San Francisco to Disneyland

[Disneyfanjane]

I am not sure if this is the correct board to ask this question but here it goes. My family of five will be visiting San Francisco for a couple of days and then we will be driving to Disneyland on the I5 on Saturday, August 21. I know it will be about a 6 to 7 hour drive so I am looking for suggestions as to what would be a nice place to stop for lunch? We will be leaving San Francisco around 9 o'clock that morning.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Well theres not much on I5, it is a hit and miss, as your driving you will see signs where there is signs that tell you where there is food. Alot of fast food, I'm sure some of the exits do have dennys. I will be going that way on the 20th to vegas. When are you going? If you do a google search maybe you can come up with something on I5. Sorry.

 

[skiingfast]

There really isn't much. You will leave the bay area quickly in the first hour and then drive through fields and some semi desert areas for 5 hours. Through here as PP mention are some very small towns with food and gas. There are a few rest areas with toilets and trees with picnic tables. Then you go over some mountains and drop down in the LA metropolis for the last hour plus of the drive.

 

[kim3339]

I live in Santa Clara, a hour South of SF. When we drive down, we stop in either Kettleman City or at the base of the Grapevine. Kettleman City is closer by about a hour/hour and a half. They have gas stations, and some fast food places all together. Same with the Grapevine, Grapevine has more of a selection. Kettleman City stuff is near, if not right at an exit for Highway 41. You take the exit and at the light are going to turn left. The Grapevine has stuff on both sides of the exit. If you are stopping for lunch, I would go with Kettleman. I know a little south of there is a huge restaurant/stop called Harris Ranch(i think) it's right near cow ranch so more of a sitdown nicer place. It's about 30-40 minutes south of Kettleman. Hope this helps!

 

[StageTek]

Yep. The I5 is a wasteland of a drive. Lunch will be about 200
miles out of the city, right? Noon or thereabouts. So Kettleman
City would fit. Mike’s Roadhouse Cafe is really good. I haven’t
been there in 15 years so...

But you aren’t going to find any nice, “California” kind of place
to eat lunch along the I5. As usnuz said; the usual fast food and
the occasional Denny’s.

 

[Disneyfanjane]

Thank you for the suggestions. We are trying to make it to Disneyland in time to pick up our picnics and see WOC. We will need something fast and we don't want to go too far off the I5.

 

[ttig34]

Thank you for the suggestions. We are trying to make it to Disneyland in time to pick up our picnics and see WOC. We will need something fast and we don't want to go too far off the I5.

In-N-Out burger in Kettlemen City would be a possibility.

 

[GrandBob]

There's some fast food where I5 crosses CA46 at Lost Hills. Not a very good selection, IIRC. There's an even better selection where I5 crosses CA58 near Bakersfield -- a whole lot of gas stations, fast food joints, and motels.

Or, if you want an earlier lunch, there are also fast food joints (McD's etc) at Santa Nella, where I5 crosses CA33, about 2 hours out of SF.

HTH,
Bob

 

[niknaxx]

Kettleman City is always my stop to eat and gas up. Good place to refill gas before the Grapevine so you aren't paying $5/gallon. In-and-Out and a few other fast food places. If you are looking for something better than fast food, you are best served by just waiting till you arrive in LA.

 

[pixiewings71]

We always stop in Lost Hills, there we fill up (decent gas prices) and grab a bite to eat, there is a Denny's and they are very fast and get you in and out quick or there are fast foods choices as well. For us it's about halfway so it's a quick and easy pit stop.

We do like Harris Ranch but that's a more substantial break of at least an hour. Santa Nella has Anderson's Pea Soup, which is good but it might come up faster then you want to stop.

 

[sndral]

We've stopped @ Harris Ranch near Coalinga several times. It is about 200 miles (3+ hours, depending on traffic leaving the City and how fast you drive on 5) into your drive and right on I-5. You can't miss it - it's right by the Harris Ranch cattle feed lots. They specialize in beef, the less formal restaurant should be about an hour for lunch and I think the grounds are pretty and the gift store is nice to browse.
Santa Nella also has a Denny's, it's on the W. side of I-5, and as mentioned above Anderson's Pea Soup which is on the east side @ Santa Nella - it's interesting.
Be aware that LA traffic can get ugly once you get close to DL, You'll be arriving 4-5ish pm, the S.Cal. people can probably give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[jckjck]

 

[gatorfreud]

We usually just drive and when we are starving we stop at McDs. The one near Harris Ranch is really smelly due to the cows.. we try to hit the one after that if possible - can;t remember where it is. We usually make one stop for bathroom, gas, and McD then back on the road - we eat in the car.

Kim