Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe — Restaurant in Victorville

We visited this small diner and it was my favorite meal during our trip on the historic Route 66; so good that I am planning a weekend visit just to have their food again, and likely again and again.

Fun facts: this place opened in 1947 and was featured in Kill Bill and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

GETTING THERE: Driving through the route, the sign for this diner rises cheerily in a pastel yellow along with the modern route 66 blue sign on the road, and a painted shield for the historic 66 on the pastel blue-green wall. There is a small parking lot on the premises and we had no problem finding a spot on a Thursday before 11:00.

SEATING/DINING IN: Once you enter, you've got a few booth seats along the wall, and counter seats circling in front of the open kitchen. One of the servers behind the counter motioned in front of her in the booth and that was that! It was easy to see that there are regulars here (they were chatting with Brian who was at the grill), the decor had some memorabilia from decades past on the walls, and overall felt cozy.

FOOD: Per the reviews we split a Brian Burger, got it with a side of onion rings, and also shared a chocolate malt shake. The shake came first, topped with a mountain of whipped cream and served with the metal mixing cup and spoon, as our burger order lined up at the grill. Wonderful - the malt flavor was deep and satisfying and rich without being cloyingly sweet.

The BRIAN BURGER though - wow! This is the star of any dish of any diner I've been to (and I grew up in New Jersey), if you're craving something that's luxurious yet a comfort food yet also somehow...nuanced. The burger comes between two golden 1" thick slices of sourdough which have a parmesan crunch (yes, very much like goldfish crackers, deep and nutty), which then give way to a juicy beef patty that's cushioned between gooey melted swiss cheese, with an extra oomph of ortega chile. Splitting this was a good idea esp since we had dessert lined up, but it still left me wanting more.

SERVICE: Straightforward, timely, and friendly service. We never felt rushed and it was great to be able to see the kitchen during our visit and check out all the memorabilia on the walls.

Wonderful experience. I would come back again and again to explore the menu, if I can resist ordering the Brian...

Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe Route 66 Victorville, California

Before leaving Victorville, California, yesterday, we decided to have breakfast at Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe. This historic and iconic Diner has been serving hungry travelers on Route 66 since 1947. This diner has appeared in a kill Bill Movie and music videos.

So what better way to end our Route 66 Road trip than to dine at this historic Diner on Route 66. The Diner is open till 2:45 PM except on Saturday (Closes at 12:45 PM) and closed on Sunday.

We will just say that the food was delicious and the service was great. The plates were rather large. I had the Chicken Fried Steak with two eggs and potatoes and your choice of sides. The Chicken Fried Steak was so big that it came on a separate dish from the potatoes and eggs. You also get your choice of sides, which are toast, biscuits and gravy, or a pancake. I opted for biscuits and gravy. The chicken fried steak was cooked perfectly, and everything was delicious. I tried my vest to finish it but it was a large amount of food. I also knew that we would have a desert. Chuck had the Ortega Three egg omelet, and that was pretty big itself, and he also picked biscuits and gravy as his side. He told me it was delicious and was not greasy at all.

After our breakfast, we wanted to try the Blueberry cobbler. The cobbler was delicious, especially with the ice cream. The portion was also large, so we only ordered one to share.

The staff members were great. They were friendly and attentive. They checked on us as well as the other patrons frequently.

We also noticed the shirts they were wearing and asked if we could purchase those shirts. The design on the back really caught my eye, so we purchased two.

Overall, our experience was great. The ambiance and atmosphere of a true diner, the delicious food, and excellent service made it a memorable and...

I'm sure this place is somewhere people make a pitstop to or from Vegas often, bc of it's location on Route66....it definitely gives a classic dinner feel, but the VIBE and service was horrible to our group, when visiting! It's definitely a local's spot....and it was VERY OBVIOUS that they hold priority. No one wore masks, (staff or regulars) accept the passer byes from out of town! And the workers from across the way. Restaurant wasn't very full on a Tuesday morning (11am) we might have missed the morning rush. Owners were chatting it up with locals, taking every order but ours. Gave us menus, but left us on read....for 15min until we requested drinks? Seemed irritated that we were a large group, not locals...Mexican...I dont really know what the problem was, it was just an experience of overwhelming unwanted energy. They took 3 other people's orders, who came after us. 2 phone orders and a walk-in who wanted his order within 15min, so he could pick it up on his way back from where he was still going! Lol, they were all done before our order and we sat there and received our food 50min from the time we ordered. Our drinks were filled only the 1 time, and there were no explanations given, apologizes made. I was appalled. 3 of our group members went out side, and waited in the car...didnt even eat. Food was mediocre, at BEST. Some foods burnt, had hair, were cold. Definitely, half fast made. We tipped the young underaged brunette waitress well, bc she had done the best of her ability....she was the only one waiting all the tables....this was out of her control and not her fault. This was poor management and negligence, by the adults running this establishment. I WILL NEVER BE BACK. And although, I did expect to step back into time by visiting here, this wasn't what I had in mind? Very disappointed. Would not...