These 8 California Soul Food Kitchens Are Worth Every Mile of the Drive
California is famous for tacos, sushi, and avocado toast, but its soul food scene deserves just as much attention. From Inglewood to Oakland, some of…
By Evan Cook · Oct 3, 2026
Category
California
1,071 Articles
California
Pack Some Cash, Because These 7 California Chinese Bakeries Sell Egg Tarts
Egg tarts are small, but they pull big crowds in California. Some of the best ones come from…
By Evan Cook · Oct 3
California
Right On The Sausalito Waterfront, This Festive Crab House Serves Roasted Dungeness With Sweeping Bay Views
Some restaurants sell you a meal. Others hand you a front-row seat to one of the most scenic…
By Evan Cook · Oct 2
California
In San Francisco’s Castro, This Old-School Diner Dishes Out Classic Comfort Food Around The Clock
Some places never bother to sleep, and this little corner spot in San Francisco is one of them.…
By Evan Cook · Oct 2
California
This Beloved California Farmers Market Gets So Packed On Saturdays You’ll Want To Park And Walk
Some weekend outings promise fresh food and end up delivering a full-on morning adventure, complete with a little…
By Evan Cook · Oct 2
California
7 California Fried Chicken Joints Where The Crispy, Golden Crunch Keeps Locals Coming Back
Fried chicken has quietly become one of California’s favorite comfort foods, and the state is packed with counters…
By Evan Cook · Oct 2
California
Save Room For Pie Because These 9 California Orchards Bake It Fresh On Site
A slice of pie tastes different when the apples came from trees you can see out the window.…
By Evan Cook · Oct 2
California
This Peaceful California Lake Community Offers Three Swimming Beaches And Cabins Near Yosemite
Yosemite draws crowds by the carload every summer, and finding a calm place to sleep nearby can feel…
By Evan Cook · Oct 2
California
Retirees Are Trading The Beach For Lake Views In This Quiet California Senior Community
Some people spend their whole lives within a few minutes of the Pacific, and then they do something…
By Evan Cook · Oct 1
California
Regulars Have Been Stopping at This 24-Hour California Panadería for Fresh Pan Dulce for Over 20 Years
Some bakeries lock their doors at dusk, but one little spot in Modesto never does. At 4 a.m.…
By Evan Cook · Oct 1
California
Dry-Aged Steaks And A Live Jazz Trio Draw California Steak Lovers To This Old-School San Francisco Steakhouse
Some restaurants chase every new trend, and then there are places that simply refuse to change what works.…
By Evan Cook · Oct 1
California
Slide Onto The Nine-Seat Counter At This 1954 California Diner For Pie And Coffee That Keeps Coming
Somewhere between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, big billboards along the interstate start calling to hungry drivers. They…
By Evan Cook · Oct 1
California
This California Desert Town Is Where Retirees Are Quietly Buying New Homes With Mountain Views
Some people retire and buy a boat. Others buy a patch of desert sand and wait for a…
By Evan Cook · Oct 1
California
California Has No Shortage Of Bagel Shops, But Locals Keep Pointing To These 7
California used to get teased for its bagels, and honestly, some of that teasing was fair. Things have…
By Evan Cook · Oct 1
California
Prime Rib Is The Only Main Course At This Packed California Restaurant Serving It Since The 1940s
Most restaurants hand you a menu that reads like a novel. This San Francisco dining room hands you…
By Evan Cook · Sep 30
California
Road-Trippers Up And Down I-5 Plan Their Stop Around The Split Pea Soup And Pot Roast At This Old-Fashioned Santa Nella, California Restaurant
Some road trips are measured in miles, and some are measured in bowls of soup. Along the long,…
By Evan Cook · Sep 30
California
Hidden Behind A Liquor Store Counter, Bay Cities Italian Deli In Santa Monica Makes A Sandwich Worth The Line
Santa Monica has plenty of quick lunch stops on the way to the beach, yet one counter in…
By Evan Cook · Sep 30
California
Pea Soup Isn’t The Only Reason To Stop, But The Artichokes At This Castroville Stand Are Legendary
Some towns pick a slogan, and Castroville actually earned one by calling itself the Artichoke Center of the…
By Evan Cook · Sep 30
California
Since 1946, This Glendora Diner Has Been Flipping Burgers Under A Giant Neon Sign
Some burger joints come and go faster than a lunch break, but one spot on Route 66 in…
By Evan Cook · Sep 30
California
Californians Keep Road-Tripping To These 7 Basque Restaurants For Family-Style Feasts
Some meals are worth planning a whole day around, and a classic Basque dinner in California is one…
By Evan Cook · Sep 30
California
Pink’s Hot Dogs Has Kept Hollywood Lining Up On La Brea Since 1939
Los Angeles tears down and rebuilds itself so often that a business lasting ten years feels like a…
By Evan Cook · Sep 29
California
Clam Chowder In A Sourdough Bowl Tastes Best At These 8 California Seafood Counters
California has a long coastline and an even longer love affair with clam chowder poured into a hollowed-out…
By Evan Cook · Sep 29
California
Out In Oildale, Luigi’s Has Been Packing Italian Sandwiches Into Bakersfield Lunches Since 1910
Most lunch spots last a few years. This one in Bakersfield has lasted more than a century, and…
By Evan Cook · Sep 29
California
Only A Short Walk From The Carmel Beach, Hog’s Breath Inn Keeps Its Fireplaces Burning
Carmel-by-the-Sea has a habit of hiding its best stories down narrow passageways, and one of its most famous…
By Evan Cook · Sep 29
California
Taylor’s Steak House, a Nostalgic Supper-Club Steakhouse in Los Angeles’ Koreatown
Los Angeles loves to reinvent itself. Restaurants open with big buzz and vanish before the paint on the…
By Evan Cook · Sep 29
California
Why Do Road-Trippers Stop At Casa De Fruta Every Time They Cross Pacheco Pass?
Plenty of California road trips include a stretch over Pacheco Pass on Highway 152, and a surprising number…
By Evan Cook · Sep 29
California
Just Off The Beach, These 8 California Taco Stands Serve Carne Asada Worth Sandy Feet
Some of the best carne asada in California is served by people who fully expect you to walk…
By Evan Cook · Sep 28
California
Save Your Appetite For Dim Sum At These 7 California Restaurants
Dim sum is a meal where you point at a passing cart, grab a few small plates, and…
By Evan Cook · Sep 28
California
Hungry Travelers Keep Stopping At These 7 California Mexican Bakeries For Fresh Pan Dulce
Grab a tray, pick up the tongs, and get ready to make some tough choices, because California is…
By Evan Cook · Sep 28
California
Pick Up A Box Of Warm Tamales At These 8 California Family Kitchens This Holiday Season
In a lot of California homes, the holidays do not officially start until someone walks through the door…
By Evan Cook · Sep 28
California
Garlic Lovers Have A Standing Pilgrimage To These 7 California Restaurants
Some people plan road trips around beaches or ballparks, but garlic fans plan theirs around roasted cloves, garlic…
By Evan Cook · Sep 28
California
If You Only Eat One Ramen Bowl In California, Make It At One Of These 8 Shops
California has more ramen shops than anyone could visit in a lifetime, so picking just one bowl can…
By Evan Cook · Sep 28
California
Crispy Lumpia And Garlic Rice Make These 8 California Filipino Spots Worth Seeking Out
Lumpia tends to vanish first at any Filipino party, and garlic rice is the quiet hero sitting right…
By Evan Cook · Sep 27
California
There’s A Reason Locals Wait Outside Porto’s In Glendale Before The Doors Even Open
Well before most of Glendale has finished its first cup of coffee, a small group is already standing…
By Evan Cook · Sep 27
California
Nobody Leaves Philippe The Original In Los Angeles Without Trying The Famous French Dip
Some Los Angeles restaurants chase trends, but one downtown counter has been doing roughly the same thing since…
By Evan Cook · Sep 27
California
Truckers Pull Off I-5 For The Massive Omelets At This Coalinga Diner
Long-haul drivers know the middle stretch of Interstate 5 can feel like it goes on forever, with little…
By Evan Cook · Sep 27
California
Ask Anyone In Ojai Where To Get Pie And They’ll Point You To This Little Bake Shop
There is a spot in downtown Ojai where locals send every hungry newcomer, and the directions usually come…
By Evan Cook · Sep 27
California
This Old-School California Pizzeria Has Served Its Thin-Crust Pies for 60 Years and Still Draws a Crowd
Some restaurants change their menus every season. Others plant their feet and refuse to budge for six decades,…
By Evan Cook · Sep 27
California
You Can Watch Them Pull Fresh Taffy At This Old-Fashioned Santa Cruz Candy Shop
Near the far end of a busy California wharf sits a candy shop where the sweets are still…
By Evan Cook · Sep 26
California
This Old West Saloon-Steakhouse In California Is Where You Go For A 72-Hour Blackened Ribeye
Some steaks take a few minutes on the grill. Others take three full days of preparation before they…
By Evan Cook · Sep 26