x
Breaking News
More () »

Get a bite to eat at the Outpost Cafe — the gateway to Highway 395 | Bartell's Backroads

The Outpost Cafe: where hungry travelers fill up before heading up Highway 395, one of California's best routes for a road trip.

HESPERIA, Calif. — It's a truck driver's paradise, attracting cargo haulers from all over to fill their bellies full of classic eats. The Outpost Cafe has been serving hungry travelers since 1929, just three years after California began the construction of Highway 395, which spans more than 1,300 miles from California to Canada.

Ryan Dandurand is the current owner of the Outpost. He says the business has changed hands many times and was even forced to change locations when Interstate 15 was built. 

“Used to be across the street but eminent domain forced them to move here in 1961,” said Dandurand.

TAKE A TRIP ON BARTELL'S BACKROADS:
 See an interactive map of everywhere John has visited on the backroads
► Watch all of the Backroads videos
► Follow 
John on Facebook

The staff has changed but the food and service haven’t. The Outpost has an old fashion feel and you won’t find Wi-Fi here. Dandurand said it encourages people to talk over a piece of their famous lemon meringue pie.

“We had one guy from the UK running across America and did a blog on it, and this was his ending spot,” said Dandurand.

Kentucky-born truck driver Patrick Webb has made the Outpost Cafe a regular stop since 1982 and it's all because of the chopped steak.

“I deadheaded up from Long Beach just for this," said Webb. “It tastes good at half the price of a ribeye.”

Being at the intersection of two major roads, I-15 and Highway 395, there’s no shortage of traffic. Travelers stop here on their way to Vegas or to begin one of the greatest road trips in California, a journey up Highway 395.

ANOTHER ROAD TRIP PIT STOP OPTION | A soup and sandwich food safari.

Before You Leave, Check This Out