5/5 Would Let Cameron Ruin My Diet Again Listen up, desert rats and accidental Salton Sea tourists: if you're cruising past that apocalyptic inland ocean and your stomach starts growling louder than your regrets, you NEED to slam on the brakes at the Ski Inn. Why? Two words: Cameron. And her curves. Sweet baby Jesus on a jet ski, this woman floats behind the bar like a mirage you actually get to touch (the drinks, people, touch the drinks). She's serving looks so dangerous I forgot how to blink. Hips that could cause a 20-car pileup on the 86. I ordered a beer and accidentally proposed. She just laughed, poured me another, and said "Honey, slow down, the burgers aren't going anywhere." Ma'am, neither am I. Speaking of the burgers... these world-famous bad boys are so juicy they should come with a towel and a safe word. I'm pretty sure they're 50% beef, 50% black magic, and 100% the reason I now need new pants. One bite and I saw God. He was wearing a Ski Inn t-shirt and nodding approvingly at Cameron's... service skills. Pro tip: sit at the bar so Cameron can lean over to take your order and you can die happy right there between the peanut shells and your own drool. 10/10. The burgers are life-changing. Cameron is a national treasure. My cholesterol is crying but my soul is full. Ski Inn: Come for the greasy perfection, stay because Cameron smiled at you and now you live here. read more

Ski Inn - The myth and the legend Cameron - American Near Me - Niland, California

Best bar ever! The service here makes you feel like a local. Everyone here is so nice had an amazing night with cold drinks and fun locals. Interior and bathroom is clean. They have a big outdoor patio too that is beautiful decorated. Kitchen closes at night so come for lunch if you want food. Good amount of parking. Will come here again. Did you know this is the lowest bar in the western hemisphere. You can say I was drinking at the lowest point of my life read more

Ski Inn - Beer - American Near Me - Niland, California

Im not sure where to start. The food isn't anything special but god damn it was exactly what I needed. Two corn dogs and fries. What came with the meal is what is to write about. The hospitality was perfect! There are dollar bills from all over the world. There are memories from a lifetime ago. The ambiance s FUCKING PERCECT!!!!!! Please keep this bar alive!!!! read more

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Stopped in for lunch after experiencing one of the most unique experiences of my life at Bombay Beach. Service at Ski Inn was excellent, beer was ice cold and patty melt was a ten outta ten. Highly recommend the tator tots, crunchy and hot! We absolutely loved the food, the friendly folks and the unique atmosphere and ambiance. Will be back!!! Must stop by if in area, which everyone should experience. read more

Ski Inn - American Near Me - Niland, California

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Randomly stopped in while visiting the beach and Slab City. WOW! Literally plan to return anytime I'm within an hour drive. The food was seriously incredible. Had the patty melt and it was to die for. Fun crowd, friendly staff. Robin the bartender was AMAZING. Pricing is unreal, coming from Bay Area I was expecting a large bill as usually and it was so reasonable we left a 100% tip for such a great experience. Super fun atmosphere of a nice dive/local place. A new favorite!!! read more

Ski Inn - American Near Me - Niland, California

Fun place! Friendly folks, great service, kitschy decor, cozy patio and tasty burgers and fries! Definitely recommend the Ortega burger! read more

Ski Inn - American Near Me - Niland, California

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Very fun atmosphere. Dollar bills from travelers all over the world. Fod was very yummy! Best crispy tater tots. Patty melt was one of the best! read more

The food was amazing, great selection of beverages & the service was spot on! Great atmosphere!!! read more

Ski Inn - Dining area! Make sure you bring a dollar to sign! - American Near Me - Niland, California

Other reviews suggested they had d veggie burgers but when we stopped in in late Dec 2025, no veggie burgers, no other real vegetarian options except a grilled cheese. read more

If you are hungry and want some great atmosphere this place is for you. If at Bombay beach this is perfect for a cold drink and a burger.

Great food, service and cool place to stop!! Highly recommend people stop in!! Try the patty melt

Stop. If you are anywhere near this place, stop. Go in. It's a treasure chest of happy memories wanting to come home with you. Have a delicious cheeseburger, have a beer, write your name on a dollar bill and stick it to the ceiling. read more

STEPH JUDGEMENT: An iconic oasis in the desert. After a hot walk looking at all the bizarro stuff on Bombay Beach, we needed cold drinks and some food. The Ski Inn was pretty the only game in town for those items, so off we went. The interior was wonderfully cool, in more ways than one. Be prepared to see a LOT of dollar bills everywhere, with all kinds of stuff written on them. The place was very kitschy, but had a fun local vibe. You order at the bar and they'll bring out the stuff to you. I got the Fish and chips, and the hubby a Veggie burger with onion rings. I saw the bartender pour some lemonade from a pitcher and that looked so good I had to get some, with a ton of ice, of course. I was hoping it might be homemade, but nope, it was like a Minute Maid powder or frozen concentrate with the unpleasant artificial aftertaste--blah, should've just gotten a beer. The food took a really long time to come out. We knew there was only one cook, but still. Looking at all the crazy dollar bills taped everywhere was a pleasant enough diversion, though. When we finally got our food, all the fried items had an overly brown color to them, like they were fried in old oil, but they actually tasted ok. My fish was good--nice and hot and generously portioned, but the fries seemed like they'd been sitting out for a while. The hubby liked his veggie burger and onions rings fine, but the food overall wasn't anything to rave about. But if you're the only game in town, why try harder? read more

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What a cool place for anyone! Excellent service fast and happy to have you in! The food seems amazing! Currently waiting on my Ortega burger! If I'm ever out this direction I will most definitely be back! read more

Ski Inn - Road the bike into town for some food! - American Near Me - Niland, California

Considering there is nothing out here in this area this is definitely a 4 star establishment respectfully. $5.50 a draft was good and the ambiance plus service was delightful. Cool interior designs with darts and a pool table. Worth a stop for sure read more

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These folks were super nice. If you are looking for a local bar to hang out in and hear some interesting stories this would be the place. :-) all we wanted was a cup of coffee and they brewed us a fresh pot - also must love dogs!!!! read more

Ski Inn - The patio at Ski Inn and Duke - American Near Me - Niland, California

decent restaurant the food was good Don't expect to be served by a server tho you need to go up and order which they don't specify

Dive bar in one-of-a kind Bombay Beach near salton Sea. Dollar bills covering almost every surface. Bartender was friendly and fast. A lot of outdoor space. Clean bathroom. Very good patty melt. read more

This is really the place to hangout when it is EXHAUSTINGly hot outside. The people here are so friendly and makes you feel like you're not really isolated in this town! We played some card games and ate a good burger with some beers. A local gave us a map of the resort. Note: cash only!! read more

Ski Inn - Cheeseburger - American Near Me - Niland, California

I love this place. I felt like we spent a chunk of our Salton Sea trip here. We come here for water and burgers and pies. The staff is nice and the decorations are amazing; everything here is eccentric and down-to-earth. All I can say is it feels familiar and otherworldly at the same time, it's a true hidden gem. This city is. Made so many memories here. Summer 2022 read more

Ski Inn - 07/2022 - American Near Me - Niland, California

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Stopped at ski inn dive bar on our way back to sd after visiting and exploring Bombay beach! Definitely a must see spot, the inside was filled with dollar bills from visitors everywhere and it seems as if this spot is the spot for locals. We went on a Monday night had a few drinks and the Patty melt! If you're looking for a quick spot to eat this probably isn't it because it did take a bit for the food to come out but if u have time to chill and enjoy your time this is the place! We added a dollar to the overwhelmingly filled dollar decor :) staff was nice and it was exactly how it should be! Also this place is known as the lowest bar in the western hemisphere! So now I can say ive been there! read more

I was here during Bombay Biennale and I never thought mango cart beer could taste so good until I had one at ski Inn after the whole day adventure at Bombay beach. Cool lil spot with good selection of beer. I didn't really get into food because we got there after 7pm and the kitchen already close. The lady who serve beer was great. The vibe is kind of vintage and there's a mix of locals and fun art lover city people which makes it an interesting people watch experience. Overall, I hope ski inn continues to exist and strive cus I can't imagine going to Bombay beach without going to ski inn anymore. read more

Ski Inn - American Near Me - Niland, California

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Disgusting. Inside smelled like pine sol. Outside smelled like dog piss and thousands of flies. I'm part of the clean plate club but i barely touched it. This was an experience for sure. Don't go here for the food. I would have gave 1 star but 2 stars for the disgustingly unique experience. read more

This place is everything you'd expect from an eclectic old school bar! We made a trip to Bombay Beach finally and stayed in town for the night. We tried to find information on music online but it was dated but we were gladly surprised when we stopped in and a band was getting setup! The band didn't have a name yet as they just started playing together but they were great! We started our time here with ordering drinks at the bar. They had plenty of beers and liquor for all the different patrons including us! The place has been noted from the famous (rest his soul in peace) Anthony Bourdain as having the best patty melt so we order exactly that! We were shocked when the bartender said it would be about an hour wait for the burgers but figured "When in Rome!". We really enjoyed the food once it arrived. You pay and order at the bar and then they find you in the place to service you! Ha. The bar has dollar bills taped alllllll over the walls and pretty much anywhere they allow. An old pool table to play for free! A pink vintage bathroom! A mix is flare and decor from the ages. Lastly, the place has been around since Bombay Beach was an actually mini Palm Springs. I believe the lady walking around was the owner. I did not ask her but everyone seemed to know her! One last note, within the Beach Art they have a Ski Inn II! Great time! Thanks to bartender, server and the chef! read more

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Great dive bar as far as dive bars go. can't say I have seen so many one dollar bills in one place other then at a strip club as it's not just the walls and ceilings but lamp shades, jute boxes, games and etc. locals type of place. FYI maybe not order the food. read more

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Is it worth the 100-150 miles drive just to come here for the food? No. But this is not the place for just the food. It's the whole vibes in and out of Imperial county and the far east side of the Riverside county area that are worth visiting. I know, that's a whole package. It's totally worth, at least, a one or two days trip tho. I've always loved this area in SoCal: Anza-Borrego, Slot Canyon, Painted Canyon, Bombay Beach Ruins, Algodones Dunes, etc. OK. Let me take off my travel snob hat and back to the restaurant topic. If you are visiting Bombay Beach, this is the place to get food. Very delish eats, good price, SUPER nice people. Their bathrooms have different themes, how cute. They also have live music sometimes. I highly recommend SKI INN. It will complete your visit to Bombay Beach. read more

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Fun & different. We enjoyed the Caesar salad & the spinach salad. The French fries are delicious. The Fried food is super greasy & heavy. Staff is friendly & hard working! Fun night out with music outside! read more

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This is not an ordinary review. Because this is not an ordinary restaurant. You have to take Ski Inn for what it is. It's a snapshot in history in the iconic Bombay Beach community. What makes the Ski Inn wonderful, is everything! The food is surprisingly good, despite my over crispy, tater tots, and their french fries are fantastic! The servers and bartenders are just delightful, so kind, so friendly and really approachable. It's a little intimidating walking into a very local community dive bar setting as a tourist- but that feeling fades very quickly as soon as you encounter any of the sweet locals outside or within. Everybody is just so NICE!!! The patio area is adorable, full of potted plants and picnic chairs and tables and umbrellas and locals just hanging out. Very pet friendly. Even the outdoor flies just wanna hang out. A bit annoying, but whatcha gonna do? And did I mention their cocktails are delightful? And the prices are good too. No trip to the Salton Sea would be complete without a stop at the Ski Inn. Bombay beach was nice, but the stop at the Ski Inn was what made the trip complete. read more

Stopped by for lunch while exploring the Salton Sea. Fun atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious food. Will come again.

How long do you have to sit at the bar without being acknowleged or served? After 15 minutes I got up & walked out. I noticed when I first sat down there were tense words between the waitress & bartender (who looked like Santa Claus in shorts). Then the bartender turned his back on me & busied himself with writing on a leger & fooling around with an electrical plug issue. Never got a drink or a burger.. They lost a customer who won't be back. read more

The best biscuits and gravy we have ever had! Large home made biscuits delicious gravy and chunks of very good non greasy sausage. Our friends had the full breakfast and loved theirs. The half order of biscuits and gravy was plenty for two people. The weather was perfect so we sat on the patio and it was very nice. We liked the atmosphere. The bartender and the customers were all very friendly and happy people. We were on a motorcycle ride with friends and we all want to come back and have breakfast again. It was Sunday so I am not sure if that is the only day they serve breakfast. I would call and ask. read more

I'm pretty sure this is the ONLY place to eat here at Bombay Beach. Not much to report for this place on this review. They have about 5 items on their menu which includes a burger, cheeseburger, poblano burger, grilled cheese, brisket sandwich, fries and a few pies. All of these menu items are in a small chalkboard at their bar. No hostess to seat you. Just walk in and have a seat inside or out on their patio. Order the food at the bar and give them your table number. They'll bring the food to you. I don't eat meat and I'm gluten free, so I was stuck eating fries. We had a party of 5, and they only had 1 burger left for the day. The rest ate brisket. Smelled good, and all was eaten. Fries were a bit wilted, but I'm not going to base this place on their fries alone. Place is decorated in dollar bills. They'll give you a marker and tape at the bar for you to add your own customized dollar. If we're in the area again, we'll probably come back. read more

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Popped in with my mom because she wanted to show me where her and her late husband used to come and have drinks with friends. It was easy to find and had plenty of parking. The decor is all over the place and lot of signed dollars on the wall, I even saw my friends that he put there shortly after we graduated HS(manny years ago). Most of the foot traffic seemed to be tourists. There were some locals there too. Everyone was pretty chill. The staff was kind and super helpful. We ordered our food and got it fairly quickly. Lots of fried options. I had a small side salad and potato salad both were good and hit the spot. They do have a great patio to relax on as well during the cooler months. read more

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Was a cool little place money all over the walls! Of course my daughter and I had to put a dollar up. Service was top notch! "How's the patty melt?" The patty melt wasn't to shabby! Don't pass up the ski inn if your exploring the area! read more

Ski Inn - Anthony Bourdain! - American Near Me - Niland, California

This was an unplanned, delightful experience at the Ski Inn! The service was great and the decor was fun. I got the BLT sandwich and it was delicious. read more

Made a pit stop at this iconic Salton Sea dive bar with dollar-bill-papered walls for good grub and to rub elbows at the bar with locals. Legend has it that the late food critic Anthony Bourdain stopped here for one of their beefy patty melts. The onion rings don't disappoint either. The Ski Inn, which boasts 4.5 stars on Yelp, managed to survive the ravages of time in Bombay Beach, a defunct 50s resort that's now a growing canvas for outsider art installations. Besides food and libations (they pour a mean and large margarita), they also supply tape and markers to post your greenbacks. It's cash only so bring extra bills! Highly recommended. read more

Love it! Felt right at home here (: Bartenders and cook were so nice and the food was delicious! Cool dive bar! read more

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Support this interesting and funky stop in Bombay Beach! Rich history, super friendly staff, and a nice bite to eat as you experience Salton sea. read more

10/10! Highly recommend stopping by this place after your adventures from Bombay Beach! The burger is one of the best burgers I've ever had- the staff is welcoming, locals are friendly, and the drinks are amazing! read more

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Iconic spot out by the Salton Sea. Cute courtyard to have Lu ch or a drink. Friendly staff. This restaurant was featured on the Food channel, so I thought that I would check it out and I am glad that I did. It's a little bit of a drive but makes for a fun little road trip with a good meal when you reach your destination. I will returning. read more

Ski Inn - Turn off to the Inn - American Near Me - Niland, California

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