San Gabriel Valley Fantastic Budget Eats!

This is the BEST donut place EVER! Been goin here since I was a kid. The Tiger Tails are amazing and huge! But as I’ve gotten older, the strawberry or peach stuffed donuts are my favorite. There is so much fruit jammed into the donut. You will never see any other stuffed donut like these. The owner is amazing and super friendly. You’ll go to buy one donut, but walk away with a dozen, because there are so many amazing choices. Plus this place is on the historic Route 66.

Also on Route 66 in Glendora is The Hat. There are several locations around Southern California, but this one was home to me. Not only are the pastrami sandwiches the BEST and most delicious I’ve ever eaten, but when you add an order of chili fries or even better chili onion rings, it just completes the meal. Everything here is so big it is easily shareable. Now my order is chili cheese fries with pastrami on top!! It’s like and eating a sandwich on the fries. They also have many other incredible sandwiches. Don’t forget to grab a souvenir shirt before you go!

HOMEMADE TERIYAKI SAUCE! Three magic words to describe the flavorful topping to their beef, chicken and veggie bowls. The owner once told me that the sauce takes over 24 hours to make. Every time I visit I buy several bottles of the sauce to take home. This used to be an old Carl’s Jr restaurant. The drive thru menu is on the driver’s side of the car, but the window is on the passenger’s side. No worries though, if you roll down your window they have a special extension basket to serve you. This family owned shop may not look fancy on the outside, but the food is amazing. Don’t forget to add fresh avocado slices to anything you get. It’s totally worth it.

This was a fancy treat to eat here when I was a kid. The atmosphere is amazing. From the outside it is a snow covered log cabin. As a little kid, I always wondered how they got snow on the roof of this place. Inside you are greeted by a stuffed bear and sawdust on the floor. This just made it such a cool environment. Both the red and white salads along with their garlic bread are all amazing. I’ve gone there just to eat these things. (And you can buy the bread and spread, along with the salads to take home). The twice baked potatoes, regular baked potatoes as well as the rice pilaf are great sides to a steak or some fish. Did I mention you can eat a bowl of peanuts as a free appetizer and throw the shells on the floor. You just have to ask the waiter or waitress for a bowl when you arrive.

This is a nod to the original drive thru. It’s a can’t miss stop. The Snyder’s used to live across the street. Once you’ve soaked in the nostalgia, drive south under the freeway one block to the In-N-Out Company Store to pick up some hot merch and a double-double animal style next door. Plus this year they are celebrating their 75th Anniversary.