Location #20

The well-know Twin Dining Cars Cafe. I took my shots here in 2008, but it has since been dismantled, and the cars were moved to a small railroad location in Arroyo Grande. It was located just north of the corner of Jonata Park Rd., (which was the original 101 route), and Camino San Carlos about 1 mile south of the north end of the city of Buellton.

History

Originally opened as Mullen’s Dining Car Cafe in 1946, this novelty restaurant operated during the heyday of American roadside services. The owner, Ed Mullen, had been a veteran steward on real rail dining cars and had managed to transport extra Los Angeles Railway Standard cars from the L.A. Electric Railway Co. to the rural Central California coastal town of Buellton, still famous for Andersen’s Pea Soup restaurant. The rail cars, which were built in 1911, were operated by the Los Angeles Electric Railway Company until 1944. Located strategically on busy Highway 101, Mullen’s Cafe drew many patrons that were traveling the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The owner later added gas service pumps to draw in more visitors. These twin railway streetcars once lined the sides of this abandoned roadside diner. However, in 1955, the California State Highways Department realigned and expanded Highway 101 to serve the increasing traffic. The cafe, which stood on the original highway, became severely impacted when 101 was moved. Since 1958 the site remained abandoned and dilapidated, bearing battle scars of time, after being in business for only 12 years. For decades this classic cafe sat decaying as the forces of nature took over, still a site of interest for lovers of vintage streetcars and retro American diners.

In 2012, a retired contractor from Cayucos, California, Tom Pierze, purchased the dining cars and had them transported up the coast to Morro Bay at great cost. For a time they sat in silence, awaiting restoration in a weed-covered, abandoned parking lot next to a gas station. Word had it that the new owner wrangled with the city of Morro Bay to obtain the necessary permits to restore them to their former all-American glory and open a new diner. Unfortunately, permit and financial issues resulted in these vintage beauties being removed from their resting place at the intersection of Highways 1 and 41 in Morro Bay.

September 2013 Update – Mystery Location Revealed: A huge thanks to Joe Myers, who informed me that these classic dining cars have been bought by and moved to the Bitter Creek Western Railroad near Arroyo Grande, California. Joe was kind enough to leave a couple comments on this post, and provided this vital information. Click here to read the story of how the cars came to rest at the Bitter Creek Western Railroad. (Article by Renee Besta - 2013)

	View looking norhtwest.
	Close-up of the old neon signage.
	The car at the south side.
	Close-up of the weathered catch.
	View looking southwest.
	Signage showing the Chicken Dinners that they specialized in just before it closed down.
	Building out back. Not sure what these were used for.
	Shot of the current location of the cars in AG.
	A shot of the demolition and removal from 2012
	How it looked in 1978
	The way it looked in the late 40's
	A team photo. Year unknown.

Historic101 Home | Section Home

Copyright ©2003 Historic101.com® all rights reserved