Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar has quietly closed in San Bernardino, leaving Southern California with three locations.
Facebook users noticed the closure on Tuesday, June 23. That evening, Claim Jumper took the location off its website with no explanation. Review website Yelp also changed the restaurant’s status to closed on Wednesday at mid-morning.
A sign taped to the entrance on Wednesday morning offered no explanation but thanked San Bernardino for the opportunity to serve it. Painters were patching exterior walls and windowsills, but no one from the restaurant itself appeared to be around.
Claim Jumper signage removed by painters rests on a bench outside the San Bernardino restaurant, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (Photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Repeated phone calls to the location have been met with a busy signal. A phone call to Kelly Companies in Del Mar, which franchises Claim Jumper restaurants, was not returned at press time.
The building is at 1905 Commercenter E, but although set back from the street, it was on E. Hospitality Lane, home to many other casual restaurants and hotels. It shared a parking lot with Staybridge Suites. It dates from 1980, according to a listing on the real estate site LoopNet. It was previously a Bobby McGee’s restaurant. The liquor license was transferred to Claim Jumper, which opened in December 1999. It was No. 24 in the chain and the first not to have a salad bar.
Claim Jumper was founded in Los Alamitos in 1977 by Craig Nickoloff, whose family has been a force in Southern California dining for generations.
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Claim Jumper grew through the rest of the century, becoming known for rustic dining rooms and its large portions. Signature items include the six-layer Chocolate Motherlode Cake.
A display case shows off six-layer Chocolate Motherlode Cakes at the Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar in San Bernardino. (2023 photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The rustic interior of Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar in San Bernardino featured rock and gold mining tools. (2023 photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar in San Bernardino served customers for more than 25 years. (2023 photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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A display case shows off six-layer Chocolate Motherlode Cakes at the Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar in San Bernardino. (2023 photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Nickoloff sold a majority stake in the chain to a private equity firm in 2005. It went into bankruptcy in 2010, when it had 45 locations in eight states. The chain was acquired by Landry’s Inc., which turned over most of its locations to Kelly Companies.
Claim Jumper’s website lists four existing locations. They are in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza; in Buena Park, across the street from Knott’s Berry Farm; in San Diego, near the cruise ship terminal; and in Tualatin, Ore., a suburb of Portland.
There are three other restaurants run by Landry’s operating in Golden Nugget casinos, where they are called CJ.
Conagra sells Claim Jumper frozen foods, including a line of that-and-serve cream pies, that are available in supermarkets. It’s a separate operation from the restaurants.
Information: claimjumper.com