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Home » Restaurant Reviews » An Oasis In The California Desert
CaliforniaRestaurant Reviews

An Oasis In The California Desert

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 10, 2018November 14, 2023 6 Comments

The car trip home from Las Vegas to Los Angeles is one of the more loathsome U.S. road trips out there. Thankfully, there is an oasis in the desert.

As you make the 4.5 hour journey along desolate I-15, there is isn’t much to see. Once you leave the outskirts of Las Vegas, you essentially hit three small towns until you again reach “civilization” in the outskirts of Los Angeles. First is Primm, a the Nevada/California border, next is Baker, and last is Barstow.

Leaving Las Vegas, you will see billboards for a restaurant called Mad Greek Cafe in both Primm and Baker. Both are excellent, though the original restaurant is in Baker.

Typically, I will leave Las Vegas about 4-5 P.M., meaning the trip home coincides with dinner time. Stopping at The Mad Greek Cafe has become a new favorite tradition.

The restaurant is quite eclectic…in a good way. There is Greek food on the menu, but also American and Mexican food. The decor is quite dated…also in a good way.

a room with blue booth seats and tables

a plant in a pot in a restaurant

a restaurant with blue booth seating and white and black checkered floor

a blue booth seating in a restaurant

a restaurant with tables and chairs

a white statue in a restaurant

a room with blue booth seats and tables

There’s just something about it that I like so much. During my last Vegas trip, it was approaching 8:00 P.M. and we were hungry. We parked at the Tesla Supercharger station, which is about 3/4 of miles down the road from the restaurant. Although the sun had almost set, the desert heat remained brutal…it was a long walk.

But considering all the calories in the food, probably a necessary walk as well. My favorite dish is beef/lamb gyros. If you’re on a diet, it is a delicious cheat meal and totally worthwhile. The hummus and French Fries are also good.

a restaurant with a corner of a road

a building with a sign and a statue

a blue sign with white text

a coffee machine in a restaurant

a menu board with images of food on it

a menu board with pictures of food on it

a plate of meat and fries

a plate of meat and parsley

french fries in a container

a plate of food on a table

CONCLUSION

I chuckle that little roadside restaurants in the middle of the desert become so important, but I love the Mad Greek Cafe. I truly do. You can find it at 72112 Baker Blvd in Baker, California 92309.

Admit it, don’t you also have favorite junk food hole-in-the-wall restaurants you stop in when making familiar road trips? Isn’t that a small joy of travel?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

6 Comments

  1. Drew Reply
    September 10, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    Thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories of my time in LA when I would do this drive to Vegas on weekends, and always make a point of stopping in Baker, either for the Mad Greek or the Bun Boy (with The World’s Largest Thermometer outside). The Bun Boy is sadly long gone, wonderful that the Mad Greek survives. I always enjoyed entering from and exiting into the blasting Mohave heat, it was part of the experience, as was the sense of dusty desolation in spite of I-15 thundering by.

  2. Craig Reply
    September 10, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    Which Tesla do you drive? Model 3 here

    • Matthew Reply
      September 10, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      I drive an Audi, but my business partner has a Model S P100D.

      • Mitch Cumstein Reply
        September 11, 2018 at 6:32 am

        Porterhouse, there’s a brown Audi parked in my parking space. Get a tow truck over here and have it hauled away immediately.

  3. MeanMeosh Reply
    September 10, 2018 at 11:00 pm

    Shortly after my wife and I were married, my in-laws surprised us by paying for a 2-night hotel stay and show tickets on the Strip over the Thanksgiving holiday. The drive to Vegas was uneventful. But then it took us 7 hours to get back to their house in Loma Linda due to a traffic jam on the 15 that extended from the ag inspection station outside Barstow all the way back to the Nevada line. We only made it home in 7 hours because I got off onto some backroads just past Mountain Pass, found my way to I-40, and then worked my way back to Barstow. I swore never to make that drive again. And you know if even I put a stretch of road on my “X” list, it truly deserves it.

    Anyway, you know I have no shame in seeking out dives anywhere I can find them if they have a reputation for good food. If you ever find yourself road tripping through West Texas, stop at Chuy’s (no relation to the chain of Jenna Bush fame) in Van Horn, about 120 miles east of El Paso. I’m not particularly a fan of New Mexico-style Mexican food, but I make an exception for that place.

  4. KenP Reply
    October 3, 2018 at 12:29 am

    I stop at the Mad Greek every time I go through the area. Amazing lamb dishes! What is amazing are those pictures you have of the place being vacant. Each time I have stopped, the place has been full of people!

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