Today's blog is all about Jocko's. =-) What is Jocko's? Where is Jocko's? Why is Jocko's worth a 6 hour round trip? Your questions are all about to be answered, my friend!!!
Jocko's is a steakhouse in the little town of Nipomo, which is just a few miles North of Santa Monica, CA on Hwy 101. I would never have known it existed if my hunny hadn't shared it with us a few years ago.
Mom, Dad, My Hunny and I were all on our way down to SoCal for our first NASCAR race when we decided to take the scenic route. There are two major options for getting to SoCal from the Bay Area: I-5 which is a 5-6 hour drive or Hwy 101 which is about a 7-8 hour drive. Typically we take I5 which is a pretty boring drive, but much quicker. Since we were in no hurry, we opted for more coastal route of 101. An hour or so into the ride, my Hunny says that if we are interested in stopping for a nice dinner, he had a suggestion for us. We were all game, so he said he'd lead us to the best steakhouse ever! The next couple of hours were filled with the background of how he knew about Jockos. He and his family used to go there when he was young. His Dad's company would rent out half of the restaurant during their convention and they would spend hours enjoying the food and atmosphere. He has very fond memories of this place, and I was feeling pretty honored to get to share something with him that meant so much to him.
We got to Jocko's around 4:30, which happened to be the time they opened up for lunch. It also turned out to be a good thing we weren't any later, becuase after 5pm, if you don't have a reservation, you have at least an hour wait!!! We sat down at the table and our adventure began. Jocko's serves salsa and crackers as well as "reslish trays" while you read the menu and make your choices. Next comes a delicious salad, followed by the main course, BBQ beans and toast, polished off with a bowl of ice cream at the end. My hunny wasn't kidding. Jocko's steaks are the best, bar none, of any I have ever had. The only thing that comes close is my Dad's BBQ'd steaks. The portions are huge, and there are always leftovers!
We have sense returned several times. Each trip we've made together sense then has been specifically to go there for dinner. We usually stop at Pizmo Beach, a half hour or so before Jocko's and enjoy the breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean, then continue on. After dinner we talk around the table for a while, then load back in the car or truck for the 3 hr ride home. All who have gone agree that it is well worth the ride!
This past weekend was no different. We had an excellent dinner and adventure and are already looking forward to the next trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment