Manzanita Diner

This little place, definitely unassuming was excellent. My son and I stopped after a long day on bikes out in the desert and yes we were hungry but holy smokes the lasagna was incredible!

We were out riding in that area and this restaurant is at s very nice location. Right off of 8 and 94 and right on old hwy 80. Ordered the chicken sandwich it was good. Others riders like the food as well. The owner was friendly and accommodating every request. Would definitely go back.

Had the Gyro Dinner and it was delicious! Fries are well seasoned and the Gyro’s was served with grilled onions that added a nice texture.
Very homey feel with a wooden fireplace, great stop for my group on motorcycles.

The eggplant parm and philly cheese steak were fantastic. Everything was made to order, fresh and tasty. Service was friendly and fast.

My brother and I stopped here at random after driving out in the hills one day. He absolutely loved his eggplant parmesan sandwich. This is now my second visit, and the calzone is huge, and excellent!

the pizza is good they use the good mozzarella cheese every time ive eaten here everything has been tasty and a big portion

This was a pleasant surprise. We didn’t expect to find lunch when we stopped to see if the candy store was open. I had the burger and fry’s and my wife had the Gyro’s sandwich which also came with fry’s. They make their own cucumber /​yogurt sauce in house and do a good job. The burger was cooked properly and the fry’s were crisp and tasty. This was a really fun break in the drive between El Centro and San Diego.

They turned us away 45 mins before they closed and said no more customers ILLEGAL RUDE

We found Manzaita’s on Unilocal while looking for a good restaurant to stop at with our kids on the road to Phoenix. We loved this place at first glance if you’re a passer by you may second guess yourself at first but don’t be scared. GO INSIDE! The food was great! The portions were HUGE! and the customer service was great too! Well worth ever penny. We had the calzone and the cheesy bread sticks. Our next trips to California we will most definitely be making a Manzanitas lunch a regular family stop every time. 5 STAR!

Service a liitle slow, but very friendly. Friends ordered pizza, and it was HUGE! Looked great. I got the cheese steak sandwich, which was very good. Its not cheap here (surroundings can fool you), but well worth the price. Food arrived quickly. Nice local place.

They are open again!

The manzanita is back open and the pizza is great. We’ve ordered it 3 times in 2 the last month. Their new phone number is 766‑0006

Great service. Fresh food. Snow day. Who could ask for more? Oh yea, it’s also very inexpensive. We ordered out since our dog was with us, but if you are eating in, in the winter… There is a fireplace, pool table, arcade machines, and all around mountain lodge feel. Deserves 5 stars for great service, inexpensive food, and freshness overall.

When did manzanita diner close/​I am bummed that it closed down the ravioli was good

This place is surprisingly not bad for a diner out in the middle of nowhere. I won’t say it’s the best italian food we’ve had in 20 years, but it certainly didn’t suck. It was pretty good, and much better than we were expecting for an italian diner in Boulevard CA. We got the lasagna and a gourmet white pizza. Both were good. The pizza crust was especially good. The waiter was busy but very nice and helpful.

Sorry, but this place sucked. The waitress was so blah and short with us throughout the meal. The people I walked by that were siting at the bar were nicer and more engaging that she was.
We ordered a small pizza and eggplant parmesean. The pizza was marginal at best, not sure where they got the sauce, but if you have bad sauce, there is no hope for the pizza. The crust was no better. My wife ate 2 bites of the eggplant parm and it was mushy and gross. When the waitress came to clear the plates, she asked if the meal was ok, totally recognizing my wife didn’t eat the meal. My wife said it was mushy, and no kidding the waitress asked her «you don’t like it mushy?» Seriously? You have to be kidding.
The fries were good. But that’s it.

A very nice family restaurant where the waiters are very attentive. Huge portions of food of every dish we ordered. The spaghetti and meatballs were very tasty and the chicken Parmesan sandwich was delicious. Our waiter was very nice and he accidentally brought us an extra beer not knowing the other waitress had already brought us our drinks. So that extra beer was on the house! We got to choose any appetizer and I think it might of been free, not sure since I was not in charge of the bill. Easily top five restaurant in town!

Walk in and it looks like an old house turned restaurant, which I think it is. The service was excellent. The owner brought out homemade hummus and pita, it was delicious. I had the chicken parm mad while it tasted great going down I was sick as a dog the next day. My dad had it too and was fine the next day, so not sure if it was the food or just my stomach not being used to so much cheese and garlic! Kids had meatball sub and loved it! House dressing was great too!

WE live in Newport Beach and was passing through from Arizona, saw that there was a great pizza plave in a small town as we passed. WE stopped and our expectations way exceeded what we thought.
We ordered theBBQ Chicken Pizza and it was the best pizza I ever ate, great crust, lots of toppings big slices. It was even better the 2^nd day for left overs.
One of the Owners Randy helped us during our time, and couldnt of been nicer and more helpful. I would recomend this diner to anyone passing through! I only wish they delivered to Newport Beach. We will be back!

So I heard that a new diner had opened up in Boulevard, CA right across the street from the Candy Cottage, about 20 minutes from my Campo home. As the eateries up in the east San Diego mountains usually leave a lot to be desired, I hesitated to try this new establishment.
We were on our way home from the desert when my hubby said he had heard that it was good and we should give it a go.
So glad we did! I had a slice of pizza (huge!) and he had the gyros dinner with a gyros sandwich, salad and onion rings. Everything was great and the total was just over $ 20.
I can’t wait to go back and try some of the other menu items. They have a really good variety American and Italian dishes.
The reason that I am giving them 4 instead of 5 stars is because the dining area was freezing! I was sitting in front of a space heater and was still uncomfortably cold.
Other than that, the host was very personable and attentive, the food was great and arrived at our table in a reasonable amount of time.
As good food in the mountains is impossible to find, I hope they can hang on while they build their reputation and start pulling in the clientele.
I will be back and will be telling anyone I know about this place.