Dinky's (Renamed)
Boron, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Rolling through Boron, check out Dinky’s, a little roadside food stand shaped like a giant root beer barrel. On a hot trip across the desert, the building almost makes a traveler want to climb inside and cool off. Better use the walk-up window instead.

The barrel originally housed an A&W Root Beer stand and became a popular hangout for local high school students during the 1960s. The Liebengood family served burgers, crinkle-cut fries, and deep-fried burritos from the tiny kitchen. Forget a fancy billboard. When the entire restaurant looks like a barrel, drivers already know where to stop.

After the A&W years, the stand became Dinky’s and the barrel was painted white. That is the version shown here, looking a little like an oversized wooden keg sitting beside the highway. By the time of a later visit, it had traded the white paint for bright orange and red. 10-08

The Barrel
Boron,CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

UPDATE: Dinky's is now called the Barrel and has received a new paint scheme that makes the barrel stand out. 10-08

UPDATE: Dinky’s closed by 1994, but the unusual barrel building was saved and reopened as The Barrel. It remains open as a walk-up food stand serving burgers, fries, and Mexican food. The building has since been repainted in a more realistic brown wood-barrel style, ready to catch the next hungry traveler. 09-26