87542 Wed Jun 22 11:15:53 -0700 2005 14 3 California 0 482740 I will be travelling to Orange County from Sacto with 3 teens. Any recs for stops, restaurants along the way? TIA Wed Jun 22 11:15:53 -0700 2005 0 dimsumgirl 1 482741 Depending on your departure time Los Banos is about 7 miles east of I-5 or further south before the Grapevine is Buttonwillow. So a search of this board for these, there have been a number of good recs. Wed Jun 22 11:24:58 -0700 2005 482740 0 PolarBear 2 482743 Los Banos is not convenient for someone traveling from Sacramento... It would pose a quite inconvenient detour... :) Wed Jun 22 13:15:49 -0700 2005 482741 0 Stanley Lew 3 482744 WHOOPS! I was thinking of the wrong stop... Nevermind! Wed Jun 22 13:17:41 -0700 2005 482743 0 Stanley Lew 3 482771 Los Banos would not be out of the way if they took Hwy 99 south to 152 west. Then they can continue west a few miles and get on 5. Thu Jun 23 18:44:10 -0700 2005 482743 0 fag city 4 482777 In the OP's subject line she specifies I-5, which severely limits the options once you're south of Stockton. Traveling 99 would offer a host of great spots at almost any little burg along the freeway, but it's not my favorite stretch of road for a long trip. Also, Los Banos is about 33 miles west of 99 on 152, add the 7 more to reach I-5, and you've traveled 40 mi. out of your way and basically have to double back meeting up with 99 again south of B'field. Thu Jun 23 19:19:07 -0700 2005 482771 0 PolarBear 1 482746 We usually stop at Harris Ranch cause they have the cleanest restrooms along I-5. There is an In-N-Out a little bit further south. Otherwise we just drive straight thru. Why waste time along the way when there are much better restaurants in LA? Wed Jun 22 14:46:48 -0700 2005 482740 0 Peter 2 482747 I believe you're referring to the In-N-Out in Kettleman City, which was a regular stop for us on the drive from LA to San Jose. Sometimes it's just easier and quicker to go the fast food route, and I always looked forward to a cheeseburger at In-N-Out. As the OP has 3 teens, this is a good, inexpensive option. Can be swamped if you're driving during a holiday weekend though, but that's the case at most roadside joints. There's also a Subway off that same exit if you're looking for a healthier (but less tasty IMO) option. Wed Jun 22 15:21:31 -0700 2005 482746 0 Carb Lover 3 482780 Besides Subway, I noticed Quiznos now has a Kettleman City location. Thu Jun 23 21:19:22 -0700 2005 482747 0 RG 1 482755 For an alternative to In-N-Out at Kettlemen City, Debbie's Place in Avenal has great tasting big hamburgers (beat's In-N-Out hands down IMO). Their patties are thick and tasty. It's a local's place and you can see pictures from the Sand Drag races held twice a year. Their address is 429 Skyline Blvd, Avenal, CA. To get to Avenal, take the Hwy 269 I-5 exit South for five miles over the Kettleman Hills into town. Not a big detour but worth it. Other local faves for inexpensive filling and cheap 1.00 tacos is Chris's Meat Market and Los Amigos Market in Huron. These are local take-out carniceria places that stuff their tacos to the max with meat. The burritos are even bigger. Not for vegetarians. Huron is 15 miles north of the HWY 269 junction with I-5 or about 10 miles west of Harris Ranch on HWY 198 and then 3 miles south on Hwy 269 Hope these might help out. Wed Jun 22 22:16:50 -0700 2005 482740 0 TG 2 482773 Hey TG, thanks a million for the Huron and Avenal recs. We travel through both taking the back roads from Fresno to the central coast. Will definitely be giving them a try. Thu Jun 23 18:54:06 -0700 2005 482755 0 PolarBear 3 482785 You're welcome Polarbear, be warned that the Huron places are considered "hole-in-the-wall" "dives" catering mainly to the local farmworkers. These are strictly grab and go places and may not appeal to everybody. There are also a couple of other places other than the usual on I-5. 99% of folks zoom by on I-5 oblivious to small towns around here except to local folks living and working in the area. No gourmet food out here, just basic grub. Huron- China Restaurant has odd hours usually opens around 3 PM but has palatable Chinese food if you can catch it when it's open. Huron Donut Shop has donuts if you have a craving while driving by. Avenal - Jerry's Kitchen recently opened. Haven't tried it but have heard good things. Somedays, they have a BBQ pit outside.... must be grilling Tri-tip. Don't know hours. Also Ramirez Bakery across from credit union has a BBQ grill pit on weekends. Fri Jun 24 01:02:00 -0700 2005 482773 0 TG 4 482806 I'll "dive" off I-5 for a hole-in-the-wall anytime, I think our problem in Huron has been trying to figure out where to start, now we know. We have a Chris Meat Mkt. in Fresno, great lengua and cabeza tacos, tortas, even an excellent cheeseburger. Long lines at lunch time. My BIL gets dizmiel(?), thinly sliced marinated beef, just throw it on the grill and wow all your friends with "your homemade" tacos, burritos, etc. I get my oxtails and marrow bones from them in the winter to make oxtails bordelaise. I wonder if it's a family operation? BTW, any tips on Kerman, Firebaugh, or Mendota? I'm betting there's some hidden gems there also. Fri Jun 24 19:18:05 -0700 2005 482785 0 PolarBear 4 482873 Have to say thanks once again for this one TG. Ended up having to make an unscheduled trip to the central coast yesterday (yeah, I know... oh damn!). Arrived in Huron around 11:30 am and were about 4th in line. Wife was concerned about ease of eating in the car so ordered a carnitas burrito, at least a half pound of perfectly seasoned pork, great flavors. I went with three tacos that I'm not able to find easily (at least of high quality on a regular basis), lengua, cabeza, and a chiccharon. All were just dripping with the juices, the cabeza had a soft mouth feel, very flavorful, the chiccharon especially juicy and spicier (this is a good thing) than the others, and the lengua tender tasty pieces of tongue, all generously stuffed into homemade corn tortillas. They wrapped them individually in paper then all three again in foil so I was able to minimize any loss to spillage. Total incl. 2 flan and one rice pudding (both pre-packaged) was $11 and change. Limited English is spoken here but thankfully it surpassed my limited Spanish. I did find out that it is the same family operation that runs Chris Meat Mkt in Fresno on Kern St. just off of E St. Another great travel option would be one of their tortas. Also, it's fun to stand there and watch their skills as they put together your order. Sun Jun 26 21:25:51 -0700 2005 482785 0 PolarBear 5 482910 My personal favorite is the chorizo taco. Normally one burrito is enough to fill me up. They make the sausage homemade and quite frequently you can see the links hanging from the ceiling. I've never been to the Fresno location. How does the Huron location compare tastewise? Just glad to pass the word around that there are alternatives out here near I-5 besides Mickey D's and Burger King. Let me know what you think of the other places I mentioned if you ever try them the next time you pass out here again. If you like linguica (Portuguese sausage), a local favorite that sells the best homemade I've tasted (take home and cook) is the Lemoore Food Locker, 205 Fox St. in downtown Lemoore. They sell regular or spicy and comes in 2 lb packages. Ask for the Verissimo Homemade style. Great on the BBQ. Hope this info is helpful Tue Jun 28 02:36:44 -0700 2005 482873 0 TG