central CA along the 5

[halfmonkey]

Can anybody tell me if there is a common place for people to stop at along the 5 driving through central CA where you can use the restroom and eat some food?

I'm kinda looking for something like how there's Barstow on the 15 as you drive to Las Vegas.

I don't necessarily want a one off location where we might be the only people eating. I'd rather it be with a crowd of people preferably with an In N Out.

 

[Purrkins]

Harris Ranch and Pea Soup Anderson are really the only places I know of on the 5 that people stop at. It's a pretty barren other than farmland.

Might want to Google map the route then search for In N Out.

Safe driving!

 

[RSWA2]

What Purrkins said.

There is also a big stop on Laval Road (Exit 219 A and B). There is a busy In and Out there. And with probably 8 other places to eat.

 

[bcla]

Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant. Great steaks, but enjoy the aroma of the nearby feedlot. That smell is certainly something that's impossible to forget.

 

[larina]

Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant. Great steaks, but enjoy the aroma of the nearby feedlot. That smell is certainly something that's impossible to forget.

Don't do it! Save yourself! It's disgusting. The smell makes most folks gag. And the food is overpriced (and I'm not a cheap eater, we eat out often and always hit Napa Rose when we are at DLR) and sold seperately so if you order a steak that's all you get.

There's a decent Dennys (I've seen other DISers talk about too, my family isn't alone in their dislike of Harris Ranch) in Santa Nella, at the same exit as Anderson's (we don't go there due to the extremely slow service we had the few times we did, besides I make split pea soup and its always hot when I serve it at home). It is one of two Dennys in the state that we will actually go to.

 

[larina]

sold seperately so if you order a steak that's all you get....

I just checked the menu and it looks like they've made some changes. Prices are lower (it was $40 + for steaks when we were there last) and they now include sides. Clearly that old menu wasn't working for them.

 

[bcla]

Don't do it! Save yourself! It's disgusting. The smell makes most folks gag. And the food is overpriced (and I'm not a cheap eater, we eat out often and always hit Napa Rose when we are at DLR) and sold seperately so if you order a steak that's all you get.

There's a decent Dennys (I've seen other DISers talk about too, my family isn't alone in their dislike of Harris Ranch) in Santa Nella, at the same exit as Anderson's (we don't go there due to the extremely slow service we had the few times we did, besides I make split pea soup and its always hot when I serve it at home). It is one of two Dennys in the state that we will actually go to.

I would just point out that with my post I was seeing if the :barf smiley was active.

Still - the meat they have there is first rate, although I understand the prices have gone way up. I remember back in 2004 I stopped along the way and had a "Wedgie" which was their low carb offering with a 9 oz sirloin and an iceberg wedge salad with olives for $12. That was quite a deal, although I would have liked some bread or maybe soup with that, and their individual sides were pretty expensive. (Addendum: I looked it up and now that 8 oz sirloin is $18. They also have all day steak and eggs for $18).

And that smell. It's kind of hard to undo what has been done once you get a whiff of it.

 

[halfmonkey]

I appreciate the feedback on Harris Ranch but I'm going to pass. I don't want to eat my meal with a neasty stench suffocating me.

I'll think we'll just stick with the tried and true In N Out.

 

[bcla]

I appreciate the feedback on Harris Ranch but I'm going to pass. I don't want to eat my meal with a neasty stench suffocating me.

I'll think we'll just stick with the tried and true In N Out.

The odor is only outdoors, and frankly I don't remember much of an odor directly outside the restaurant. It's the stench directly on I-5 as you pass the feedlot that's nasty. The restaurant is about four miles south of the feedlot.

 

[Purrkins]

I appreciate the feedback on Harris Ranch but I'm going to pass. I don't want to eat my meal with a neasty stench suffocating me.

I'll think we'll just stick with the tried and true In N Out.

That odor also is on the highway. Whenever we come up to it we roll the windows tight and set the AC to recirculate.

;-)

 

[Huff]

Along I-5 there are restaurant and gas station clusters every 50 miles or less. These are some of the exits that have fast food, Denny's, IHOP etc. 219,253,257,278,309,334,368,407,434 and 441.

 

[RSWA2]

The odor is only outdoors, and frankly I don't remember much of an odor directly outside the restaurant. It's the stench directly on I-5 as you pass the feedlot that's nasty. The restaurant is about four miles south of the feedlot.

My friends and I use to make a joke that we would tell people the food there is so fresh, that you pick your own cow from the feedlot...not sure if that offended people or not.

 

[rms123]

We always stop just north of the Grapevine. Not exactly central but not too far off. Lots of food selection there - our favorite being Chipotle.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

Alot of it depends on which direction you are heading. McKitrick (sp) a.k.a. Buttonwillow is about 45 minutes before the Grapevine, and has a bunch of fast food places, diners and gas stations. It's one of the more popular places to stop.

Others posted about Andersen's Pea Soup. That place and a few others are located in Santa Nella, which is about 2 hours south of San Francisco.

 

[Californiacicle]

We always stopped in Buttonwillow or right before the Grapevine.

 

[sasywtch]

I5 is not as bad as it use to be. There are some stretches but now, within 30 minutes you are coming across a few gas stations, places to eat in clusters. I think some people hear how bare I5 was that they imagine an old coffee shop with no one around. They now have Love's truck stops with a Shell and an AM/PM on another corner with Dennys, In and Out, Jack in the Box. We stopped 4 times from Sacramento to Los Angeles and each time, it was a busy area with numerous gas stations, numerous places to eat and people all around.

 

[bcla]

I5 is not as bad as it use to be. There are some stretches but now, within 30 minutes you are coming across a few gas stations, places to eat in clusters. I think some people hear how bare I5 was that they imagine an old coffee shop with no one around. They now have Love's truck stops with a Shell and an AM/PM on another corner with Dennys, In and Out, Jack in the Box. We stopped 4 times from Sacramento to Los Angeles and each time, it was a busy area with numerous gas stations, numerous places to eat and people all around.

I've been traveling along I-5 since the 70s, and all the basic pit stops were about the furthest thing from virtual ghost towns. There's always parked cars.

Now I do remember this Chevron station on CA-58 near Buttonwillow where I was the only customer every single time I've been there.

 

[sasywtch]

I've been traveling along I-5 since the 70s, and all the basic pit stops were about the furthest thing from virtual ghost towns. There's always parked cars.

Now I do remember this Chevron station on CA-58 near Buttonwillow where I was the only customer every single time I've been there.

I was watching it being built LOL (actually a true story but joshing with you)
People hear how bare it is and think it's a ghost town most of the way. I actually prefer it to 99 as 5 has more stop friendly exits whereas 99 has more "what way to the gas station in the middle of this town" type exits.

 

[PixieDustD]

It depends on how long you want your stop to be. Do you want a "table service" restaurant? I would recommend Harris Ranch over Andersons. Frankly, neither appeal to me much.

For A quick stop, I would recommend In N Out. The locations on 1-5 south of the San Francisco Bay Area would be: Santa Nella, Kettleman City and Lebec (Teton Ranch). Lebec is just before the Grapevine. Their french fries are limp unless you ask for them "well done"

Here is a link to In N Out's "Secret Menu": http://innoutsecretmenu.net

When we are driving we want to get to Disneyland as quickly as possible...no long stops!!

 

[bcla]

Don't do it! Save yourself! It's disgusting. The smell makes most folks gag. And the food is overpriced (and I'm not a cheap eater, we eat out often and always hit Napa Rose when we are at DLR) and sold seperately so if you order a steak that's all you get.

There's a decent Dennys (I've seen other DISers talk about too, my family isn't alone in their dislike of Harris Ranch) in Santa Nella, at the same exit as Anderson's (we don't go there due to the extremely slow service we had the few times we did, besides I make split pea soup and its always hot when I serve it at home). It is one of two Dennys in the state that we will actually go to.

I'd just revisit this thread. We've dined there twice in the past couple of weeks, and the steak was about as good as I've had anywhere. Since we had a young child with us, the Horseshoe Bar wasn't an option and they don't normally seat children in the steakhouse. The family restaurant was fine though.

As I said, the steak was about as good as I've had anywhere. On our first visit I had the 8 oz sirloin wedgie, which came with a wedge salad of iceberg lettuce from their own farm. My wife had the 8 oz sirloin with chile relleno and rice/beans. On our return visit she had the same, but I opted for the 12 oz ribeye with tomato/caper bruchetta topping served with a small caesar salad. It was superb. I'd say the meat was as good as I remember at Ruth's Chris, although the setting wasn't quite "intimate steakhouse" with various "Western" touches. The ones we ordered were $20 max, although their standard steak offerings where you select your sides can bring up the cost a bunch.

The smell is still there but at that level you sort of acclimate quickly. I don't think I could handle being right next to the feedlot though.