The food!!! The service!!…read moreThe ambiance!!! Our server was amazing What a gem in small town Los Banos, CA Old small town football diner vibes. Chicken fried steak is a MUST!!! Chicken Bacon sandwich is a MUST!!! Kid friendly menu with 2010 prices. Love this place

This is a legit OG diner in Los Banos. Very much a local joint where people know each other by…read morename. If you are looking for the real thing, this is about as real as it gets. The food is made to order and exactly what it says it is. Nothing fancy, no frills, just plain good food that will fill you up if you're hungry. I had the steak sandwich with fries, and it was a real steak that was cooked exactly how I ordered it. So tasty and I was hungry so it was extra good. And, the service is super friendly and will make you feel like part of that small town vibe. This is not a fancy place but a diner is not where you should go if you're looking for a gourmet meal. Five stars of small town diner awesomeness.

Great place to stop for breakfast . If you're leaving from Fresno heading up north then this…read morebreakfast place is a great stop! The food, coffee and specially the service were all very good!!

Eddie's famous cafe is a must stop! Came here for some breakfast during our drive up 5, we were…read morepleased to see a big smile from the owner and a cozy environment when we walked in. The service was great, and the food was delicious!! If you're hungry and on the road, definitely make a stop here. I got the chorizo and eggs and my boyfriend got the huevos rancheros, both so good we started eating instantly and didn't get a picture... Will definitely be a go-to on any drive down 5 from now on! :)

More than a hundred years, my husband's family, old and young, have been gathering at this…read moretraditional restaurant. Sharing tells of old to the amazement of the young, the wool Growers is a staple in this town. We have celebrated many a birthdays or raised a glass in memory of days of old, people who have passed. The tradition of good food and great gatherings, this is the place. Although ala carte is available, in today's world, of high prices, the basque family tradition brings together the old and new. Order a main, steak, chicken, lamb... and let the feast begin. Red wine - no labels. Made in house. Salad, soup, fresh bread, butter, potato salad, lamb stew, beans "ranchera" style served unlimited. Now, your dinner choice and of course ice cream with chocolate sauce! Take your time. Share the tales. Open your ears and minds of the stories of old. The Wool Growers cannot be explained. It can only be enjoyed.

My friend Jack took me here for dinner. It was well worth the drive from Salinas. I had never seen…read moreanyplace like it. The food was excellent, and so much of it. It just kept coming..never-ending. And for dessert they brought out a whole pie just for the two of us. It was very good..I really loved this place.

Truly an excellent restaurant…read more My wife and I were on a road trip and were drawn in by the beautiful flower arrangements and the storefront sign, so we decided to have breakfast here. Atmosphere: This is a black bear-themed restaurant. The interior decorations are delightful, including the log accents and bear-themed items--there's even a great selection of bear-themed merchandise. The seats are spacious and comfortable, the table settings are clean, and there's not a speck of dust on the windowsills. Truly beyond expectations. Service: The staff member at the front--was she up too early? I didn't feel she greeted us with the energy this place should offer. Once we sat down, however, the other servers were very warm and enthusiastic--they introduced the menu, offered recommendations, and provided service with a smile. When I used to run my own restaurant, I always told my team: "Taste is subjective--you can't please everyone. But if guests feel they've received impeccable service, they won't leave a bad review. On the other hand, if the food is amazing but the service is lacking, they'll never come back." Taste: The service and atmosphere are ultimately just ways to enhance the meal. Eggs Benedict: The eggs were cooked to perfection, the roasted potatoes were just the right size, and the side salad was huge yet well-balanced--not too heavy in flavor. Using baby spinach instead of romaine lettuce was a very nice touch. Steak and eggs: I asked for medium-rare, but I think it was a bit overcooked--closer to medium-well. Coffee: Excellent. After we ordered, the staff very kindly told us that the food might take a little while and asked us to be patient. Meanwhile, the menu and table settings introduced the restaurant's history, which helps guests avoid feeling frustrated by a long wait. I thought that was a very nice touch. I used this same method in running my own restaurant--by consistently leaving a strong impression on customers, you encourage them to return. If the owner is interested, I'd be happy to share a few more tips from my own experience running a restaurant. If I'm ever on another road trip, I will definitely come back. All the best!

Those employees are working hard!…read more Busy Sunday! Benches are full of people waiting. We are told it's a 20 minute wait. We rest in the car and five minutes later, the table is ready. I love that they encourage doggie bags. Always plenty of food to take home.

This Italian-American originally from NY would like to say this is the best Italian food (outside…read moreof North Beach in SF maybe) I've eaten since moving to CA over 25 years ago. I wish they had realized that there was a big volleyball tournament coming to town and mostly staying at the La Quinta next door (also a fabulous experience FWIW) and increased their staffing because the well intended servers were busting their butts but totally unable to keep up. Honestly though, the food was so good I'd deal with it again and still won't deduct a star for it.

The atmosphere in the restaurant felt very Italian to me. I'm not sure because I'm not Italian, but…read moreit did give me that vibe though, except for the fact that, if I remember correctly, the music in the restaurant was not Italian. Some random American music was playing, I think. I like that the room felt a little old and a bit dark in tone, but that there was also a decent sized window that provided some brightness to contrast it well. The service was fine, I have no complaints here. The main thing that I'm not particularly fond of based on a single visit to this restaurant is the food. To start, there are a lot of things to choose from on the menu, and you can choose what meat that you want with your pasta. I don't particularly like that kind of set up to begin with, because there's a chance that I could choose a combination where the flavors don't really complement each other. I don't want to have to be a professional chef or even need to be knowledgeable in food in order to know what tastes good on the menu. In regards to the actual food itself, I thought it was weird that my raviolis already were kind of cold when they came out. In addition to that, none of the food I received striked me as particularly bursting with flavor. The flavors felt muted and a little bit dull. It wasn't bad, I just wouldn't call it a superb fine dining experience. If I'm back in Los Banos, I would want to try this place again, but I think that I should ask the server what I should order instead of trying to craft it myself.

I had such a great experience here. The drinks were really good and definitely some of the best…read moreoptions for the area. Everything we ordered from the food was delicious, flavorful, and nicely prepared. I loved that there was a good variety of food and drinks to choose from, and the atmosphere made it a really enjoyable place to sit down, relax, and have a good meal. Brandon was our server, and he was absolutely wonderful. He was really nice, attentive, and made sure we were taken care of throughout our entire visit without being overbearing. The combination of delicious food, great drinks, and friendly service made our experience even better. I would definitely recommend giving this place a try, and I'll be happy to come back again.

It is about time that I give recognition where it is deserved. After my third visit here tonight, I…read morethought I would take the time to say thank you for a wonderful dining experience. I love this restaurant, This is Southwest cuisine done to perfection. Think Chevy's , but with an extensive menu and food that is actually really good. There was nothing I would change about my visit tonight- it was memorable and fulfilling. For starters , we ordered the Margherita pizza. Not quite Southwest , but it works - trust me! The pizza is wood-fired! The cheese , tomatoes and basil are fresh. Oh , and the tomato sauce they use is just right. Seriously, the pizza here rivals some pizza that I have tried at Italian restaurants. I can't wait to try more pizza creations. For my entree, I opted for the chile verde enchiladas covered in a smooth tomatillo sauce. This enchilada sauce was so tangy and the pico de gallo and guacamole topped them off perfectly. The entree comes with Spanish rice and charro beans. My wife opted for the ribeye steak fajitas , and they were fantastic. The steak was marinated well and it was tender. The only thing that could have made this dish better would be homemade tortillas . Espana's serves up high quality food. Everything that I have tried so far has been phenomenal. The service that we receive is always prompt and friendly , and the food comes out fast -but not too fast. Tonight's meal was a five star experience. Please look at the colorful menu items below and make it a point to stop in and try for yourself.

Drinks are great. I loved this place the first time I came. I got aguachiles verdes…read more The second timeI got a green aguachile and they brought me a red one. Not a big deal because they brought me the right one after. First time I came the aguachile was so good that I told all my fam about it. We all tried it and were very disappointed I feel like the recipe is not consistent. We're big seafood people and we're just bummed about it. Shrimp seem a bit undercooked as well.

EXCELLENT food and wait staff!! I will be back when in Los Banos!! Best Mexican food I've had in a…read morelong, long time!! I was not disappointed!!

Love to stop for a meal on family trips.Place is clean and servers are professional yet friendly…read more Service is prompt .Food is always hot and tasty.Breakfast is delicious pancakes and eggs.Or a great hamburger

Amazing food it has great taste , and the service is great they are friendly and helpful, the…read moreambiance is nice and friendly people comes to eat and chat and I like that is a great place to have just a cup of coffee with a friend or have a good family breakfast time.

I was craving some BBQ, so I decided to give this place a try, and I'm glad I did!…read more The service was great. Everyone was friendly, and they got me taken care of without any hassle. When you've had a busy day, that kind of service goes a long way. The food was really good. The brisket was juicy and tender, and the tri-tip was cooked just right. Dip that tri-tip in their BBQ sauce and you're good to go. The mac and cheese was creamy and hit the spot, and the baked beans were probably my favorite. They had a little sweetness to them and some bits of meat mixed in that made them even better. The Texas toast was soft and buttery, and the fried pickles were a great starter. Honestly, those barely made it home. The family was happy when I showed up with dinner, so I'd say that's a win. If you're in the Los Banos area and want some good, filling BBQ without making a big production out of it, give this place a try. I'll definitely be back.

Looking for a Grub, I found this place. It's located in what I believe is the downtown of Los…read moreBanos. It was easy to find. Location clean & staff friendly. The food was great. I got a combo Tri Tip & ribs with potato salad. Yummy!

We were regulars at Hot City when Steve and Joy owned the place back in the day; and there was…read moresomething about their food that went far beyond simply being good BBQ. You could taste the time, care, and meaning that went into it. Steve had a way of treating that smoker like it was sacred. You'd see him hovering over those meats, his signature glass of wine in hand, watching over them like a father watching over his kids. He wasn't just cooking meat. He was tending to it, making sure it was right. And you could taste that care when it hit your plate. When Steve and Joy sold the business, we were crushed. We definitely throttled back and eventually found ourselves traveling out to the Bay Area when we really wanted BBQ. We've given Hot City a few chances under the new ownership, hoping we'd find some of that old magic. Unfortunately, we haven't. The food just doesn't have the soul it once had. The meats have been inconsistent in both flavor and texture, and the sides have left us equally unimpressed. Our most recent visit really confirmed it. The food looked good, but the flavor was flat. The tri-tip lacked the seasoning and depth we remembered, and the sides were dry and bland. We ended up reaching for the salt and pepper just to bring life to the plate. And that's the real problem. BBQ isn't just meat thrown on a smoker. Good BBQ has personality. It has patience, pride, seasoning, smoke, and somebody behind it who genuinely cares about what they're putting in front of people. That's what Steve and Joy brought to Hot City. There was a heart behind the food. You felt it before you even took a bite. When they left, unfortunately, it feels like the soul of Hot City left with them. What remains is a shell of what Hot City used to be. I'm not writing this to be nostalgic for the sake of nostalgia. I'm saying it because we were regulars, we remember what this place was, and we've given the new version more than one chance. It's just not good BBQ. I really hope someone finds a way to bring that soul back. Because Hot City used to mean something to us. It wasn't just a place to grab some good BBQ. With Joy and Steve, you were family!

We stopped by Hot City BBQ our way to Yosemite and are so thrilled that we did. Arriving shortly…read moreafter they opened, we quickly saw the dining room fill up - and after our first bites, it's not hard to see why their food is outstanding. My Roadhouse Salad was enormous and topped with generous, perfectly cooked slices of tri-tip, which balanced beautifully with the tart apples, blue cheese, and apple vinaigrette. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his pulled pork sandwich as well. The restaurant itself is also so clean & well decorated. We will definitely be return customers!