THE JOURNAL

local favorites

local favorites

SPACE AGE
RESTAURANT

Gila Bend

Space Age Restaurant is as much a tourist
attraction as it is a restaurant, in large part
because of the giant spaceship on the roof
and the celestial murals on the walls. The
restaurant's manager, Salena Cipriano,
says many people stop by to take pictures
but stay for the food, which, fortunately,
isn't astronaut fare. More from Cipriano:

How did it all begin?

The restaurant was built between 1964
and 1965 and was designed by the
original owner, Al Stovall. He also owned a
magnesium mine that provided materi-
als for NASA space shuttles - that's why
[the restaurant is] space-themed. In 1998,
there was a fire, and the restaurant was
rebuilt. Originally, there was a “man on
the moon” on the roof, but the owners
replaced it with the spaceship.

Is the food out of this world?

We serve both Mexican and American
cuisine. The most popular item is our
half-pound Space Burger. We also offer
a quarter-pound burger with bacon and
griled onions, called the Duke Burger. It's
named after Duke Fox, one of the current
owners. People love our Mexican pizza,
which is a grilled flour tortilla with sea-
soned taco meat and a choice of cheddar or
spicy jack jalapeño cheese. We also have a
salad bar.

NAMED FOR A 90-DEGREE BEND in the Gila
River, Gila Bend is one of the westernmost
outposts of Maricopa County. Once a
stagecoach stop along the San Antonio-
San Diego Mail Line and then the Butter-
field Overland Mail route, the town was
considered “The Crossroads of the South-
west.” Its Indian history is rich, as well. The
town's affiliation with the Tohono O'odham

Nation dates to 1882, and it's located just
miles from the tribe's San Lucy District. Al-
though its history is noteworthy, Gila Bend
is also committed to the future - the town
is home to one of the largest solar-power
plants in the world, and two more are under
construction.

Space Age Restaurant is located at 401 E. Pima
Street in Gila Bend. For more information, call
928-683-2761.