Goodys — Restaurant in Colton

I was staying in Loma Linda just for two nights , I was on daddy duty. After looking for spots to have lunch for myself and my toddler, and after skimming the usual suspects, I decided to try this based on the good reviews.

I pulled up the car and first did not notice the place. It's in the middle of some kind of a truck stop, with semis lined everywhere. The building is a nondescript dusty(from the outside) box, with Goody's restaurant written on it. Closer, there were a4 sized pictures of food and prices written on it, reminded me of Chinese take out places. I doubted for a few seconds and pulled up that car( just a few parking spots remained , at 11:30 am). I pondered if I should hit some other place. The toddler is cranky, she needs food and now! I take a plunge and stop the car, pulled her out and walked in.

What greeted me was an idyllic American diner ( not the fake ones made to look like it's from another time) this was the real deal. People were still having breakfast, I guess their pancakes and eggs are good. I sit at the bar and is immediately greeted and I make my order of a pastrami melt, after just flipping through the menu. Most diners have it, it's simple and a safe bet. It took a about 10-12 mins for the order to come.

Oh. My. God. This is the best darn pastrami, strike that, sandwich I've ever had. How can pastrami, mustard, pickles and cheese on rye toast be so good ? Heaven only knows ! It was fresh, juicy ( without being sloppy) , the right amount of tangy, a crispy bite from the pickle all served up on buttered (but not greasy) toast . This is what joy tastes like. The French fries that came with it was also fresh, hot and had a firm golden hue, these did not come from a bag.

I was lost for a few seconds and realized I had to feed my toddler too, for second I did not want to share :) she enjoyed it too and devoured a few bites of the sandwich and all of the fries.

Looking around people were still having pancakes and eggs, and I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow before I...

This place has some good cooking!! I had read some of the reviews and people were talking about how good the chicken fried steak was and let me tell you, it's true lol. Chicken fried steak was full of flavor and I was able to cut it with my fork, no knife needed. Hash browns were good as well as my eggs. Pancake was nice and fluffy and I didn't realize it was two Pancakes that looks like one big one. Serving sizes are hearty and plenty.

Let's talk about orange juice. I usually never order orange juice because it's usually Minute Maid or from a box and lacks the natural flavor. Their orange juice is on point! $6 for a large glass seems a bit pricey but I was ok with it since it was so good. Nice amount of pulp and not overwhelming. Not sure if they hand squeeze it daily or what but that's some good orange juice.

Decor/interior is a little dated from the past but nothing crazy. After all it is a truck stop diner. These types of hole in the wall places almost always have great food. I'll take a hole in the wall restaurant with excellent food over a chain restaurant with modern decor and mediocre food all day.

The servers/waitresses were very attentive and very nice creating a relaxed atmosphere amongst the hustle and bustle of a truck stop. Great service!

I will definitely be going back and recommend it to...

My family and I are Sunday regulars as it's the only day of the week we enjoy going out to eat.

Our favorite time to go is during breakfast/brunch which is normally pretty quiet for the most part, aside from the other regulars and truckers we see every now and then.

The quantity of food matches the price value in my opinion which is great compared to well-known big-chain competitors. The staff is very attentive and our food has always arrived quickly -- it helps that we always get the same thing + freshly squeezed OJ for the most part.

From what I understand, this is a family owned restaurant, so you deal with most of the family members at different times. We like the fact that our son has pretty much grown up knowing most of the staff and his face lights up when we enter the establishment for breakfast after his toddler class at another local establishment.

The reason for the 4 star versus the 5 star is simply based on the fact that as much as the food and staff are great, the overall appearance is a bit run down. It's understandable given that it literally sits at a parking lot for truckers and the sort. This place would surely benefit from a few upgrades in their furniture and bathroom as the booths can be quite uncomfortable. Besides that, this place has yet to disappoint in the 2 years we've...