Mel&#x27;s Diner

Everything is great, as always at the Happy Burro…read more Well, except for the fact that they are closing on Jan 1, 2026 for back of house upgrades. Let's face it. She's pretty long in the tooth and it's needed, but if it takes longer than three months, WE RIDE AT DAWN! Half price drinks until then! Always great chili and always ridiculously cold beer. The cook told us her mother passed away last year, but she's still there, whispering in her ear when she cooks. I concur. It's still spot on!

What a great place to stop if you're leaving or entering Death Valley National Park…read more A small place with a simple food menu, a good selection of drinks, and a crowd that is decidedly local. The service was quick and friendly, and they have a nice outdoor seating area. Casual vibe, good prices, big chili portions! I enjoyed my chili, there was meat and beans and just enough spice to leave a pleasant taste that kept me going back for more. $8.50 cash for a big portion, card incurs a slight additional charge. Parking on the surrounding streets is easy. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked.

Fun wall decor

Chili Boat / Frito Pie

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Outside prior to closing for BACK OF HOUSE remodeling and updates! Not changing the bar!

Beatty VFW

4.4(52 reviews)

0.3 mi

Cigarette smoking in the front at the bar. We sat in the back at some tables and chairs that had…read moreseen better days. Anything fried you could want. Although I did have a pretty good wedge salad. But there's not a lot of choices in Beatty for places to eat. Buy food at a grocery store before you get to town and cook at home.

Great food at good prices. Very friendly people there too. Close to hotel within walking distance.read more

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Gema's Cafe

4.0(252 reviews)

0.3 mi

Everything was great, perfect stop for breakfast before heading out for the day. Very reasonable…read moreprices

Excellent Texas Skillet for breakfast! It was a great suggestion and a great surprise. The ham…read moresteak and eggs were really good too. Super tender and tasty ham.

Texas skillet breakfast, with sourdough toast and side of fresh fruit.

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Dirty ceiling vents.

Denny's

My wife and I enjoyed breakfast here on a Friday morning around 8am. You have to walk through the…read more smoky casino to reach Dennys. We were promptly seated at a comfy booth and our ordered taken. My wife got eggs, fruit, and rye toast with a decaf coffee. Her fried eggs were perfectly prepared and she enjoyed the fruit bowl. I went with the original slam with scrambled eggs, sausage, and soft bacon. My bacon was cooked the way I like and the pancakes were hot with the butter ball melting on top. The pancakes though are the size of a dinner plate and I couldn't finish both. Service was great and friendly. The food was all well prepared and delivered quickly. My only complaint was spending $40 on breakfast for two.

It's a Denny's tucked in a small casino. While the operating hours might be innacurate or…read moreinconsistent, the food and service is great! If you want, you can grab a drink at the casino bar and take it inside for a "late night" bite. I ordered an omelet with hash browns and toast as well as a cold brew coffee. Yum! It's kind of expensive, but the convenience is worth it if you're staying at Stagecoach hotel. My meal came to $28. It was decorated for the holidays as well, which was a really nice touch!

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Badwater Saloon

3.4(110 reviews)

29.9 mi

We were staying at stovepipe well lodging and this restaurant is attached to it. We had a lunch…read morehere and a dinner today and both were very good. Our dinner tonight consisted of the salmon entrée as well as the vegetable pasta and a side salad. Considering the fact that you are in the middle of Death Valley, we could not have been happier. I am a big eater and my pasta dish was more than I could eat and my wife's salmon was very good and the vegetables were perfectly prepared. Good option if you are in the area

It was... fine…read more There aren't that many options in the area and we wanted a sit down spot. Partner's steak was overcooked, but edible. My burger was actually pretty tasty. Fries were the best of Sysco (but cooked well). Cream soda was one of the best I've had! Old fashioned was totally watered down. Worth a visit but I'd probably pack lunch next time. Definitely not worth $88 + tip.

Bar area

Vegan meatball sub and hazy ipa

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Fort Amargosa

3.5(10 reviews)

26.9 mi

So I was a little confused as the place listed is not the same place that is here anymore. Its now…read morean Indian restaurant called Punjahi Dhaba. Walking inside the gas station it's sectioned off to the left. They do seem to have a fly issue on the gas station as some had said. Hopefully that Is something they will rectify. However, its hard to find good Indian food these days. Especially in such a remote area such as this, and I found the food here was actually really delightful. Sometimes you have to go to a hole in the wall, that lacks the sparkle and refinement visually to get the flavor you have been searching for. The cashier was polite as he took our order. We got the butter chicken, mango lassi, and a potato stuffed paratha bread. It was perfect to share between two people. The meat was tender and flavorful, and I loved that there were nuts in the sauce and the spices were more complex. I find a lot of Indian places dont add those touches in the states. Rice was fluffy and fragrant, the bread was so delicious! Warm and layered with that soft potatoes filling. It was great to dip into the butter chicken sauce. They also had a side of yogurt and a chutney. The chutney was not my favorite thing in the world, it tasted perfumey. We got the food mild incase our child wanted any, but they do offer spice levels. The mango lassi was divine! Bursting with flavor and not to thick. If flies were not attacking me this would have been 5 stars. I didn't experience not feeling welcome in any way because I am not the same ethnicity as the workers like some had mentioned. I just thought that was important to mention. If you want yummy food and a place to stretch your legs its a great alternative to the less than stellar cuisune you often find on this route to tahoe in the smaller towns.

Do not go here! I thought I found a little Indian treasure at a gas station, but the restaurant has…read moredeceptive practices. I ordered one to go dish, went to pay and it automatically ran it through with a 20% tip. And then the food took over 20 minutes to be ready. Will never ever go here again. Save your time and money. Look elsewhere.

Inside

Buffalo tenders w/ onion rings

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Sign by entrance

Stovepipe Wells Restaurant

3.5(44 reviews)

29.9 mi

Now I'm used to very good quality food, and I will say the food here isn't five star quality. More…read morelike 3 but that's because you are in the middle of nowhere! We were staying in the park for two nights so we had a couple of dinners and breakfasts. I tried to be healthy and get the stuffed poblano peppers and those were decent but I wouldn't reccommend them-unless you're vegetarian. The next night I gave up and just went with a bison burger which was solid. For breakfast if you get to the breakfast bar early enough there are fresh mixed berries and plantains which were a unique touch. The prices weren't too bad either. The staff were all very friendly, the meals came out quickly, and the restaurant and Saloon had a rustic decor that went with the locale. Since we weren't traveling with children I preferred the Saloon with the beautiful views. Considering all that has made things difficult lately, tariffs, wars, etc... the fact that you can get a decent meal in a remote location is pretty impressive.

TERRIBLE SERVICE! Got seated, given menus and was ignored. Bartender finally came over and took our…read moreorder with an attitude. I asked him what beers he had on tap and he responded with "I'm not going to tell you all of them!"... so I got up and walked over to his bar and looked... I then met him at the bar and told him what I wanted and he didn't even make eye contact and just mumbled "ok". Then he brought our drinks without a word and we were ignored. We waited over a half hour just sitting there. Finally I walked up and asked for our check as we had waited long enough. These people have a lot to learn about the service industry. They may be able to get away with this with foreigners who frequent this place, but not Americans. Below is a photo of the "too many beers to mention". Seriously!

Beers on tap on 12/30/2025

Vegan Tortilla soup

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Stovetop Saloon

Stateline Saloon

4.6(27 reviews)

38.8 mi

In the middle of no where and in a very hot and desolate location with the closest town with only…read more7-8 residents, I was surprised to find this place. It's in a casino with nice grounds and a man made lake. The menu was fairly varied for a remote location. Food was not spectacular but good enough

If you happen to be on state line between NV & CA headed to Death Valley, this is a great stop…read more Best nothing of a bar. Good people, great service. excellent quality food and Matt the bartender keeps us laughing! I'll be back!

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Little A'Le'Inn

4.1(290 reviews)

75.5 mi

Okay, going back to 2006 when I was on leave I visited this spot I saw a documentary on in high…read moreschool. I never got high enough security clearance to "see them aliens" but the place always held a place in my heart from the first visit. It was me and my grandads official desert hangout. Over the years I stopped by as much as possible. The food is Amazing, the people are one of a kind in the best way, the owners mingle with the crowd (In a professional sense) I checked it out again here in 2026 and WOW! They have kept this place going like clockwork, like the finest Rolex tucked away where they shouldn't be found but are by people all over the world. Any hard time in life I would close my eyes and think of this place. It's been my happy place for 20 years. Come on out, you will NOT regret it.

We decided to end our first big camping/exploration era on a very fitting note... the…read moreExtraterrestrial Highway We made the classic stop in Rachel, Nevada at the famous Little A'Le'Inn, and it honestly felt like the perfect weird little ending to the whole trip. We got the strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream served warm and I'm not exaggerating when I say we completely inhaled it the second it hit the bar. No picture. No pause. Just immediate destruction. It was that good. The little bar/restaurant itself is super cute, super quirky in the best way, and everyone working there was genuinely so friendly. It has that "you are very far from everything but somehow exactly where you're supposed to be" vibe. If you're driving the Extraterrestrial Highway through Rachel, Nevada, the stop at Little A'Le'Inn is an absolute must. It's one of those places that just makes the whole road trip feel like an experience instead of just a drive. Overall: weird, iconic, delicious, and the perfect closing chapter to our very dusty, very hot, very unforgettable camping tour

The bar!

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Death Valley Coffee Time

4.4(51 reviews)

0.7 mi

The breakfast burritos are to die for! Yolanda and Nadia whip up the burrito in front of you! And…read morethey have a full espresso bar. I was stranded in Beatty for 24 hours and they made it so fun!

Sadly this coffee stand is closed 90% of the time I stop there. The hours online say they close at…read more4pm. Last week I stopped by at 3pm and they were already closed. Another time they were closed by 2:30pm. For a town with only one actual coffee shop, it would be nice if the hours were reliable.

My vanilla latte. Delicious!

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7 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Norwood N.

0

2

0

4 years ago

Boyfriend and I messed up our sleeping schedule and have been wanting to eat at a restaurant for some time, so we defaulted to a 2 AM Denny's trip. The place is extremely clean and in a nice area. Our service was extremely fast and our waiter was attentive and kind. Food was delicious and fast! When leaving the parking lot, there was a building across that had a cute little fox passing on by. Twas a good night/morning! read more

Hellen Z.

0

2

8

4 years ago

Definitely 70's aesthetic. The service was not the best. My family and I walked in and the lady in the front was very dry, as if she was mad we came in... ? They were quick with our order though so yay I guess? Not sure how to feel, the food was solid and the employees were rude. The only thing I liked was the theme. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and only accept cash. (-- fyi) read more

Larry M.

1

6

0

12 years ago

Great place for breakfast or lunch, but not open for dinners. Great food at good prices People are great too.

Beth H.

0

4

0

4 months ago

Looks like Mel's Diner is closed for good. Try something else in Beatty or Tonopah. Smokin' J's is great

Edgar N.

0

1

0

7 years ago

This is a best place to eat breakfast and lunch, big portions, good flavor and nice place and service.

Ann M.

0

11

0

2 months ago

Closed. The tenants had to close it due to illness. It is currently For Sale to a lucky buyer

Kevin M.

0

3

0

6 years ago

Had Breakfast here and it was very good!

Mel's Diner - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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Big Tony's Supper House

4.4

(20 reviews)

I'm writing this review specifically because of the manager's exceptional customer service…read more We were so glad we stopped at this cute little coffee shop, conveniently located right next to our hotel. We were in the middle of a long road trip and probably ordered more than they were expecting on a Monday morning, but both the barista and the manager--perhaps Tony himself?--were incredibly kind and accommodating. We ordered several pastries, a few burritos, lattes, and a decaf coffee. When the manager realized they were out of decaf, they immediately refunded us and offered a replacement drink, which we happily accepted. We were then genuinely surprised when the manager went above and beyond by walking to a neighboring café to make sure we still received the decaf we had originally ordered--even though we had not asked or expected them to do so. It was such a thoughtful gesture and a great example of outstanding customer service. We would absolutely stop here again the next time we are in the area!

Coming back just for the salad bar! $11, great options especially for Beatty, I was missing a good…read morefresh salad. Hot bar as well and decent veggie burger. Plastic utensils/cups so bring your own water bottle and fork if you're cool ;) Oh and the staff was awesome

Sourdough Saloon

3.6

(97 reviews)

We had drinks and dinner here. Ended up having a great chat with Hutch, a fellow hockey fan. When…read morewe said we were originally from Rockford, he changed into a Rockford Icehogs jersey! Pretty wild for a small restaurant in Death Valley. But on to the food. We'd seen recent pictures of Alien Bread in reviews but they didn't have it anymore so we started with an order of garlic bread. Sorry but it was pretty subpar. Mighty dry and hard. Oh well. We then split a pizza. It was way too much for us but it was cheesy and delicious. Since we were traveling, we had to leave quite a bit behind. We enjoyed our experience a lot despite the uneven food.

The breadsticks were slightly burnt, and the atmosphere leaned heavily on awkward, outdated boomer…read morehumor that made us feel anything but welcome. Hutch referred to my wife as "my friend," a couple times which immediately set an uncomfortable tone. Things went further downhill when the chef (if that's the right term, given the state of the breadsticks) approached us aggressively while we were boxing up our food. He raised his voice and said "nobody told me it was for takeout," despite the fact that I had already had a full conversation with Hutch confirming takeout and requesting everything to-go. I hadn't even said a word to the chef and didn't mind packing things up myself due to a simple miscommunication, but his confrontational approach was completely unnecessary. It's hard not to wonder whether the discomfort we experienced had anything to do with the fact that I'm obviously gay, because the overall interaction felt weird, unwelcoming, and tense. I went across the street later to the BBQ place to get food and they treated us like family, so it's not a small town problem. The only reason this isn't a one-star review is because the wings were decent, but I could never imagine coming here again. They also did not have homemade desserts like the other reviews claim (one of the reasons we even came here).

Smokin J’s Barbecue

4.5

(372 reviews)

My wife and I were passing through Beatty and stopped for dinner here on a Thursday night around…read more6pm. After a hot afternoon of desert driving, I was looking forward to a nice cold beer with some BBQ. The menu has lots of options but we zeroed in on the seniors special with a brisket sandwich. It comes with a side and a drink for a nice price. My wife opted for Mac and cheese while I selected the baked beans. They had a nice selection of beers in cans and bottles including a Lagunitas IPA. Our orders came out in no time on small metal trays with pickled onions and pickles. The sandwiches were yummy with a decent portion of meat. The mac and cheese was the highlight with the jalapeños giving it a little kick. For dessert, I couldn't resist their banana pudding. It was soupier than I would have liked but breaking up the nilla wafers into it helped in that department. The dining room was creatively decorated with small barrel hanging lights and large weather vane ceiling fans. Service was great and super friendly. All in all, we had a very enjoyable meal.

We had a bit of an issue getting waited on but once we got that settled, everything went smoothly…read more We had a brisket sandwich with mac & cheese and pulled pork sandwich with mac & cheese. The sandwiches supposedly came with half a pound of meat, but to us it seemed like there was more than half a pound. Ordering the mac & cheese was overkill. We had way much too much to eat. I will say that the jalapeño mac & cheese really had no jalapeño flavor at all. We ate outside because it was a nice night and it was just pleasant to enjoy our meal there.

Beatty VFW

4.4

(52 reviews)

Cigarette smoking in the front at the bar. We sat in the back at some tables and chairs that had…read moreseen better days. Anything fried you could want. Although I did have a pretty good wedge salad. But there's not a lot of choices in Beatty for places to eat. Buy food at a grocery store before you get to town and cook at home.

Great food at good prices. Very friendly people there too. Close to hotel within walking distance.read more

Road House 95

4.7

(3 reviews)

All things considered this is a 4. We went on a Saturday night after finding most of the other…read moreplaces in town were closed or out of food. This should put things in perspective. The atmosphere was a bit noisy but typical bar. Our server Juan was fantastic, energetic and a pleaser to deal with. I had the pasta caliente with shrimp special and my wife had pizza.

Food is your standard fare and is a good option since it is a small town. I had the Philly steak…read moresandwich and I thought it was good. The staff was friendly and attentive. The place has a homey local bar and eatery feel.

Fort Amargosa

3.5

(10 reviews)

So I was a little confused as the place listed is not the same place that is here anymore. Its now…read morean Indian restaurant called Punjahi Dhaba. Walking inside the gas station it's sectioned off to the left. They do seem to have a fly issue on the gas station as some had said. Hopefully that Is something they will rectify. However, its hard to find good Indian food these days. Especially in such a remote area such as this, and I found the food here was actually really delightful. Sometimes you have to go to a hole in the wall, that lacks the sparkle and refinement visually to get the flavor you have been searching for. The cashier was polite as he took our order. We got the butter chicken, mango lassi, and a potato stuffed paratha bread. It was perfect to share between two people. The meat was tender and flavorful, and I loved that there were nuts in the sauce and the spices were more complex. I find a lot of Indian places dont add those touches in the states. Rice was fluffy and fragrant, the bread was so delicious! Warm and layered with that soft potatoes filling. It was great to dip into the butter chicken sauce. They also had a side of yogurt and a chutney. The chutney was not my favorite thing in the world, it tasted perfumey. We got the food mild incase our child wanted any, but they do offer spice levels. The mango lassi was divine! Bursting with flavor and not to thick. If flies were not attacking me this would have been 5 stars. I didn't experience not feeling welcome in any way because I am not the same ethnicity as the workers like some had mentioned. I just thought that was important to mention. If you want yummy food and a place to stretch your legs its a great alternative to the less than stellar cuisune you often find on this route to tahoe in the smaller towns.

Do not go here! I thought I found a little Indian treasure at a gas station, but the restaurant has…read moredeceptive practices. I ordered one to go dish, went to pay and it automatically ran it through with a 20% tip. And then the food took over 20 minutes to be ready. Will never ever go here again. Save your time and money. Look elsewhere.

Alien Café

4.4

(7 reviews)

Best tourist area 51 food and snacks stop. Decent lbathrooms. Sandwiches and frozen yogurt along…read morewith tons of alien souvenirs!

Sandwich stop. BLT and ham and cheese!! The staff was amazing. Friendly and welcoming. She…read moremade it fresh and the taste showed how fresh it was!! Glad we stopped!!

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