Carney’s is a restaurant that serves hot dogs and burgers from a distinctive yellow Union Pacific train carriage. It’s located on Sunset Boulevard, close to the famous Chateau Marmont, and was brought to this location in the 1970s. A second Carney’s, also in train carriages, can be found on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City.
Jonathan Gold, a Los Angeles culinary critic and Pulitzer Prize winner, included Carney’s in his list of 99 essential Los Angeles restaurants. He noted that “Carney’s is a restaurant with a true Los Angeles tradition, two former Union Pacific carriages transported to West Hollywood at great expense and mounted overlooking the Strip. Here, a crazy parade of bassists and catalog models, hustlers and high school kids, film people and industry executives watch through the windows of the old train, at the abundance of German tourists and Japanese cars flowing through this section of Sunset so constantly that after a few beers and a chili dog or two, the train might seem to sway on the track.”
In addition to its famous burgers and hot dogs at very affordable prices, another specialty of Carney’s is its dessert: a frozen banana dipped in chocolate and served on a stick. But the best part of Carney’s remains its unique setting, as well as its prime location on the Sunset Strip.
Carney’s train carriage has been featured in several TV shows and movies, as well as in the video game GTA V, where its recognizable yellow color was changed to red.
