This review is for breakfast. On a desolate stretch of highway 40 between Needles and Barstow lies a tiny little town called Ludlow (former mining town). And in that "town" is a gas station, and a cafe. Thank goodness for this cafe! It saved our starving tummies by providing good, solid cafe fare - bacon and eggs, waffles, etc. Next time we're on this stretch, I'd stop here. read more

As a truck driver finding this little oasis was a blessing, waitress was very friendly and fast to be by herself. Food was great served fast and delicious just the way I like it. Had the ham and cheese omelette with hash browns and white toast, the omelette was overflow with chunks of ham. The ambient of the place was awesome as well. Plenty of truck parking for us truckers as well. Overall an A+++ read more

See all

First time eating here... It's an old restaurant... But they have the friendliest staff... Food is good and served fast... Comfort food in the middle of nowhere... We will surely come and visit again (hopefully soon)... read more

Here I sit at the Ludlow Cafe in historic but desolate town of Ludlow California. I like real mom an pop greasy spoon dinners and the Ludlow Cafe is right there. It's right off the I-40 across from the chevron station. There were a few people sitting inside kinda felt like a movie set with bikers , cowboys and city folk all mixed up. I ordered a ham and cheese omelette with mushrooms, well done hash browns and the biscuit with gravy. I will say it took a bit to get my breakfast but then it came. As it made by Gordon Ramsey? No ,was it Great? no but it was good and hit the spot and should hold me over until my next stop ,Gallop New Mexico. My advice is if we really want to Make America Better ( We always have been Great) then support our small businesses and enjoy real America. Ludlow Cafe is true America. read more

Everything in this place had a weird taste to it. Coffee was the worst. Wow. Waitress was nice.

You won't go wrong if you order the ham steak and eggs. This is a cafe where you can get a large, thick cut of bone-in country ham that taste just right. The eggs, over medium were cooked properly, and the home fries were good with a little crunch on the outside, and soft inside. Not highly seasoned, so you will want some ketchup on them. Also included was a biscuit with sausage gravy. The biscuits were a little chewy, and not fluffy, but soaked up the tasty gravy poetry well. I ate all except half the ham to eat later. Dianne had the pancake sandwich which was a large sausage patty, two eggs, and three pancakes. All was good. read more

Ludlow Cafe - Now that's what I call a ham streak. - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

While taking a road trip to the grand canyon from California we stopped here for breakfast. It's a small diner on route 66. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner , and pies too! Fast quick service when we walked in. I ordered coffee, hash browns and french toast. The food isn't too pricey, and I enjoyed my meal. If you're looking for a quiet, cozy, place to have a decent meal this is it. read more

Ludlow Cafe - Menu front - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

See all

We walked in without any sign of welcome. There were two ladies that didn't want to acknowledge us, a very nice older gentleman tried to find us a table but was yelled at! The lady at the cash register said "O sh-t" when she was checking out someone "then said, excuse my language ". It was Easter Sunday with many small children!!! I will never know if the food was good or not!!! We were a party of seven and we tip well but left!! read more

Awesome diner with solid diner-style options: breakfast all day, salads, hot & cold sandwiches, and of course, burgers. Tl;DR - 100% diner, 100% what you'd want, happy belly, happy wallet -- no regrets. We hit this spot on our road trip from DC to LA. It is super convenient, right off of 40, and there's a busy Chevron across the street so that your car can fill up too! The dining area -- you can sit at the counter, booths, or tables. It is decorated in a mining-camp motif (there are mining cars out front - photo opp!). Everything is clean, ceilings are high and over all it feels open, airy, and well maintained. Bathrooms are what they are, it is an older building, but they are CLEAN -- and no flush urinals for the men! The important part: food. We had cafe's famous french dip, and a breakfast platter. Everything was well cooked, huge pile of hashed potatoes with the breakfast platter. French dip was decent, big sandwich, plenty of beef, hot, and the sauce was spot-on. Savory but not overpowering. Large side of fries to boot. The prices are excellent, and the staff was super friendly. Our waitress was very new and the service was a little slow (for a diner), but she was courteous and friendly. We were there right around lunch time (1ish) and she was the only waitress working, with about 8-10 tables, so we understood the minor wait (pun intended). Checkout was at the counter only took two minutes even with another customer checking out before us. They DO take credit cards. Overall, just exactly what you'd expect and want in a road-side diner. read more

If you walk in the restroom, you will not eat here. We waited over an hour then asked the server if our sandwiches were prepared and she said they were not so we left and went to DQ. I will not be back. This is not the place to go with hungry kids or if you're in a hurry. read more

Stopped here on my way home from Laughlin for breakfast. Breakfast was really good, I would definitely be back. Bathrooms are run down but fairly clean. Service was friendly and quick. read more

My friend and I were driving back from Laughlin, and we knew we'd need to stop mid route. I had checked Yelp, and this place had so many interesting reviews, aside from being on Route 66, that we decided we'd give it a try. O. M. G. My friend had the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were fluffy and homemade, and the gravy was perfectly seasoned and creamy. I had an omelette that was stuffed to the bursting point with chilies, cheese, and grilled ham. We also both had the hashbrowns which we agreed were possibly the best we ever had. Did I mention the coffee was good? Everything was so good that I ate a lot more than I should have. Will I be stopping here again? You betcha! read more

Ladies be warned: the creepy male cook walked into the women's restroom without making sure it was empty (it was obvious two women were in stalls) to empty garbages and then hung out in there for way too long. Made my mom VERY uncomfortable and then showed no remorse when confronted by my dad. DO NOT STOP HERE!!! read more

If you can wait till Barstow (or eat in Barstow on your way East) do it. This place is tiny (it's also south of the freeway, not north as the map says), run down, and not overly clean. We stopped for lunch - so I can not comment on breakfast quality. The chef salad was sad. The chicken had been cooked with no seasoning at all, it was all Ice-burg lettuce m, there was 1 slice of tomato, no other toppings. The Rueben was not good (i think it had mayo on it), just don't do it. The patty melt was pretty much as expected. The fries were crisp - that was nice. The other items were acceptable but forgettable. Someone at a booth near us had the chili and seemed to enjoy it - so maybe go that route. The bathrooms...it is probably better to just hold it. If you just have to stop, be prepared to wait, quick they aren't. The waitress was friendly. read more

Didnt eat here , but it looked like a place to try. i m not sure how long they will last as it is really just next to a gas station in the middle of nowhere on old route 66 . There were about 6 people in there , so it must be ok. the people in the kitchen looked like you would imagine a place like that would be. im a big fan of nostalgia and character, this place still seems to have it! read more

Ludlow Cafe - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

This place defines a hwy diner. I am going to arrange my diet to have lunch or dinner there next time I am near.

The food I ordered would only rate one star. I wanted to bump the rating up to three because the personnel there at least tried to make it right, but in good conscience I couldn't. I ordered the chicken basket, which is supposed to be three pieces of chicken and fries. Well, the chicken was super tiny. I mean, the drumstick was smaller than my pinkie finger. And the breast and thigh were smaller than usual, too. It was ridiculous. Ten bucks for that? I realize that prices are going to be a little higher when you're out in the middle of nowhere, but at least have decent portion sizes. Anyhow, I showed the waitress the tiny little chicken leg and asked if this was normally what they served or was this an anomaly? Surprisingly, she said it was the norm. I was a bit taken aback, but I didn't say anything. I wasn't going to make any more of a deal out of it than that. But a little while later the cook came out and offered to make me an additional side item, like a potato salad or mash potatoes and gravy. He ended up bringing me a grilled chicken breast and a side potato salad for no extra charge. It was a very nice gesture, but I gotta say, even this didn't taste all that great. I have a feeling it was just microwaved and maybe thrown on the grill to brown it a little. And the potato salad had a peculiar taste to it, too. I don't know, maybe this was just a bad menu choice. If I ever stop here again, I'll probably just stick with the burgers. read more

See all

Great little cafe. Breakfast with perfect bacon. Stop for refreshing break. You will enjoy.

Fantastic little gem out in the middle of nowhere - literally. Super nice Michelle and Chef Robert on hand who served up incredibly good fare. Definitely stop in. We had Fried Chicken, Philly Steak, and Club Sandwich (get the potato salad) all as good as we've had anywhere. Thumbs up! read more

Ludlow Cafe - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

Food tastes very weird...the soup we got was cold and looked very unappetizing. The chicken fried steak looked like it was in the freezer for a year...we only came here because it was the only spot in the area. The bathrooms were disgusting...they smelled strongly of urine and there was paper all over the floor. I'd advise steering clear of this and sticking it out until the next city. read more

Fantastic service Michelle and Patricia where very welcoming and amazingly beautiful the Service was fantastic and the food was great

We got takeout and ate in our RV. Cheese burger and chili size, both meals were hot, fresh and tasty. The place had a constant stream of customers. read more

Don't bother. We walked in they said 45 minutes until they would even take the order. I called ahead 10 minutes. They could have told us then...Duh. I would not suggest...Ever read more

Ludlow Cafe - Don't bother. - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

See all

Nice ambiance and the staff (one lady) is very friendly. Food isn't amazing but it's still good. I'd come back and order something other than their "famous French dip". Not the best. Ranch here is bottled so I wasn't happy with that. Hubby loved his breakfast and honestly I'm loving smelling it. read more

Ludlow Cafe - Lol books like this at every table! - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

See all

When I walked in the door there was literally the dirtiest crazy bum I had seen in years sitting right near the front door, and he smelled like shit, ugh, it was terrible. But when in a town such as Ludlow you should always be aware that there may be a crazy person just around the corner. Anyway, the cops picked him up about 2 hours later, it's a bit of a drive from Barstow, so police response is pretty slow here. Anyway, the food was exactly what you would expect, not very good, but exactly what it said on the menu. My friend and I ate what the wait staff told me to order, and it was good. So really not too bad of a stop to eat, much better than say a DQ next door because there's DQ's everywhere, and only one Ludlow Cafe. The one problem I would say is that they do not stay open late at all. I think the Thursday night that I was there they closed at 6, not positive though. read more

We found good solid diner food at this restaurant. The burgers and fries were better than fast food. The club sandwich is enormous! Big enough to share for a lunch entree. The potato salad was fresh with chunks of dill pickle. The decor is early 1970s mining camp, and the restrooms are "special" (one person in our party had the cover of the toilet paper holder fall on her head) but the food is decent. The plates are plastic, the coffee is good. The waitress seemed very busy, and the service was leisurely. Didn't get to try the pie, the sign said homemade. read more

Ludlow Cafe - Inside the Ludlow Cafe, where the plates are plastic, and the burgers are good. - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

Fun "Route 66" road trip stop: the restaurant has a few souvenirs and offers a nice decor. Could be better: the typical burger joint food with few vegetarian options (saved by the omelets!). read more

Worst place I ever ate. Waitress was rude, took forever to take my order and even to get a water. Ordered an overpriced $9 Deluxe burger. Came with a cheap bun and that fake cheese that comes wrapped in plastic. Not even melted! The burger was razor thin and burnt. Huge waist of time and money. Will never stop there again. If you stop in Ludlow, go to Dairy Queen instead. read more

Great breakfast and very friendly staff. Everything was cooked just a we requested. Great stop off cafe to break up I-40 drive.

Great place to stop and relax after a long drive going east or west. I was so thankful when i saw this cozy cafe across the truck stop. I had the chicken salad. Wonderful tasting grilled chicken with hard boiled egg. Simple and effective. Thanks read more

Ludlow Cafe - Chicken salad was awesome! - American Near Me - Ludlow, California

On our way to Kingman we made it a point to discover Historical Route 66. This cafe was in the middle of no where with "Great" food. Friendly staff, and some history of the old Ludlow. Definitely a must stop for good eats. read more

Forgot to review this place when i visited back in 2016 but it was a decent place for breakfast on our way home from camping out in the old woman mountains. Cute place that has a lot of character. read more

The food was maybe ok, the smell there wasn't very pleasant, the bathroom smell would make a maggot gag, I was wondering why the truckers were parked over by the Dairy Queen.....HMMM. read more

The service was quick, the girl was really nice, the food tasted incredibly fresh, and it's a cool old building. I had an awesome time, and I'll be back again for sure. read more

On our way back from a family trip we decided to stop by this cafe, great food. But we were discriminated for being Hispanics, I was observing how the waitress was greeting the Caucasian people. When she came to us she was extremely rude! My husband asked for creamer and her reply was, If you want creamer for your coffee get up and get it your self on the front counter, immediately when she said that the people next to us felt so bad that they offered us their creamers. Never again will stop at this café. read more

Stopped for breakfast had a really good diced ham and eggs special it's in the middle of nowhere on the 40. The waitress did a great job.

Do not stop here!!! Service was ok but the food was horrible!!!! Homemade chili my butt! Nothing worse than the person serving you your food lie to you about the food!! It was discussing I've had way betterr can chili than that. The deluxe burger was a joke! The pork chops were very dry. We would have better off eating from the gas station across the street. The only good thing about our meal was our sodas. The waitress wanted to close so she turn off all of the lights around us and of coarsee our light was broken leaving us eating in very diM lighting. As we paid she held the iPad and hovered over me while I left the til which made me feel very uncomfortable. I repeat do not stop here! read more

Really good coffee. Best chicken fried steak within 50 miles. Super nice staff. Restrooms clean. It's a gem in the middle of nowhere. Will return. read more

Finally I made it here! After two previous visits through Ludlow at odd times, I was here for breakfast. Ludlow is the heart of Route 66 in California, off the beaten track, a by-gone era of great interstate travel. Situated next to a rather bleak looking motel, Ludlow has a distinctive cabin shape. The inside is adorned with old tools and even phone jacks once used by truckers to make calls. The pies are made at the restaurant (more on that). I had some hot seat and a green chili omelette with hashbrowns, and a side of biscuit and gravy. None of the food was particularly outstanding- it runs about $9-10 a plate, but the portions were big, and nothing to complain about. The green chili is out of a can, for example. But to a road weary traveler seeking a bit of nostalgia and go somewhere that feels like it was plucked right out of the 1960s, this is worth a stop. There isn't a ton of 66 for sale, so it's mostly about the food, the coffee, and the pie. They were a bit low on pie options at the time and I think my blueberry slice was from the previous day- I've had better pie, and it felt like more crust than anything. I'd rate this place a *** and a 1/2 if I could. I like coming by Ludlow on my way to Amboy Crater, and I'd eat here again. read more

Stopped in here to get some pie and coffee; best coconut cream pie we've had. My girlfriend's grandparents lived in Barstow and when she was little, they would take her out here for pie. True nostalgia. The only downside is that their hours are limited (6 AM to 6 PM), but that's excusable because it's a very small town. I've heard that they used to be open 24/7 though. read more