One of the things I love about taking to the open road are the grease pit diners you find just off the interstate. On our way to L.A. we found a good one; you may remember it from the 1985 blockbuster smash hit Pee Wee’s Big Adventure starring the infamous Paul Reubens. In the scene where Pee Wee’s freakish ride with “Large Marge” concludes, she drops him off at the Wheel Inn Restaurant.
The restaurant is only identifiable from the freeway by the gigantic EAT sign pictured on the right. Well, actually that’s not exactly true; there are also giant dinosaur statues that they keep around back (I haven’t quite figured that one out yet) that also give away the Wheel Inn’s presence. Maybe they are a representation of the colossal portions that this place serves up? Walking into the restaurant is kind of like going through a time warp without hitting 88 Mph; you have the gift shop in the lobby with a lot of retro inventory and Jesus stuff available, you have the fake wood paneling on the walls and ceilings, and best part… token roadside diner waitresses. These ladies are good though, they have probably been serving for about 150 years. I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret-secret: the fact that there were a lot of truckers and bikers here is a good sign. Before the corporate giants took over road trip dining, this was the indicator one used to gauge a decent restaurant.
We get seated and I examine the menu thoroughly, it’s about 10:00 AM so I’m still thinking about breakfast. I had previously been advised against the Eggs Benedict, as we were told that the Hollandaise sauce resembles fluorescent orange nuclear waste. My dining companion opts for the chef’s special, biscuits and sausage gravy (Special $5.95). I finally decide on the Short Stack Special ($8.95), which is a short stack, obviously, one egg any style, and either bacon or sausage. However, I’m held up with the question of whether to order the bacon or the sausage. I decide to consult our token roadside diner waitress, Flo (probably not her real name but she looked like a Flo). Flo recommends the sausage. Always trust your server.
Faster than you can say, “give me a second helping of lard,” Flo rolls out with our food. There’s nothing like diner food, and this place prepares it true “truck stop” style: everything on one plate, no doubt ably stemming back to the days when truckers mushed everything together and wolfed it down so they could get back on the road quickly. Maybe they still eat this way, who the hell knows? I’ll give you the quick and dirty… pancakes were nice and fluffy, the egg prepared correctly, and the sausage was greasy and delicious. My dining companion’s biscuits and sausage gravy were the real star of the show though; legitimately sublime. Flo had mentioned that everything served at the Wheel Inn is homemade and prepared daily. First rate greasy food.