Saugus Café

Saugus Café. The Original. , The Saugus Café, one of the most colorful and historical eating establishments in all of Southern California and the longest operating restaurant in Los Angeles County, was opened in 1888 by James Herbert Tolfree. The name of this historical place (Saugus) comes from a New England Narragansett Indian term meaning “small outlet or a sandy spit of land,” where Henry M. Newhall was born. Newhall, the founder of the Newhall Land and Farming Company, developed the land and the railroad station which was the beginning of the Saugus Café in 1888. , A Southern Pacific Railroad employee, Richard R. Wood came to Saugus in 1898 and purchased an option on the railroad eating house and a chunk of land. The name “Saugus Café” was given to the diner at this time. According to local legend, President Theodore Roosevelt stopped by in May 1903, dining on a special New York steak which he supposedly declared to be “splendid.” On September 5, 1904, William Mulholland and former Mayor Fred Eaton enjoyed breakfast on their way to inspect the liquid assets of the Owens Valley. , The café moved from the train station in 1916 and across the tracks to where it stands today. The area was becoming a favored film location with famous directors John Ford and D.W. Griffith stopping for lunch or dinner. Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin stopped by the Café in 1919, and Harry Carey, Hoot Gibson, Tom Mix, and William S. Hart were frequent guests. Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Tex Ritter, and even Frank Sinatra have eaten at this establishment. , The café has always been a gathering place for locals discussing the affairs of the day. Bobby and Florence Chesebrough reviewing cattle prices, Andy and Camille Jauregui planning rodeo events with Sam and Rudy Garrett, and Ed Thompson (Robert Kennedy advisor and Democrat strategist) reviewing the oil production from the mountain well. , The Saugus Café continues serving bountiful meals at reasonable prices under the current ownership of Alfredo Mercado. It is steeped in tradition and is a place where one can dine with old friends, be surrounded by California history, meet legendary character actors and Hollywood film legends, and, of course, start up a conversation with the everyday folk which make up the citizenry of Saugus.