88630 Mon Jan 09 17:54:01 -0800 2006 7 3 California 0 488098 Sometimes chowhounding isn't about the best food, but rather about finding decent food in less than ideal circumstances. That's what this one is about: Our travels found us somewhere on I5 hungry on a Saturday night. We had stopped at the Lost Hills exit, and it looked like our choices were limited to fast food or Denny's. But then I noticed there is a restaurant connected to the ARCO truck stop there that advertised "Mexican and American food." We decided to take our chances. Maybe it was the fact that just about everyone there, including the waitress, was hispanic, or maybe just the fact that when I asked about the soup of the day I was told it was "I'm sorry, its Menudo, do you know what that is?" ...but a hunch told me to go with the Mexican choices. Hunch was right. Hubby and I both had the "three soft taco special", mine carne asada and his chicken. Both came with the requisite two small, fresh white corn tortillas per taco, so-so beans, and some of the best aroz amarillo I've had outside of Mexico. The carne asada was a little tough, but I guess that's to be expected, and they also had some good salsa verde, onions and cilantro on top. The chicken in hubbie's came in a wonderful sauce, strong on the cumin. He wouldn't let me eat it all, imagine that! All came with a big bowl of tasty homemade salsa and some fresh, still warm tortilla chips. We paid $15 including two ice teas, tax and a generous tip for our meal for two, and walked out happy. Worth remembering next time your travels take you that way..... Mon Jan 09 17:54:01 -0800 2006 0 janet of reno 1 488128 Thanks for the report. I was hoping to do the 2 mile drive to Lost Hills to check out the food options during my last I-5 visit, but I didn't get the chance. I'm glad there's some good Mexican food nearer to the interstate. Tue Jan 10 13:20:09 -0800 2006 488098 0 katya 2 488178 Where is Lost Hills? Thu Jan 12 11:08:31 -0800 2006 488128 0 Bigfoot 3 488185 Lost Hills is about 2/3 of the way down I5 between Tracy and LA.... maybe around 40 miles north of Buttonwillow. Thu Jan 12 13:24:40 -0800 2006 488178 0 janet of reno 4 488212 Thanks. Fri Jan 13 11:55:05 -0800 2006 488185 0 Bigfoot 3 488223 I think of it as the most remote part of the trip, if that's possible. I think in each direction as you leave the town on the 5, you get a "no gas for ___ miles" sign. Yeah, about halfway between Coalinga and the Grapevine. Fri Jan 13 16:49:11 -0800 2006 488178 0 katya 1 2925250 Just wanted to bump this up with an update: I filed this post away in my mind in case hubby and I ever took 5 again (we've pretty much taken to the longer drive and much greater chow possibilities on 101). Yesterday was the chance: we didn't get out of LA till four pm, and just needed to burn up the road and get home, so 5 it was. When we got to Lost Hills, and hubby pulled into the Arco, and I told him Janet had vouched for the food at the restaurant behind it, he answered wryly, 'must be a very well kept secret'...Indeed, the place doesn't look like much, and at 6:00 or so the parking lot was almost empty... but while not as good as Janet's description from a few years ago, it wasn't bad. Hubby didn't want Mexican, and had a burger. The fries were good, and a generous portion, and the burger certainly looked good (though I didn't taste it), nicely cooked meat, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onion...but and hubby would only say it was 'fine'. Then again, he was exhausted from a long day so perhaps that was all I could expect in the way of a report... I took Janet's advice and stuck to the Mexican side of the menu. Excellent chips and fresh salsa were brought out. My three taco special came with very good rice (though I have certainly had better in the bay area), good beans and an excellent, smoky, spicy stewed chicken filling, sort of a chicken tinga: but in crispy (and cold!) pre-made taco shells that were topped with American cheese(!). In fairness, the menu did say they were crispy (not soft) tacos and I didn't see any soft taco specials....but still, the shells were a disappointing contrast to the filling. Oh well, it wasn't bad, the ice tea was very good, and restrooms were quite clean, which is no small feat on the 5. Dinner with tax and tip was about $22; so perhaps prices have gone up a bit, but are still reasonable. Portions were very generous and service was fast and friendly. I might try it again. The options really are pretty limited on 5. If hubby wasn't with me, I'd stop at Popeye's (hubby hates fried chicken. go figure). Perhaps next time, if we don't take 101, we will try Tita's at the Buttonwillow exit (as I think others have noted, they have a full menu and an actual restaurant, and their menu now includes alternatives such as cheeseburgers and shakes, in addition to pupusas, so no need to drive into the town of Buttonwillow....I can't vouch for them personally however....) Sun Sep 09 17:56:51 -0700 2007 488098 10158 susancinsf 2 2925748 Thanks for the update...I wonder why you got cold crispy shells and the tacos I had were softshelled....maybe a different chef doing the specials? Well, at least you avoided Mickey D's! Sun Sep 09 21:52:14 -0700 2007 2925250 10290 janetofreno