Richie's Diner — Restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga

It is a peculiar experience for a critic to find himself both disarmed and delighted in a setting he had long dismissed as passé. Diners — those chrome-wrapped, nostalgia-soaked relics of Americana — are too often accused of being museums of mediocrity, frozen in time, and comfortingly predictable.

But Richie’s Diner is not a museum. It is a memory brought to life — vivid, unapologetic, and astonishingly good.

From the moment I stepped through its time-warped doors, I expected familiarity. What I did not expect was reverence. Richie’s does not serve food; it serves devotion. Each plate is an act of care disguised as casual fare. The patty melt, that humble staple of roadside menus, is here elevated to an art form: the bread griddled to a perfect, golden tension; the beef rich and tender, singing in harmony with caramelized onions and molten cheese. One bite, and I was transported not to a time, but to a feeling — one of warmth, of belonging.

The milkshake — hand-spun, thick enough to challenge gravity — carries with it the romance of a soda fountain dream, but with the balance and subtlety of a practiced hand. It is a dessert, yes, but also a declaration: that simple things, done well, matter.

Service is swift, sincere, and refreshingly devoid of pretense. There are no frills at Richie’s, only fundamentals — honored, respected, and executed without irony.

In a world too eager to reinvent, Richie’s dares to remember. It reminds us that comfort food, when made with pride and precision, does not coddle — it connects.

And so, I find myself leaving Richie’s not just full, but moved. Not by novelty, but by the timeless joy of something done exactly right.

Five stars — not for invention, but for perfection in...

Richie’s is one of the more famous diners along former Route 66 and I know they have multiple locations, at least three to my memory. I have been to the Murietta location, but this was my first time at the Rancho Cucamonga location. They both look very similar in that as soon as you walk in you find yourself in a very large and busy room filled with employees buzzing all around. You enter through the gift shop and usually don’t have wait long to be seated. We had to wait about 5 minutes to be seated for a table of two for our Saturday 10:30 brunch. They have plenty of booth, table, and counter seating available but no outdoor seating. There is also a giant parking lot attached right out front so there are plenty of spaces available. Our server was extremely polite and everything that we ordered came out very fast. They really lean into the 50s retro diner so expect to hear some great tunes that you would find on a jukebox.

We started off our meal with one of the giant Cinnamon Roll and it was really good. It was a little more dense than I like, but I still really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. It was a large size portion so it’s best to share. For my breakfast, I chose Eggs Benedict and substituted out the ham for sausage and thought it was a good addition. I tried to do it with chorizo because they have chorizo and eggs on the menu but was told that’s not possible so I’m guessing that’s because the chorizo and eggs is already pre-scrambled. Overall it was a great breakfast and I would recommend Richie’s to anyone in the area or...

Ordered: • Chicken fried steak • Scrambled eggs • Home potatoes • Crispy • Sub pancake • Coffee & water

Plated: As ordered • Home potatoes burnt on 1 side served without word • Scrambled eggs were possibly overcooked/rubbery • CFS served with minimal gravy but with good pieces of sausage • Water served with lemon slice

Ate: • Peppered eggs and small amounts on potatoes • CFS saved for last as usual, gravy warm but not hot • Eggs were cold to warm, possibly older eggs/not heated again when served • Potatoes were warm to hot

Experience: • Sat quickly at the counter • Ordering was smooth and quick • Explained types of bread options and accommodations made • Coffee refill was fast the first and second time, but when the check was brought. Service slowed considerably • Manager did swing by to ask how things were very quickly, responded with eh alright, but unsure if he heard either due to noise or distance he moved whilst transporting plates

Issues: • Burnt potatoes • Overcooked/old eggs • Service fell off toward the end of the meal

Compliments: • Manager was out and about working the floor • Service was quick (beginning to middle of meal) • Busser was quick to pick up any seen plates/cutlery no longer in use

Overall: Don't get the CFS. Stick to the breakfast steaks if you get breakfast. Don't allow them to drop check off because the service will decrease. I would come back to try other cuts of steaks (I've had other cuts,...