Rod and Manny would have loved this: a line of customers out the door from opening at 7 a.m. to closing at 2 p.m. Hundreds of diners made a final pilgrimage to Rod’s Grill in Arcadia before the popular eatery at 41 W. Huntington Drive closed its doors on Feb. 12.
“This is history,” said Russell Meek of Arcadia, who got his first job at Rod’s when he was a teenager. “Generations of people have come through here.”
Rod Wellman started the time capsule of a restaurant in 1946 in Alhambra. The Arcadia location opened in 1957, offering 10-cent coffees and 40-cent slices of pie ala mode. A burger combo plate with shoestring fries and salad cost 85 cents. Wellman’s sons Barry and Brian took over years later, but their dad still popped in to chat with customers at lunch.
Manny Romero bought Rod’s about 25 years ago. The immigrant from Zacatecas, Mexico, kept the eatery’s retro vibe and added new menu items, serving menudo on the weekends and creating the giant “Manny’s Burger,” big enough for two and perfect paired with a vanilla shake.
Both men were the perfect hosts, and Rod’s Grill through the years served everyone from high school students after Friday night football games to chamber of commerce members and retirees who stopped by before or after a walk around Arcadia Park across the street.
Romero passed away from COVID complications in 2021. He was 67. The restaurant closed for a bit before reopening, renovating its kitchen and equipment without losing its vintage vibe. Television shows loved Rod’s look, featuring the diner in shows such as “This is Us,” “Mad Men,” Last Man Standing” and “Luck.”
General manager Ema Shuton of Arcadia said since news broke of the diner’s closing, they’ve had “crazy lines” of customers wanting to say goodbye.
“This is my neighborhood,” Shuton said. “I go grocery shopping and I see my customers. I always say this is the classic diner on Route 66.”
Every day, Shuton reserves…
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