There are at least four perfectly decent motels in Wrightwood. I recommend the Mountain View Motel (1054 Hwy 2, 760 249-3553), a clean, mom-and-pop operation at the north edge of town on the highway. The Mountain View's duplex cabins, decorated in mish-mash garage-sale style circa 1965, are a restful haven two long highway blocks north of the town center and separated from the highway by a small bird sanctuary. I found the longer walk to and from Wrightwood's services to be an acceptable tradeoff for the peace and quiet. Conversely, other hikers really enjoyed the thru-hiker zoo scene at the very popular and more centrally located Pines Motel (6045 Pine St., 760 249-9974).
On the dining front, the Yodeler (6046 Park Dr., 760 249-6482) is a long-time hiker favorite, a remodeled house right in the heart of town that does boom business all day and most of the night, mostly pizza, burgers and beer. On a lazy afternoon, the Yodeler's porch seems to be the prime spot in Wrightwood to watch the world roll by.
Directly across the street is the Raccoon Saloon (1269-1275 Evergreen St., 760 249-6393), one of the most memorable drinking establishments on the PCT. This is a locals-only joint that gets pretty raucous (and not just on Friday and Saturday nights). It sells many tap beers, including Sierra Nevada, in 12, 22 oz. and one liter measures. A shocking number of the local citizenry are pounding ridiculously outsized liter sleeves of brew at any hour of the afternoon or evening. I had the distinct privilege of watching two shirtless, linebacker-sized townies engage in an impromptu Greco-Roman wrestling match, with one eventually executing a dramatic throw that sent his opponent clear over the pool table and headfirst onto the floor. ("Is this, ah, serious?" I asked, eyeing the back door that leads to a conveniently placed alley. "Shit no! They known each other since they was in Cub Scouts. They just playin!") All this and a four-star jukebox that's often free in the afternoons.
The Raccoon is partnered with the Evergreen Cafe, a middling diner in the adjacent building. The smart move is to do your serious eating at the Yodeler and then cross the street for some serious drinking and local culture at the Raccoon.
Avoid the Grizzly Cafe (1455 Hwy 2, 760 249-6733), where my overpriced steak came with some of the worst, most clueless service of the entire Southern California segment. The daffy waitress -- someone who should never be employed in any service industry -- unceremoniously plopped my steak on the table just moments after she'd served my salad. She was back two minutes later to ask perfunctorily "Is everything OK?" Being just three bites into the salad, I replied, "Um, I dunno. I haven't tried the steak yet." "Well why not? What's wrong with it?" And it went downhill from there.
Other options which I didn't get an opportunity to sample personally: As of 2005 an arty Italian take-out dinner place called Babbo had taken over the small space the Sawmill once occupied on Highway 2. The venerable Blue Ridge Inn (6060 Park Dr., 760 249-3440) is still widely regarded as the finest restaurant in the region. Not as expensive and not as dressy as you may think. I'd give it a try the next time I find myself in Wrightwood -- after I'd done some laundry.