Wrecking Ball Feasts on Landmark Route 66 Cafe

The Trails restaurant, one of the last remaining holdouts on the Southern California end of famed Route 66, was demolished this week in Duarte to make way for a subdivision after a last-ditch effort to save the 50-year-old eatery failed.

A cease-and-desist lawsuit filed by preservationists Aug. 9 attempted to halt the bulldozers, but it was denied by Superior Court Judge David Yaffe on Wednesday.

The Duarte City Council voted unanimously July 9 to allow Bowden Development to raze The Trails, which closed last year, and build a 29-unit residential tract on the 2 1/2-acre lot on Huntington Drive.

During the meeting, council members listened to arguments from Bowden Development and residents who wanted to make way for the homes, and from preservationists who wanted the restaurant saved.

Residents described The Trails fondly--known for its rib-eye steaks and saucy waitresses--but many said the building had become an eyesore.

Alan Leib, who led the preservation effort, was unavailable for comment Friday.

“We’re happy that it’s over,” said Bowden project manager Richard Tipping. “But we’re frustrated that [preservationists] cost the city and us a lot of extra money.”

He declined to say how much was spent on legal and delayed construction costs. He said the project was stalled about 45 days.

Most of The Trails’ equipment and furnishings were auctioned off. The restaurant’s trademark sign will be donated to the Duarte Historical Society.