Atomic Cow Creamery

Don’t judge this place by the outside — it’ll honestly surprise you. The inside is super simple and low-key, but the food is totally worth it. What I really liked is how huge their menu is. They’ve got pretty much everything: burgers, sandwiches, soup, coffee, ice cream — literally something for any group. Even though it was packed when we came in, the service was pretty fast. They told us it’d be about 30 minutes, but our food showed up in like 20. We ordered the Smokey Bear Burger ($9.75), the Pastrami Burger ($10.5), a soda & fries combo ($5.5), and the tomato soup ($5). Everything was honestly amazing. For the price, you get these giant double burgers with an awesome sauce and super tender meat. They don’t skimp on the fries either, but you’ve gotta grab the sauces yourself. Make sure to ask for their house sauce — they make it in the kitchen, and both versions are excellent. One thing though — you probably won’t manage to get a refill unless you’re willing to wait in line again. And trust me, you likely won’t want to, because the stream of customers basically never stops. Highly recommend this spot. Incredible food!

I walked into this place and my first thought was: “Wait… where did I end up?” You know when a restaurant looks like something from the past, not because it’s styled that way — but because it’s actually old? Yeah, that vibe. The furniture wasn’t fancy, the chairs weren’t the most comfortable, space inside was tight, and there was a line like in a small-town grocery store the day before Christmas. Nothing dramatic, just very… real. But the reviews were strong, so I decided not to judge too fast. And honestly — I’m glad I stayed. The menu here is huge. Burgers, sandwiches, fries, ice cream, shakes, subs, even soup. And the prices? That’s the part that really surprised me. In 2025, seeing a full burger meal for the price of two coffees in LA feels unreal. I ordered the Pastrami Burger, Smokey Bear Burger, fries, tomato soup, and a drink. The food didn’t just look big — it felt heavy in a good, old-school way. The kind of burger that doesn’t need marketing words, just foil and gravity. First bite and I just sat there like: “Okay… now I get it.” Juicy, messy, smoky pastrami, melted cheese stretching like a pizza commercial, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and that soft classic bun. Not a gourmet burger — just a good one. The kind you remember because it made sense: price, portion, flavor. The tomato soup was simple but warm and comforting — honestly perfect for this mountain town. Would I call it the best burger of my life? No. But would I come back? Absolutely. Because the food tastes honest. And sometimes that’s better than perfect. So yeah — if you’re in Idyllwild and want something real, filling, and priced like it’s still 2010 — this place is worth a stop.

Start off with some Dole Whip. Great pastrami burger 🍔 and the pilgrim sandwich is perfect around Thanksgiving. 🇹🇷 🦃

Found this pretty little spot the first time we visited the area but they were closed. This time we were blessed to have caught them before closing time and it was well worth it food was amazing customer service was great and the atmosphere was nice The shop itself is small but warm and inviting The menu selection is very appealing and one of my favorite things very cost effective.

Good food. Good pricing. All kinds of dishes, food, ice cream, swag, extras, and cool atmosphere !

My crew was here on assignment for a couple of weeks and tried multiple restaurants. This place has a pretty good menu The food is good. Kitchen staff seems a little overworked. Maybe could use a extra hand back there to get the food out a little faster but The wait times were not ridiculous. The shakes ice cream Dole whip cookies were all delicious. Their chicken sandwich was really good. Some of their hot subs Left the cruise a little bit on the disappointed side. They didn't taste bad it just wasn't what the crew was expecting I guess. I do recommend giving this place a try It is definitely worth it for its sweet treats. Again the chicken sandwich and the spicy chicken sandwich for both really good. They do have breakfast options unfortunately they're not open early enough for us to ever give them a try so I do wish they would have opened a few hours earlier if they're going to offer breakfast.

Absolutely delicious, good price, the stuff there so cain and friendly. I'll back again!

After a long and super winding 30 mile ride up the mountain to the town of Idyllwild, we were looking for a nice place to eat lunch. Atomic Cow was great. Great service, atmosphere and excellent huge sandwich at a real great price. Will definitely come back again.

Been here several times and this is slowly becoming my favorite burger place. The burgers are cooked perfect and have that nice flavorful sear on the outside, and perfect internal texture. The Holy Cow fries are served on a Smokey, peppery cheese sauce, and are easily an Animal Style fry killer. Everything is cooked to order, so it can take a bit of time, but the food is well worth the wait, and everyone working there has been awesome. Think I might need to try a sandwich on my next visit, just not sure what to go for. Highly recommend, and don't sleep on the cookies.

I always ask my husband for his Yelp review and this time he said "two words: come here." Honestly, yeah. This was our first visit to Idyllwild and we came here for lunch at the recommendation of Susan, a very friendly lady at the visitor center. He got the chopped cheese sub and I got the pastrami burger. Food came out piping hot in a greasy paper bag, the first sign things are going well. Portions were enormous for the price. Especially the burger! TWO smashed patties, pastrami, shredded lettuce, house made sauce, and grilled onions for only $10.50. Are you kidding me?! I could barely fit my mouth around the tall stack. We loved the food so much that we came back for dinner... and the same cashier took our order... I convinced my husband to let me upgrade our hot honey chicken sub to a combo this time, which includes fries and a 12oz shake for only $6! Worth it. The shake was so thick that he could barely generate enough inspiration force to suck it through the straw. He had to use the straw as a spoon until it melted a little HAHAHA. And the shoestring fries were nicely salted, a good amount to share between two people. I actually wanted to order another pastrami burger but we were too embarrassed to place a third order on the same day with the same cashier... Of the 3 sandwiches we had (pastrami burger, chopped cheese sub, and hot honey chicken), the burger won hands down. Tasted amazing and great value. The subs have a nice chewy bread but flavor wise could not compare with the burger. The interior was warm, with limited seating. Very clean. Counter service. One hundred percent would return. May return to Idyllwild just for Atomic Cow.

Food was so good!!! We had a plethora of items - breakfast burrito, sandwich, burgers, fries, tots, milkshake, and even an iced coffee. It was all AMAZING!!! No duds on our order!! Service was quick and the people working were awesome! The place is also very cool - tiki themed with some other pop culture references! Very unique and casual! Would definitely eat here again!!!

I'm not a huge fan of ice cream and/or frozen yogurt. However, I love soup, great soup. Dan keeps telling me to come here and have soup. Late afternoon yesterday I acquiesced and got soup. Stopped by yesterday for a Vegan Coconut Cream of Pumpkin Soup (Spicy). OMG! One of the best soups I have ever had. Furthermore, the price for a large was $4. Wow - what a value! The seasoning was perfect. I am ex-chef. Rare I get soup made this well. They even give discounts for locals. Love when Idyllwild businesses do something for local residents. Clearly, I am now a customer. Many great options on the menu and their prices are amazing despite the inflationary economy we live in. Will I return? Heck yeah. Lovely local venue I wish to support.

Omg the burgers here are amazing! Have to be the best I've had and don't forget to buy one of their cookies, wish I had gotten more than one. The service was good and the ambience is casual but nice. I would definitely recommend and definitely come back.

Tried the hamburger actually it's a cheese burger with Big order of French fries For $11.00 it was a great lunch including a puppy patty too.

Went to the Atomic Cow because we heard people talking at the local coffee shop that it's good. It's basically a sandwich shop with ice cream and shakes. We ordered the pastrami and turkey sandwich and it was average at best. The whole order did take awhile to receive. At least the people at the counter noticed and they gave us a complementary bag of chips. The sundae was also pretty standard. The staff were pleasant. Otherwise, sadly, I did not find anything interesting or special about this place.

Just had one of the best pastrami Reuben sandwiches. I highly recommend it. I'll be back soon and plan to be back often.

This is the best burger spot by far. The mountain's own version of In-N-Out but better. Everyone is kind and helpful. The inside is small but super cozy and has a cool tiki vibe to it. Get a burger, get a cookie, and hope there's room to sit.

Delicious food and the man behind the counter was so friendly and welcoming. We had burgers, shakes, ice cream and sandwiches and all were delicious!

Cute little ice cream shop in the middle of town. The ice cream hit the spot and was reasonably priced. Good portion sizes, too. There's not a lot of options for ice cream here but this place is a solid choice.

We came to try the pastrami rueben sandwich and it was delicious. Really thick toasted rye bread with a mound of German sauerkraut and another large helping of pastrami with melted cheese. It was so large I shared it with my husband. So tasty and fresh. We will be back!

Literally why aren't you going here?! It's so good. The food is fresh and delicious and well, I love the Cuban.

Got a Pastrami Rueben with fries and a shake for a good price. The Rueben was large and can feed 2 adults for lunch. The bread was toasted well with a lot of pastrami and good amount of sauerkraut. The fries were hit and crispy and well seasoned. The vanilla caramel shake was one of the better ones we have tasted. Well worth the 20 minute wait. They gave you a beeper so you can walk around the town before picking up the food. I would definitely go back if we were in the area.

After a long and super winding 30 mile ride up the mountain to the town of Idyllwild, we were looking for a nice place to eat lunch. Atomic Cow was great. Great service, atmosphere and excellent huge sandwich at a real great price. Will definitely come back again.

Really cute spot that felt more local in the center of a pretty tourist heavy area. Took awhile too get our order but we didn't mind people watching on the street and taking in the views + the food was worth the wait, which is what we came for, right!? My in laws found it a little grungy but to me it was fine. Def a great sandwich and shake in idyllwild

The food here is quite good for up the hill. Service is slow and prices a bit hefty. Could use some more seating. Overall I dig the place and will return. Next time toss me a free cookie or something!

The burgers are soooooooo good. Especially the triple and quadruple patties. Cameron and Jake are super friendly.

Hot diggity dog, this place is awesome! I mean where else can you get a Southern California speciality Date Shake and a New York City speciality Chopped Cheese at one spot in a scenic location. Great service today too! My only complaint is that the staff allowed dogs to come inside the restaurant. Which is becoming a growing societal problem... Minus one star for the dog incident. NO DOGS ALLOWED!

I would say the best prices for food on the hill. Good hamburgers, and sandwiches anything I've tried so far has been good.

Great burgers, pastrami and ice cream! I enjoyed it all! Staff is friendly and the service and food was top notch! I've been there twice since I've been here and I will be back. Go during the week if you want to avoid the crowds!

Seriously the best Italian sub sandwich I've ever had. Excellent chip selection. Fries perfect. Delicious cookie. Great service. When I get back to LA, I'm gonna miss having a sandwich shop as great as this near me.

The burgers and the shakes are very good here. However 45 mins for 2 bacon cheeseburgers is a bit much. The estimated time was 15-20 mins, but I still had to wait 45 mins, I get that the time was an estimate but there weren't that many people ordering so idk what's going on; grill exploded? Employees all went to the bathroom at the same time? Idk. When I got my burger the buns were soggy. So idk if they just completely forget to hand it to me or what. But my husband did go up multiple times to ask for an update, and each time it "wasn't ready yet". So why were the buns so soggy? Idk... still good but I prefer my buns not dripping, but that's just me.

Friendly staff. Lots of food choices. Sandwiches. Breakfast. Burgers. I'm picky and wanted my cheeseburger with only mayo. They were so pleasant about that. Good burger. Husband had the patty melt and enjoyed it. Cookies were good. We'll be back. Love the decor and pictures.

I'd call Atomic a pretty iconic dessert shop of the little town of Idyllwild. Atomic Cow has the cutest cow on a sign in the street showing the way to the shop, so there was no way we couldn't get ice cream. This shop was a short walk from the camp site I was at down the road and the perfect relief to a hot summer day. The shop itself is a tight squeeze, especially for how packed it got. Now, this isn't any artisanal ice cream, but it's still solid. One pretty scoop of ice cream here is only $4, which is a steal compared to the other creameries I've gone to in h the city. I stuck with a classic Cookies and Cream, and the ice cream was just as rich and Oreos soft as I expected. Definitely scratched my itch for dessert. I wish they had more flavors, but they do have an extensive menu including a variety of sundaes and even sandwiches. There are a couple of other ice cream and dessert shops around the area, but Atomic Cow is probably the beefiest of them all!

The burgers here are way better than the lumber mill and at a way better price. Their sandwiches are also spot on, as well as the ice cream, shakes ,etc. They were out of all the fried stuff last time (fries, onion rings and tater tots) and the kids working there have told me twice that they didn't hear me order a combo, and then charge me separate for everything, which is lame and shouldn't happen, but they're teenagers working a summer job at an ice cream shop...still 5 stars from me.

How does this place come even close to 5 stars!? First time here. Super slow service. After waiting 20 minutes for our food, they tell us they are out of onion rings. Frustrated, I just asked for all of our money back. There are other places nearby. They only gave me the money for the onion rings since the sandwiches were already made. My sandwich bread was so stale! I couldn't eat it. Just ate the inside parts. We are now driving somewhere for good sandwiches and rings. Obviously, we won't be back.

Small mess up with my food but the burger and fries were good. Nothing special about the ice cream though. Cute local place :)

Great ice cream, and the burger is surprisingly good too! Came in with the kiddos, the kids service were generous and super yummy. Will definitely return next time we visit.

The milk shakes taste really good and there's a lot of flavors. Their food goes good with everything! There are a lot of seats and why I would not rate it a five is because they added too much cheese to my cheese burger. Everything else is really good!

Nice little place we found on our first day in Idyllwild. They have great hamburgers and subs. Staff were very friendly and it was a bonus that they are pet friendly. Highly recommend you try this place out. They have a little bit of everything on their menu.

The food was great and delicious. We visited in the summer on a hot day and it was a perfect choice. We ate sandwiches and ended the meal with sweet treat.

Probably my favorite place in Idyllwild to eat at. Good food, good prices, awesome service. The staff is really nice. And the coffee is cheap and still good.

We've only recently discovered Atomic Cow since it moved to its great new location and we are instant fans. We'll try the ice cream as it gets warmer outside, but for now we've had burgers, fries and their really good potato salad. The Pastrami Burger is a wow! Love the cute tiki theme decor. Important to note, their prices are VERY good for 2024 in Idyllwild. We plan to support them every chance we get. The staff is friendly and hard-working and we go late in the day for an early dinner (they close @ 5pm) so there is never a wait. So glad they are here!

There was a long line almost out the door when we arrived so you know this place has to be good. It took awhile for us to get our food, but they were so busy and it's a small restaurant, there's seating inside and outside. The food was terrific, we had the pastrami reuben, spicy Italian sandwich, chili cheese fries and some chicken nuggets. Fresh ingredients, pricing wasn't too crazy and the service was friendly, they really have a good thing here at Atomic Cow, we liked it a lot.

I like the burgers/fries/onion rings...great prices, friendly folks, convenient location.

Great sandwich and ice cream shop. We ordered a veggie burger and a roast beef sub. Both were delicious and generously proportioned for the price. Service was a little slow but nothing crazy, we were content to wait. It does get a little loud and packed in there as the space isn't very large, so be aware that you might not get a seat inside. Finished our meal off with their mocha flavor. Very good with fudge and walnut as mix ins. Hoped to try the date flavor but wasn't available at the time we ordered. Maybe next time we're in Idyllwild as we're from out of town!

Simple food at a reasonable price. Waited 30 minutes for a single order, and the place is full of people just waiting for food.

Affordable and great sandwiches. Try the little limited edition Pilgrim. I can't speak for the ice cream because I've never had any. This is my once a week indulgence.

My wife and I had a nice lunch here. We tried the corned beef reuben. The sandwich was big. It was also good with a generous portion of corned beef. The fries and chocolate shake were good too. What made the place stand out were the staff. The guy at the counter was very nice and helpful. After we finished we had a short chat with a young lady that also worked there. She was also very kind and friendly. If you ever visit the village of Idyllwild, check this place out! The prices are very good too!

Food was very good They have best prices in town And service is good very friendly Even if there busy there still not rude Or rushy with you Thanks for great service

This place deserves like 10 Not only is the food just phenomenal but the people are just as well! They're so amazing and so helpful just amazing hospitality and the vibe is so nice and chill and relaxing I love this place Hands down the best spot in idyllwild Hidden Gem I had the spicy Italian with chili cheese fries and dole whip my goodness the absolute best food

I love this place best food on the hill. Affordable, quality food and smiling faces. My family loves their burgers!

Atomic Cow has recently moved and has an awesome expanded menu! The cashier was very welcoming and the chef/cook was excellent. From the second we stepped into this place it was slammed! So busy and it made us so happy to see a family owned and operated (I think) spot doing so well on the middle of the week. The inside is decorated with fun posters and tiki-esque. We had these food items: Flaming Hot Italian, the pilgrim, the Ross and a kids burger with fries...and a pickle! Everything was absolutely delicious and the amount of food for the price was well worth it. This place is a great addition to Idyllwild and we happily recommend it. Will definitely be back to try more!

The food was great, wait time was the only issue. If they can get that dialed in, then sky is the limit!

Good Sandwich Lunch Spot!! If you're in town and have a hankering for a sandwich this is the place. Lots of options to choose from, I recommend you walk in and look at the menu then go with your gut. We ordered the Rueben and it was great!! The fries were good too, our friend ordered another sandwich that was bomb. The sub bread is nice and toasty if you ask for it hot which I recommend so either way Rueben or sub you're in a good spot. The cashier was friendly and service was good, not a long wait. We sat outside where they have a few tables to choose from. Thank you for a nice lunch

My hubby and I decided to go on a motorcycle ride for the last day of Summer. Truthfully, I thought it was the first day of Autumn, that's why I insisted on going to Idyllwild. We had lunch and then thought it would be nice to get a pumpkin spice chai latte at the coffee shop. But, we saw something we haven't seen before, the Atomic Cow! We walked over and my husband said they have pumpkin spice milkshakes! Well !! Say no more! As I was ordering the milkshake my eyes fell on huge cookies, Chocolate chip walnut cookies. I had to try it! So I shared with the hubby. Awesome cookie!! It was thick and delicious. And then I took a spoonful of the shake....it was really thick that I needed a spoon....I thought I died and gone to pumpkin spice heaven!! It was the best pumpkin spice shake EVER!!! We even had chunks of pie crust in it. I looked at their sandwich posters they had outside, there was a Pastrami Rueben, if we hadn't had lunch already I would've loved trying that. I'm sure we will make another trip up there soon. Didn't get the guy's name who made the shake, he might be the owner or the son, he did very well and was friendly. I think they're moving to another location soon, the place right now is very small but the seating area is outside and very pleasant.

Seriously! The best burger I've ever had! I ordered the double burger and fries. I couldn't believe how big and delicious it was. Tops any burger I've ever had and only $7.50 loaded. Fries are fab, a touch salty but delish and seasoned. I've also had the Dole Whip, add a little vanilla ice cream then perfection! Staff is excellent, quick, they have it down. Don't miss this place while in Idy. Closes at 5pm. Can't wait to try their sub sandwiches! I heard they're fabulous as well. Very well priced for the amount of food you get.

Service was ok, I got a brownie toffee sundae, it had a few crumbs of brownie and rock hard toffee at the bottom of the cup, wish I would've taken a picture. Kids liked the ice cream but I've never seen them not like anything with sugar .