anywhere to eat between san simeon and big sur?
 

The plan is to do Hearst castle, and see the sealions in the morning, and then spend the afternoon driving up the coast. the question is- do we have to stick around san simeon to eat, or is there somewhere to stop that is closer than Big Sur?
(even fast food would suffice!)
thanks!

We did that last summer and ate lunch at Ragged Point Inn. Here's a link to a map:

http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/map.html

EAT HERE!!!

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

I'm serious. AMAZING view. Good food. You'll remember it forever. One of my favorite memories of the California coast.

PS - take a tour at the Hearst castle that includes the outdoor pools (and look for the mermen statues) :-)

Nepenthe is on Barbara's map (further north than Ragged Point Inn)

so what's the driving time from ragged point to nepenthe?

65 miles from Hearst castle/ San Simeon to Big Sur. A little over an hour to drive it.

so there's nothing really between ragged point and big sur

In an hour/ 65 miles, you'll have a wide variety of options.

Why not eat at someplace with a SPECTACULAR view that you'll remember for years?

We always have snacks in the car with iced soda and water in case of munchies en route to a destination.

Munch on an apple, or cheese and crackers and drive on up to Nepenthe (would be my recommendation anyway)

well, we are also driving with a 6 month old, which makes things a little more complicated. but I do appreciate the suggestions!

and while the nepenthe looks great, I'm not sure we can afford $15pp. for lunch, though. :)

The patio dining at Nepenthe is cheaper than the dining room. Though I don't know if it's open year round (I was there last June).

This is by no means any disrespect to you aspalm but I must tell you that in California if you cannot afford $15 pp for lunch, I would suggest you travel the major interstate and only eat at fast food with .99 cent specials!
I dream of eating at places like Nepenthe for only $15 pp.. I would gladly just drink water for the experience there!!

It is around 45 miles from ragged point to big sur. I would allow about an hour and half. There is a deli/cafe at the Big Sur Lodge in Big Sur next to the Post Office which might be cheaper than Nepenthe.

aspalm, don't let them bully you. Go where you feel comfortable and enjoy yourselves. Everywhere along the Big Sur coast has its own magic.

Here's the Hearst castle link for specific info -
http://www.hearstcastle.com/visitors...directions.asp

I've "done" the California coast drive several times, but the most enjoyable day on a segment was an all day trip starting at Monterey down to Hearst for a tour and back to Monterey. All day. The 17 mile drive was amazing. A friend who grew up in the Bay area was the first to tell me how gorgeous the 17 mile drive was.

Stopping for lunch at Nepenthe was a highlight for EVERYONE (we had two cars caravanning for this day trip). We spent the drive stopping at overlooks and just basically enjoying the day and the route.

http://www.pebblebeach.com/page.asp?id=1373

The first link may be helpful in answering your question on another thread with detailed info on the Hearst options. You seem to be concerned about time constraints - and I strongly recommend that you not rush this portion of California. If you need to make good time or get somewhere quickly, use the interstate/freeway - but if at all possible, slow it down a lot and enjoy this part of the coast fully.

I'm not sure who is being accused on bullying. I'd gladly eat dinner at Wendy's for a couple of nights in order to have lunch at Nepenthe. When I say the view is amazing and everyone in two cars (large range of ages and interests) felt eating there was a highlight of the trip - well, that was our experience. I wish someone had recommended it to me on earlier trips.

as a regional "local" i have to say we have experienced nothing but attitude from nepenthe. last weekend we (two of use) went at 3:30pm and the place was EMPTY, and we were told we could not sit at the EMPTY railing because they didn't have enough servers!

it was 70 degrees out.

the almost identical thing happened 5 years previous when we were with my elderly parents.

the view is great but personally, i don;t give my business to places that don;t want or appreciate it.

i will never again make that drive down from carmel to eat there.

Hi asplam

Just a coment about the drive. Take your time. You need to allow time for breaks and short hikes. I plan a full day from hearst to the bay area. Here is a great link for that area of coast.
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/

Have Fun
GP

My experiences at Nepenthe are similar to kerikeri. It is a unique and visually interesting place with a colorful history, and is a neat place to stop for a look-see, but I think it is an overpriced tourist trap...with mediocre food and awful service, however with fabulous views in a lovely location.

Since it appears the OP is on a bit of a budget, I would suggest getting some picnic makings before hitting the road on your way north and have a picnic somewhere along the way. Or snack your way up to Carmel/Monterey and get a budget meal in that area.

I agree with the picnic makings. There was another store with deli that made very good sandwiches (not by the Big Sur Lodge). They were right on Hwy one and surprisingly affordable. Though if you want to eat halfway between San Simeon and Big Sur, maybe buy your picnic fixings in San Simeon.

these boards always crack me up. I love how my question about whether there are any places to eat turns into me being cheap for wondering if there was something besides the one restaurant that was mentioned (and I DO appreciate the mention).
If only I lived in California and could set up a stand where I could sell water to people like Tahiti for $15 a bottle, and have them gush about how much it is worth it. Do you think they'll even let my rental car on the highway if it isn't a lexus or a convertible? ;)

To those that offered help, thanks much! I appreciate all the links and will follow every one as I look forward to seeing the beautiful coastline.

starrsville- are you saying you did monterrey-hearst-17 mile-back to monterrey all in one day? That seems like a long day. I'm guessing you did the 17 mile drive first?
My concern with time constraints is being able to do the Hearst tour (and movie?), drive up the coast at a leisurely pace (time enough to see the seals, etc.), and still have time to do the 17 mile drive before overnighting in Monterrey. Possible? Or am I better off overnighting elsewhere, than getting up to do the 17 mile drive, the Monterrey aquarium, then up to SF?
Those are my only choices, as we fly out of SF the next morning.

It WAS a long day, but it was the only free day we had during the business meeting. Yep, we started out from Monterrey and did the 17 mile drive very leisurely. We ate lunch at the restaurant we all were stupid enough to enjoy (and a co-workers daughter remembered and raved about when I saw her 10 years later) :-) made it to Hearst, did a tour and then headed back north. We ate dinner in Monterrey that night.

Before I get blasted, I am not recommending that anyone recreate that particular trip. We had a blast and enjoyed every single minute of it. We utilized the free time we had available.

Another GREAT memory of that meeting was kayaking in the Monterrey bay. FABULOUS!

I dare not describe the Napa, Calistoga spa and SF mini-vacation that preceded the Monterrey business meeting. It seems that whatever restaurant, hotel or sightseeing suggestion I make lately, certain someones will be sure to say I'm completely off my rocker.

I do know I have absolutely no memory of where we ate dinner anytime else on that trip - but we ALL enjoyed Nepenthe - and there was a WIDE range of folks with varied interest, ages, economic backgrounds, etc.

We did rent out the Monterrey Aquarium for a corporate event. I was not that impressed with the aquarium - or the food.

starrsville- I am certainly not knocking your recommendations, so please know I come in peace!
Any particular reason you did not like the aquarium? Have you enjoyed other aquariums more than this one, or are aquariums just not your thing? Just wondering if it is overrated.

"It seems that whatever restaurant, hotel or sightseeing suggestion I make lately, certain someones will be sure to say I'm completely off my rocker."

I hope you are not implying that you can share your experiences and other people cannot share there's. The two of us that offered differing views on Nepenthe never said anything about you being off your rocker, we offered our experiences that happened to differ from yours (shock, horror and dread), that's all. There's no drama here.

We visited the Monterey Aquarium last summer,my mum, my older-teen daughter and myself. None of us is a sea-life fanatic, but we all loved the aquarium. It is not over-rated as far as we are concerned. We thought we'd be there for a couple of hours at the most, but we ended up staying for about five hours. We had a very nice lunch in the restaurant-not the cafeteria. We were lucky to get a table right at the window and we really enjoyed watching the goings-on on the Bay. You might not stay as long with your baby, though. There were lots of toddlers and young children. It seems to appeal to people of all ages. You may be able to buy tickets at your hotel. This is good because then you don't have to wait in line to get in. If you go, go when it opens in the morning. Find out when the feeding times are, because you'll want to be close to the front to get a good view.

No, the comment was not specific to this thread.

aspalm..
I just saw your flippant comment about selling water to the likes of me for $15 a bottle and so I can tell everyone how much I payed for it..
Don't you realize that route 1 is probably the most scenic drive in the world and is NOT lined with fast food establishments and so when one suggests a restaurant with fab views and great food and you come back that you cannot afford that, I respect that but I do not feel that $15 pp which includes a Swordfish sandwich, drink and tip is not so out of line..
What is out of line is your last comment that "you come in peace"..

Tahiti- sorry I took offense to your "stick to the interstate" remark and retaliated in the like. Like I said, I always laugh at these boards when people start trashing other people and their opinions. cracks me up.
When I mentioned I couldn't afford it, you can tell by my post I was clearly not knocking the suggestion, and I don't think those that made the suggestion took it that way. I even have a little smiley face there!
That being said, I must agree that a swordfish sandwich, drink, and tip for $15 would be reasonable.
Unfortunately, at Nepenthe, the swordfish sandwich is $19. Add drink, tip and tax, and you're looking at a $30pp lunch at least.
There's a line that must be drawn somewhere, and despite breathtaking views and a spectacular setting, for me- that is beyond the line of reasonable. And I'm sure I'm not alone.
That doesn't mean I am relegated to the value menus, does it?! :0

Hey aspalm,
Thanks for the reply!
I just want you to have the best experience for as little money as possible..you know what is comfortable for you to spend..maybe you can split a sandwich and have the best of both worlds..a picnic sounds great too.
Have a great time and look forward to your trip report!

Nepenthe is worth every penny, imo, and I can be pretty jaded. You don't go for the food (which certainly is more than decent), you go for the view. And it is, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular views in the world. We always try to eat at sunset and we've never gone when it's an unusually busy time of year, nor when it's foggy. Cafe Kevah is a bit less pricey, and you get the same view.

Stop at a store in San Simeon and buy some lunch...picnic along the way. Nepenthe has fabulous views but the food is DREADFUL!! HORRIBLE! Ragged Point is a good place to stop along the way but if it's not in your budget...just pack a picnic.

I say take a picnic. We picnic a lot on our road trips and have a great time. And in a place like Big Sur - there is so much natural beauty that it is a perfect place. There are some accessible beaches you can head down to, you can picnic on a bluff overlooking the ocean, there are beautiful forests and nice creeks. Take your pick - no shortage of great spots. You can have that million dollar view without paying $15 for a burger.

And with a small child, this will give you the flexibility to eat when you want/need to - since as has been mentioned, there isn't a darn thing except breath-taking scenery between Ragged Point and Nepenthe.

Most grocery stores have deli counters where you can get sandwiches made to order and you can also buy your drinks, fruit, cookies, etc. Or you can buy lunch fixins and put it all together yourself. For the price of fast food, you can have some nice stuff. If we are on a road trip originating at home, then we bring our own ice chest, if we have flown somewhere, then we buy a small styrofoam one enroute.

I grew up along the CA coast, and when I was a kid, we didn't have much money at all. We had the necesities, but some months, meat was a luxury we could not afford. Even still - we went all over the coast. We just camped out and we brought our own food. It was fabulous. And let me tell you - I am eternally grateful to my parents that they weren't of the opinion that if you can't afford restaurant meals that you should stick to interstates and fast food or stay home. I had a very rich childhood despite the lack of restaurant meals ;) And even though I can now afford to basically eat wherever I want, I still choose picnics, esspecially in gorgeous country like Big Sur.

Take a picnic. Have a blast. :)

At Ragged Point there is a "sort of fast food" place on site. The walk around the point is very nice, also, if I remember right, drinks are available in a small store. We ate on the patio and it was lovely but you can get the same view walking. Enjoy. The whole coast is great. CJ

lol, TTess, I'm curious as to when you might have eaten at Nepenthe. The last time we ate there was about 3 years ago, and though I wouldn't say our meal was particularly outstanding in any way, it was <i>far from</i> &quot;dreadful!&quot; I'm pretty discriminating, too, so I am genuinely interested in your experience. Perhaps they have a new management? :)

Yes, there is a burger joint at Ragged Point, or was the last time I was there. But it's nothing special, and the fries are awful. You'd do better to do the picnic thing, or wait till Nepenthe. The real restaurant at Ragged Point is another story, it's a five star place. All of Ragged Point is basically in the same parking lot, it's not a very big place.

Joining the fray here... I think Nepenthe is worth a stop anytime - it's so interesting and represents an artistic era. John F Kennedy made headlines when he stopped here WITHOUT SHOES. Stop for a lemonade and use the restrooms, browse the art shops. The food isn't bad at all, but with a baby you might prefer a picnic along the way when it suits you.