Roy's Motel and Cafe
- Retro roadside
- In Amboy, California
- 0.1 mi from Route 66
Roy's Motel and Cafe is the landmark gas station, cafe and motel in Amboy, California, right on Route 66 in the California desert. Roy Crowl opened a garage here in 1938, and its 1959 boomerang neon sign and Googie-style office made it a favorite stop for Route 66 travelers. Today it works mainly as a gas station and souvenir shop; the cafe is closed while the owners restore the motel rooms.
What is Roy's Motel and Cafe?
Roy's is a cluster of roadside buildings on National Trails Highway, the former US 66: fuel pumps, a cafe and store, a motel office in the flashy Googie style of the late 1950s, and a row of small guest cabins behind. Above it all stands the tall boomerang sign spelling ROY'S, set against an empty desert and a dead-straight road. The whole town of Amboy, Roy's included, is privately owned. The site appeared in The Hitcher (1986), Kalifornia (1993) was filmed in Amboy, and Roy's has been used in a string of car commercials and music videos.
History of Roy's Motel and Cafe
Roy Crowl started a service station here in 1938. In the 1940s he and his son-in-law, Herman "Buster" Burris, added a cafe, a repair garage and motel cabins. The sign and the modern office went up in 1959. When Interstate 40 opened north of Amboy in the early 1970s, traffic all but vanished.
After several owners, Juan Pollo restaurant founder Albert Okura bought the town in 2005 and reopened the gas station and store in 2008. The sign, dark since the 1980s, was restored and relit in November 2019. Since Albert Okura's death, his son Kyle and the family have carried on, with the motel rooms still being restored as of mid-2026 and the cafe still closed.
Visiting Roy's Motel and Cafe: tips
Roy's is right on the road, so no detour is needed. Expect fuel, cold drinks, snacks and souvenirs rather than a full meal, and use the restrooms when they are open. Amboy Crater, a volcanic cinder cone, is about 3 miles west, and the Bagdad ghost town site about 8 miles west of Roy's. The old road west to Ludlow is open, and east of Amboy it is open as far as Kelbaker Road, but from Kelbaker Road to Essex it has been closed for bridge work, with traffic sent around on Kelbaker Road and I-40, so check county road status first. Carry plenty of water.
Practical info
- Address
- 87520 National Trails Hwy, Amboy, CA 92304
- Phone
- +1 760-733-1066
- Website
- visitamboy.com
- Hours
- Daily 8 am–8:30 pm
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
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Stops near Roy's Motel and Cafe
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Questions about Roy's Motel and Cafe
Is Roy's Motel and Cafe open?
Partly. As of mid-2026, Roy's works mainly as a gas station and gift shop selling drinks and packaged snacks. The cafe and the motel cabins have been closed for years; the owners are restoring the rooms and aim to open them to overnight guests by the end of 2026. Check the official Roy's site before counting on a meal or a bed.
Can you stay overnight at Roy's Motel?
Not yet, as far as recent reports show. The six small cabins have been closed for decades. A new septic system and gas lines went in during the restoration, and the family aims to reopen the rooms by the end of 2026, but no reopening had been confirmed by mid-2026.
Who owns Amboy and Roy's?
The Okura family. Albert Okura, founder of the Juan Pollo chicken restaurants, bought the whole town, including Roy's, in 2005 with plans to preserve it. After his death, his son Kyle and the family took over running and restoring the property.
Own or run Roy's Motel and Cafe? Send us a photo or a correction.