Driving from Coachella to Temecula, this is always a stop for us. Hot, strong coffee, convenience items and Chester's Fried Chicken, plus gas cheaper here! Always friendly and clean too. read more

Just a great little stop in between the lower Desert and trips to Anza or up to Idyllwild for gas and convenience items.

First, I'm gonna tell you the good thing. It's a plane easy off the highway. Stop to pick up a snack and use the restroom. They're not so good. It is nowhere posted that they round off if you pay cash I purchased coffee at $2.47,for the small cup. I handed her $2.50. She said thank you asked if I wanted a receipt I said no but shouldn't I get three cents back? She says oh we don't do that anymore. My question would be if it was posted, I would not have had a problem I asked for the sign she says oh we don't have it anymore. So just for one if you're gonna pay cash at the Santa Rosa pit stop make sure you have the exact change. read more

Came for the gasolina stayed for the chesters! Ordered the fried chicken combo with biscuits and potato wedges! It was sooo good! Better than most fried chicken chains I've been to recently. Convenience story also had a well stocked selection of snacks, sodas, tall boys, fresh coffee, etc. read more

Santa Rosa Pit Stop - Convenience Stores Near Me - Mountain Center, California

The service was outstanding, friendly staff inside the store. The coffee was great and selection of liquid refreshments was good.

Check out Lalo's tacos that are there every weekend ! best birria ever, tastiest tacos you'll find in the area! i come every chance i get to eat their food. read more

Ordered 10 pizza's to feed the hardworking Public Works Department at Santa Rosa Reservation. All 10 pizzas gratefully eaten!!

I traveled from Palm Springs to San Diego to visit my son. I have taken HWY 74 a few times before so I decided to take that route again. I needed some food and I decided to stop at the Pitt Stop. Just like times before, I was not disappointed! A nice young lady suggested a 2 Super Tenders 1 Biscuit Deal for $5. I loved the flavor of the chicken, not to mention the size! The chicken was so delicious! The biscuit was just like grandma used to make! The store was very clean and the restroom was too. The employees were curious and friendly. I highly recommend this store/gas station for anyone wanting to drive the scenic route. I give a big thumbs up to the people who work there! read more

Best prices on gasoline and they have incredible Fried Chicken. In fact, all the food is good. I made the mistake of buying only one chicken breast, just to make an abrupt U-turn and get a 6 piece combo box instead. People actually drive the distance for the Fried Chicken, because it's that good. They sell so fast they are constantly making fresh chicken all day long. The restroom is clean and the service is top notch. read more

Best fried chicken ever. Nice clean store also. I definitely recommend trying it. Nice quaint little town.

Clean, new, well-maintained, nice staff, well-stocked, nice variety, great gas prices, fresh baked goods. All good!

I love coming here! I've been here twice to get some of their delicious chicken and I have to say their freaking staff are the nicest people! I though us over at Lake Hemet were nice but everyone at the Pit Stop is a pure JOY! I love stopping here just to talk to these folks! Love love love!! Great addition to our mountain read more

Best gas prices around, new building that is always clean with lots of drinks treats and coffee. Between Temecula and Palm Desert closer to the Palm Desert side of the mountain, just 15 min to El Paseo. I always stop here to get gas and coffee when in Mountain Center, even if I don;t need gas you fill it up to take advantage of the great prices! read more

Santa Rosa Pit Stop - The Sign off the highway - Convenience Stores Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Really cheap gas. They hve hot food, chicken! So glad soneone finally built a gas station along hwy 74. Clean establishment. read more

See all

Randomly decided to drive from Beaumont to Palm Dessert on the 79 to the 74. It was such a nice drive! We noticed a sign that said the cheapest gas and decided to stop. We didn't need the gas but got it anyways. We went inside and it was so clean! Fully stocked. It had many items. I was surprised they had fried chicken. The employees were super nice and friendly. I got a cherry soda. We were going to get chicken sandwiches but weren't quite hungry yet. Definitely going to drive out that way and stop by in the future! read more

See all

My favorite hidden gem,, tucked in the mountains, Everyone is very friendly , always a smile when you walk in

This has to be one of the nicest pit stops I've ever been to...and I have traveled a lot! The bathrooms are spotless, there's an enticing array of hot foods to choose from, extensive coffee options, hot and cold, and a good selection of other items you'd expect to find at a place like this. If you want to make a stop on your way to or from palm desert, this should be your first choice. Thanks to the owners for caring enough to do it this way!! I'll definitely be back. read more

Best stop between Palm Desert and Temecula for gas, drinks, coffee and much much more! Also nice now that they were able to put in the turn lane from the highway! Good job! read more

The food was such a long wait, and the pop machine was out of pop and also the selection as poor. The lines to the restrooms were appalling, and once you got in, they had no toilet paper and paper towels and no soap. No hand sanitizer in any of the dispencers in the store. The cash teller was rather rude to me, and I heard what the person had called me, and it was rude. I also miss my favorite cook in the back. read more

Real nice facility, but inconsistent bike friendliness. I rode my bycicle solo up to the Pitstop from Palm Springs yesterday, 8-4-24 and brought my bike into the store, loaded up on refreshments and took a break at one of the picnic tables. After that experience I decided I would go up there the next few mornings and explore the much cooler high altitude. Today I planned on stocking up at the Pit Stop and then check out Lake Hemet, but when I got there I was told I couldn't bring my bike in the store that had only one customer. There is no way I'm leaving an $8000 bike outside unattended to get tossed into a pickup truck in a flash. I carried just enough water to get me back down the 5000' descent, so I just left and rode back to Palm Springs. I'm going to have to edit yesturday's ride review in Strava where I glorified this place and clarify what to expect with all my cycling club buddies. It could still be handy for group rides, but for me that was the last time. read more

This place is great, & staff was so friendly this evening. The cashiers & kitchen crew all work as a TEAM! I love the selections of food & snacks, prices for gas is the best around. read more

Staff here is very nice stopped here to get gas on a road trip. The place is spotless clean and so are the bathrooms. Covid friendly!

Chester's Chicken might be the BEST chicken I've ever had in my life. I don't know how they do it. I live in San Diego and would literally drive all the way here just for the chicken tenders. With every bite I took, I fell more and more in love. Come for the gas, stay for the chicken! ;) read more

Very clean gas station/bathroom! Super good about wearing masks and fun snack variety!

Whenever I am on Highway 74 I stop to fill up at the Pit Stop! They also have great chicken. The staff is friendly and this is a very clean store. Thanks Pit Stop! read more

Chester's chicken....5 STARS!!!!!!! I was born in raised in GA for the first 30 years of my life and lived on my Grandmother's fried chicken (the best I've ever tasted).. I moved to CA 20 years ago. Since moving to CA, I have been in search of fried chicken like grandmother's. Nothing has even come close until I had a white breast on the bone from Chester's...that is in a gas station! WOW. 1. Amazing crust - After finishing the my chicken, I found myself looking for crust crumbs in the take out box (is that bad???). Crust was not too dry, perfectly crunchy, the perfect lightly -browned color and melted in my mouth. i will have dreams about that crust. 2. Moist meat - The meat was extremely tender and moist. That is the key. This isn't your typical, dry chicken meat. Extremely impressed. Even my girlfriend that doesn't really like fried chicken complimented on how moist it was. It also literally melts in your mouth. So i have to say that after 2 decades of searching, I have finally eaten chicken that would make my grandmother proud. Kudos to you guys for making my visit to Mountain Center one that will live with me for a long time....And for a bonus, the staff at The Pit Stop are really, really friendly. Thanks guys!!!!! read more

aug 17th 2020. i stopped to top off my chevy diesel truck with a 28 gallon fuel tank. i had a half a tank. I used pump #8. After the nozzle clicked off. I went to return the nozzle to the pump, i realized that the pump was continuing to run despite not dispensing fuel. After repeated attempts to hit cancel, flip the off button, call the attendant etc, it finally stopped at $100 and showing that 37 gallons were dispensed. i immediately informed the staff. They said their manager would contact me, I was never contacted. they do not have a listed phone number so I've had to stop by 3 times over the past 7 weeks. One time catching the manager there. He seemed sincere in wanting to set things right. but stated it was out of his hands since the pumps were managed by a third party. He was still trying to resolve and he would contact me. still nothing heard. I believe they're hoping I'll forget about. understandably there may have been a glitch with their new pumps. But i would think they should inform me if they plan on rectifying or at least inform me they have no intention of making things right. I live nearby and looked forward to their convenient location. I spend and avg of $1000 a month on diesel. Unfortunately they and their pumps have lost my trust and confidence. read more