Hot food with EBT in Victorville and Hesperia - restaurants beyond the fish market?
Has anyone found restaurants in Victorville or Hesperia that accept EBT for hot food besides that one fish market? My mom just moved in with me (she's disabled) and I got approved for the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program last month since we qualify as a household with a disabled member. We've only used it at the fish market on Bear Valley but it would be nice to have more options. Does anyone know if any of the fast food places around here take EBT through the RMP? Or maybe some other local spots I'm missing? TIA!
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StarSeeker
The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is pretty limited in San Bernardino County. Besides the fish market, I know there are some Subway locations that participate in the RMP. Also check some of the Denny's restaurants - not all participate, but a few do. You can get an updated list of RMP vendors from your county office or on the CalFresh RMP website: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/restaurant-meals. The list changes periodically as restaurants join or leave the program.
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Dmitry Volkov
Authorthanks!! I'll check out Denny's, that would be perfect for my mom since she likes breakfast food. Is there a way to tell which specific locations accept it before going there? I'd hate to order food and then find out they don't take EBT.
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Ava Martinez
i use mine at the dominos on 7th street they take ebt for hot food. also theres a chinese place by the mall that takes it but i forgot the name
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Miguel Ortiz
Are you sure those places accept EBT through the Restaurant Meals Program? Not all EBT acceptance is for hot food. Many places accept EBT but only for cold, unprepared foods that you take home to cook. To use EBT for hot, prepared foods, the restaurant must specifically be enrolled in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) and your EBT card must be coded for RMP eligibility (only available to homeless, elderly, or disabled CalFresh recipients).
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Zainab Omar
I work at the Department of Social Services and can confirm the Restaurant Meals Program is quite limited in the High Desert area. Besides the fish market you mentioned, there are approximately 7-8 participating locations in Victorville/Hesperia as of early 2025. The official list should be available through your eligibility worker. Make sure both you and your mother have your EBT cards coded for RMP access - this happens automatically when you qualify, but sometimes there are system errors that need correction.
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Dmitry Volkov
AuthorThank you! I've tried calling the county office twice to get the list but haven't been able to get through to a real person. Is there another way to get the list besides going in person? Our car is in the shop right now.
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Connor Murphy
The county office NEVER answers their phones!!! I've been trying for THREE WEEKS to talk to someone about my recertification and all I get is that stupid recording saying they're experiencing high call volume. Then it hangs up on me!!! How are disabled people supposed to even use these services when you can't reach anyone?!?!
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Yara Sayegh
Try using Claimyr - it's the only way I've been able to reach someone at the CalFresh office without spending hours on hold. They basically wait on hold for you and call you back when they reach a real person. I found the video demo super helpful: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Their website is claimyr.com. Worth it when you need to talk to someone at the county about something specific like getting that RMP vendor list or sorting out RMP coding issues on your EBT card.
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NebulaNova
i thought all mcdonalds take ebt now? I swear I used mine at the one on bear valley rd last month
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StarSeeker
McDonald's isn't universally part of the Restaurant Meals Program. Some locations in certain counties participate, but it varies widely. If you were able to use your EBT at McDonald's, either that specific location is enrolled in RMP (which is possible but not widely reported in San Bernardino County), or there might have been a mistake in the transaction. The EBT system sometimes erroneously processes transactions that should be declined. Double-check your EBT transaction history to make sure it wasn't reversed later.
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Keisha Williams
My sister lives in Victorville and she said that Jack in the Box on 7th Street takes EBT for hot food but only if ur card has RMP on it. Also Papa Johns I think
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Dmitry Volkov
AuthorThanks for the tip! I'll check out Jack in the Box. That's not too far from us.
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Miguel Ortiz
To summarize the current Restaurant Meals Program vendors in the Victorville/Hesperia area as of 2025: 1. The fish market you mentioned 2. Select Subway locations (not all) 3. Some Denny's restaurants (call ahead to verify) 4. Potentially Jack in the Box on 7th Street (as mentioned by another commenter) 5. Domino's on 7th Street (according to another commenter) 6. A Chinese restaurant near the mall (unconfirmed name) 7. Potentially Papa John's (unconfirmed) Remember that the Restaurant Meals Program is specifically for households with elderly (60+), disabled members, or homeless individuals. Your EBT card must be coded for RMP access, which it sounds like it is since you've already used it at the fish market. The most accurate and up-to-date list would be available through your county office or the CalFresh website.
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Dmitry Volkov
AuthorThis is super helpful, thank you! I'll try calling these places directly to confirm before we go. And yes, our cards are coded for RMP since my mom is disabled and we've used it at the fish market already.
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Ava Martinez
btw dont forget u can also use ebt for groceries at walmart and food 4 less if ur ok with cooking
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Dmitry Volkov
AuthorYeah we definitely use EBT for groceries too! Just looking for restaurant options for the days when my mom isn't feeling well enough for me to cook (I work full time) or when we want to go out together. Thanks though!
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Giovanni Rossi
Just wanted to add that I've seen some confusion in the comments about which places actually accept EBT for hot food through RMP vs regular EBT for cold items. A good way to verify before you go is to call the restaurant and specifically ask "Do you participate in the California Restaurant Meals Program for EBT?" rather than just "Do you take EBT?" because many places take EBT but only for cold/packaged items. Also, if you're having trouble reaching the county office by phone, you might try going to the San Bernardino County website and looking for their online services portal - sometimes they have downloadable PDFs of current RMP vendor lists. Hope this helps you and your mom find some good dining options!
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