Late Night dinner: San Jose airport toward Monterey

[danna]

My flight lands at 9:40. After we pick up a rental car and head toward Monterey...where should we get a quick, casual dinner? I'm open to anything that won't take too much effort. Since we are completely unfamiliar with the area and it will be dark, easy access is important. Cali-mex? Notable local fast-food? thanks.

[bbulkow]

How's about El Grullo, 2444 Alvin, San Jose?
(there are a couple of other El Grullo's)
Right by Tulley Rd and 101.
I haven't been to that location, but I've been to the one in RWC, and it's a decent taqueria for the area. Will at least be local flava. They appear to be open until midnight every night.

Opa! in Los Gatos appears to be open late. But, are you really thinking of doing a late night drive all the way to monterey? You should probably take 101, in which case Los Gatos is out of the way. 17 is a fine road in daytime, but it's wasted at night - unless you want to go to santa cruz and dip your toes in the surf in the moonlight.

Things in Santana Row are open till 11, like Left Bank. Left Bank is about what you'd expect in a nice airport, which is to say not chow worthy generally, but I am fond of the steak frites (at least in the menlo park branch, which is considered to have better food), which you can get casually at the bar. I'm not sure when the kitchen is open until.

Izakaya has had some good reports (I think), and is pretty close to the airport and freeway. You will want a GPS, but if you've got a modern phone, you'll be fine.

There are some korean places open late (those crazy koreans), but they don't tend to be quick.

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Santana Row
355 Santana Row, San Jose, CA 95128

Izakaya Restaurant
1335 N 1st St, San Jose, CA 95112

[Robert Lauriston]

There are a fair number of places downtown that are open late, and that's not much of a detour if you go via 101, which I'd pick over driving 17 at night.

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La Victoria Taqueria
140 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113

Original Joe's Restaurant
301 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113

Pita Pit
150 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113

Sa-by Thai Cuisine
346 E William St, San Jose, CA 95112

[nancyhudson]

Boy, all the places I was thinking about recommending stop serving just about when you're arriving. You may be stuck with fast food. I recently ate at 4th Street Bowl (I know!). Don't judge - it was awesome! Here's a link to their menu. They stop serving at 9:45-maybe your flight will get in early or maybe you can give them a sad face!

http://www.4thstreetbowl.com/coffee.html

[KatoK]

The late arrival time makes this more difficult than in other cities, San Jose isn't really a late night kind of town. Are you familiar with the hamburger chain, In-N-Out Burgerthat is popular out here in the West? They have a location on Coleman Avenue right at the exit from the airport as you go South on 880 to go to Highway 17. It is a decent burger for fast food and a California experience to be sure and it is open until 1 AM.

Darn link won't work, so:

In-N-Out Burger

550 Newhall Drive

San Jose, CA

Enjoy your trip!

[danna]

thanks for the address, we may end up there. Unfortunately, on my one other trip to CA, we checked out In-n-out. what if we keep driving a bit? is los gatos a more late-night stop?