Beloved Oak Glen Restaurant Closes Temporarily, Awaiting Mudslide Cleanup

OAK GLEN, CA — For the second day, the areas of Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and Oak Glen were released from evacuation warnings as the Inland Empire works to clear mud and debris flows, officials say.

On Friday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department placed the communities of Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks, and the Oak Glen area from Pendleton Road east to Glen Road (north and south) under evacuation warnings due to the potential for mud and debris flows from the approaching storm. The warnings were lifted as of 7 p.m.

On Thursday afternoon, Forest Falls received over 2.3 inches of rain, according to the weather service, resulting in numerous mudslides and flash floods.

Near Highland, a joint response took place to rescue one person and two dogs from a flash flood, as seen in the video below.

Thank you to CAL FIRE/City of Highland FD, SB County Sheriff Aviation & San Manuel FD for the quick, coordinated response during last night’s swift water rescue in Highland.

Your teamwork saved a life & two animals! We are grateful for your dedication! pic.twitter.com/pjW0eIHtvE
— Highland Police (@HighlandPolice) September 19, 2025

More mudflows left roads closed in Oak Glen, and left residents to shelter in place, and even trapped some from reaching their homes.

Oak Glen Steakhouse has closed its doors and asked people to refrain from trying to visit due to current weather events and threats of more mudslides.

This time, the immediate area around the beloved special occasion restaurant that was once again covered in thick, dark mud from upcanyon, forcing the establishment to close for the first time since 2022.

In a video recorded on Thursday by workers at the restaurant, the mud moved fast down the canyon and was unrelenting.

"These videos were recorded on September 18, 2025 by team members who were inside the building and ran out when this hit. This is current, real mudslide footage," they said.

This time is nothing like what happened in the mudslide of 2022, manager Wendy Garcia told Patch.

"The restaurant was not damaged. We are closed temporarily while the main roads get cleared," she said. In her Instagram post, she continued:

"Thank God there were no injuries, our entire team is safe and the building remains intact. We’re facing significant cleanup and exterior property damage. Our eyewitness videos and firsthand accounts show the impact. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and incredible community support as we focus on staff safety, cleanup, and reopening as soon as it is safe to do so."

The last time this happened, part-owner Brandon Gallegos told Patch that "Mother Nature came down the mountain."

Related:

'It Was A Tidal Wave Of Mud,' Witnesses Say Of The Oak Glen Mudslide