HOLLYWOOD, CA – JULY 11: General view of Elon Musk’s new Tesla Diner & Drive-In, which is undergoing testing with an opening date expected by the end of summer on July 11, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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It’s trendy to hate the Tesla Diner. Not because it’s a failure (it’s not) but because some people have an axe to grind with Elon Musk.
TL;DR: As an elite Tesla Supercharger location with the option to get a meal—the only Supercharger station that offers this—it’s a success.
Some reviews of the Diner—which opened in West Hollywood in July 2025—want you to know first and foremost that the reviewer doesn’t like Musk. Then it’s a short hop to say that the Diner is a disaster. I would call it guilt by association: anything related to Musk must be tainted.
My Most Recent Visits
I went to the Diner on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4. I estimate that on both days 90+% of the chargers (of the 80 Superchargers) were being used. By that metric alone, the Diner is a success. (More on the Diner itself below.)
An Average Diner Or A Five-Star Supercharger Station?
On Saturday, the Tesla Diner (the restaurant) was busy if not packed at times (see video). And obviously not failing, though some blogs and reports want you desperately to believe otherwise. That said, I go to the Tesla Diner to charge—not to eat. And that’s what the vast majority of people are there for: to fast-charge, then leave. Some patrons grab a snack or a cup of coffee but most sit in their car, charge and move on. Even when customers grab a snack, they generally don’t hang out in the Diner. They either order from their car (and get the order delivered right to the car) or pick up and go back to their car.
The Charging Experience – The Main Event
My point: The chargers are the main event; the Diner is a sideshow. I would go so far as to say that the Diner is almost irrelevant. After all, Hollywood is full of great eateries. There is an In-N-Out Burger just two blocks away off Sunset. That’s where you go to get a great burger (and 30-minute wait times), not the Diner. And Pink’s Hot Dogs and 25 Degrees at the Hollywood Roosevelt are nearby too. Just to mention a few. Some of these places have been around for 80+ years (Pink’s). How are you going to compete with that?
But getting back to the charging experience. Thankfully, Tesla had the foresight to install 80 Superchargers at the Diner so I can always find an open stall. And charging is fast and glitch-free. (Which is not necessarily the case at Electrify America.) On Saturday, I charged a 2026 Rivian R1S, which I have on loan from Rivian. All new Rivians being delivered now have a NACS (Tesla) port. The charging experience for the Rivian is no different than a Tesla. You just plug it in and it starts charging. And I would expect to see more non-Teslas in the future as EV manufacturers move to the NACS charging port. NACS ports will come standard on the upcoming Rivian R2, the 2027 Chevy Bolt, 2026 Cadillac EVs, the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the 2026 Toyota bZ, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, among others.
Tesla Diner on Saturday April 4.
Credit: Brooke Crothers
Tesla Diner charging area abutting N. Sycamore Ave. on April 4.
Credit: Brooke Crothers
Tesla Diner on the N. Orange Dr side on April 3. Photo taken from the rooftop Skypad.
Credit: Brooke CrothersA Supercharger Success (Musk-Bashing Aside)
Yes, I’ve been inside the Diner when it’s slow. And the Diner as a standalone eatery isn’t going to compete with In-N-Out Burger. But as an elite Supercharger location with the option to grab a snack it’s a success. Complaints about Musk don’t give the reader an honest evaluation of the Tesla Diner as a great charging destination, which, again, is its primary purpose for the vast majority of visitors.
On Saturday, I was charging a 2026 Rivian R1S — which Rivian loaned me for a week — that comes standard with a NACS (Tesla) charging port.
Credit: Brooke Crothers