The drive from SF to Hearst Castle.....

[psimon]

Once we pass the Monterey area heading south, is there any place to get food before we get to San Simeon / Hearst Castle?

Even if it's a McDonalds (not first choice), is there anything?

Many thanks.....

 

[bcla]

Once we pass the Monterey area heading south, is there any place to get food before we get to San Simeon / Hearst Castle?

Even if it's a McDonalds (not first choice), is there anything?

Many thanks.....

Sure. King City. Yeah - they have a McDonalds and I've eaten there on the way to Pinnacles National Monument (supposedly a national park now but I don't get why). They also have a Taco Bell. My understanding is that there's probably some excellent Mexican food in the downtown area off the freeway. But near the freeway they have a Safeway (I assume they have a deli and other prepared foods). I'm looking at Google Maps, and they're showing a Denny's, Carl's Jr, and Subway. My understanding is that a lot of buses that pass through make a stop at that McDonald's in King City.

There are other places. Maybe Soledad. Paso Robles will have a lot of options.

 

[psimon]

Sure. King City. Yeah - they have a McDonalds and I've eaten there on the way to Pinnacles National Monument (supposedly a national park now but I don't get why). They also have a Taco Bell. My understanding is that there's probably some excellent Mexican food in the downtown area off the freeway. But near the freeway they have a Safeway (I assume they have a deli and other prepared foods). I'm looking at Google Maps, and they're showing a Denny's, Carl's Jr, and Subway. My understanding is that a lot of buses that pass through make a stop at that McDonald's in King City.

There are other places. Maybe Soledad. Paso Robles will have a lot of options.

Sorry... I should have been more specific.....

We are following the coastline, taking Route 1 south. so... .anything along there?

thanks!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[bcla]

Sorry... I should have been more specific.....

We are following the coastline, taking Route 1 south. so... .anything along there?

thanks!

---Paul in Southern NJ

Haven't been down there yet, but there's maybe one restaurant in San Simeon.

Big Sur would be your best bet, but it's not going to be cheap. There's a bakery, but they have a gap between lunch and dinner and they might need reservations. They do have some cheaper options along with the restaurants at the expensive resorts.

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants&find_loc=Big+Sur,+CA&ns=1

 

[Serial]

I'd agree with bcla with dining Big Sur. It's about halfway between Monterey and San Simeon, has a number of good dining options, but be prepared for some sticker shock. We're from San Francisco where things aren't cheap, but were kind of taken aback by the prices when we visited down that way last summer. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Big Sur Bakery, and ended up paying something like $6 for a latte and $6 for a pastry. Thank god we had enough gas to get us to Cambria (just south of San Simeon), because gas was also running about $6/gallon. That stretch of Hwy 1 is very remote and the cost of doing business there is reflected in the pricing. Absolutely fill up on gas before you leave Monterey or Carmel, or you'll pay for it. If you want to save some money, pick up a few sandwiches from those towns before you head any further south. I will say though that my wife and I ate at Nepenthe a few years back, and while I remember the meal was a bit pricey (but not shockingly so), the view is something I'll never forget and would recommend to anyone.

 

[wanderlust7]

+1 for Nepenthe for great views. We've also done lunch at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn, which has even more jaw dropping views. It's pricier though and requires more planning since I think you need a reservation to get past the resort gate.

 

[usnuzuloose]

There are many places to eat in Monterey if you want to stop there.

 

[sharona]

We stayed at Big Sur Lodge last year on our PCH drive and enjoyed the food in the restaurant there. I think you can find the menu online to check prices. It was right off the road so no need to detour or backtrack. There's also food available at Hearst Castle...

 

[bcla]

I'd agree with bcla with dining Big Sur. It's about halfway between Monterey and San Simeon, has a number of good dining options, but be prepared for some sticker shock. We're from San Francisco where things aren't cheap, but were kind of taken aback by the prices when we visited down that way last summer. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Big Sur Bakery, and ended up paying something like $6 for a latte and $6 for a pastry. Thank god we had enough gas to get us to Cambria (just south of San Simeon), because gas was also running about $6/gallon. That stretch of Hwy 1 is very remote and the cost of doing business there is reflected in the pricing.

Certainly it's expensive there, but I've been to remote locations where I could get a cheap and filling meal. On a Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip I remember seeing a McDonald's with a Dollar Menu in Jackson, Wyoming, and in Gardiner, Montana we ate at a cheap greasy spoon place for breakfast - maybe $6 each with coffee.

Big Sur just seems to be dominated by upscale resorts. I looked at the lunch menu at Post Ranch Inn, and it's a prix fixe lunch for $55.

The suggestion for the Monterey area is sound. I suppose the last option for an inexpensive deli-style box lunch might be the Safeway supermarket in Carmel, which is right off of CA-1. Nothing fancy, but they might even be able to prepare a nice picnic-style lunch, and there are lots of places (state parks and national forest land) around Big Sur to stop and have a picnic.

http://local.safeway.com/ca/carmel-2669.html

 

[Serial]

bcla's suggestion about getting a picnic lunch from Safeway's deli and finding a nice spot in Big Sur is a really good, reasonably priced option. There are also Shell and Chevron gas stations to fill up at that intersection before you head south into Big Sur. Next gas opportunity is the Shell at Big Sur Bakery that I mentioned ($$$).

 

[wanderlust7]

Big Sur just seems to be dominated by upscale resorts. I looked at the lunch menu at Post Ranch Inn, and it's a prix fixe lunch for $55.

There was an a la carte menu at Post Ranch Inn when we went. This was a few years ago, so I don't know if anything's changed. If I remember right, entrees were $20-25. Not really sure what the OP was looking for, just thought I'd throw it out there since we enjoyed it for a special occasion.