Richie's Real American Diner (Temecula)

According to their website, Richie’s Real American Diner has an extensive menu featuring classic American fare in a retro-inspired, family-friendly setting. I was driving back to the desert and wanted to stop along the way. A real American diner sounded like my type of place.

Spoiler: Richie’s Real American Diner is about as “real of a diner” as you can get.

Richie’s Real American Diner Atmosphere: A

Located in an outdoor shopping center, Richie’s Real American Diner sticks right out. While it’s not an old, metallic diner, it’s a modern diner located on the corner. There is plenty of outdoor seating, and they were even BBQing right outside. A diner that does BBQ? Sign me up.

Inside, there were several booths and tables. It looked like a blast from the past.

Coffee: X

I didn’t order coffee this time around because I was on the road with very minimal stops.

Richie’s Real American Diner Food: A

Richie’s Real American Diner menu is huge. It’s one of the biggest ones I’ve seen on the west coast. (I don’t think many diners compete with 10-page menus in New Jersey). Anyway, everything from all-day breakfasts like pancakes and eggs to lunch specials and even “mega value meals” is larger menus for under $15. Plus, all you can eat biscuits and gravy! You can see their full menu here.

A few things caught my eye, including the tri-tip as well as the double-decker BLT.

I decided on the double-decker BLT. Like most BLTs, it came with lettuce, tomato, and bacon, but it had twice as much. It came with five crisp bacon strips, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. I don’t think I’ve had that at a diner before. It was perfect and almost impossible to eat without making a mess. Thankfully, it also came with slightly crispy fries. In all, it was a great meal.

Richie’s Real American Diner Dessert: B

I decided to order a cinnamon bun to go because they were known for them. It was a large cinnamon bun that took up the entire to-go container. They gave plenty of frosting. It wasn’t the best or the worst cinnamon bun, but I was happy with my decision to get it.

Richie’s Real American Diner Service: A

The hostess and waiter were friendly, and the food came out quickly. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

For my cinnamon bun and double-decker BLT, it cost $17.

Overall Experience/Would I Come Back to Richie’s Real American Diner?

I really enjoyed the diner, and it lives up to its name. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m driving through. I’m looking forward to trying their tri-tip!