Martinez: Hot Dog Depot--homemade acorn bread, veggie burgers,...

[alfredck]

While walking along the Martinez waterfront, we spotted this modest restaurant. We would have walked by if not for the signs for homemade acorn bread. Intrigued, we shared a slice. Moist, slightly sweet, with raisins and walnuts, the bread was nourishing and tasty. Slightly nutty without any bitterness from tannins. At $3 a slice, not cheap, but from personal experience, I realize the amount of work it takes to process acorns (shelling, removing the skins, grinding, leaching the tannins...). The extremely nice Korean owner said that she harvested and prepared everything herself. I hadn't realized that Koreans ate acorns, but apparently they use them for noodles and jelly. She also recommended her homemade Veggie burgers; we had one and it was a very nice change from the packaged Garden burgers and Boca burgers you find elsewhere. A mix of vegetables and grains, it was savory and satisfying. She grows the vegetables for the burgers in her garden! We bought half a dozen patties to take home.

All in all a nice, local place, with unique, homemade food (chili and soup as well) made by owners who have been there for 20 years.

And they have good hot dogs, too:

chowhound.chow.com/topics/544409

[brownkona]

thank you for such a kind feedback. my name is paul and i m sue's son. I just recently came back to the bay area and i couldn't be happier with my mom's cooking. yes, she does make a great acorn bread but that's not all....(i know i m bias) she can make basically can make you anything with acorn flower. in fact she even has acorn flower. she basically can make you anything if you ask her nicely....well she does for me. she love what she does and i love to see her happy when people really enjoy her food. i know the little money she makes from these unique food really goes for her research and material costs. i mean she goes all the way out to sf to get some of these acorns for cryin out loud....anyhow, thank you guys for your kind words for my mom. my mom kicks A..!

[sparrowhawk]

Well, after all, my ancestors make Acorn Soup...yummmm

[Hunicsz]

Has this place been there long? We lived in Martinez (moved 1.5 yrs ago) and I used to walk down there a lot and don't recall it.

[eakeson]

They have owned it for 20 years. It is located across the street from the old train station. The last building on the left before you enter the Marina Park, end of Ferry Street.

[rworange]

It is an older couple who runs it (pics of grandkid on wall) and I think they have run it most of their lives. I remember seeing it four years ago when I first moved to the East Bay. It is right next to the train tracks.

[Hunicsz]

Huh, too bad I missed it. Maybe I'll try it if I make it back there sometime. Wish I had known about.

[eakeson]

I am glad Sue's baking skills received some attention here. I work around the corner and eat there regularly and love their acorn bread. I created the sign you saw in the window and am a huge fan of this understated restaurant which serves much more than hot dogs. You can also order the acorn bread by the loaf. Sue says the process is laborious, and her husband, Chin, says it's loud (all the grinding).

[J T]

Acorn Bread?!? Fascinating. That's sounds worthy of a return. Agree about good the good hotdog. Thank you.

[choctastic]

Wow, acorn jelly is a common banchan but I've never heard of acorn bread! I'll check this out when I'm in town next.

[rworange]

Thanks for the tip about the acorn bread. Yes, I like their hot dogs a lot. Very nice people too. One of these days I'll try their bread pudding

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Hot Dog Depot & Bakery
400 Ferry St, Martinez, CA