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    20 Mule Cafe

    4.2 (107 reviews)
    InexpensiveNew American
    Open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    20 Mule Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    20 MULE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - 20 Mule Cafe

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    the portions get smaller and smaller but this time was it for me got a Philly cheesesteak it had huge chunks of red bell pepper all in it barley any meat and was on what looked like a sesame seed hot dog bun... tasted ehh wasn't very good at all . and for a combo wasn't even given a drink. the burritos have shrank in size and still gone up in price .

    Interior
    Jeffrey O.

    Get off the freeway folks!!! I came in for a late breakfast and loved the interior decor - lots of years of collecting here. I was the only customer and the woman waiting on me was totally aware of where I was in the ordering, drinking coffee, eating, ready to go process. I had a Western Omelette that was really good - definitely had a Mexican twist with the guacamole. If you want a break from the road and eat in an authentic local restaurant, this place is it.

    Taco salad.
    Jeanne W.

    Iconic restaurant across the street from the 20 Mule Team Museum in Boron. It seems to be an older establishment. The menu is American and Mexican cuisine. There is something for everyone here. I had the Taco Salad. The flour tortilla bowl was freshly fried, crispy, and still warm. The ground beef in the salad appeared to be a hamburger patty that was broken up, not highly seasoned but tasting very flavorful. This restaurant is known for their burgers and I can see why based on the ground beef in the salad. (By now, I was kind of wishing that I had ordered a burger instead.) The rest of the taco salad was perfectly acceptable with fresh lettuce, pico de gallo, and avocado. A torta with carnitas was the daily special. The sandwich was very filling, with savory, good tasting carnitas. The meat was tender, too. There was plenty of sandwich for another meal. Salsa and chips were good. The homemade salsa tasted fresh and had a nice mild chile heat. Definitely get the chips and salsa as an appetizer. Service was quick and efficient. The dining area can accommodate larger parties. The ambiance had an older, well worn establishment vibe to it. This place definitely warrants a return trip especially in conjunction with a tour of the museum across the street. I will certainly try a burger the next time.

    Breakfast

    My sister's boyfriend told us about this place and it did not disappoint. This place was 10/10! Clean environment. Friendly staff (in person only, bc over the phone while placing an order to pick up- the cashier sounded a little rude). While paying we saw how the cooks were actually cooking from scratch. I would definitely recommend if you are passing by Boron. My sister ordered us a breakfast combo plate each and the portions were giantly delicious.

    Doorknob inside women's restroom. There's no excuse for this!

    We made a special detour to this restaurant while passing by Boron due to the positive reviews. Perhaps we should have ordered omelets, which seem to be the specialty here, but I am at a loss how people are referring to this place as a hidden gem! Although the service was helpful and friendly, this restaurant was **not clean.** (See photo.) Of 2 meals our party ordered, one was OK (basic diner food). The other was a patty melt with cheese that was not melted, no onions and a tiny patty, leaving lots of empty bread. Onion rings ($2 upcharge) literally had no onion inside and should have been advertised as "Rings of Batter." The kitchen is visible from the dining area and I could see it was clean (at least the visible part was clean). However, what I saw in the bathroom subtracted a star from what could have been a 2-star review. I feel like retching when I recall this meal.

    Cup of chili
    Raven J.

    What they lack in vegetarian options they makeup for in their amazing customer service and quality. I've been here a few times and I do have to say that they make one of the most delicious burgers I've had from a diner in a long time! Their chili is delicious too!! I took it and topped my fries and made myself some amazing chili cheese fries!! I will say that I'm disappointed by their "Vegetarian" options. The vegetarian burrito is a bean and cheese burrito with rice and bell peppers. Their idea of a vegetarian omelette is the same thing! I think offering some mushroom and broccoli would be a great idea!! They also currently don't have a vegetarian burger option. As a chef myself I feel they could make a few little changes that would increase their overall revenue and food sales substantially! The customer service is great!! The ambience is good and from the looks, the restaurant itself is clean!

    Fried chimichanga
    Kelly D.

    Hidden Gem! We stopped here to eat on our way from Las Vegas to Paso Robles! It was so good that we stopped again on the way back home to eat! The people were friendly and service was great!

    I ordered the Spanish omelette it was delicious. Service is great and the food is quick. Very affordable place

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    9 years ago

    I had a mighty good breakfast at the tweny mule cafe had good service and good coffe too made my day here in Boron Ca.

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    10 years ago

    A tad off the highway but well worth stopping for. Food good and the waitress is all one could ask for. We'll be back.

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    9 years ago

    Great place to stop by if you're on a road trip! Great prices, excellent food and service!

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    14 years ago

    Worth the detour off Highway 58. We had a very good breakfast burrito and will return next time we drive to las Vegas.

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    14 years ago

    Stopped here for lunch on route for the Grand Canyon. Can recommend the BLT. Clean, relatively quick and cool inside. Added to the trip!

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    The Iron Cactus

    The Iron Cactus

    4.1(291 reviews)
    40.0 mi
    $$

    I got the Tombstone burger cooked medium rare with the side house salad and ranch. 10/10. Small…read moreplate, big salad, ranch was great! The burger was absolutely delicious. Super juicy, full of flavor, cooked perfectly, melted cheese. Every bite was delicious. I'm that type of person who's picky with my water at restaurants and it was smooth tasting and clean. Didn't taste like it was sink water or anything. Our server Riley handled our big party pretty well and made sure we were all taken care of. Thanks Riley! I will definitely be back

    I recently had lunch here April of 2026. I had the 24oz porterhouse steak with a side of veggies…read more The steak was cooked the way I asked (medium rare) but it wasn't anything special, a bit dry and the flavor was a miss. The veggies were obviously from frozen and were not very enjoyable. I spent roughly $55 for the entree plus $2 for the sautéed mushrooms which were also disappointing. All in all just not a great tasting meal. After tip and tax $70 was the total and I feel disappointed tricked. I would ask the chef to please put a little more love into your food. If you are going to sauté mushrooms, use some butter, not cooking oil. Get a little flame on your steaks to bring out the flavor and let it acclimate a little bit before you throw it on the grill so it stays juicy. Use fresh vegetables, not frozen or cooked and reheated the next day. The service was great BTW. Only I could tell she knew I wasn't enjoying my meal, which is probably why she didn't ask me how I liked it. On the other hand I had an excellent meal at Broken Bit steakhouse not far from here the day before. The chef should go there and learn something. Oh yeah and my meal was $10 less there.

    Photos
    The Iron Cactus - Modern / rustic Iron Cactus theme! So cute!

    Modern / rustic Iron Cactus theme! So cute!

    The Iron Cactus
    The Iron Cactus

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    Slash X Ranch Cafe - Chicken and waffles

    Slash X Ranch Cafe

    4.4(148 reviews)
    39.9 mi
    $$

    We would have never heard of this place if it wasn't for Harvest Host. We chose it since it was…read morealong our planned route and it turned out to be a great decision. We ate both dinner and breakfast the next morning and both were great. Burgers very fresh and fries hot and crispy. And I always love it when a restaurant offers chicken and waffles. The decor is very eclectic. Ceiling covered with ball caps (Literally hundreds of them). It's definitely a classic local dive. The land out back where Harvest Host guests stay is very roomy. There were 5-6 other people there at the same time as us and we were not close together at all. It was also very quiet. So glad we stumbled upon them!

    First, this is a cafe in the middle of the desert. It has a lot of history, which you can find out…read moreabout on their website. My wife and I ate here for Valentine's day. It had been about 9 years since I've been here, but nothing's changed. It's very nostalgic, the food is great and the service is fast even though it gets really crowded around lunch. My wife had a cheeseburger with no onions and I had the chicken sandwich with no onions both were excellent. The ambience is unbelievable. It's reminiscent of an Old Ranch feed House. Cut this place is definitely for people that ride motorcycles or dune buggies or quads. I had been coming to this place on and off for over 48 years. As you might expect it's a little on the pricey side however you have to remember that you are in the middle of the desert, literally. When my friend from Japan came last year, he wanted to go out there that's how famous this place is. Try it if you get a chance, you won't regret it. They open around 8:00 on Saturday and they are only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I forgot to mention, this place is great for kids. And they had a live band playing which is fantastic since you have lots of outside seating.

    Photos
    Slash X Ranch Cafe - The bar has guardians

    The bar has guardians

    Slash X Ranch Cafe
    Slash X Ranch Cafe

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    The Third Place - Brussel Sprout Salad

    The Third Place

    4.3(619 reviews)
    36.3 mi
    $$

    This place is amazing! The food was absolutely delicious. It was so good that I completely forgot…read moreto take pictures because we started eating right away! We started with a French baguette served with honey butter and olive oil for dipping. Both paired perfectly with the bread and were incredibly flavorful. For our entrées, we ordered the lamb shank with mashed potatoes and the herb honey-crusted chicken on a brioche bun. Both dishes were outstanding and full of flavor. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was pleasant, peaceful, and welcoming. We had a wonderful dining experience and will definitely be back!

    Let's check off the key things on the list:…read more Service 5 - due to both the excellent service provided by Jackie, other wait staff, and very good bar staff. Food 3-5 - we've had mixed experiences, but mostly very good. There aren't any off menu requests accepted. One cannot replace ingredients. One can only remove specific items from a menu choice. Don't even ask. Apparently the chef's policy is absolute. Ambiance 4-5 nicely decorated and designed. Has a high end feel that is unusual for the AV. So why the 3 stars? One single experience. My wife asked the server (Jackie) if it would be possible to get a side of sauteed mushrooms. She said probably not as it's not permitted by the chef. We asked to speak to the manager to express our disappointment. When Jake showed up, before we uttered a word, he stated that it's just something they don't do, so no to our request. Then he turned and walked away. There was no dialogue. It was a one way conversation. In essence, we and our request were dismissed. The experience was incredibly off-putting. It was unnecessary to respond to a patron's request in that manner. Totally unacceptable. I write this review to memorialize the experience for others, because it won't matter to the owner/chef/management. It seems, judging by their total lack of response to other reviews, good or bad, that it really doesn't. Typical dinners we've had run a tab of $150-200 (including tip). We have visited 1-2 times a month for the past two years. We have brought friends and family on several occasions, generating additional per-visit revenue for the restaurant. Again, this doesn't seem to matter. So, sadly, we're going to have to take a leave of this place. Too bad really.

    Photos
    The Third Place - Dining area

    Dining area

    The Third Place
    The Third Place - Tuna stack, chili oil avocado

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    Tuna stack, chili oil avocado

    20 Mule Cafe - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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