Margie's Diner

As you know, Gary is out of town for 3 weeks, but he will continue to report as he finds good breakfast joints on the road. Here's his first one and truth be told, I would have loved to found myself on this side of the counter facing that pile of fruit!  Enjoy!!

Good morning. After 3 long days of camping on a mandatory run with my club brothers at Lake San Antonio near Paso Robles, Ca., I was looking forward to a good breakfast. The food at the campground was less than thrilling. In fact, breakfast was either old Costco muffins or instant oatmeal, neither of which I am particularly fond of. Lunch and dinner were no better, so by the time Sunday morning came around, I was starving. Now mind you, this was another club’s run that we were supporting so the food was their responsibility, and as far as breakfast or any other meal for that matter was concerned, they almost forced to me lose some weight. Lol.

The ride up here from Los Angeles was a pleasant enough ride. We took the 101 fwy, which once you get out of LA, is very scenic. We rode about 200 miles and exited at 24th street to Nacimiento Lake Road to Interlake Road to San Antonio Road to the lake. The ride on these back country roads is outstanding. They are rolling hills filled with oak trees and flowering meadows. We camped the weekend, laughed a lot, and since I am not a fan of camping, slept little. So when Sunday rolled along, I was ready to get the fuck out of there. Even though I was backtracking about 40 miles, I wanted to have breakfast with my club brothers. But when we arrived in Paso Robles, none of the restaurants were able to handle 40 bikers, so after saying goodbye to my club (they were going to a Denny's by the 5 fwy, yuck), I went to Margie's Diner on main street Paso Robles. It was recommended to me by our road captain, Tom. I owe him one for this.

This is not exactly a mom & pop place (there are 4 of them in Northern CA ) but the food is outstanding. Even though there was a line outside waiting for tables, I decided to sit where Hope and I always prefer, the counter. The action in this place is fast and furious and as soon as I sat down I was offered a cup of coffee and some water. Ahhhh…finally, some real service and by the looks of the meals coming out of the kitchen, real tasty food.

                                                                                                                           
The decor of this place is like a 60's diner and it is spotless clean. The parking is a bit of a challenge but being on a bike makes it tolerable. I ordered their Sunday special, Eggs Benedict with country potatoes and a side of fruit. I waited only a few minutes when the waiter refilled my cup of coffee, which was excellent, and after a few minutes more my food was in front of me. I had a smile from ear to ear and it took all of my patience that I had left, to take a photo.

As soon as I put the I-phone down, I dug in. The eggs were cooked perfect and the hollandaise sauce was just delicious. The country potatoes were full of wonderful spices, all of which Hope would have known, and also cooked to perfection. The fruit was fresh, juicy and chilled just right. The portions were huge and even though I was starving when I got there I couldn't finish all of the potatoes. Hope would have loved this place because she would have 3 meals of leftovers.                                                                                                                                         
After sitting there for a few more cups of coffee, it was time to hit the road. I got back on my bike to head north on the 101 for Salinas to find a hotel where I could get a shower, do laundry and enjoy a real bed, to prepare for my next leg of my journey to Colorado.  This place was a perfect stop for my ride and I would recommend it to anyone.  The service is top notch, the bathrooms clean and full of some sort of air freshener. It is an ‘off-the-charts’ place and no more expensive than any other restaurant Hope and I have been to. If you’re up in this neck of the woods make sure to stop at Margie's diner. You will love it.