Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Ludlow Cafe

    3.7 (321 reviews)
    Open • 6:00 am - 5:00 pm

    About Ludlow Cafe

    Loading...

    Read the full summary in the app

    Ludlow Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LUDLOW CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Ludlow Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Waffle special
    Lisa N.

    Needed something to eat and this looked like our best bet in the area that wasn't fast food So glad we picked it! If you are looking for classic diner fare - here you go! Service was friendly, food good and plentiful . Pies looked good but we had no room sadly

    The Ludlow Cafe
    Charles W.

    We stopped at the Ludlow Cafe on a road trip (Dallas to Reno) and it was a wise choice. It's located on the historic Route 66 and it is an authentic example of old school American diner. I ordered the chicken fried steak (CFS) and it came with mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed veggies, a roll and choice of soup or salad. I choose the homemade vegetable beef soup and it was so tasty. My CFS was fork tender with a crispy crust and mighty fine gravy. Being an old Texan I have high standards for CFS and this one met them. I enjoyed the sides but the star was the CFS. My wife had the popcorn shrimp basket (with fries) and said it was very tasty and a huge portion. We finished our meal with peanut butter cream pie and it was very good. Holly was our server and she did an outstanding job. Y'all go check The Ludlow Cafe out!

    Odd pile of tires next to Ludlow Cafe.
    Rick K.

    While traveling to Laughlin, we stopped here for lunch. This is a little diner in the middle of nowhere. The decor looks a bit worn, outdated and quirky. We were greeted and told to sit at a table that had menus. There were a few tables that were empty of people but were occupied by dirty dishes. We found a spot. Our friendly waitress was kind and courteous. I ordered a burger with fries. My wife got a burger with chips. The food came out fast. Everything was hot when delivered. My burger was nice and juicy. The patty was cooked medium to medium well. It was a good burger but a bit small. The fries were good and the portion was generous. My wife reported that her burger was delicious. All in all, a good experience. The service was excellent. The place is a bit crusty but generally clean. The prices are ok for being so out of the way. It was worth the stop.

    Desert vibes
    Charles M.

    A little slice of Americana in the Mojave desert. I'm extremely glad that I got a chance to sit down for a hearty breakfast after having passed this place in the middle of the night countless times when it was closed or I was on a tight schedule. Whether you're a trucker or a traveler passing through Ludlow you should do yourself a favor and step into this timeless classic diner. Michelle was very friendly and the service was prompt. I loved the old timey mining theme. My breakfast of eggs and country fried steak was top notch and really hit the spot.

    My wife and I.
    Billy L.

    Wonderful atmosphere and customer-service. We highly recommend eating here. Not just because it is dog friendly, but the food was great. The hot dog was the best ever. It is like going back in time, and in the middle of now where, but life is short so we recommend more folks stop by here.

    Outside decorations
    Danny V.

    Great place to grab a bite on the way to the river or home from river. Quick service from friendly staff. Parking is great especially if you're towing. Decent prices considering most restaurants are skyrocketing. My personal favorite was the Belgium waffle with a sausage patty and eggs.

    Nahshon P.

    Quick stop in passing through. Cute little stop Bathroom is showing its age. Makes me wonder what the back looks like, I ordered hashbrowns, 1 pancake and bacon. Plus a souvenir Magnet for $5 my total was $30 a little too high a price for a 1 person breakfast. I understand that they may need to keep prices high for obvious reasons. Oh I got a coffee too, it's standard. My food was a bit greasy, but rhe pancake was fantastic, amazing flavor. The woman who helped me was very friendly too, she took good care of me for sure.

    Biscuit and gravy
    Kenny O.

    We hadn't been here in a few years. At 630am we got breakfast in 12 minutes. Crispy hash, great eggs, biscuit and gravy is a must.

    Reuben
    Trina M.

    Cute place, service was prompt and very delightful. The cheese in our Reuben was a little weird. There wasn't enough meat in the sandwich, my half of the sandwich only gad meat on half the sandwich. The fries are delicious! My husband didn't like the sandwich at all.

    Bacon cheeseburger (protein style)
    Jeff L.

    Located just 20 miles from the Amboy volcanic crater (which I'm told was last active in the 1930's!) Ludlow was one of the few little towns between Barstow & Laughlin - so glad there is a place to stop for food. The restaurant is very rustic and cute as there is a historical marker out front saying this area was originally a train station back in the day. For the food - it was pretty good. Girlfriend got the club sandwich ($13.99) with fries which was the first thing our waiter recommended and it was really good. I'm on a low-carb diet so I got the bacon cheeseburger combo ($17.99), protein style (no bun, wrapped in lettuce) with a salad & blue cheese dressing. The salad was really fresh & juicy. The burger was seasoned just right & the bacon was tasty. I also got the vegetable turkey soup which was not very tasty. I also need to mention that all their desserts here are homemade! We got the peanut butter cream pie ($5.59) - and added a scoop of maple bourbon pecan ice cream ($1.00 extra) and it was really good Overall this was nice stop for lunch on out road-trip. Glad we stopped in!

    So cold outside so warm inside!
    Rick W.

    Great breakfast with friendly ways! Shout out to Michelle! Michelle is the greeter, server, and all thing except the cook Juan who did a perfect job?

    French toast is a classic banger

    See all

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Classic dinner from a bygone era with all the traditional dishes, chicken fried steak and coconut cream pie anyone?

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jim A.
    23
    91
    353

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ron L.
    4969
    1687
    7452

    13 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0
    Photo of denise s.
    38
    14
    15

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brynn M.
    28
    93
    35

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David V.
    28
    109
    55

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Absolutely awful and very expensive. All good was fake processed food and they even charged us for a side of ranch and thousand

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of R P.
    1
    114
    18

    3 years ago

    Great old fashion diner. Great good, service and price. It will be a stopping point in our travels.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rebecca A.
    360
    274
    1249

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Don't go out if your way to visit Ludlow motel, cafe or gas station. The biscuit was mediocre.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lucky S.
    56
    1266
    3912

    9 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gary S.
    26
    67
    0

    5 years ago

    Basic Dinner food, nothing special , but very good. And I love the history of the place.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Stopped here on a whim for breakfast and we were glad we did. Great waffles and friendly service.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rick S.
    116
    815
    3420

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 9

    Ask the Community - Ludlow Cafe

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Pappy & Harriet’s - Full Rack of Ribs

    Pappy & Harriet’s

    4.1(2.6k reviews)
    43.4 mi
    •$$

    We came on Thursday around 3pm. It wasn't too busy and we got seated immediately. The host and…read moreserver were friendly. We got the cowboy with the tri tip and pork ribs with Mac & cheese and garlic mash. It was more than enough for two people. We also got an extra side of Mac & cheese and garlic mash which was over kill but it was so yummy! So flavorful and you can tell everything was cooked with love. I wish I got pictures but we finished the platter by the time I remembered to take a picture lol. I love the ambiance, all on top with the western theme and even there was live music getting set up. 10/10 would try if you are in Joshua Tree!

    What. A.Gem. My…read moredaughter and son-in-law have raved about this place for years. They go every time they are in the Palm Springs area. And, they have been itching to get the wife and I there too. Well... mission accomplished! Initial impression, (do let the exterior fool you), was not overwhelming but I trust their judgement. Glad we did. Rustic, old west vibe grabs you by the poo poo upon entry. Lots of memorabilia, pics of Pappy himself, license plates from all over, as far away from as Canada!!! Excellent menu (wife got a salad, me the chicken sandwich), and both were delicious! Serving sizes are very large to boot. Other items ordered from our group were the Mac and Cheese, (I tried it and it's fabulous), Baby Back Ribs, Smashburger and Cowboy Combo. Those in our party raved about each of them. Service was spot on, especially since we had a group of 9. Indoor stage for nighttime entertainment purposes and an additional huge outdoor seating / dining area with associated stage for those nice desert days. (Not this time... it was well over 100 degrees when we were there). Highly recommended. Definitely a must next visit!

    Photos
    Pappy & Harriet’s - The stage!

    The stage!

    Pappy & Harriet’s - Wood Fire Grilled Atlantic Salmon w/ Coleslaw + House Salad

    Wood Fire Grilled Atlantic Salmon w/ Coleslaw + House Salad

    Pappy & Harriet’s - Mezcal cocktail

    See all

    Mezcal cocktail

    Ludlow Cafe - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...