Road Trip from San Diego to Phoenix

[LaurenZ]

My husband and I are road tripping from San Diego to Phoenix. Anywhere interesting to eat along the way? Suggestions would be appreciated.

[Ed Dibble]

Yuma is probably the best place for a food stop - being about halfway and having a lot of decent choices.

This is the link to posts at mmm-yoso!!!

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/y...

If you post more about what you are looking for on the Southwest board, I would be happy to provide more specific advice there.

[Beach Chick]

Hi Ed!
Was just at the In and Out Yuma last week and saw 2 taco trucks across from the fields..are they pretty good?
Thanks!

[Ed Dibble]

Probably shouldn't be discussing this on the SD board. I'm not sure which trucks you mean. There is usually a truck in front of Ron's place. Sometimes it's from Juanita's, sometimes Ron has his own. Recently, I thought I saw an inactive truck parked in that area, but it may get going at night. I haven't eaten at either place, but I like Juanita's seafood coceteles at their regular 8th St location.

[mmjgam]

Don't miss Mr G's on 4th ave exit in Yuma. Closed on Sunday.

[Beach Chick]

just did the road trip last week to PHX and always stop for a date shake at Dateland about an hour from Yuma off the 8..delicious!

[Dagney]

I will second the date shake in Dateland. Also, the little diner in Dateland serves a mean Patty Melt.

A trip to Phoenix would simply not be complete without a stop for a Blizzard at the DQ in Gila Bend. That's right, DQ, and stop laughing at me.

[Beach Chick]

Dag's..Patty Melt at the Dateland place...say it ain't so!
Does it rival the Longhorn?
They've remodeled and its super clean and nice..they have one of the best date shakes evah!

[SaltyRaisins]

Super clean and nice...but I REALLY miss the old diner, preserved by the dry desert air. Blue tile, jukebox, decent burger, date shakes...not quite the same these days.

[Beach Chick]

totally agree..it might be too clean and sterile.

[DiveFan]

If you don't otherwise get Ed Dibbles attention :-), try posting on or searching the Southwest board for Yuma suggestions.
There have been several previous posts about the 'special' quesadillas available at El Centro area restos; perhaps the search engine will work for you.

[Fake Name]

Made a special pilgrimage (actually through Mecca) to Brawley to try a Quesadilla Especial. It was good. Do a search on Puffy Quesadilla and find the place in El Centro.

[Beach Chick]

Fakey!
where did you get the puffy bad boy at?

[Fake Name]

BC- email me for the story. too bad one cannot PM on CH.

[Fake Name]

El Rincon on Main Street in Brawley.

[Beach Chick]

Thank's Fakey...you are the best!
Sounds like it didn't knock your socks off..what was it stuffed with?

[Fake Name]

Just cheese- I asked if they would use carne asada or something, but it seems they're purists. I was actually going to have another, but was on a schedule and had to ride.

I liked it- it will not change my world, but if the local Santanas offered one, I'd probably add another few lbs.

[daantaat]

I think Ed Dibble also posts on KirkK's blog, mmm-yoso.typepad.com. He's "Ed from Yuma" on the blog.

[ipsit]

Plenty of places in El Centro serve puffy quesadillas. Good ones can be found on Imperial Avenue (take the Imperial Ave exit off the I-8). I like Celia's or Mariscos Puerto Nuevo, both less than 2 miles from the I-8. At Puerto Nuevo, check out their selection of 11 or so bottled hot sauces on the table.

For a slightly different but unique Imperial Valley culinary experience, check out the China Palace restaurant and steak house on Adams Ave in El Centro. The Valley and Mexicali have a large Chinese population that has been in the area for about a century, and has given birth to an interesting Sino-Mex hybrid cuisine - think stir-fries with Mexican chillies, or steamed fish with Tapatio. Mexicali is better known for this cuisine, but China Palace is a decent representation this side of the border.

Further east, about 15 miles from Yuma is the quirky town of Felicity, CA. The self-proclaimed 'Center of the World'. Its close enough to Yuma that it is probably not worth a food stop (though the town's only restaurant is open from 11-3 and serves standard diner fare from what I saw), but worth a few minutes getting off the highway and checking out the sheer bizarreness of the town and its story. We had wanted to eat here, but the restaurant was closed by the time we got there.