Re: Bay Area to Yose via 140 - Eats?

Anyone have favorite food stop suggestions on/near route 140? Last year we had a great lunch on the way in from the Bay Area at H&W Drive-in in Merced. Great burgers (and fries!) On the way out and going home from Yose we stopped at a diner for a late breakfast in Mariposa and that was only so-so. Would be great to hear your suggestions.

I usually drive straight through, take only one rest and/or gas stop, and snack on trailmix till I get to my destination. I've stopped at places like the Denny's in Oakdale (120, not 140) and the Pioneer Market in Mariposa (140) but usually I don't think it's worth the time or money.

Dave's C132 suggestion in the other thread sounded interesting. When I'm going directly to the Valley I take 120. When I'm staying at the Bug (off 140 near Midpines) I take 99 to Merced, then 140 through Mariposa. I hate 99 -- too many big trucks, and crazy drivers in a hurry to pass the big trucks -- so I've been looking for ways around it. Taking I-5, then 140 from Gustine to Merced, seems to add most of an hour to the trip without much to show for it. What's 49 like from Moccasin to Mariposa? From the map it looks kind of hilly, curvy and slow.

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gophersnake

Taking I-5, then 140 from Gustine to Merced, seems to add most of an hour to the trip without much to show for it.

Interesting data point.

For me, taking this alternate route (Hwy 140 from I-5) only adds about 15-20 minutes (at most) to my trip via 140. And according to Google Maps it should add about 19 minutes to the trip, so I'm not sure why it has taken you a lot longer.

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plawrence
For me, taking this alternate route (Hwy 140 from I-5) only adds about 15-20 minutes (at most) to my trip via 140. And according to Google Maps it should add about 19 minutes to the trip, so I'm not sure why it has taken you a lot longer.

In that case I think I'll try driving it, thanks! I rode over it once as a passenger a few years ago but wasn't paying any attention to how long the Gustine-to-Merced leg took. The extra-hour estimate came from a YARTS driver who I thought might be familiar with the area (since he lived in Merced).

I remember I-5 as a more pleasant road than 99.

I'm a big yelp.com fan for scoping out places to eat. From what I read, The Sugar Pine Cafe in Mariposa seems to be a great place for homemade baked goods and solid American (pork chops, burgers, pancakes, milkshakes) food at reasonable prices. Savoury's seems to be the preferred sit down dining experience but is a bit more high end/pricey.

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twarfield
I'm a big yelp.com fan for scoping out places to eat.

Okay, but watch out for the fake reviews. I've seen some that were obviously from the competition and some that were a little more subtle. I find the review that whines about the food being very salty at Ali Baba's to really be puzzling—the food isn't salty at all.

I'd like to think I'm pretty good a reading between the lines but I know what you mean. I look for places with overall good ratings then I actually read the bad reviews. For both of these places, they were driven by either a negative experience regarding service or more of a "not as good as I expected based on the ratings". A few "too expensive" comments for Savoury but it's identified as being a pricier place so that doesn't feel like a legit complaint to me.

Happy Burger Diner - good, not great

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Me thinks there is a lot of 'good, not great' along these routes...

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chick-on
Happy Burger Diner - good, not great

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2013 08:46PM by Paris92.

Can anyone think of one great place there?

There's a really great local restaurant that sells really great burgers
in Mariposa. I think it's called Burger King. Some new burger called the Wooper.
Give that a go.
Also, you could spend all day in there... they have one of the new fangled
Soder Pop machines with 100 zillion varieties.

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chick-on
I think it's called Burger King.

I think this sums up that place best:

Did you want flies with that?

(btw Ali Baba's uses too much salt)

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La Hacienda in Merced, G street, right near the 99. Very unexpectedly great Mexican food.

Happy Burger in Mariposa. Above-decent general American food, really nice people.

Stay the hell away from Sal's or Salvador's Mexican Food. Without going into great detail, it's crap.

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tanngrisnir3
La Hacienda in Merced, G street, right near the 99. Very unexpectedly great Mexican food.

Is this on the south side of the street? We almost went there a while back, but ended up eating in Mariposa instead.

Edit:

I just check Google Maps and: Doh! I didn't read the part that said "G street". The place I saw was just south of Hwy 140.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2013 08:57AM by JasonS.

The Pioneer Market in Mariposa was mentioned here. A few years ago, while driving thru Mariposa on my way back to
the Valley, I tried to find Pioneer Market. Trouble was I couldn't remember the name or the address, I had seen the
advertisements it runs in the Fresno Bee, and also had heard from people who shopped there regularly.

In error, I wound up at some other supermarket instead, I think right on Hwy. 49? Even if I could remember the name of it,
I don't think I'd mention it here ("if you can't say something nice..." ). The place was a throw-back to a small 1960s supermarket
(which in and of itself is not a bad thing), but very dimly lit, worn and dirty inside, cluttered, and small open refrigerator cases that
definitely looked 1960s-vintage, with just a few sorry-looking, graying packages of meat, and a whole lot of empty space around
them in the refrigerator case. Reminded me of the tales I'd heard about markets in the Soviet-era USSR.

Thinking I was at the Pioneer Market I had read and heard so much about, I couldn't figure out what all the excitement was about.
How this other market I was at stays in business is beyond me...

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PineCone
The Pioneer Market in Mariposa was mentioned here. A few years ago, while driving thru Mariposa on my way back to
the Valley, I tried to find Pioneer Market. Trouble was I couldn't remember the name or the address, I had seen the
advertisements it runs in the Fresno Bee, and also had heard from people who shopped there regularly.

It's behind the "Roadside Rest" that's to the left of the museum. I like their sushi.

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In error, I wound up at some other supermarket instead, I think right on Hwy. 49? Even if I could remember the name of it,
I don't think I'd mention it here ("if you can't say something nice..." ). The place was a throw-back to a small 1960s supermarket
(which in and of itself is not a bad thing), but very dimly lit, worn and dirty inside, cluttered, and small open refrigerator cases that
definitely looked 1960s-vintage, with just a few sorry-looking, graying packages of meat, and a whole lot of empty space around
them in the refrigerator case. Reminded me of the tales I'd heard about markets in the Soviet-era USSR.

Don't worry.... that store closed and it closed for the reasons you mentioned. The freezer unit is so old it runs on ammonia. I was going to play around with making a business plan to turn that store into a gym, but it's so old and dated it would cost way too much to refurbish it. If there is any asbestos in that building, and I assume there is, the cost would be even higher.

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Thinking I was at the Pioneer Market I had read and heard so much about, I couldn't figure out what all the excitement was about.
How this other market I was at stays in business is beyond me...

It was beyond the owners too. The Pioneer Market is bright, clean, updated, expanded, but, as is for any country market, a bit more expensive.

i live in Manteca, Ca. and i normally take Hwy 120, but in the winter i take 140 so i don't have to chain up, at least the chances are better that i won't have to chain up if i go 140.

and i've yet to find a place to eat that i would highly recommend (on either routes).



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2013 03:23PM by forrestranger.

On Hwy 120, I have no problem recommending the Priest Station Cafe near Big Oak Flat.

Probably you wouldn't ever stop at Oakdale for a meal (since it's only 20 minutes away from Manteca), but I've always had good meals at Ferrarese's Deli Restaurant on East F Street (Hwy 120).

(Note that the Priest Station Cafe is currently closed for their winter break. They'll reopen on March 15th according to their Facebook page.)

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Looks like Priest is closed until Mid March... but the place has never disappointed.

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http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-gordos-winton
Los Gordos in Winton (near Merced). Worth the time it takes to detour over. Excelent taqueria. No inside seating, just a patio.

I ended up at the H&W Drive-In in Merced. Same as last year. It was nice out so eating outside, out back, was a nice option on a Friday afternoon.

Good fries (and tater-tots...)