Burger Joints in Crestline, CA

Hot juicy burgers are the hallmark of small town living and it is usually in these small towns that the best burgers can be found outside of a large chain restaurant. This is true of a small town in the San Bernardino Mountains in California known as Crestline. This small mountain town has three particularly scrumptious burger joints for hungry travelers and locals alike.

The first of these local hotspots is the "A" Burger one of Crestline's oldest continuously operating restaurants. This place says small town America. This little burger joint located at 24075 Lake Dr has a quaint walk up window with benches outside to eat and a small dining room for the warmer months. The dining room has only six tables the restaurant is well worth the close quarters. The food is good and cheap which comes at the expense of the deco which is white and boring but clean. The "A" has deluxe burgers which has a 1/3 pound patty with lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese if ordering the burger deluxe. At a price of only $2.50 and $1.00 for medium fries this is a great deal. The A also offers bacon burgers, bacon cheese burgers, and chili burgers which range in price from $3.00-$3.75. This is a fantastic deal considering the "A"'s competition across the street, a large chain store does not offer anything even close to a chili burger let alone one for only $3.75. The biggest highlight of the "A" restaurant is a root beer shake, a local favorite. The shake is not like a root beer float which gets foamy and the ice cream will not mix easily. The shake is smooth creamy and combines the best of root beer floats with a silky texture. For only a dollar for a small and $3 for a large this is the drink to get when visiting Crestline.

The next local spot for burgers is the Loose Caboose located at 23420 Crest Forest Dr. This place is a true local landmark with lots of regulars coming to get a good meal. The theme of the place is trains like the name would suggest. All of the menu items are train themed and there is a train that travels around the ceiling of the whole restaurant. The walls are all hand painted murals depicting trains. The food here is decent for burgers like the conductor "bacon burger" or the engineer "chili burger." The fries are salty and hot and the place has an ice cream parlor right inside of the place. The Loose Caboose has fair prices but the Caboose is not for the gourmet palate and the staff can be a little slow if there is a lot of regulars, but for experiencing a true small town dinner this is the place to go.

The real gem of Crestline for burger joints Paula's Crestline Café formerly known as Paula's Place. The owner did not change it was just a name change for financial purposes, and yes when entering the café one can meet Paula who is a real person not just a small town name. The café is located at 23450 Crest Forest Drive, which is just up the street from the Loose Caboose and boasts charming décor with hand painted frescos on the walls and soft music in a diner setting giving the place an upscale feel without stuffiness. The food here at the Crestline Café is absolutely fantastic and varied. The burger menu kicks off with the basic which is a 1/3 pound patty like all of the burgers which is served on a Kaiser roll with Jack, American, Cheddar, or Swiss cheese, for only $6.50 without cheese it is only $5.95. The addition of bacon or Ortega Chiles brings the price up to only $7.50. The price of all the burgers includes a side dish of French fries, Cole slaw, potato salad, soup du' jour, or luncheon salad. For $1 extra one can substitute the side dish for sweet potato fries, a local favorite, seasoned fries, steak fries, or onion rings. Other burgers include an open faced chili burger for $9.50, a Hawaiian themed burger with sautéed mushrooms teriyaki glaze, and grilled pineapple on a Kaiser roll for $8.50. Also notable burgers include a pastrami burger, a western burger with barbeque sauce and onion rings, and "The Logger" a double stacked hamburger smothered with grilled onions, Cheddar, and Jack cheeses, on a Parmesan sourdough roll akin to Clearman's cheese bread for those familiar with the Northwood's restaurants and Clearman's in store products. All burger patties can be substituted for a veggie patty for only 75 cents or grilled chicken breast for only $1. For budget conscious diners the Crestline café also offers a super value combo including a ¼ pound burger patty with all the fixings of lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles just like all of the burgers. The super combo also contains an order of batter dipped fries and a soft drink for only $6.25.

To fill up on burgers in the San Bernardino Mountains these places are the best for any sightseeing tourist or local in the mood for great food. If one should ever chance upon these places go in and see the place, and enjoy a great meal in the jewel of the Inland Empire.
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A Restaurant the in Crestline CA
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Loose Caboose Cafe Coffee
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Paula's Crestline Cafe Menu