt. As I was there on business, I needed this for my expense report. Overall, I was very impressed!

Great food, great service and a welcome stop for an out of state traveler on Hwy. 54. Seems like a…read morenice family run business. Unique setting/decor. I had a green chile cheeseburger and fries which was tasty and filling.

I ordered a 5 piece chicken strips along with a soda and chocolate shake. The only issue is I only…read morereceived 3 pieces of chicken. So, I would encourage anyone ordering here to ensure you are actually receiving what you ordered and paid for. The food was good, but when you pay for 5 and get 3, someone here needs to learn how to read and count.

The staff were very nice. They kept the place clean. The food was really good! It was my first time…read moreat a Carl's Jr and they surprised me. Loved the fries!

Such a great find in Santa Rosa. Mr. Bee's Coffee & Tea is warm, welcoming, and has a fun retro…read moreatmosphere that makes you want to hang out for a while. We ordered the Breakfast Bowl and it was incredible: fresh ingredients, great portion, and packed with New Mexico flavor. The Zia Latte was outstanding too, with cinnamon and anise that made it feel really special compared to a typical latte. You can tell they care about what they serve. Friendly service, great coffee, great food, and a space that feels like a true community spot. Definitely worth a stop. We will absolutely be back next time we pass through.

We came across this place by chance driving from California to Texas and the nearest Starbucks was…read morelike 40-70miles away (I can't remember now) and we needed a little "pick me up" for our road trip. This cute little coffee shop was not hard to find, it's located in a little town out of no where. As soon as I walked in, the first thing I see is the rainbow flag on the wall and I tell my son.. hey they represent your gang! :-) The next thing I notice is the rest of the cute decor. There was 2 other people in the coffee shop when we got there and shortly after others started to come in. They had a display case with a few baked goods and they have some unique flavors. I got the coffee with honey and it was quite good. It gave me a little boost in energy. I wanted a little more energy, but it did what it needed to do to get me to my next destination. The shop has several tables and thank goodness they had a restroom! Restroom was semi clean, but overall the place was clean. If I was ever in the area again, I would definitely stop here again and give this place another chance. Parking is not bad, there's not a lot of people so it was not an issue. There's other businesses nearby and I'm not sure what the day to day looks like, but it did not seem busy at all. The locals seem to like this place as it's rated pretty high. I did not get a chance to try the baked goods, but they did look delicious, if I ever come back then I would love to try that next time!

I stopped in to grab something quick because we were traveling. The girl came over and asked if she…read morecould help me and after I ordered, she told me they were closed. She said they opened at 3:00 PM...it was 2:57!! I remarked that all of the meats, cheese and veggies were already all out. She said she would like to tell me yes, but she was waiting on the other 2 employees. I was furious!! That TA has always been a disaster and apparently a little remodeling hasn't improved that place at all! That TA needs to just be closed down. 0 stars...they don't even deserve one!!

Service is terrible. Older lady serving customers is rude…read more She doesn't have customer service abilities. Very angry!!

Food was SUPER plain Jane. Double Burger combo was just two…read morepatties a bun and some pickles. Not worth $17.00 . Maybe subway is a better choice! When you are traveling I guess you take your chances on a good burger or what available.

Hamburger was microwaved. Service was almost as bad as the food. From the start at ordering to no…read moretoilet paper in any stall to goofy employees who don't know the difference between chocolate syrup and hot fudge this was the worst stop for us on our two thousand mile roadtrip. Avoid.