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    Hot Rod Diner

    3.8 (66 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican
    Open 6:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Order Hot Rod Diner Takeout or Delivery

    Hot Rod Diner Photos

    HOT ROD DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Over medium eggs!
    Melissa P.

    Came into town to visit family for the week and we came here on a Friday morning and it was a great dining experience. Customer service, waiting and food was all great. We were waited on by Jackie who was an exceptional, polite and kind waitress. She checked on us constantly and had everything in our order correct. We also wanted to give a two thumbs up to the cook because our food was fabulous and tasty! The environment was calm, moderately noisy which was great for the family setting. We truly loved it here and it was great value for the quality and amount of food that was served. Thank you so much for the hospitality and great dining experience, can't wait to come back and eat here again!

    Omelette w/ Churizo and American fries
    Buford H.

    Walked in and the waitress was great. Friendly greeting and said sit where we wanted. She came over after delivering food to someone else and got our drink orders and dropped off menus (pretty standard to this point). She was great, friendly and took care of us without smothering. Got a good recommendation from her (omelette w/ chorizo) Plate was full, she kept the coffee topped off. Good experience overall. The only 'knock' I'd throw would be to the ambiance. I know the look of the 'fifties' diner was the try but it fell a little flat and just looks tired. That being said, not going there to eat the ambience, just good breakfast fare.

    a table full of food
    Tiffeny H.

    Food is great but I don't think it's right that the waitress gets to tell you how much of a tip you can leave and we're talking like over a 25 dollar tip that's crazy to me, they get paid hourly and then to add 25 plus tip like she never even got us refills

    Gail W.

    We are venturing out to find new places to eat. Seriously, life is to short to eat at the same place every other day except when you have a " Never Ending Pasta Pass" from the Olive Garden but that's another story. We are gathered here to talk about the Delicious Food we had at the HOT ROD DINER. I ordered the Chantilly Lace French Toast and yes I will get this again. Dale ordered "HOBO Scramble" something with Chorizo and Potatoesand I ate a good portion of his dish. Service was On Point! I noticed they had a bar in the adjacent room I know, we're going to be coming back here to maybe have a hamburger and a beer two.

    the interior of a hot rod diner
    Dey C.

    Whenever I get to visit my boyfriend in California I ask him to take me to this restaurant, love the burgers and the service. The times I've been there we got treated nice, specially at the Hilmar diner. Staff was friendly and waitress made sure we were having a good time and good food and drinks. The place looks very retro and cool and looks clean. Love the names on the menu.

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    29 days ago

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Breakfast was amazing. Atmosphere was wonderful. And our service from Jacky was perfect. Thank you. We will be back for lunch.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Service was amazing, staff is amazing, and very friendly. Definitely a go to when I'm in the area.

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    2 years ago

    Very friendly servers and good atmosphere. La bamba omelette is a must try. Always handle my large orders in a timely manner.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great breakfast with my daughter. They were busy, but service was OK. Ambience is a hot Rod diner!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This place is always so good, great pleaser of my whole family, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Everything is always good

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I love the hometown feel of Hot Rod. It's truly an all American grill. The food is delicious!

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Nice local diner for standard diner fair. Solid breakfast, good omelette, though a little too much cheese and good pancakes too.

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    If you're in to frozen food, then this is the place for you lol at least the service was good

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Bad service, cold, bland food and waiter was not anywhere in sight. I usually leave good tips but this waiter was not worth a penny!!

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    5 years ago

    Very good food. Packed very well for pickup. We had family from out of town. They liked the food and tasted great.

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    The Grove Restaurant & Bar

    The Grove Restaurant & Bar

    4.3
    (47 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    I went for Memorial Day. The Mac and cheese and chili was unforgettable! A must have. The hamburger…read morewas good. The service was amazing as well and our server did a great job at attending our needs and everyone around!

    Talk about a hidden gem! The Grove is one of those places that if you know, you know! It's out in…read morethe middle of nowhere and can be found a good 3/4 mile from the initial entrance from the road. It's nestled behind acres and acres of beautiful trees, but well worth the drive! They have a lovely outdoor area perfect for watching the sunset and gazing into the lush greenery that surrounds the restaurant. We sat inside and the decor gave a homey, almost hole-in-the-wall vibe. There's nothing particularly fancy about the interior of the restaurant, but every member of the staff makes you feel like a guest at their table. We started off with a cold bottle of sauvignon blanc and tried a few appetizers: the bruschetta, mac and cheese, and steak bites. Everything was flavorful and cooked to perfection! Steaks are their specialty at The Grove and are procured from a local cattle rancher. Each piece is specially hand-cut. My husband and I each had the ribeye special and it didn't disappoint. The portions were huge and we could have easily shared a plate. Their menu overall is extensive and has something for everyone - lamb, steak, chicken, fish. We had a great time, enjoyed the amazing hospitality, and can't wait to come back!

    Photos
    The Grove Restaurant & Bar
    The Grove Restaurant & Bar
    The Grove Restaurant & Bar

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    Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant

    Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant

    3.4
    (2k reviews)
    22.5 mi
    $$

    I can't even tell you the last time I was here. It has to be over 10 years or so. Of course it's a…read moremajor stop for people who know about it. The other location in Buellton closed a while ago so I think this maybe the only one left. Could be the original but I'm not sure. Just off the 5 heading north. We stopped by for a quick bite before heading back on the road. Mid week which wasn't that busy. It's been so long ago that I didn't remember what the inside looked like. As we had our little pup with us, they were able to accommodate us. There's three entrance from the front area. Main being the one that leads you to the restaurant. Another is from the gift shop side and we also noticed people coming in from the side of the bar. One side is the restaurant which we looked at but ended up at the bar section. Which happened to be happy hour happening. Didn't know they had that to offer. Bar area was pretty quiet when we were there but it did pick up. There's also patio seating right outside there. Main menu pretty much has as everything but we just opted for some happy hour bites for now. Drink special was offered both for draft and bottle as well as cocktails and wine. Food menu, they were limited on that but the usual were offered. Both cup or bowl of the famous soup was available. Half order of the potatoes skin, onion rings and wings were available as well as the quesadillas. Soup was decent but could have been hotter. Onion rings, and the wings were ok. Good nothing major to rave about. Both served with ranch sauce. I also picked up some dessert from the counter which looked great. Happy hour items were decent for the price. The service for the whole place was great. All The staff and waitress were very friendly and helpful. Our waitress who was also the bartender was a major doll. She was very sweet. As well as all the ladies on the restaurant side. Very accommodating to us. Overall, it was a cute stop off for a quick bite. Cute gift shop that's worth a wandering around. Plenty of parking available.

    With as many signs on the freeways as Andersen's has in California promoting their famous split pea…read moresoup, one would think they would be prevalent everywhere. In reality, there are/were only two: the original location (and now closed since 2024) in Buellton and this location in Santa Nella. It turned out that we needed to take a break and gas up around lunchtime very close by, so decided to stop in for lunch. It ended up being OK. This second location has been open since 1976 and is located in a huge building with tons of seating and a large retail space. It has a separate downstairs dining room (available if your party is large), a large bar in the back (open during lunch though only one person was in there), and an upstairs not accessible during lunchtime. We came at exactly 11:00 and they had begun serving lunch. We were led to our seats, and someone came by with water. There seemed to be some confusion on who was supposed to serve us, and we were ignored for a while, even as other folks were being seated. Finally, a waitress came back (guessing she wasn't our original one, but had to pivot) and took our order. Not particularly friendly in the beginning (ended up being talkative at the end as my wife had struck up a conversation), but got our order correct. The food came out soon after, and it was served all together and was still warm when we got them. My wife and I have been to the Andersen's in Buellton and had slightly different memories of how good the split pea soup was. We ordered a cup ($6.99), and didn't even have to tell the waitress what kind of soup we wanted. The soup was good for the first couple spoonful, but didn't end up finishing it; glad we ordered a small cup. My wife and her mom split a Teriyaki Chicken dinner ($21.50) and they liked it: nothing fancy, just one chicken breast grilled and topped with bottled teriyaki sauce and a pineapple slice. I got the Danish Style Meatloaf ($21.99, was planning to share with my wife) and it seemed well made with generous portions, but neither of us liked it (the pork/beef mixture with breadcrumbs was very finely ground and reminded me of a mealy German sausage without the casing). Both the soup and meatloaf would have been good as small samples from a buffet while grazing, but are difficult as a main course for our taste. Both plates came with a from-frozen vegetable medley (broccoli, carrots, and zucchini), along with a rice pilaf for the chicken plate. We did buy some trinkets at the gift shop. I wanted to get a Danish, but ended up sharing a Cinnamon Crisp, a giant cookie covered in cinnamon sugar. It was really good, definitely worth the $5.50 price.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Liver and Onions Special
    Liver and Onions Special
    Bar area

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    Bar area
    Louie's Place Saloon and Grill

    Louie's Place Saloon and Grill

    4.0
    (114 reviews)
    27.7 mi
    $$

    My grandparents have lived in La Grange for over 20 years. We've driven past Louie's every single…read moretime we've gone up there to visit them and haven't stopped in their tiny downtown once, despite being charmed by it. Finally, on a whim, my brother and I decided to give it a go on our way home from our latest visit. The history and architecture of this place are phenomenal. Made me nostalgic for summer trips to Reno and the short drive up to Virginia City. Our waitress was super nice and let us know about the special of the day, chili verde. My brother ordered that and I got the pulled pork sandwich. Both dishes were excellent and, despite really enjoying my sandwich, I had some order envy because my brother's chili verde was so good. It came with beans, rice, a grilled jalapeño, and two tortillas. There could've been more meat in the dish, but it was a great plate overall, and a better chili verde than I've had at some Mexican restaurants. The pulled pork was absolutely delicious. Tender, smoky, and a ton of meat piled between two soft buns. The fries were great, too. You could smell the meat smoking from inside the bar and it was so pleasant, combined with the atmosphere inside and the setting sun outside. The only gripe was that the food definitely took a while to come out. Not sure if there was a backup in the kitchen or something, but it would've been nice if someone had come out to acknowledge the wait and at least let us know when it might be coming out. Regardless, the waitresses were nice the entire time and the meal was fantastic, so I'd be happy to come back on our next visit -- and won't wait another 20+ years this time.

    It's an experience. Old town feel great picture opportunities that will worth the stop. No AC on…read moreour hot summer stop after a long drive in our way to Yosemite. Service was ok food was ok I did not appreciate all the add -ons prices without the server telling us, sneaky . I would be back, probably, it's ok.

    Photos
    Inside of Louis
    Inside of Louis
    Rib eye
    Rib eye
    Wow! Therapist all the way out here.

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    Wow! Therapist all the way out here.

    Hot Rod Diner - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

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