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The road from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is one marked with mostly desert mountain roads — long stretches of nothing and sometimes crippling traffic depending on the time and day of the week. Leave LA on a Friday afternoon and it’ll take six hours to go to Vegas. Leave Vegas on a Sunday afternoon and it’ll take the same time or longer to get back to LA. And along the way, most of the food is going to be of the corporate fast-food variety, from Del Taco and McDonald’s to Chipotle and Panda Express. However, there are some actual highlights in cities like Victorville and Barstow, and at least a few historical oddities like the original Del Taco building in little Yermo, or the currently closed but hopefully soon-to-reopen Mad Greek in Baker, California. Here now, 10 places to eat along the drive between LA and Sin City.
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10 Restaurants to Try Between the Drive Between Los Angeles and Las Vegas
Go beyond the chain fast food and eat something interesting between LA and Vegas
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Wichita, Kansas export Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers has been doing smash-style burgers since 2002, expanding to the LA suburb of Victorville a few years ago. It’s a viable In-N-Out alternative with hot dogs, chili cheese fries, and of course, excellent frozen custard to go along with nicely constructed burgers.
Molly Brown's Country Cafe
This chainlet of high desert breakfast spots has locations in Hesperia, Victorville, and Helendale, with easygoing morning favorites like skillets and omelets to lunchtime plates like grilled steak. Open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas until 2:30 p.m.
Maria's Mexican Restaurant
Combo plate restaurant Maria’s has wide plates of enchiladas, camarones a la diabla, chile colorado, and carne asada that should do a fine job of obliterating any hunger along the 270-mile road between LA and Vegas.
Oggi's Sports Brewhouse Pizza
San Diego-based pub and pizza spot Oggi’s has an outlet in Barstow with hefty, cheesy pizzas that come in a variety of toppings, plus its own craft beers.
In-N-Out Burger
It isn’t a road trip without a stop at In-N-Out Barstow for a double-double, fries, and milkshake. There are other In-N-Out locations in Victorville and Hesperia if you can’t wait until Barstow.
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Mr Kabob
One of the most popular takeout kebab spots along Interstate 15, Mr Kabob has generous plates of shish, chicken, and koobideh with sides of hummus, cucumber yogurt, or salad. As they’ll advertise at the restaurant, there are no freezers on-site, which means everything is made pretty fresh. Call ahead to save time on the drive.
Lola’s Kitchen
For those looking beyond In-N-Out Barstow, there’s Lola’s Kitchen, a colorful strip mall gem with hours that stretch from 4 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. That means the family-run restaurant is a convenient stop whether it’s for huevos rancheros or chile verde.
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Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner
There’s nothing like the nostalgia that comes with a meal at Peggy Sue’s Diner in Yermo, the ultimate juke box-shaped ‘50s-era throwback with television memorabilia and diner classics that haven’t changed much over the decades.
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Tita's Burger Den
This dusty stan is actually the original home of Del Taco, which opened in 1964 and sold something like 900 tacos on its first day of business. Yermo was a bigger town back then, with 27 gas stations, grocery stores, and more, but it was bypassed by travelers when I-15 opened in 1968. Del Taco is now called Tita’s Burger Den, selling the same crunchy tacos and other fast-food bites like cheeseburgers and burritos.
Eddie World
Who knew an Instagram-friendly destination would ever open along the 15 freeway? Eddie World actually has an executive chef and numerous cooks who put together some tasty fare from pizza and sandwiches to sushi and ice cream. It’s the kind of weird, colorful pitstop that can make a boring road trip through the California desert tolerable.
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